I had the opportunity to perform a home inspection for one of Sondra's clients and I must say that I was very impressed. Sondra's dedication, tenacity and most of all her experience really shone through before, during and after the inspection. Sondra was on the phone with me setting it up, asking all the right questions, ensuring the client chose the right inspector for them and this transaction. Then during the inspection itself she helped resolve an issue with accessibility, working as a liaison between myself and the seller. And afterward she took the findings and rolled them into a package to negotiate with to get the best possible deal for the client. Overall I was very impressed with her ethos and dedication. Well done! read more

I'm an interior designer by trade, and quite possibly the pickiest house-hunter alive despite being able to renovate any home I buy. I initially met Sondra through a friend and, long story short, went on what felt like 300 viewings. Sondra never made me feel bad about how obnoxiously picky I am. I lost my nerve after an offer I put in fell through, and I took a break. I met a great guy, who lived too far out of Austin and convinced him to move to Austin to date me (we're married now so it was worth it his time). I hooked him up with Sondra, and boy, I did not make it an easy sale for her. I think I vetoed somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 houses my at the time boyfriend liked (really, they had awful floor plans) and when we finally found the one, we both just knew. Sondra kicked butt during the sale. She asked for things we didn't think about asking that benefited us, and was firm with the seller. There was a lot of fight to put up to get the house but we didn't feel like we had to do any of it ourselves as Sondra was always on it. We never felt neglected, she was always prompt, honest, and excited to help. My now husband enjoyed working with her so much he used her services to sell the property he moved from. We plan to go back to her again once we outgrow this house in the next few years. In all honesty, great realtor aside, Sondra is good people, and that's just as important as anything else. You won't find another realtor like her in Austin. read more

OK, so... Sondra is a great agent from start to finish! (full disclosure- she is the girlfriend of one of my good friends, but I'm not above hating on a friend's significant other if they don't do a good job on something) I had a condo in/near Allandale to sell last summer, and I wasn't sure if I could sell it with the economy being so shaky. Sondra calmed my nerves about putting it on the market by preparing a ton of comps (comparison property listings) and recent similar sales. She also gave me some great advice about staging and how to prioritize repairs as I was getting the property ready. After we went on the market, she did a ton of open houses-- which some agents probably wouldn't have done, since this was a relatively small/inexpensive property. She always had cookies baking during the open house time, too, which I think is a nice touch. When we finally got a solid offer, she helped me stay steady when things got a little touch-and-go with the (eventual) buyer's financing and appraisal. I always had the sense she was looking out for my best interests while also trying to be fair to the other people involved. When everything was signed and done, she took me out for a nice lunch, and later gave me a sweet little gift. She also made a donation on my behalf to the animal-related charity of my choice (she's a sucker for doggies!). It was great doing business with her. read more

It's almost been a year since my first home purchase with Sondra and I can't believe I haven't written a review yet! Sondra was REALLY patient. I'm a first time homebuyer and only graduated college a few years ago so my budget for my first home was quite small. We looked at over 100 properties everything ranging from MAJOR fixer-uppers (think..roof collapsing with missing kitchens) to condos. She really understood what I was looking for and even beyond what I was looking for. Sondra was not scared by the condition of some of the places we looked at, and guided me with tips on basic renovations but also told me when she thought the work would not be worth the investment. She also helped me see the potential in a lot of properties. Sondra never pressured me and found me an amazing lender that walked me through the complicated lending process. She was really helpful in pointing out things I had never considered. Originally I was dead set on living in the '02, but eventually found the perfect place in the '04 that fit almost all of my requirements and is in a neighborhood within walking distance to SoCo shopping area. Sondra pulled comparisons for nearly every house I looked at. I placed half a dozen offers and went through bidding wars, counter offers and eventually went through a short sale process. I would have thrown in the towel if it had been anyone else beside Sondra holding my hand throughout the process. Not only did the process of a short sale take forever, we continued to look at backups while waiting on the short sale. I tour with bands for a living so I wasn't even in Austin most of the time so Sondra had to do a lot of faxing! She was always prepared when I had limited time at home and even took one of my friends to a few showings on my behalf. I had to close remotely, a very daunting experience for a first time homebuyer but Sondra really walked me thru everything. I hope anyone, first time homebuyer or not, will give Sondra a call if they are thinking about buying or selling! read more

