When My Tenants Became My Clients
I meet clients in all sorts of interesting ways. Alex and Gabby happened to be my tenants for several years before becoming my clients. They got to know and trust me as their landlord. So, when it came time to put down roots in the city that they love, they turned to me for help and advice to buy a home in New Orleans. No Rush, No Pressure While they had previously purchased a house in California, their experience had been stressful and challenging. Explains Gabby, “Working with a realtor we weren’t in sync with wasn’t great.” This time around, the most important thing to Alex and Gabby was that they didn’t want to be rushed or pressured to act quickly. They were intent on finding the perfect thing, and I was on board – doing my research and being attuned to their best interests. Their list of “must-haves” included an old house made from natural materials, being near the water, and having a sizable amount of land. As you might expect, this took a good bit of time to find. We looked at about ten properties over a year and a half before finding the perfect spot for them. A Totally Different Experience Notes Gabby, “The process was like day and night from what we had experienced with our previous realtor in California. Tracey looked out for us and told us her honest opinion. I think it’s probably a tricky thing for a realtor because you really have to be neutral while also protecting your client. If done right, it’s quite a nuanced job! Tracey did a lot of communicating for us with the seller and did so in a way that really advocated for us. She listened and was always patient. And I knew that there was no question that she wouldn’t be able to answer.” As I’ve worked with many other clients who’ve bought old homes, I guided Gabby and Alex through the inspection process, sharing both the big picture and the details about caring for an older home in the right way, with the right vendors. They love their new (old) home and wouldn’t trade it for the world! I’m grateful that both Gabby and Alex had this to say about working with me: “We always asked Tracey what she thought, and she told us. Some realtors are just so eager to make a sale, they’ll withhold their true feelings, or they’ll push you in a direction that’s not really what you want. She respected us, and we respected her. She also didn’t discriminate or judge us or the sellers that we engaged with. Living in such a divisive time, particularly in the South, it was important for us to work with Tracey as a forward-thinking, equal-opportunity human. She works hard and is honest and loving. Could not recommend her more, and we are so grateful to have her in our lives.” – Gabby S. “We knew Tracey was an honest, hard working person who knew the city like the back of her hand and all the magical people in it. We were truly thankful to have an agent of her caliber who never pressured us, always gave us straight, real feedback, and went above and beyond to make sure we never settled. We are proud to call Tracey and the Reve team, family.” - Alex S. Interested in buying, selling, or investing? Feel free to get in touch.
From Costa Rica to Mardi Gras Parades
My client Sally has lived in Costa Rica and Austin, TX, and now travels the world, plotting her next adventure. Hometown Pride But like a lot of native New Orleanians, she has a real sense of connection to the Crescent city, a lot of hometown pride, and wanted her two daughters to love this place like she does. So, years ago, she bought a condo (half of a duplex) near the parade route and made it a point to bring them for Mardi Gras every year. Says Sally, “My girls (now in their twenties) are more and more in love with New Orleans, but they’re old enough to go on their own.” A Condo for Someone Else to Love In Sally’s mind, the condo had served its purpose, and it was an old house sitting vacant too often. She explains it this way: “It was time for someone else to love it.” Sally and I went to St. Martin’s Episcopal School together back in the day, and our mutual friend Michael lives a few blocks from the condo. When Sally was ready to sell, Michael said, “You need to call Tracey.” The condo needed some work before listing, and because Sally wasn’t in New Orleans, I stepped in to spearhead the efforts. She valued that I have an appreciation for and understanding of older homes -- as well as a long list of tradesmen and vendors at my fingertips who are reasonably priced and quick to respond. After the work was done, we priced it right, and the condo sold quickly. At some point, Sally says she’ll re-invest in something a little smaller, noting, “My husband loves New Orleans as well. He’s one of those converts.” I'm honored that Sally had this to say about working with me: “From the get-go, I felt like Tracey had my back and anticipated a lot of my needs. If we had a dilemma, and I was stymied, she had the answer and knew what to do. In every scenario, she went above and beyond and was always there to facilitate. “I’ve worked with a lot of real estate agents in Wyoming and Costa Rica. Everybody’s got different styles, different levels of engagement and trustworthiness, and she just checks all those boxes. Even the agents who are really engaged don’t always go that extra step or approach things with friendliness and calmness like Tracey does. “I love that she NEVER loses her cool! She approaches any potential problem with good humor, efficiency, expediency, and I just love it. Not only could I really count on her from before we even signed the contract, to the very end, but she just made me feel comfortable. She’s all business, but she approached it like a friend would to me, and in a business-like manner with everything else. We could laugh about things -- and relieve the tension with some humor. That was huge. She’s awesome!” - Sally Owens Leman Looking to buy, sell, or invest? Let's talk.
Moving On: A Different Phase of Life
My client Rebecca originally listed her house with another realtor. But it was priced too high, there was no movement or interest for six months, and she and her ex-husband became anxious to sell. It was a beautiful, 120-year old Uptown home with amazing architectural details and character. But she was worried that something major would break at any moment, and she’d be on the hook to fix it. Says Rebecca, “I felt like I was a hair away from disaster.” Out with the Old Through a friend and family connection, Rebecca turned to me for help, and I listed the house at a new price. As old homes go, issues do arise, and on the day of our first open house, a pipe broke. I sprang into action, and with my long list of trusted resources and vendors, I called in a plumber and had the leak fixed within hours. On top of that, we had a great offer within 10 days! Explains Rebecca, “Tracey’s a force! She handled everything, holding my hand and getting me through it all. I’m not good at any of this. But she’s so professional, punctual, skilled, and methodical -- telling me exactly what I needed to do and when, and making the entire process as easy as possible.” There was a lot of back and forth negotiation with the buyers, but we worked out all the kinks, so that Rebecca could move on. In with the New We found a newly constructed, low-maintenance home in Jefferson that was the perfect antidote, and Rebecca was thrilled. To make sure punch list items were taken care of, I walked through with a roll of blue tape, marking things we wanted the owner to address. Adds Rebecca, “Tracey went back to the owners a few times with suggestions and asks, and then successfully negotiated a price reduction. I wanted a nice, quiet, safe neighborhood, and I needed everything to be less expensive. Going from a 120-year old house to a brand new home, it’s been amazing. I cried at the closing on my old house – I’d raised three children there. But now I love this new house so much. It’s just a different phase of life.” I have to laugh when Rebecca had this say: “My god, this woman! Tracey’s just really f*%king good at what she does! She’s on it, and nothing goes unnoticed. She has amazing attention to detail, and she’ll be the one I recommend all the time.” Looking to buy, sell, or invest? Let's talk.
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