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Mark & Joan Savarese - (Sold in Willow Glen) - I met Mark and Joan at my open house in Willow Glen. Their home had been on the market for 90 days with no offers. Instead of re-listing with the same agent, they decided that a different market called for a different selling approach. I was one of the 12 agents that they interviewed to re-list their home. I showed them how a pro-active marketing campaign helps generate traffic through a home. Even though it was a slow market, we ended up selling the home in 43 days.”
“Brian, thanks for your pro-active efforts in selling our home after it had expired on the MLS. After interviewing multiple Realtors, we came to the conclusion that you had the most complete marketing campaign and that you would work the hardest to sell our home as fast as possible. You did what you said you were going to do and sold our home, even in a terrible market. Thanks again.” |
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-Mark & Joan Savarese
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Bill & Victoria - (Sold in San Jose) Rose Garden Home sells in 3 weeks after sitting on the market for 6 months prior! - I met Victoria during summer time. As summer turned to fall and fall turned to winter, Bill and Victoria’s home still had not sold. After 6 months on the market and one failed offer, they decided to switch Realtors. Victoria happened to keep my business card and called me for help. Using pro-active marketing ideas; spreading the word directly to the top Realtors in the area, and 3 open houses later, we secured a buyer who loved the house.
“Brian has the confidence and the industry knowledge to get the job done where others had failed. There were quite a few challenges during the transaction, but he continued to turn them around in our favor.” |
-Bill Nordvik
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Betty Nelson - (Sold in San Jose) San Jose Home sells for $60,000 over asking in one weekend with 20 offers! - Betty was finally retiring and moving to Sacramento to be with her family. Her goal was to completely pay for her new home as well as all of the various expenses involved in selling a home. By using a pro-active marketing approach to spread the word throughout the Realtor community, we went through close to 300 flyers at the first open house and ended up receiving 20 offers.
“I am happy to inform you that Brian Schwatka has been great. He has made this location change much easier than I anticipated. I can’t begin to say enough about his marketing techniques and expertise with the mounds of paperwork. I have told my friends and family about Intero and most of all about Brian. I hope you appreciate his expertise.” |
-Betty Nelson
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Ralph Longo - (Sold in San Jose) Willow Glen Tudor sells for $1,300,000 with no Buyer’s agent! - Ralph originally purchased this home when it was in a state of disrepair. He gave it some TLC and years later it became a Nevada Avenue treasure. The buyer’s were personal friends of his, but they didn’t have an agent to represent them. I handled the transaction as best I could with only one agent and the deal went through without a hitch.
“Brian is not only a close personal friend, but he’s a very down to earth Real Estate Consultant. I’ve been a Realtor myself for the last 10 years and I’ve met my share of high-end Real Estate Professionals. Brian really has his client’s best interests in mind. He’s dedicated, dependable and energetic. I would refer him to anyone looking for a highly efficient Real Estate Consultant.” |
-Ralph Longo
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Michael and Susan Sarpa - (Sold in San Jose) Silver Creek Home sells in 5 days for $100,000 over asking with 22 offers! - Michael was contemplating selling his home by himself, but after discussing it with him, they decided to list their home with me instead. I priced the home so as to create a lot of traffic, broadcasted the listing to over 3,000 Realtors (directly) and sold the home for well over asking. In fact the strategy worked so well that it paid for my services and the buyer’s agent as well.
“There’s no way that I could have marketed my home and broadcasted that much data to the Brokerage community myself. Brian adds value by obtaining a greater sales price and ends up virtually paying for himself and his unique services.” |
-Michael and Susan Sarpa
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Andrew Smith - (Sold in San Jose) Blossom Valley Home sells for a profit, only 7 months after the original purchase! - Andrew is the owner of a Real Estate Investment company. He purchased his Blossom Valley home, only to decide to sell it 6 months later. The goal was to retain as much equity as possible and also have enough left over to pay for the transaction costs. The home sold in one weekend for over list price. Andrew achieved his goal of making a profit and paying for all of the transaction costs.
