Miriam Pasternak- September 13, 2011
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As a first time home buyer, I wanted to find a realtor who I could trust to find me the perfect place. Michael Barasch was THE BEST! He immediately impressed me with the two hour educational workshop that he gave where he educated me about everything from short sales to escrow. When looking at different units, he was brutally honest, and was knowledgeable about the quality of construction and workmanship. When I was thinking about buying a certain place, he convinced me that another less expensive home was better, despite losing a huge part of his commission. What other realtor would do that, except for someone uber-ethical? He was communicative and supportive throughout the whole search process, and throughout escrow he was very protective of my rights as a buyer with some sellers, who were not exactly a walk in the park. He also kept me calm while waiting for a VERY late appraisal. Additionally, he directed me to a very honorable and upright lender, Joe Parisi, who helped me to get the best interest rate possible. I could not be happier that I picked Michael as my realtor. Even though my home purchase wasn't a multi-million dollar deal, Michael treated me with personalized care and attention. I felt that I understood the buying process completely due to his expert guidance, and I would recommend his top-notch service to anyone looking for a true professional. This mensch will be my realtor for all future home purchases and sales. Thank you, Michael!
Aron Plucinski- July 26, 2011
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When you're a first time home buyer it can be pretty intimidating. I honestly knew nothing about the process so I was really nervous I would get duped as a first time home buyer, thank goodness I didn't because of Michael. I was referred to Michael by a friend who purchased their home through him. Michael set up a meeting with me and walked me through all of the phases; he took his time and educated me on the process to prepare me for my first buy. He was down to earth and very knowledgeable but not pushy. Michael stayed in constant contact with me through the process and helped me to land my first home. My budget was not huge by LA standards but Michael was aggressive and fought hard to get me into the home I wanted to. It's been 6 months now since I've moved and settled into my new place and am very pleased with the job he did and the place that I now live in. Thank you Michael!" back to top
Rob & Bayla Idels- July 31, 2011
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Michael made a lot of promises when we had our first meeting. Before the meeting began, he introduced us via phone to his financial associate, (not in his employ,) who took our basic financial information. Michael then proceeded by explaining his business ethic laying out what we could expect from him and what he expected from us. He made a clear point of advising us to find another agent if at any point during the relationship we were unhappy for any reason. He continues by articulating his understanding and opinion of how the current economy is affecting the real estate market in general and the market in our desired neighborhoods specifically. Most important for us was the connection he made to how everything he just explained will affect what was available and how he will approach the search for our house. Having been out of the market for a while, we found the education helpful in gauging our expectations for what we could find based on the resources we had at our disposal. By the end of that first meeting we had our credit scores, credit reports and a rough estimate of what kind of loan we could qualify for and what the payments would be.
Timing is everything. While Michael, as good as he was for us, has no control of the inventory or what is about to enter the market, he showed excellent instincts for recognizing opportunity when it arrived and taking quick action on our behalf. He was respectfully aggressive in asserting our case and never tempted us to consider more than we could comfortably handle.
Seven weeks later we're moving into our new house in the neighborhood we wanted.
Michael kept every promise he made in that first meeting and conducted himself with honesty and a high sense of personal and business ethics.
Jini Choi- April 27, 2010
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I think I've found my realtor for life! Michael and his team could not have my first home buying experience any easier. It was truly a pleasure, unlike those horror stories you hear about real estate. I never thought that buying a home would gain me a friend, and Michael is just that. I had utter and complete trust in him, and really felt like he had MY best interest at heart. Not only is he awesomely fun, but when it comes down to business, there's no one else I'd have wanted on my side.
Let's see, I closed escrow about 34 days from the very first day I saw my new home. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT??!! Michael used his incredible charm and real estate knowledge to make it happen for me. I was buying FHA, and as a single woman, and he stuck with me until the very end, even buying me a second termite inspection as a gift! Michael has the loyalty and honesty that's really hard to find these days. I will never make another real estate decision without him.
Michael, THANK YOU forever for helping me become a homeowner. You have gone above and beyond the call of duty, and I am your client AND friend for life!
You appeared like an angel at my door to my condo in Burbank. I will never forget your generosity and hard work in getting my condo sold. Thank you for helping me get through the ?short pay? process. It was good to have an expert at my side. You made it a lot less stressful than it could have been.
I would recommend you to anyone who is buying or selling real estate. Hopefully I will call on you to help me find my dream home one day.
