13 Tips on Finding the Best Listing Agent to Sell Your House
Selling your home can be one of the biggest and most important events in your life. A home is most people’s largest investment, and it can be one of the most emotional attachments.
There are many things to take into consideration when selling your home. The price point and timing of sale are paramount, as is the condition of your home and making it attractive to potential buyers. Additionally, having your home properly exposed in the marketplace is important as well.
Another decision that will determine the best return on the sale of your home — from maximizing the profit to negotiating conditions to ensuring the legal complications of the contract are met — is finding the best real estate listing agent.
Your listing agent is crucial to your entire experience as a home seller. The listing agent will be involved in every step of the process, from preparing your home and determining the optimum asking price to marketing your property and negotiating the transaction. They’ll also ensure the contract is in order and the conveyancing is complete.
Like in any industry, real estate agents vary in abilities, personalities and motivations. It’s vitally important to find the “right fit” in a real estate agent, and choosing the right agent can be a challenging, stressful task. Finding the right agent to list and sell your home can make the home selling process a pleasant dream rather than a nightmare.
Here are tips from CENTURY 21 Core Partners in York PA on finding the best listing agent to sell your home.
- Get Referrals: Word-of-mouth is one of the most important ingredients in the real estate business, and this applies as strongly to choosing the best listing agent to sell your home as it does in purchasing a property. Real estate sales is a people business more so than a property business, and finding the right fit from a listing agent is likely to come as a result of referrals from other people.
Often referrals to real estate agents come from family members, friends, co-workers, neighbors or other acquaintances. Excellent referrals can come from professionals like your banker, lawyer, accountant, business associates or people in other parts of the real estate business like developers, builders and contractors.
Remember that the credibility of the referral to a real estate listing agent is only as good as the credibility of the source. Always keep an open mind and an open ear when assessing referrals.
- Interview Three Different Agents: Interviewing at least three different real estate agents before deciding on the right fit for you is common advice that you’ll find repeatedly given. As in getting multiple quotes for renovating your kitchen or bathroom, speaking with a number of potential listing agents will give you a feel of who’ll be the right fit and best work with you to list your home at the proper price point to give it the best exposure to buyers.
Be aware of an agent who is far off the mark in price point. A figure too low or too high may be a warning sign that the realtor is out of touch with your market or has an ulterior motive in representing you. Also, be aware that different REALTORS® have different agendas for taking on a contract for listing your home. Some may be desperate for income and some may be currently overloaded.
Pick your three candidates carefully before asking them for their time to interview them. High producers are busy people. They’ll be assessing you as a candidate to work with as well. It’s best not to exceed three potential REALTORS®. A professional realtor should be asking you how many other REALTORS® are competing for your listing. By exceeding three candidates, you’re significantly reducing their chances of getting your listing, and they may not want to put in the time and effort of giving you the attention you need to properly assess them.
Additionally, be careful of interviewing candidates within the same agency. Be fair to the REALTORS® who you’re interviewing and they’ll be fair to you.
- Examine Productivity: A sign of an effective real estate agent who will professionally list and market your home is the number of sales they’ve recently completed. Ensure you ask a potential agent about their performance record and take the time to look up their recorded sales at your local real estate board’s records of recent sales. They’re publicly available online as well.
The best listing agent for you will likely be someone who has moved property in your price range and in your neighborhood within recent months. Those agents will have a pulse on current market conditions and will be in the best position to accurately set the price of your home to get the best return on your sale in terms of maximum profit and minimal length of time on the market.
An agent who has five recorded sales in your price range and area within the past three months is more likely to give you the best service than someone with one or two sales, especially if the price bracket is much higher or lower than the value your home should be set at.
- Professional Accreditations and Education: All professional real estate agents must be licensed and in current good standing with their agency and local board. Agents who display a capital “R” in their Realtor designation are certified members of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and have pledged to adhere to the NAR code of ethics.
Professional REALTORS® take ongoing education courses. They’ll be astute to the local real estate market trends and cycles. Take into account what a realtor’s commitment to their professional development is. The best agent to list and sell your home will have a track record of educating themselves on your market and the industry as a whole.