I met Sondra though the car club that we are both members of and Sondra was our agent while undertaking the back breaking task of finding and buying a new home. Let me back up there - I expected it to be back breaking because we were extremely specific in what our new house must be, and our requirements ruled out, oh, 85% of all the homes out there, and about 98% of the homes in our price range. I was probably a pain to work with - I was doing the house shopping solo (my sig other came to see one house - the one we bought) and my ten year old was often in tow. I am also a bit of a control freak, so I wanted to see all of the listings, not just show up to see the houses chosen by my agent. Sondra was very accommodating on all levels: she gave me the ability to do the screening I wanted to do, catered to my kiddo when she was along, making sure to engage her and include her in the conversations, even bought her ice cream on one of our outings to sweeten my tired kiddo's disposition. During the process, there was also some unethical behavior on the part of a sellers agent, and I was very impressed with the way Sondra handled things. I also like that she is an active member of the community, does a lot of volunteer work, and even makes a donation to a rescue group when she closes a deal. Long story short, we found the house we now call home (which ended up being in our price range and is exactly what we were looking for) and lived happily ever after! read more

I wasn't exactly sure if I was ready to buy a house. I had some funds stashed away, and my landlord raised my rent to an amount which should be going towards a mortgage. Sondra sent me over a few names for mortgage brokers. I got pre-approved, and off we went to look at houses. Finally narrowing down what I want in the right area, we found a place. We weren't the first person to place an offer and we were not the last. A total of six offers were placed on the house. Sondra knew the dollar amount and conditions in the offer to make it appealing to the seller. Yes, I did offer over the asking price. Other offers were even over my bid. Once my offer was accepted, we entered a long month and a half time frame in purchasing the house from a very difficult seller. She recommended the best inspector, which came at a premium, but also provided much more detailed information about the property and its condition than most other inspection reports include. Conditions changed each day, but with persistence, Sondra was able to work with each small negotiation through the seller's agent. After some time, the seller's agent also became difficult. But in the end, with Sondra's help, I bought the house and could not be happier with my purchase. The transaction was only possible because of her experience, and also lots of alcohol to get me through that month. I was constantly contacted about each and every little transaction between her and the difficult seller's agent. She cares for her clients so much, she even censored several of the seller's responses to prevent my head from splitting further apart! Small disclaimer, I'm biased. I've been friends with Sondra for 12 years. It was an easy choice choosing her as my realtor and I'd do it again. read more

I'm so glad my husband and I worked with Sondra to find our first home, as she helped us find the perfect condo for us. She was always prompt to respond, and she patiently showed us over a dozen homes until we finally found something that was the right fit and within our price range. She even worked through her international vacation to prepare and negotiate on an offer for us. It's clear that she has tons of real estate experience; she deeply understands the home buying process, is a skilled negotiator, and has connections with lenders, inspectors and contractors that helped us close the deal and get settled in our new home. When you buy a home for the first time, it's easy to worry that people will take advantage of you, but we felt she had our best interests at heart. Having a realtor like Sondra who really knows what she's doing relieved us of much of the stress of buying a new home. If we move on to something bigger down the road, we will definitely work with her again. read more

Where to even begin? I was leaving town in a hurry, and had to find a way to sell my house fast. I needed the extra attention due to the fact I wasn't going to be living in Austin while my house was being sold. Sondra handled EVERYTHING. She told me exactly what needed to be fixed and more importantly, what didn't need to be fixed. We arranged for a contractor to come over and repair the limited amount of issues. In addition, she lined up a staging of the house and took pictures of the process all along the way. I had my first offer one day before it went on the market (there were signs out in front saying it was for sale before it hit MLS). It sold for full price and in cash! It was also the highest priced property on the block! Since we sold within a day on the market, she even persuaded the home stager to refund a percentage of the money I paid her (Which was definitely not in the contract for the staging). In addition, she reduced the demands of the buyer to a staggering low $250 (from a high of $4000). If I ever move back to Austin, I'd definitely use Sondra again. I couldn't have asked for a better person to help me through this process. I can't recommend her enough.. read more

As a first time home buyer with a limited budget, Sondra Sondregger helped me purchase a quality home. She is personable and not at all pushy. As a client, I felt valued and wowed by her depth of knowledge. I knew the parameters I needed for a home would be difficult to find, but she located multiple homes for sale exceeding my expectations many times. Sondra is a people-person and can even handle hard-to-get along with characters (such as extended family) with ease. I would definitely recommend her to others and do business with her again. (Full Disclosure: Sondra was an acquaintance I knew through friends of friends. I had heard much about her skill through word of mouth.) read more