“I have a nationwide network of Realtors with whom I work, so I know a good one when I see them. Brian is a skilled consultant and an accomplished negotiator. He brings a fresh approach to the Real Estate profession and gives me exceptional treatment every time we do a transaction together”. |
-Andrew Smith
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Alina and Luis Castaneda - (Bought in San Jose) Diamond in the rough! - I met Alina and Luis through a referral from a past client. Alina was pregnant and due to deliver within 7 weeks. Their goal was to find a home in the $400K range that was in a safe neighborhood. In addition, they didn’t want to use their savings for the down payment. We searched and searched for a home that would suit their needs and after visiting at least 20 properties, we found the perfect one. We closed in 30 days with Zero Down Payment, just in time for baby to come home from the hospital.
“I never thought we could afford to buy our very own home, let alone find one in a safe area in our price range. Brian went above and beyond the call of duty by visiting all of the homes himself before he showed them to us. Brian took no shortcuts and made the safety of our family his number one priority.” |
-Alina and Luis Castaneda
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Pam Longo - (Bought in San Jose) Safe and quiet at just the right price! - Pam was looking for a new home for her and her daughter. Her number one priority was that the neighborhood had to be safe and friendly. In addition, the monthly payments had to fit her budget or else it wouldn’t work for her. In one afternoon we found the perfect home! In a small area in the blossom valley sat a 3 bedroom home in a cul-de-sac, with a pool, right next to a school. We had bidding competition, but the rapport we built with the listing agent and the sellers worked in our favor.
“I’ve known Brian for years and trust that he has my best interests at heart. He takes great pride in his business and makes it look easy. He has a win-win attitude, so that the agent on the other end of the deal wants to work with him. I wouldn’t have this house if it wasn’t for his positive attitude.” |
-Pam Longo
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Nick and Nicole - (Bought in Fremont) First Time Homebuyers save money every month by purchasing instead of renting! Nick and Nicole wanted to start building equity and benefiting from the huge tax deductions that come from investing in real estate. The problem (so they thought) was that they only had $5,000 to work with and they could only afford a home in the $250,000 range. We finally found a place that met their search criteria and won against multiple offers.
“Brian took the time to educate us about the entire Real Estate process. He set us up on his website so that we could use the Buyer/Seller Toolkit to communicate our wants and needs. He also introduced us to his lender who helped us with some creative financing so that we could afford to buy instead of rent.” |
-Nick and Nicole
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Michael and Susan Sarpa - (Bought in San Jose Rose Garden) Rose Garden Gem enables daughter to attend Lincoln High! - I met Michael and Susan at my Rose Garden open house. They wanted to place an offer on that home, but didn’t have their lender in place. He had to be in the 95126 area code in order for his daughter to attend Lincoln High School (well known for performing arts). We searched for homes using an eligible school address directory. We found an extremely unique home and negotiated the best deal possible.
“Brian went above and beyond the call of duty to help us find this unique home. He’s energetic, enthusiastic and dedicated to meeting the requirements of his clients. We enjoyed his straight-forward personality and would recommend his services to anyone looking for their dream home.” |
-Michael and Susan Sarpa
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Andrew Smith - (Bought in Blossom Valley) After 6 months of searching we finally found the perfect home! - Andrew is the owner of a Real Estate Investment company. He was planning on re-locating from southern California and left the home searching entirely up to me and his assistant. We went through countless homes before we found the right one for his needs. He purchased it, sight unseen based on our advise! By the way, we sold the home 6 months later a large profit which included all of the transaction costs.