- Measure Their Experience: There’s a saying in the real estate industry that anyone with under five years of experience is learning off of you. This may or may not be true and it’ll depend on the individual realtor. Some junior REALTORS® may be very astute and eager for success whereas senior REALTORS® might be satisfied with what comes their way and not go the extra mile to serve you.
As in many other professions, gauge the ability of a realtor on many things, not just the length of time they’ve been working in the real estate industry. Experience is just one factor to consider when finding the best listing agent to sell your home.
- Ensure They Are Detail Oriented: Real estate contracts can be complicated documents, and the successful sale of your home can depend on whether the documentation is properly completed. Professional real estate agents are trained in the legal requirements necessary to list and close the sale of your home. Details include addendums of disclosures, terms, conditions, subject-to’s, inspection reports, lien clearances, easements and rights of subsurface claims. The right agent to list your home must be analytical and detail orientated. There’s no place for sloppy or casual approaches to the legal requirements of real estate contracts and conveyance.
- Research Their Reputation: A real estate agent’s reputation is the most valuable asset they have. The industry depends on networking. It’s not just the interaction between other real estate agents or agencies — it’s between all the professionals like financial providers and investors, insurance brokers and public officials. It’s also the word-of-mouth passed through satisfied clients and their sphere of influence.
- Test Their Market Knowledge: Knowing the market in which your home is situated is crucial. Your listing real estate agent must be aware of current conditions, competing listings, pros and cons of locations and above all, the proper listing price.
The right listing agent will provide you with a Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) that will show you what properties have recently sold in your area and in your price bracket. A thorough and realistic CMA is necessary to set your price and give you the confidence in competitively placing your home on the market.
A fundamental principle in the residential real estate business is that a home is only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. A home priced too low may result in a snap sale while one priced above the fair market value may sit stagnant on the listing pages.
Pay close attention to what a real estate agent advises you when presenting a CMA. The right listing agent will have done their homework and be able to confidently stand behind their recommendations.
- Ensure They Specialize in Your Market: The right listing agent for you must know and be active in the market your home is set in. You may have a single-family property in a rural location, a townhouse in the suburbs or a condo in a dense urban high rise.
Many REALTORS® specialize in these types of properties and are competent in knowing how your listing fits into the competition for sale.
Someone who sells nothing but high-end luxury homes or vacation properties likely won’t serve well to sell your detached bungalow in the suburbs. Conversely, a real estate agent who mainly moves speculation properties for developers likely won’t be the best fit to sell your condominium.
- Place Value on Honesty: Balancing optimism with realism, diplomacy and brutal honesty is a quality to look for when finding the best listing agent to sell your house. Be aware of the nuances in the real estate business where an agent can experience a conflict of interest between getting you the fairest price while maximizing their commission.
REALTORS® often experience multiple offers, and an unethical agent may not be open to presenting offers which conflict with the agent’s maximum return on commission. As with reputation, take into account your impression of an agent’s ethical performance.
- Consider First Impressions: First impressions do matter when it comes to selecting the right listing agent. We all have an inner sense that speaks to us when we first meet someone new, and it’s important to listen to yours.
The realtor’s dress and deportment, the vehicle they drive, their punctuality, communication skills, handshake, eye contact, preparation for your meeting and especially the agency they represent, are all part of an overall assessment of who will be your best listing agent.
The realtor’s website is another leading indicator of their ability. Websites must always be current, informative and easily navigated.
- Determine Their Level of Dedication: Many REALTORS® do not work full time in the industry. Some hold their license as a convenience and pick up listings when they can without putting in the real effort it takes to properly list and sell your home.
Full-time REALTORS® are professionals and make their entire income from the listing and sales of homes. You should expect nothing less than a full commitment that your listing agent will properly present your home and get you the fairest price in the most reasonable time.
- Follow the 90 / 10 Rule: It’s a fact in the real estate industry that 90% of the sales are made by 10% of the REALTORS®. When choosing the right listing agent, take into account where they rank in sales productivity.
If the agent you’re assessing has very few sales recorded, especially in your price range, take that as a warning sign that the agent may not be for you. Also, take into account that a highly productive realtor in a heated market may not want or be able to give you the attention your listing deserves.