Sondra really went above and beyond handling the sale of my house. It was my first time selling, I was 1500 miles away, and it was a fairly difficult situation, but Sondra handled it like the pro she is. She was frank, communicative, friendly, and patient, but also tenacious. Her judgment was impeccable; several times I wanted to take the safe route, but she convinced me a more aggressive approach was wiser, and every time she was correct. She really knows her stuff - including the games that people play - and works with some excellent people. Whatever it takes, she can get it done. I can't recommend Sondra enough! read more

Sondra helped me purchase a home in the highly competitive Wells Branch area. She was always informative and punctual with her communication. I had to act fast on these houses and she was on top of it the whole time! She knew about the market and how certain things would affect the value, etc. She always gave me her sincere advice and I ended up walking away from a house with mold, which was the best decision I could have made, thanks to her. I then found another house even better and we made an offer within days of hitting the market and got everything I wanted! If she didn't act fast, I wouldn't have gotten that one so she went above and beyond to make sure all the t's were crossed and i's dotted promptly. She was always ahead of the curve when it came to giving me necessary forms and informed me of important dates and information. She recommended an amazing inspector who was more than thorough. She also connected me with a lender, who was an absolute delight to work with. At closing, I couldn't have felt more comfortable and she hasn't stopped being an amazing friend and resource for any and all things related to home ownership. There wasn't a single second where I felt any doubt of her abilities. I always recommend her to my friends who are looking to buy or sell a home. You won't be disappointed! read more

This review is a long time coming. Sondra was recommended to me by a friend who guides me in the right direction on pretty much any decision or choice I have to make in life. As a first time home buyer last summer, I had only ever dealt with one other Realtor when I met Sondra. She is kind, informative, intelligent, organized and detail oriented. Being somewhat uneducated about the house-buying process, Sondra gave me absolutely all the information I needed and gently guided me through. When I ran into an issue with the mortgage company possibly not being able to close the loan due to a change in my employment, Sondra backed me 100% and delivered ideas on how to rectify the situation. Even after everything was squared away, the closing was finished and I moved into the house, she was ready and available any time I had questions about the home warranty, the stupid HOA or other random questions about owning a house. All of which is beyond the scope of her responsibilities. The peace of mind that comes from just knowing she is "there" is priceless. read more

Sondra was a dream to work with! I couldn't have asked for a better realtor. She is extremely knowledgable and walked me through everything step by step. Sondra ensured that I understood everything from the inspection and helped to ask many things that I wouldn't have even thought to ask. She had recommendations for great companies to work with during closing and assisted to expedite the process the whole way. Sondra made being a first time buyer a simple process, when it could have been very stressful. 100% recommend using her to find your new home or sell your current home! Thank you Sondra! read more

We are so thankful to have Sondra as our realtor - she is tireless in her efforts to help us both find a home and sell our current one. Recently, we embarked on a for sale by owner venture. We got in over our heads and communication broke down with the owner. We hired Sondra to help and she really saved the day. She took over communication with the seller and as our advocate addressed issues we were running into with the home. In the end we opted out of purchasing the home and we are so thankful for all of the information and help Sondra gave us in helping us make that decision. She was (and is!) constantly available and responsive via email, phone and text. Every little and big question we had she quickly answered. We have also been getting our home ready to sell. Every step of the way Sondra has given us critical advice on staging our home, what to expect, and when to expect it. She even brought some of her personal supplies over to help us when she noticed some things that needed to be done - totally out of the blue and way beyond our expectations. We are so pleased with the efforts Sondra has made in trying to help us find a home. In all of her communication with potential sellers, in showing us countless homes, etc, she has always been there and it's great to know that in this difficult market we have a friend and advocate. read more

I used Sondra to sell a house. The previous realtor considered their job complete when they set a price and put their sign in the yard. At the end of a six month contract, I had spoken to that realtor exactly four times. Regrettably, this had been similar to other realtor experiences I had. Sondra embodies what I feel a realtor should be. While I prepped the house, she stayed in constant contact to ensure the house was coming along. She was helpful without being intrusive, and always willing to spend time to find a person to help with repairs or otherwise. We never went more than a week without communication, and it usually was every couple days. When there was a problem, she made sure I was aware immediately. When documents needed to be shuttled, she found the time if I didn't. She was always ready with a recommendation to resolve issues, but respected my right to make the decision I felt was correct. Sondra works for her commission, and that's exactly the way it should be. read more

Sondra masterfully navigated through one of the worst mortgage lender experiences I have ever seen, to end up with both the builder and buyer (us!) happy and well-attended. She is tenacious in ensuring her clients get exactly what they want, and really goes the extra mile. While I'd love to say we'll be in our new house forever, if we ever decide to sell and buy again, there's only one Realtor for us in Austin-- Sondra Sondregger! read more