REFERENCES 

Bruce Phares and Donna Bertolino

theattorney'sadvocates

"I just wanted to thank you guys, finally, for all the hard work you put into selling our house. As you know, I am one of those people who try to wear many different hats, and thought I could sell our house “By Owner.”  As hot as the market has been in Seattle for the last several years, I figured that we would be able to sell it easily. . . it might just take us a little longer: 2 weeks instead of 2 days.  And being an experienced real estate attorney, working at a full-service law firm (Betts, Patterson, and Mines, P.S. (cheap plug for the firm–Steve Day would appreciate it), I thought it would be no problem negotiating the transaction and managing all the paper work.  I was wrong.  After all the work and money I put into our “FSBO” marketing effort, i.e., creating a website, doing my own market analysis, making up fliers, and listing the house on the MLS through a flat fee service, it amazed me that we weren’t getting any apparent interest.

Well, all I can say is, thank goodness you kept coming in and showing our house–even though it was a FSBO.  When Mandy made me finally break down, and call a realtor to list our house, it was easy to call an agent who had shown our house three separate times.  Nevertheless, we certainly expected you to explain to us, in detail, what we were going to get for the listing commission we would be paying.  Your presentation to us that morning still stands out in my mind.  The professionalism, responsiveness, and expertise your “team” had to offer really stood out from the other agents we interviewed.  Mandy and I were especially impressed, since you had purportedly been up “working” until 1:00 a.m. the previous evening. (Wasn’t there a late Mariners game that night? (Ha, ha.))

What was most impressive, however, is all the preparation you put into getting us ready to go back on the market.  The “finishing touches” you had us perform to the house clearly made the difference.  (We were somewhat disappointed we had not consulted with you guys before we decided to sell, so that we could have enjoyed those improvements while we were still living there!)  The benefits of that work became clear when we had two offers, seven days after we went on the market, which resulted in a bidding war and a selling price higher than what I had it listed for as a FSBO!

One other side-note I want to share: A good friend of mine from my old firm had her house for sale by owner at the same time we did.  I was just a bit envious, to say the least, when she got a contract on it, after just a couple of weeks.  Unfortunately, I have since learned that the deal fell through.  I can’t help but think that had realtors been involved, the problems could have been averted or avoided altogether.

Anyway, your fee was worth every penny!  If we ever move back, we will certainly give you guys a call.  Regardless, we will never buy or sell our house without the help of a realtor again."

Craig Robertson, Attorney, Robertson and Associates, P.A., formerly locally with Betts, Patterson, and Mines, P.S

"Bruce and Donna recently helped us sell our home and we couldn't be happier with the job they did for us. In virtually every stage of the home-selling process, we were impressed with their expertise, creativity and sincere desire to understand and respond to our concerns. I would not even consider using anyone other than Bruce and Donna in the future to buy or sell a home in Seattle, unless they were unavailable.  Their assistance began by telling us how to prepare our home for sale and my one piece of unsolicited advice on this subject is LISTEN TO BRUCE AND DONNA. They have an excellent grasp of the "little things" that will make the house more appealing and will increase its value to the current crop of buyers on the market. Even if you do not have much time or resources to work on the house, Bruce and Donna are adept at evaluating priorities and facing reality as far as what can be accomplished and what cannot.  Bruce and Donna's approach to setting a sales price, evaluating the market by reviewing houses even up to the day that our house went on sale, was very effective and we believe substantially raised the amount that we were able to receive as an offer. Their hard work in constantly being aware of other properties being listed certainly paid off. Likewise, their dynamic and extensive marketing of the property was impressive.  The first thing that drew us to Bruce and Donna was the quality of the websites on which the properties were marketed, which were far superior to other websites we had seen. In addition to the website, Bruce and Donna actively promoted the house in the more traditional manner by printing flyers (with attractive color photos), having an open house, and contacts with other brokers.  During the negotiation process, their experience and savvy showed. We felt confident that nothing would get by Bruce and Donna and that we would be fully informed of the risks and benefits of various strategies. Perhaps the most important quality we found was our complete confidence that Bruce and Donna were truly representing us and ultimately wanted only that we be happy with the result. They asked questions sincerely designed to understand what our feelings and concerns were and kept those concerns in mind throughout the selling process.  They were attuned not only to the practical considerations of preparing a home for sale but also to the turmoil that the process can cause to a couple with a young child. Finally, Bruce and Donna were a pleasure to work with and be around, and made selling our house as much fun as selling a house could be. Please feel free to contact us if we can answer any additional questions you may have about Bruce and Donna!"    

Peter Gonick, Attorney, McKay Chadwell   pbg@mckay-chadwell.com 

"I am writing to heartily recommend Bruce Phares and Donna Bertolino. We found them to be incredibly diligent, knowledgeable, and resourceful. They  are master strategists, and common-sense businesspeople, and we felt very fortunate to have them on our side. In addition to their considerable real estate savvy, Bruce and Donna bring a certain human element to the business that seems rather unique to us. In other words, Bruce and Donna not only helped us think through our real estate transaction, they also helped us feel our way through it.  We have told everyone we know to use Bruce and Donna next time they are buying or selling a house, and it is certainly our intention to do the same. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can answer any questions."

Rima Hartman, Attorney, Perkins Coie, LLP harti@perkinscoie.com 

"...Bruce and Donna have now helped us with three transactions. They have been terrific. Their knowledge of market conditions, of what it takes to sell a house, and of what it takes to find and get the house you want are impressive. We credit them with our success in two competitive purchases and with the sale of our first house on favorable terms. In addition to knowing the market, their skill and advice in negotiations were invaluable (my wife and I negotiate for a living and were much impressed). Their dedication and follow-through was a source of much comfort and confidence in a normally hectic and stressful time. Without question, we would go to them again, and we frequently refer our colleagues and friends to them. I doubt you'll find better."

Harry Korrell, Partner/Attorney, Davis Wright Tremaine, LLP harrykorrell@dwt.com

"...I am happy to recommend Bruce and Donna (as I do, as often as possible, to people at work and to good friends -- whom I know we'll see again)...Bruce and Donna helped us purchase a home, and then, 3 years later, helped us sell it. At every point -- including dealing with our kids -- they we're terrific. When we sold our house, Bruce and Donna came through and identified the things we should do to prepare it for sale. They told us what they thought was imperative and what we could let go if we wanted. The few things they suggested as being really important seemed to pay off substantially. The house looked great when we showed it . . . better than at any point in our living there.  Once it was ready for sale, Bruce and Donna thoroughly reviewed the market and our neighborhood to help us decide the price. I thought the number they came up with was nuts, but they said otherwise. I am convinced that they picked exactly the right price; high enough to be realistic and yet low enough that our three competitive bidders had room to maneuver.  Bruce and Donna managed the process of showing and offering the house with unique tact and skill. They took us as we were (with kids, cat, backyard full of toys, etc.) and actually made an asset of the whole scene. And when it came to negotiating, let me say that I'm glad that Bruce and Donna worked for us and not on the other side. Tough when tough was appropriate, forgiving when that was the right move. We have bought and sold three houses over the past 7 years. Working with Bruce and Donna was the best real estate experience we've had by far. If we ever move back to Seattle,  my first call will be to them. I'd be pleased to sing their praises directly, so please don't hesitate to contact me."

Jason Klein, Attorney, Formerly with Davis Wright Tremaine, LLP