Take the 90/ 10 rule as a guideline in selecting a real estate agent. It’s just one of the overall factors to consider.
The Biggest Mistakes to Avoid
Making the right choice in finding the best listing agent for your home is more than just assessing the right qualities. It also involves knowing the pitfalls that can happen in not finding the right fit:
- Highest Price: A realtor who suggests an unreasonably high listing price may be ignorant of the market or trying to maximize the return on their commission. Too high of a price will almost always prevent a timely sale and give the property a black eye when forced price reductions take effect.
- Lowest Commission: You get what you pay for. A realtor who entices you with a commission rate below the industry standard may tarnish the listing and prevent other REALTORS® from showing it.
- “Mister Lister”: Some REALTORS® focus on getting as many listings as they can and then depend on the buyer’s agents to move the property for them, without putting in the proper time and money investment in promoting the property.
Ask the Right Questions
Ensure that you ask questions of a real estate agent who you’re considering giving your listing to. Here are some helpful tips and examples.
- What is your sales commission rate?
- What and where are your recent sales?
- What is your list price to sales price ratio? (It should be above 95%)
- Will you present me with a CMA before I commit to giving you my listing?
- What is your marketing plan for my property?
- What is your current listing load?
- What length of contract do you want?
- Is yours an exclusive listing or an MLS?
- Are you co-listing with another realtor?
- Are you part of a shared real estate team?
- Do you have an assistant?
- What differs you from other REALTORS®?
- How long have you been a realtor?
- Are you a full-time realtor?
- Do you have satisfied client testimonials?
- What communication form do you prefer?
- Will you have my property professionally photographed?
- What is my ability to cancel your listing if I’m not satisfied?
- What other questions should I be asking you?
All CENTURY 21 Core Partners in York, PA are professional, dedicated real estate agents. We know the local market and are the best listing agents in York, PA.
CENTURY 21 York PA agents represent the CENTURY 21 national real estate brand that exemplifies customer service with:
- Dedication: CENTURY 21 Core Partners work endlessly to ensure the home selling process is as easy as possible for you.
- Insider Knowledge: CENTURY 21 Core Partners know the York, PA area and give you insider recommendations.
- Top Skills: CENTURY 21 Core Partners have excellent negotiation skills. We’re at the forefront of the latest real estate trends and have extensive and regular training sessions.
- Convenience: CENTURY 21 Core Partners pledge to make your listing and selling process smooth. We schedule meetings and showings within your schedule including evenings, weekends and holidays.
CENTURY 21 Core Partners of York, PA, is proud to say that for three years in a row the J.D. Powers Home Buyer/Seller Satisfaction Study has ranked us as the highest service provider in the real estate industry.
These prestigious J.D. Power awards prove that CENTURY 21 Core Partners of York, PA is your preferred real estate partner.
Recent Company Testimonials
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“She went out of her way, above and beyond, to help us with closing. It really came down to the wire and it only ended up happening that day due to her efforts.”
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“Michael is a hard worker and is very dedicated to his clients. He had a good understanding of our needs and was very flexible. He went above and beyond to meet us at times that were convenient for our family. Michael knows a lot about the area and was able to help us to find our dream home! I would highly recommend using him as your agent!”
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“We had what we thought would be a difficult piece of property to sell. I spoke with Heather Bradley and, in one phone call, she knew what our plans were and how to best execute them. Thanks to her research and hard work we were able to have the property sell within just a few weeks.”
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“Michael was wonderful to work with. He listened to our needs for both buying a new home as well as selling our existing home, and worked tirelessly to ensure a smooth sale and purchase. We recommend him wholeheartedly.”
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“Heather was listing agent on a property I put an offer in on and did not get, however it became clear during that process I wanted to use her as my agent, even if it was as a dual agent because she handled that initial situation with absolute integrity. Heather could not have been more responsive and attentive to any and all questions I had throughout the entire process. Outstanding performance from beginning to end of process. I would recommend Heather to any of my friends and family.”