I cannot say enough good things about Michael and his team at The Barasch Group. This was our first home purchase and it could not have gone smoother. After looking at Redfin and Movoto and reading up about "the process," we met Michael at an open house, participated in an educational seminar with him, and knew that he was a rockstar. Some people think the online world makes an agent unnecessary, but Michael is worth his weight in gold. And as the buyer, you don't pay any fees, I would never do a real estate transaction without him. He's incredibly honest, surrounds himself with experts in the field, loyal like a pitbull and tells it like it is. I would recommend him to anyone buying or selling a home. He fights for his clients, doesn't beat around the bush, offers an outstanding value, I could go on and on. I smile when people talk about their home buying/selling war stories, and when they ask me why I hand them a business card from The Barasch Group. I would call him a friend and my real estate agent. Thank you so much
The Barasch Group
Attn: Michael Barasch
15456 Ventura Blvd. STE 410
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
Dear Michael:
First let me say that we apologize for taking so long to get in touch with you to thank you and compliment both you and your staff on the on the superior job everyone did in selling our townhouse in West Hollywood.
As you know, we were determined the only way to go was ?For Sale by Owner?. That turned out to be far more difficult than we imagined. When we met with you we were immediately impressed with your sincerity, integrity, knowledge and high level of energy. In hindsight we believe we would still be waiting to sell if you had not come along. You immediately increased the foot traffic in our home and not too long thereafter we got an offer.
Because of your help, knowledge of the market and expertise we sailed through escrow without any problems. You made each step of the way as easy as humanly possible and for that we are eternally grateful.
We have been in our new home in Arizona for just a little over a month. Each day we look around and know if it had not been for you and your staff we would still we in Los Angeles and nowhere near our dream.
Michael, thanks you once again, and please knows that we will certainly recommend you and your company to all our friends in Los Angeles looking to either sell or buy.
Michael Barasch is truly an EXCELLENT & EXCEPTIONAL Realtor, especially for me as a first time home buyer. Michael owns his own Realtor Company Branch, and I think this separates him from most other realtors as he is truly invested in providing top quality care to his clients, always willing to go the extra mile to make sure things go smoothly.
I am a very careful shopper and I chose Michael Barasch as my Real Estate Agent over 7 other real estate agents I interviewed because I was extremely impressed with how Michael took the time to explain the buying process in a way even I could understand and how I would be able to stay in full control throughout the entire home purchasing process.
When I first thought about buying a house, I was very nervous about who to trust, but after experiencing Michael Barasch's 2 hour Introductory Meeting (I totally recommend it even if you've owned real estate before. It will blow you away), I found him to be head and shoulders above the other agents in terms of knowledge, clarity, experience and he was fun to boot! I actually found myself being very excited about working with him, feeling secure and confident that I had finally found someone I could really rely on, someone I could get information, counsel and guidance from, all the way through the myriad of mind boggling questions, concerns, steps and stages involved in home purchase.
As we worked together, I found Michael to be extremely warm, intelligent, quick and well informed. He was very knowledgeable on all aspects of the buying process, even the lending process (an area many real estate agents seem to be far less knowledgeable about), and he gave me all kinds of ideas and estimates for possible renovations/additions. He also had on hand, a team of incredibly responsive, efficient and effective professionals at his disposal. His educational approach to buying real estate was very informative, easy to understand and with his ongoing counsel I felt truly empowered and comfortable to make informed decisions as I ventured forth on this extremely important purchase.
I also found, as a Real Estate Agent, Michael Barasch was very honest, ethical, open and accessible, making himself available to answer any questions I had day or night, and always kept my best interests at heart. He was also particularly conscientious about the little details that were important to me and he was extremely effective throughout the negotiating process, able to definitely stand up for me when I needed it. Michael was so much fun to work with and was so empowering, that I had relatively little stress throughout the home purchase process.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND Michael Barasch as a Real Estate Agent. It is no wonder he is in the top 1% of all Real Estate Agents nationally.
Bernie Soon, MA, MFT, SEP
Body-Mind Psychotherapy Services, Inc.
www.EMDRnow.com
(818) 997-3637
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by mark.lewis86
"06/16/2008
Michael,
Please Know that we are eternally grateful for your wonderful friendship. You have been a tremendous source of stability & support throughout this entire process. Moreover, we can never express how fortunate we are at this moment. No one has ever worked so hard & poured their heart & soul into something so paramount on our behalf. Please know that no words can articulate how much we appreciate what you have done for us, our lives, our family & our future. I always believe "good gets good" & you are a wonderful, giving, kind human being. May life bring you all your wishes & bestow to you what you bring to others lives!