"I have a nationwide network of Realtors with whom I work, so I know a good one when I see them. Brian is a skilled consultant and an accomplished negotiator. He brings a fresh approach to the Real Estate profession and gives me exceptional treatment every time we do a transaction together”. |
-Andrew Smith
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| Dear Brian, From the first time Denise and I met you, we were impressed with your friendly, energetic and straightforward sales approach. It took a lot of skill, patience and creativity to coordinate the sale between our seller and us; and I am happy to say that you handled it like a seasoned professional. In addition, your communication skills and integrity were apparent at every step of the process. In those situations where an answer was needed quickly, you were efficient and prompt in supplying the needed information. Most importantly, you went above and beyond your duties to accommodate our unique situation and make us genuinely feel as important as your buyer in the transaction. It is obvious to us that you are a highly motivated and dedicated professional and we are enthusiastic about recommending you to any buyer/seller interested considering your services. Again, thank you for your wonderful level of support and attention to detail. Denise and I will recommend your services to anybody looking for a dedicated, competent and energetic real estate professional. Please feel free to use me as a reference to anybody who would like more insight into our experience working with you on a professional level. |
-Mark Gagner
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Marian Rosen - (Bought in Palo Alto) Searched for 2 years and finally saved thousands - Marian was looking for a small condo. We used the Buyer/Seller Toolkit to interact with each other on a regular basis about homes that just came on the market. Over that period of time I previewed over 100 homes trying to find something that would match her search criteria and her budget. Finally, we found a property in Palo Alto that had been sitting on the market for 23 days. We offered $65,000 under the last comparable sale and won the deal because we never gave up!
"Brian, Thanks for hanging in there with me for the last two years. You saved me a ton of time looking at properties for me while I was at work. You were patient, you educated me about the home buying process and you introduced me to a great lender. Most of all, your negotiation skills saved me thousands of dollars.” |
-Marian Rosen
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Jodee Ybarra – (Bought in San Jose) – Jodee dream was to own her own home. We finally found the perfect home within her budget. Unfortunately, the lender that the mortgage broker chose went out of business and now the loan docs were over two weeks late. We had to switch brokers and close the deal in one week or the sellers would cancel the contract. The new broker pulled through and we closed successfully.
"Brian was always so positive through the entire process. Even when the deal was falling apart, he never gave up! In fact he’s still helping me even after escrow closed by sending me referrals for subcontractors. If there was a Real Estate Agent of the Year award, I think it should go to Brian, because he goes way above and beyond the call of duty" |
-Jodee Ybarra
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Nick and Nicole Huber - (Bought in Brentwood) - They wanted to refinance the condo that I helped them purchase two years ago for zero money down. The only issue was that all of their money was tied up in the equity of the condo, so they had nothing to put down on the purchase of their next home until we sold the condo. We found an affordable home to buy in Brentwood. The problem was that we had to write our offer “contingent” upon first selling their Fremont condo. Now all we had to do was find a buyer for the condo, and quick! Pro-active marketing worked again and we got an offer on the condo. The timing of both deals was critical as there were over 20 people involved.
"Once again, Brian worked miracles for us. God knows that most realtors out there would not put as much work and detail into every transaction as Brian does. We never have to worry when Brian is involved. We let him know what our goal is and what are limitations are and he makes it happen. He truly is a great realtor and trusted friend!" |
-Nick and Nicole Huber
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Denise and Mark Gagner – (Sold in Willow Glen) Denise and Mark are past clients of mine. I helped them purchase this home almost three years ago. Trying to save some money, they decided to try selling this home on their own. After 3 weeks of trying to sell it on their own, they decided to let me sell their home for them. We sent out thousands of emails, used newspaper & internet advertising, conducted serious Buyer negotiations and 4 weeks later their home was SOLD
"It was a pleasure working with Brian. He did a great job preparing and marketing our home. Once we had an offer, he did an excellent job negotiating with the buyers and represented our best interest. Thank you Brian for all of your hard work and making this a seamless transaction!" |
-Denise and Mark Gagner
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Heather and Lou Hoffman – (Sold in Willow Glen) Heather and Lou lived in their Storybook Tudor on Iris Ct. for almost 20 years. Their children grew up in the house so she was very attached to her home. Heather did not want it to be sold to developers who would tear it down and rebuild it. She gave me the funds to get her home ready to go on the market. We repainted the interior, installed hardwood floors, new doors and windows, new carpet, new appliances, built new basement stairs and completed a number of basic repairs. We received a full price offer and Heather and the new buyer got along famously, and the home closed without a hitch.