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“I am a hairstylist and John is one of my customers. I mentioned to him that my wife and I were interested in moving soon. He explained that he was a real estate agent and gave me his card. Later that day my wife and I called him and we never lost communication with him. He became almost like a friend. He felt our pain when offers fell, but he never got discouraged and kept us positive and moving on. He kept saying there is a home for you, and we will find it. It seemed like it took forever, but we found our forever home. John was ecstatic right along side of us. I will be referring him to other customers of mine that need an agent. John went above and beyond. Both my wife and I will miss working and talking to him daily. LOL”
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“Eva Kelly will work hard for you. She is always able to be contacted and is very knowledgeable. She makes buying and selling a home very easy!”
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“Megan was a terrific help! She answered all my questions promptly, and always got back to me quickly, if not right away. She made sure everything was going smoothly for us and even got us a little housewarming gift, with things I actually needed, for my house! Megan was great! I definately recommend her, if you're looking into buying a home!”
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“I couldn’t have asked for a better guy to work with. He listened to what I was looking for and answered questions I had along the way. Scott was a solid advocate for me throughout the process and it made my first home purchase less stressful knowing I had him to answer the inevitable questions that arose. I have and will continue to recommend Scott to others I know who are looking for a home.”
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“Rocio Palacios very professional and I feel confortable worked with her, very nice experience, I really recommend her to friends and families”
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“Susan was fantastic to work with. She was patient and understanding. She sent me MLS disclosures and information on houses I was just curious about, which made my process a lot easier. I literally had no issues with the whole home buying process and I have to commend her for that! I would recommend her to anyone and look forward to working with her again in the future.”
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“Heather went above and beyond to not only help us find the house of our dreams, but also walk us through the process of buying our first home. We are so grateful for all her experience and help through the process! Heather was so kind and knowledge through the entire process! I feel like the word excellent does not do justice to the grates listed above. It always seemed like she went above and beyond to help us at any time of day!”
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“Dwyane Piper went above and beyond the call of duty to ensure the very best experience. The old owner, a very sweet elderly widow had 3 lifetimes worth of items in the home. Dwayne actually assisted her (not his customer) meeting her deadline for closing. He is one of the most kind and compassionate people I have ever meet. Hi did this while maintaining her dignity and comfort level....so great to see professionalism and compassion can co exist.”
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“Heather is the #1 agent in South Central, PA!!!!!”
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“Stacey sold my parents their house. She came highly recommended. She was amazing with my house deal. She went over and above always to work out any issues. I'm so happy to have worked with Stacey. Stacey was always there for me and ran the extra mile to make sure everything not only got completed but on time. She was very attentive and made things as smooth as possible for me during the transaction. Stacey was perfect with her communication throughout the whole process of me purchasing my home. She was also very knowledgeable when I would ask a million questions because some things I did not understand or would become stressed about and she would always calm my fears and answer me quickly and concisely. I'm just so grateful that I had Stacey during the purchase of my home representing me and walking me through everything. She was very helpful, very attentive. She's very down-to-earth and very approachable and always made me feel very comfortable. I would highly recommend Stacey. She even made home baked cookies to bring to my Settlement. She is awesome!”
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“Always keep great communication Always answered all questions if she didn't know the answer she will find it. Fast working. Hard work. Flexible. Honest .great people and communication skilled. She's great. Knowledgeable. Honest Becomes one of the family. Out going friendly. Would refer her to family and friends.”
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“Heather was amazing, she had my house sell within a week. I did not have any problems at all everything was fast and easy Thank you Heather, It still means a lot to us”
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“Heather tirelessly helped me search for a great home for my family in a difficult market when we were often up against multiple offers. She was professional and dedicated. She helped me get the house I wanted even when I was starting to get discouraged!”
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“She is very professional and very Polite.”
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“Michael was a phenomenal agent to represent us in selling our home. Michael provided excellent insight and used his years of experience to help us get our home sold for maximum dollar. He guided us from the initial tour of our home, through photos and showings. His excellent negation skills though home inspections made it a stress free experience for us and we breezed through closing. Michael was able ti iron out any bumps along the way for us and we were thrilled with the results. Onto of all of that Michael is a great person and an absolute joy to work with.”