From our hearts with sincere warmth, respect & love,
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by escobedolilly
"06/16/2008
Dear Michael,
What did it take for us to find our perfect home? You- the perfect realtor. Thank you so much for your guidance. You have a warm and honest soul You are truly one of a kind - a great friend. We wish you only the best.
In my experience, Michael Barasch is a superior realtor. He has great instincts about the market and about people. He?s direct and straightforward. He has huge integrity and worked very hard for my bottom line. He?s just a great partner for selling a home. The advice he gave me to prepare my house to sell quickly and for maximum price was dead on. In an uncertain market, we ended up with many multiple offers within 2 days of listing the house and ended up selling for well above asking price?and the house was not under-priced! During the multiple offer
period, it was due to Michael?s skillful negotiation and insight that I got the absolute maximum selling price for my home with a perfectly qualified buyer. Everything went so smoothly and without a hitch. Michael was on top of everything! He also surrounds himself with a great team of people you can count on for support and follow through. I would not hesitate to recommend Michael Barasch.
Deborah Marsten -Encino, CA
"From: Deborah A. Marsten
4976 Odessa Ave
Encino, Ca 91436
Date: April 8, 2008
Dear Michael
I am sending you this note to compliment both you and your staff. Too often, it is only criticism that is formalized in a letter, and quality service is disregarded.
I met you several months ago at an open house, and was immediately impressed with your high level of energy, your knowledge of your industry and your enthusiasm. I did not have a relationship with a broker at the time, and decided to consider your firm to assist me in finding a new house. You invited me to a meeting with you and Heather, at your office, and conducted a very thorough interview process that resulted in my belief that you
understood what I was looking for and would assist me in finding it.
A very important aspect to all o my business relationships is a foundation of integrity and honesty. I am very wary of high pressure sales tactics. I felt none of that from your company, and over the past few months have continued to feel more and more confident that my choice in hiring your firm was the right decision.
I have not yet purchased a home. You have assisted me with one offer, which you handled professionally. You remained supportive and refrained from placing any pressure on me. You gave me excellent advice, which
resulted in my withdrawal of that particular offer. That experience was evidence of your commitment to the
concept of ?the client first?. I know that in the near future, with your assistance, I will find the house I am looking for, at the price I want to pay.
Thank you and your staff for your efforts on my behalf. I would be happy to provide a reference to anyone who is considering your firm.
We simply wanted to drop you a letter to thank you and the rest of The Barasch Group for the terrific work you did selling our home.
Whether it was presenting us with a specific plan on how you were going to sell OUR home, negotiating with buyers, advertising our home, providing us with educated and knowledgeable information about the housing market, the ?economy? and other financial factors, etc., you exceeded our expectations. We had never before worked with such knowledgeable brokers, and it is no surprise to us that The Barasch Group is realizing success in such a depressed market where others are not. We feel like we didn?t get just a real estate broker, we got finance professionals who were seemingly educated about everything affecting the Southern California housing market and our home in particular.
You recognized the high quality of our home and presented that to potential buyers in a format that
buyers found attractive. You immediately increased foot traffic in our home, and shortly thereafter, we sold our home after receiving multiple offers. You ensured the buyer was well-qualified, and because of your help we sailed smoothly through escrow. We had a great home, you knew it, and you conveyed that to all potential buyers that walked through our front door. Thank you for making us feel as if selling our home was your top priority. We could not be happier. We have and we will recommend The Barasch Group to anyone who is serious about selling their home.
The Barasch Group
15456 Ventura Blvd. Suite 410
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
Re: 22653 La Quilla Drive, Chatsworth, CA 91311
Dear Michael
I feel compelled to write you this letter to express my sincere gratitude. In today?s market, I found it particularly hard to find realtors to take on the challenge of selling my multi-million dollar estate.
While interviewing with realtors from Re/max and Coldwell Banker, I was disappointed to find that no one was willing to accept the possibility of selling my home in a timely fashion nor were they willing to give me a listing contract for less than 12 months.
I found The Barasch Group to be superior to any realtors that I have ever encountered. You were professional, easy to reach by phone, courteous, and best of all, there was no ?12 month minimum? listing contract.