“Brian, you handled every aspect of selling my home from renovating it to selling it. I put my trust in you and you came through with flying colors. Thank You!” |
-Heather and Lou Hoffman
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German and Anel Gonzales - (Sold in San Jose) - When I met them, they had already purchased their new home so we had to sell the current place as fast as possible so they didn't have to pay two mortgages. I sent out thousands of emails, hand delivered flyers to the local real estate offices, sent out 250 direct mail pieces, held 4 open houses in 7 days, and used heavy print & internet advertising. We ended up with 4 offers and sold their town home for over the asking price. In addition, the unit sold for more than any similar model has ever sold for in that complex.
"Brian, we all worked together as a team synchronizing our efforts without missing a beat. Egos had no space in our actions while critiques were always constructive, without ever loosing sight of the main goal. Good strategy, great execution and excellent support and follow up all the way until the end...!" |
-German and Anel Gonzales
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Betty Kleinbeck – (Sold in Cambrian) – Betty’s plan was to sell high and fast and then move to North Carolina. Betty gave me a budget of $20,000 to fix up her home and get it ready to go on the market. In 3 weeks we remodeled the entire kitchen, 2 bathrooms, a studio suite, a fireplace and then staged the home with furniture. Betty trusted me with the list price so that we could obtain multiple offers in a market that was beginning to turn towards the buyers. We ended up with three offers and sold the home in the first weekend for $50,000 over asking.
Brian, thanks so much for all you’ve done. You’ve not only sold my house, but helped us make our dreams come true. |
-Betty Kleinbeck
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Marlene & Primo Espitia – (Bought and Sold in Alameda County) - We put their Union City home on the market at just the right price and did a complete marketing blitz. The Union city home was on the market for 5 weeks before we received an (above asking) offer. Luckily, we had been searching the whole time for an affordable home, in great condition, in Milpitas. Even though our offer was contingent upon the closing of their Union City home, we still managed to secure the purchase of their new home at the same time we closed on their old home.
“Brian, thank you for guiding us through two uncertain transactions. You had an answer for every question, sold our home for over the asking price, and found us a new home just in the nick of time” |
-Marlene & Primo Espitia
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Phillip Alampi – (Sold in Evergreen) – Phil was concerned that he may have missed the “window of opportunity” for selling his home as the market recently shifted from a Seller’s market to a Buyer’s market. I broadcasted the home information directly to over 2,000 Realtors in the South Bay. By NOT simply relying on the MLS and a sign in the lawn to sell the home, we were able to sell the home for well over the asking price, in one weekend, where the average selling time was 14 days.
“Brian, I couldn’t be happier with the results that you achieved. Thank you for helping me sell my house for top dollar in a down market Brian” |
-Phil Alampi
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Patricia Brickman – (Bought in Santa Clara) – Patricia was looking to buy her first home and plant some roots. Based on her financial statistics, we had to find her an affordable home in a safe neighborhood for around $300,000. With the help of her Daughter in-law and the Buyer/Seller Toolkit @ PersonalMLS.com, we found a home that fit the mold. We were up against 2 other offers and in fact we were not the highest price. It all boiled down to writing a “clean” offer and presenting it in a professional manner.
“Brian used creative financing and his negotiating skills to get me a home I could afford” |
-Patricia Brickman
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Efrain & Aimee Quiles - (Bought in San Jose) - I met Efrain and Aimee through Intero's Internet Lead Management Group. Within 30 minutes of their call to Intero, I was showing them properties in the Berryessa area. Over the next 2 months, we previewed over 30 homes. Aimee used the Buyer/Seller Toolkit to communicate her interests to me as soon as properties came on the market that matched her search criteria. We placed three offers on different properties, one of which ended up having water under the home, so we backed out immediately. We finally found a home that they loved and we negotiated great pricing and terms.
"I would be happy to say that we were very pleased with your service. We are very happy with our new home. Aimee and I feel, based on the circumstances, that we have made a wise decision on the home we selected. We truly thank you for being 100% available for us when we needed you. We would be happy to recommend you as one of the best real estate agent to work with." |
-Efrain & Aimee Quiles
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"We engaged Brian to find a house for us in San Jose. We had very specific criteria which limited our options and made for a long search. Brian was patient and worked with us to finally find a wonderful home and then worked diligently to make sure it closed smoothly."