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“Stacey was great! She did whatever it took to find and get us into a new home. Always available for questions and anything else we needed.”
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“Absolutely incredible experience. Heather has an awesome personality, is extremely knowledgeable, and has great attention to detail. This was my first time buying a home and she (and the loan officer, Mike Cersei), were nothing shy of amazing. They made all of my financial options crystal clear, as well as Heather’s experience and attention to detail with even the smallest aspects of the home I purchased. She has the ability to be the friendliest person you’ve ever met, and flip a switch when it comes to negotiation with other agents and getting you exactly what you want at the price you want it. That cannot be taught. Overall fantastic experience and I thank her and her team for my first home.”
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“Very quick to get back even with the simplest of questions”
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“They listened to what we were looking for and the price range we wanted to stay in. We're available to show us houses quickly”
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“Heather was amazing from start to finish! She really put herself in our shoes and made decisions based on what the seller would want or need. She was very knowledgeable and clear on the process and walked us through everything. We appreciate all the work she did in getting our home sold!! She went above and beyond to ensure we closed in a timely matter including all hiccups on the buyers side. Thank you Heather!”
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“Mr. Gonzales did a great job helping me sell my house! This was my first time selling and it had been 18 year since I bought the house so I am grateful for the time he took to explain everything to me and his guidance throughout the process. He was spot on as far as selling price and marketing techniques to get the house sold.”
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“My house was a difficult property to sell due to the location, but Eva Kelly did not give up. From the beginning she put up a huge yard sign, placed adds and had great up to date pictures of my house. The last agent used pictures from when I purchased the house! Eva got people to walk thru the house, she had Open House's and did whatever she needed to do to sell this house! I am very pleased and very satisfied with the sale of this house. Eva went out of her way for me. I was already down in Florida with my fiance' who just recently contracted the flesh eating bacteria and he was in the hospital for over 2 months. Eva was my voice for me. She kept me in the loop and made me not really have to make any choices..she was wonderful an was on top of everything. I did not feel like I was just another seller to her. (Other agents had gotten me mixed up with other homes) Would use her again and would highly recommend.”
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“I knew I had to have Heather Bradley as my agent. I trusted her to look out for my best interest and to find the right home for me. I had a very specific list for my home search and Heather worked relentlessly to find the perfect fit. She is detail oriented, professional, and so pleasant to work with. Heather went above and beyond to ensure the entire process went smoothly. I can’t thank her enough! I highly recommend Heather Bradley!”
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“Scott was very prompt with answering my questions. He listened to us when we explained what we were looking for, and helped us find houses that fit our needs.”
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“Said it previously”
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“Susan is a true professional. She’ll fight tooth and nail for her clients and always go the extra mile...she was truly a pleasure to work with. She always made me feel like I was top priority and her only client. She will certainly get any and all my recommendations and/or referrals. Top notch agent in every way. Again, can’t say enough positive things about Susan.”
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“She was outstanding and could not have made this move from florida to here without her”
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“Stacey is the best! Always had time to answer questions and meet with us when needed. She knew what we wanted and helped to get us to our end goal.”
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“We moved from TX to PA - not an easy task. Sue Spahr went above and beyond for us - even showed us homes via facetime! We love Sue and would recommend her again and again!”
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“Ingrid Shuey is a very professional real estate broker at work. There is no obstacle for her that cannot find a solution for her. She is 100% bilingual, helping many Hispanics to fulfill their dreams of owning their own home.”
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“Susan makes the process enjoyable!! I have sold/purchased homes with Susan in the past and I never ever worry about missed details, forgotten paperwork or miscommunication. She explains the process with patience and professionalism, then follows up with detailed correspondence and time lines. Susan is kind, understanding, thorough, transparent and keeps the process painless and stress free for everyone !!! I would recommend Susan 100%!!! I am extremely grateful for her professionalism and compassion!!!”
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“Christian Maldonado was very trustworthy, helpful, knowledgeable and professional. I felt that he was always looking out for the best interest of all parties.He was always very courteous and prompt. I was extremely grateful for his help and would highly recommend him in the future.”
