Victoria,
Thank you for so many things - for being warm, friendly and a true professional. You are so sharp and always on the ball taking care of things in such quick fashion, a very smart business woman.But more than that, you made the transition to buying a new home a pleasant experience. I've had a lot going on this year with selling, moving to a new place and starting over and now moving again.
You are so extremely thoughtful, kind and gracious. The gesture of two gift certificates, in the end, was amazing and they will be put to good use.
I will have to thank Ruth again for recommending you. I look forward to a lasting friendship.
Choosing a realtor will definitely make the difference between selling or not selling your home. I had a high end home in a neighborhood with beautiful, high-end homes that needed to stand out! Many had bells and whistles that we didn't have so I needed somebody that would highlight our home and get it as much exposure as possible. Many of these beautiful homes were staying on the market month after month and that simply was not an option!
We found Victoria through a mutual friend that had used her and sold their house pretty quickly. These friends do their homework so I figured if she was good enough for them, she was good enough for us! With our initial meeting, I noticed she LISTENED TO US about what we needed - price, time frame, etc. She gently guided us initially with asking price and how to show our house. This is where you separate the good from not so good. She first brought in THE BEST photographer to photograph our house.
Seriously look online and see how people show their houses through photos. Most were obviously photographed on the realtor's polaroid!! These photos were put on the MLS but also emailed to potential buyers, their agents, etc. (Our buyer was out of state and fell in love with our house from the photos!) She didn't wait for buyers to come to her - she was very proactive in following up after an open house, hits on the website etc. Again, this is HUGE.
Feedback from potential buyers was discussed with us and we came to the conclusion that we needed to upgrade our appliances. We were never told we had to - just given the pros and cons of investing some $$ in order to make some $$. She wasn't afraid to tell us what people were saying and a way to remedy the problem. (people LOVED the new appliances!!) She would bring fresh flowers, hide a few things that made the place look cluttered, etc, all in the interest of the house showing its best. Details details!
Only serious offers were brought to us. A few early people were muttering lowball figures and she kicked in with her negotiating. This is truly where she shines. When the serious buyer was there, she knew when to push and when to back off. We sold our house in 7 weeks, and unfortunately, some of those beautiful houses are STILL on the market in my neighborhood (yikes!)
The best way to sum this up would be: She makes you feel like you're her only client. No lie. Would you really want any other experience??
Victoria has represented us in three transactions. The first, 3 years ago, was the purchase of our first home. We initially worked with two other realtors but after meeting Victoria at an open house, we loved her aggressiveness and positive attitude so decided to have her help us find the right home. Within a week we were under contract for a beautiful home at a great price.
In what we thought would be a very difficult daunting process that we had never experienced before, Victoria meticulously guided us through every step and made our first-time home buying experience a very exciting positive one. We recently saw another home list on Zillow that appealed to us, and without hesitation, we called Victoria to schedule a showing.
We decided to make an offer and, thanks to Victoria's savvy market awareness and strong negotiation skills, we were under contract again at a great price. Within a week of going under contract for our new home, Victoria had our existing home on the market. It listed on Friday, Victoria hosted an open house on Saturday, and we had two very strong offers near our asking price by Sunday morning. We couldn't be more thrilled with Victoria's effort and the outcome it produces.
She is a highly effective communicator, incredibly responsive (through all means of communication at all hours of the day or night!), and a pure joy to work with. We will undoubtedly call her again when we need a realtor and enthusiastically recommend her to anyone considering a real estate transaction.
Victoria helped me and my wife (two picky younger professionals with dreams bigger than our budget) find our first home together in Westchase. If there were a section on this review for "patience" I would give her five stars. She is incredibly responsive, almost to the point I felt bad for bothering her when she'd respond to texts at just about any hour. She knows the market, giving honest, straightforward advice, not just focusing on the sale, but the needs to be addressed for her clients.
She is extremely energetic and passionate; yet took all the time needed to educate me on the house-buying process, the market, trends, and even things outside her field such as finding good financiers, inspectors, and lawyers. My wife and I needed a new home quickly, and I firmly believe that Victoria found us the best house for our budget in the market at that time. You can trust her judgment, and enjoy her tenacity to help you. I used to not be a fan of really any real-estate agents, and cynically always saw them as not much more than MLS salespeople; Victoria erased that feeling completely and now we're happy to say we know a true real-estate professional, and a friend.
I have been impressed by Victoria for over five years and when the time came to find a realtor to help me sell my house, she was at the head of the line! She initially reached out with a wonderfully handwritten note when we put our house on the market for rent. I kept that note for over five years and called her when I was ready to sell. She is personable, knowledgeable, friendly, outgoing, deliberate in her moves, and just easy and fun to communicate with.
She understands people! Able to communicate with me long distance and coach me through the process. Knows the realtors in the area and is able to work with different personalities. She is a wonderful person to have on your side as you buy or sell a house in the Tampa area. I enthusiastically recommend her! You will not be disappointed with her work ethic or ability to find what you need or get the best price for the home you are selling. THANK YOU VICTORIA!!
