“Steve Akel has become my “go to” Real estate guy. He’s the kind of real estate professional you always hoped you would find, but you know you never quite got with your previous transactions. A friend of mine recommended Steve very highly when we were getting ready to sell our house. I found two other highly recommended agents that, together, I hoped would make up the three finest real estate professionals in the area. We received recommendations from experienced people we really trusted. We then interviewed all three. I asked them in detail how they were going to market our house, what kind of advertising they were going to use, and what kind of services they were going to provide for me. I asked for samples of previous marketing brochures, newspaper ads, the selling prices they were able to negotiate, and a complete marketing analysis of our home. I asked about scheduling and coordinating my cleanup, painting, inspections, landscaping and repairs. I talked to and questioned each of these three agents for 3 hours each. In the end, and after working with dozens of real estate people over the years, I was convinced these three really were the best in the business.
During the next week, we went over the details of the three presentations, how well they complimented our personalities, what they could offer us, how well they’ve done for others we know, the kinds of suggestions and recommendations they made to us, how our time schedules fit together, how well they could handle and negotiate unplanned contingencies, and how comfortable we felt in having them represent us. My wife and I both felt Steve completely won our confidence to handle the sale of our largest and most important financial asset. I felt very comfortable that Steve would do the best job that was possible in selling our home. So, how did it turn out?
Steve selected, organized and supervised a group of painters, landscapers, carpenters, plumbers and inspectors to get our place ready for sale. The house was brought up to show-room condition, and we were ready for the first open house on July 9th. In the summer, the market was noticeably beginning to weaken. There were no large crowds rushing to make a bid at that first open house. You could feel the air coming out of the real estate frenzy that was typical of years past. However, by July 17th we had a written offer and by July 19th, after several counter offers, we had a signed agreement that we were very happy with. It seemed like it would be easy sailing at this point but if Steve wasn’t the professional negotiator that he is, it’s likely this sale would have been derailed on some of the contingency details. I consider myself a good negotiator, but Steve showed me enduring patience and calm persistence that I’ve e seen in very few people. He worked through all the tough contingency hurdles and we had our final closing check on August 15th. At this point I fully realized how critical Steve was to the success of this sale.
The follow-up on every detail was confirmed by e-mail, fax or mail. We talked daily by cell-phone to Canada where we were during the critical final stages. There wasn’t a single time that I thought a problem could have been, or should have been handled better. I was in the front row watching a true professional at work. Steve Akel is a superb real estate agent, the best I’ve worked with in my 37 years of buying and selling real estate.”
Dale March-Inverness Park, San Ramon
“I could not have found a more knowledgeable and professional Agent as Steve Akel, to market and sell my home. In addition, I found Steve to be a very kind and thoughtful person. During the time the house was on the market, several major costly and unexpected repairs needed to be done. Steve spent the necessary time to help me interview subcontractors and provided advice and counsel. In addition, on the days these repairs were scheduled, Steve would stop by the house to check on the progress of the job as well as the quality of workmanship. Steve continues to provide support and guidance during the purchase of my new home.”
Sally Muck-Canyon Crest, San Ramon
“The process of selling a home after 28 years was overwhelming, but Steve Akel was just great. Availability-Professionalism-Referrals for home upgrades were ‘Top Notch’. I met Steve at an Open House and was impressed with his brochures and interest and understanding of the market. I would highly recommend Steve.”
Joan Reuveni-Sycamore, Danville
“Thanks for the tremendous service in listing and selling our San Ramon home. Not only did you get in a record breaking number of buyers, but you also broke the record for price/square foot for our neighborhood. Congratulations. If someone asks Mary Ann or me who to have list their home, we say “Why Steve Akel of course!”
Ken and Mary Ann Bock-Canyon Crest, San Ramon
“I wanted to take a moment to thank you for all of your efforts in helping my family sell our home in Danville, CA. As you know I had a strong vested interest in the Shadowhawk community as a resident as well as a two term board of director’s Treasurer. Your attention to our needs was surpassed at every turn. Your ability to understand the market helped us greatly in preparing our home for resale. Additionally, your tireless efforts in making sure that the correct people were being made aware of the availability of our home greatly increased the chances that our home would sell in a reasonable amount of time for the highest possible price. Thanks for taking such a strong interest in my family and our home.”
Richard Spector-Shadowhawk, Danville