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“I am a first time homebuyer. Eva was so on top of making sure I understood and reaching out to the listing agent for my new home, especially when he was hard to get a hold of. Eva was easily contacted at any time. She is knowledgeable for the area and had excellent suggestions. She was recommended to me by a coworker who had the best recommendation of her as well. I would 100 percent recommend her and use her again as an agent should I need.”
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“Eva was incredibly helpful throughout our entire homebuying experience. Her knowledge and efficiency really helped us to be able to trust her in knowing she will do whatever is best for us and our future home. I would recommend her to anyone.”
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“I have been working with Stacey to find my forever home for three years. To say I was picky was putting it mildly. She never wavered and every time I asked to see a property she scheduled a showing. I was looking for a home in a very sought after school district and as quickly as I would ask to see a house it would be off the market. We had toured so many homes that for the last few months she could tell by my face the minute we walked into a house that it wasn't the one. She was always helpful and honest. If I ever have to or want to move again, there is no question in my mind, I would call Stacey immediately!”
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“Laura was recommended to us by a co worker and we are so grateful for the recommendation. Laura was all around such an amazing agent.”
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“I strongly recommend Christian to anyone that needs the work of a realtor.”
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“Miss Stacy was the best, was available anytime of the day answered all of our questions took care of all our concerns. With everything being so uncertain due to covid 19 she still made everything happen in a timely manner .We were extremely comfortable with every decision we made with Stacy and grateful she was in our corner. Miss Stacy explain everything in detail in a way we could understand .We had a lot of questions and she had all the answers and when she did not she got the answers asap for us ,very professional and down to earth.”
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“We have used many real-estate persons over the pass three decades and Michael Segarra is the best hands down.”
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“She is the best there is in home acquisition. She will follow up on your behalf without you reminding her. She is very thorough”
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“Susan Spahr did a fabulous job guiding me through the home-buying process. I felt extremely safe entrusting Susan with all the aspects of purchasing a home. She made the whole process simple and easy to understand as a first time home-buyer. I would highly recommend Susan to anyone looking to purchase their own property.”
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“Susan is hands down my only choice to ever go through this process with again. It was almost sad to finally be moved into our house. She felt like family by the end, with her care and concern, that lasted far past the ink drying on the paperwork”
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“My family and friends had used Christian's services before for the purchase of their homes and always recommended him to my wife and me, they told us that Christian was always trying and looking the best for them. Now in the purchase of our home, we saw the way Christian was always working to get us the best loan for us and get help with down payment & closing cost from the seller and the State. He was always trying to find us the perfect house to call home. We would recommend Christian to our family and my friends without hesitation. Freddy A. Castillo y Michel Almonte De Castillo, York PA Mi familia y amigos habían usado los servicios de Christian antes para la compra de sus casas y siempre lo recomendaron a mi esposa y a mí, nos dijeron que Christian siempre estaba intentando y buscando lo mejor para ellos. Ahora, en la compra de nuestra casa, vimos la forma en que Christian siempre estaba trabajando para obtener el mejor préstamo para nosotros y obtener ayuda con el pago inicial y el costo de cierre de parte del vendedor y del Estado. Siempre intentaba encontrarnos la casa perfecta para llamar hogar. Recomendaríamos a Christian con nuestra familia y amigos sin dudarlo. Freddy A. Castillo y Michel Almonte De Castillo, York PA”
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“Incredibly helpful”
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“I am in the business of purchasing investment properties. Elle is the only agent I would use. She is knowledgeable about real estate, passionate about doing what's best for her clients, and studies the market to get the best possible property for the best price. Here, she provided me with critical information on the market value of the property. She negotiated a good price given the market status right now (being a seller's market). She made sure the settlement was on track at all times and communicated with me often to ensure that I knew the status. Settlement went on schedule with no complications. That is what is most important to me (and I think this should be added to your survey) - communication. Often buyers/sellers do not know how this process works. Agents should be guiding them through the process as it unfolds. This is what sets Elle apart from others. She was there with me throughout the entire process. I was not "just another sale." I was and always will be her client. Thank you, Elle, for making this deal go so smoothly.”