-Doug and Pam Fairbairn
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"Brian is a GREAT listener to what his clients need/want and then he uses his experience and resources to creatively suggest solutions for any challenge in the process. He takes the time to be genuine to all present and is as solid of an asset to any client that you can have. We love working with Brian and we love the fact that he lets our little one call him "scooby" for some reason. Very detail oriented and a pleasure to know."
- Art and Juli Kennedy
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"Brian helped me find and purchase a home during the 12/2007-1/2008 timeframe. From searching, negotiations, financing and closing, Brian did an exceptional job. Not only would I recommend working with Brian, I would absolutely look to hire Brian for any future real estate projects."
- Dave Reha
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"Brian is a true Real Estate professional. He is passionate about his work with a strong desire to help people meet their goals in life. Brian performs at the top of his peers in everything he does and he will be your representative and advocate. I wholeheartedly recommend him."
- Dana & Lisa Bailey
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The day before Thanksgiving I got a call from Brian. He said he was out looking at a house that had just came on the market. He said, "I don't know what I'm doing out here -- it's raining, it's the day before Thanksgiving, it's supposed to be my day off, and I'm supposed to have a turkey in my car right now to take home to my wife. But I just felt I had to come look at this one, and now I know why". To me, that says it all about what kind of realtor Brian is. Brian was patient, persistent and committed to helping me. He was proactive, he listened to me and helped me find not just a house, but a home. Brian is a realtor who not only has a passion for what he does, but Brian also has the experience, the expertise and the negotiating skills to make it happen. Brian is a realtor you can trust.
- Ruth Larsen
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Brian, your work in selling the Leona Ct. house & in the buying of the Booksin Ave. house went way above and beyond our expectations. We love our new home & couldn't be happier. Thank you again!!
- Mark & Maggie
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"Brian is remarkable! He is very well versed in Short Sales and helped us short sell two of our homes. He educated us on the process, going above and beyond the call of duty to help us successfully sell. He navigated all the red tape, making the process seamless to us. He returned phone calls and emails immediately. Brian is honest, professional, and extremely persistent. We cannot thank you enough! We would recommend Brian to anyone. Thank you Brian!"
- Nick and Nikki
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"We are finally settled into our new home in Texas. It has taken a while of unpacking, buying new furniture, painting and yet there is still more rooms to finish. A good problem to have. We never got to say "Thank you" for all of your help with selling our house on Marble Arch. We had some economic challenges, moving challenges, timelines, lending companies to work with. Through all of the challenges you really helped us out with the entire process.
Thank you so much for helping us sell our house and move on with our new life in Texas.
- Elizabeth and Jason
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Seldom do I experience a business relationship that motivates me to express my written gratitude so that others too can benefit. The 'Business World' is fraught with greedy money hungry individuals that place their own secret selfish interests above all else. However, there are exceptions, and one such person is Brian Schwatka a no-nonsense refreshing breath of honesty and stellar work ethics that deserves to be praised. He is results-oriented to the extreme, likable, creative and tireless in his efforts to sell and, or find one the right home at the right price. He's recently done both for me!
- GFD, Happy in the San Jose Rose Garden area - January 2011
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Brian is very analytical and thorough in his research and recommendations regarding the price and timing of a property listing. He is a superlative marketer, both in creating documents and supporting materials, as well as ensuring that all other real estate agents are aware of the listing and its primary attributes. Finally, Brian is very personable and presents a great image when in front of potential customers. In this sale, Brian took great care in managing the complicated aspects of the short sale process and successfully interfaced with the bank to get our concerns satisfied and got the short sale approved.
- Michael Sarpa, San Jose Rose Garden area - January 2011
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In April 2010, my Mom passed away and I, as executor of her will, was left with the sad job of selling her home. Brian Schwatka of Intero, was the most supportive, understanding, ethical, professional realtor I could have ever hoped for. He made a stressful time for me so much easier. He did research and came up with a fair price for the house and marketed it perfectly. He actually pitched in getting the house ready for listing. Brian was friendly, honest, open, and always available to potential buyers. He was also there for me and my family 24/7. He negotiated a great price for our home. I will always deal with Brian in the future as I know he is an excellent, caring, trustworthy realtor.
- Maria Giardina, San Jose Rose Garden area - January 2011
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