Testimonials

As a Licensed Real Estate Broker since 1979, it never ceases to amaze me how many buyers and sellers of real estate discount the value of Real Estate Professionals. For some reason, there is this myth that Real Estate Professionals are merely parasites, only wanting an unwarranted piece of the pie in the form of a commission. I want to share my story to dispel this myth. On December 25, 2019, my grandchildren, whom I define as my “whole joy bucket list”, moved from Dana Point to Austin, Texas. My heart was hurting, and one year to the day, on December 25, 2020, I moved to Austin, and I haven’t regretted that move one bit. In the next twelve months, my family sold five California properties, purchased one California property, and bought four Austin properties. That is eleven transactions in one year. In none of those transactions did I represent myself. On my team were four elite Real…

As a Licensed Real Estate Broker since 1979, it never ceases to amaze me how many buyers and sellers of real estate discount the value of Real Estate Professionals. For some reason, there is this myth that Real Estate Professionals are merely parasites, only wanting an unwarranted piece of the pie in the form of a commission. I want to share my story to dispel this myth. On December 25, 2019, my grandchildren, whom I define as my “whole joy bucket list”, moved from Dana Point to Austin, Texas. My heart was hurting, and one year to the day, on December 25, 2020, I moved to Austin, and I haven’t regretted that move one bit. In the next twelve months, my family sold five California properties, purchased one California property, and bought four Austin properties. That is eleven transactions in one year. In none of those transactions did I represent myself. On my team were four elite Real Estate Professionals. One of those amazing Realtors was Tera Dallas. Since that time, I have purchased and sold an additional five properties through Tera, once again as a principal, and couldn’t be happier. When I decided to buy a property in the Nashville area, Tera referred me to Shawn Tate. Both Tera and Shawn are a part of the Sotheby’s Real Estate Brokerage firm. Tera and Shawn met at a Sotheby’s retreat a few years back. They discovered that they shared several philosophies about how they conducted business and became friends. Tera felt that I would get the same amazing service that she provides me from Shawn as well. Shawn didn’t disappoint. A lake house was what was ordered, and Shawn delivered. I planned to visit on a weekend in May. Shawn and I had several conversations via phone, email, and text. His vast local knowledge of the entire Nashville market was impressive. Through his hard work, we were able to target specific areas. Much of targeting a desirable area is ruling out the undesirable areas. Online real estate sites don’t warn buyers of being close to the noise of an airport or a busy street. Shawn was able to streamline the process by leveraging his local knowledge, particularly in the ruling-out process. Shawn showed me ten properties and noted both the negatives and the positives. By the end of the first day, I had identified the house that was ultimately purchased and submitted an offer. After a bit of back and forth, we were under contract. I went back to Austin, and Shawn was hands-on throughout the process. He was proactive in identifying potential hiccups, and as a result, there were no surprises at closing. All of the vendors he recommended were amazing, from title and inspection to insurance and even local merchants. The house closed, and as a result of Shawn’s local knowledge, the transition couldn’t have been smoother. I have the benefit of knowing how good Shawn actually is, thanks to the diversified lens I have as both a Real Estate Professional and an investor. In addition to Shawn’s professional skills, his interpersonal skills are equally impressive. During the process, he walked me off the emotional cliff a few times with his kind and empathic manner. I hope that my story helps you in choosing to use a Professional Realtor, and if you are in the Nashville area, there is no one better than Shawn Tate. Michael S.