All Marin Real Estate - Testimonials

"Ted, Thank you for always being right there for me, I mean ‘immediately there’ ready to act through the process! We began our relationship early this year. My burden was a daunting responsibility as trustee of two Estates. Included, my uncle and his partner’s beautiful home destroyed by a devastating headline making fire near the top of Lovell Avenue in Mill Valley. I knew that dealing with the property remotely from my home in Seattle would be difficult to near impossible. I emailed you via your website. You called within minutes at 6 AM and immediately took a look at the devastation, reporting back with pictures via email. You responded to my request for proposal in detail within a day. We interviewed on my trip south with demo and tree removal contractors onsite the same day! Our relationship began and ended that way, with 4 months of many contracts, demo, engineering and design work in between. I trusted and followed all of your recommendations which ultimately proved to be absolutely right. They provided a return on the investment many times over. Prior to our agreement, I was encouraged by many neighbors to put up a sign and the property will sell itself. They said “ Save yourself the fees”. That would have been folly, absolutely irresponsible to the Trust, and in hindsight a huge loss of value. I am convinced that the property would have sold for a quarter of the final sale amount, and likely had complications beyond my control which could have caused great loss.
In a nut shell, what I liked most about you Ted:

1) You have complete professional competence with only strengths which points to the fact you are one of Frank Howard Allens top realtors and sellers. (I assume your own reality will become a powerhouse should you ever pursue that direction)

2) You fit my need for another type ‘A’ personality for positive action and immediate communication – a Man of Action. Example: When I would call you to get a problem solved you were on another line setting up a meeting or getting the answer. Amazing.

3) Your creative and insightful ideas lead to my trust and confidence in you. You had a vision of the property and together we bounced ideas until within minutes we had agreed on an approach.

4) Your ‘can do’ attitude and coordination with contractors went beyond my expectations of what a realtor would have done. Though you knew where to draw that line of responsibility within your contract.

5) I never had a sense that I was asking too much of you, even though I was doing just that on more than one occasion.

6) You had the same notion as I, that the emotional draw of the property, if creatively and properly prepared, would bring in the RIGHT buyer. And right for the neighborhood as well, as the neighbors I began to know were concerned that this private place would be insensitively developed to the max without respect for the quality and ambience of the setting and Mill Valley. Emotionally we all wanted that. You made it happen.

7) You never were negative about the record breaking rains that continued to cause havoc on our demo and completion schedule. Instead you were upbeat as to the benefits and were working your contacts and all the while positioning the sale.

8) Your assistant, Kristen Palmer, gave communication an energy I did not get from other realtors interviewed. I knew we three were all ‘on the same page.’ She would carry out complicated tasks, always keep me appraised, and made communicating with you SEEMLESS. Her obvious skills and results allowed me never worry when you were at a meeting or with a client and an issue of importance arose. It was taken care of as if I was talking with you directly. I felt as if I was your only client. Maybe this reason should have been at the top of this list!

9) You pushed but I never felt pushed or pressured. You were calm in light of problems we had to solve without causing me any angst. You were warm, loose and friendly without giving up the strong sense of your business formality. How do you do that?

10) Of course, the fact you have great market, buyer, and negotiations savvy to get the best possible price during the final days is something I will forever remember. You have far exceeded my original expectations of a realtor many times over. Well played. Well done.

Mr. ‘Man of Action’, the bottom line is that I, on behalf of the Trust, was very fortunate and have hugely benefited from the one click I made on your excellent ALLMARIN website. I read and believed the straight forward personal brief which is really you. (No Bull). I have told many friends within my childhood home of Marin County about this experience and I am sure they will call on you should they be interested in buying or selling a home! I just wish I had a reason to continue what felt like a very close friendship. Thank you again for your amazing performance maestro."