Even in today?s declining real estate market, you both were able to not only sell my home in chatsworth, but also managed to raise the comps while doing so when other realtors felt it was impossible.
I am proud to have had you as a part of MY team and look forward to you buying or selling my next home. Thank you for rising above the challenge!
Joel & Jennifer Burns - Northridge, CA
"My wife and I had decided to sell our home as for sale by owner because we did not want to go through the hassle of going out and finding an agent. We wanted agents to come to us and that is exactly what happened. My wife and I screened hundreds of agents and no one seemed to be the right person to represent our home until we met Michael Barasch of The Barasch Group.
Michael was knowledgeable and very ethical , two qualities that are sought after for in a real estate agent. He helped us sell our home in 4 DAYS for $15,000 more than we had originally asked for! We highly recommend Michael Barasch to anyone that is looking to sell or buy a home.
Troy & Kim Bridenstine - North Hills, CA
"Hi Michael~ We wanted to tell you we knew you were an awesome Realtor. YOU even made it to TV! Yes, Troy and I saw you on an episode of "Flip It" yesterday afternoon. Very cool. You looked very sharp and professional! We love that show. Good luck! =o)
Michael, I had the electrician out to the house a few weeks ago, he did an awesome job on the pool equipment; all new timer, conduit, etc, etc... We had him do a few other extra things around house like put in a dimmer switch, a couple plugs & switches in the garage for Troy's tools, new sensor lights on the back porch & side of the house. I bought a ceiling fan for Jessi's room and will have Mirek install that also. We love our house!
Troy & Kimberly Bridenstine
Current and future clients of The Barasch Group
Hi Michael~ We wanted to tell you we knew you were an awesome Realtor. YOU even made it to TV! Yes, Troy and I saw you on an episode of "Flip It" yesterday afternoon. Very cool. You looked very sharp and professional! We love that show. Good luck! =o)
Michael, I had the electrician out to the house a few weeks ago, he did an awesome job on the pool equipment; all new timer, conduit, etc, etc... We had him do a few other extra things around house like put in a dimmer switch, a couple plugs & switches in the garage for Troy's tools, new sensor lights on the back porch & side of the house. I bought a ceiling fan for Jessi's room and will have Mirek install that also. We love our house!
Troy & Kimberly Bridenstine
Current and future clients of The Barasch Group
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David & Cheryl Coronel - Valley Village, CA
"Looking to buy our first home in today's tough market began as a depressing and fruitless process. We had gone through three real estate brokers in many months, as each broker was unable to give us the time and attention we needed to find an affordable home in a very limited search radius. Finally, we met Michael Barasch of The Barasch Group, and with his help we bought a beautiful home in just weeks for significantly lower than current market prices. Besides being extremely proficient, savvy, and well-connected in the Greater Los Angeles area real estate market, Michael took the time to hear our concerns and preferences, and offered us guidance and suggestions to help us through the complicated process of purchasing a home. He was always
available to answer any of our questions or concerns, and have continued to assist and guide us as we moved into our lovely new home.
When Michael heard that the owner of a "for lease" home in our area would consider selling for a good offer, he worked swiftly and efficiently to show us the house and put together an attractive offer. At 10:00PM, Michael was drafting the necessary
documents and obtaining a loan approval letter from a mortgage broker. Utilizing his years of successful experience as a listing agent he advised us on how to make our offer as attractive as possible to the seller. The next morning our offer was accepted, and we now own a beautiful 4 bedroom 2 bath home, having paid considerably less than recent purchase prices for similar properties in our area. We highly recommend Michael to anyone looking to buy or sell a new home, and wish him continued success in helping clients realize the great American homeownership dream.
Lyle Green - Los Angeles, CA
"I have lived in Los Angeles for almost 6 years and have been looking to purchase a home about 4. In that time I had been through 5 real estate agents. The real issue is that I was still in "sticker shock" from watching the prices explode over the past several years and NONE of the agents I worked with prior to Michael Barasch spent the time to deal with my issues around buying a home. Long story short on our first house hunting expedition Michael showed me a wonderful condo? he did not push us to purchase rather explained the benefits of the location and the current market conditions which motivated me to put in a serious offer. The problem was that I was traveling so I needed all the information to be faxed to me and left the negotiations to Michael . Everything worked out wonderful and I moved in within a month. I would not hesitate to recommend Michael to anyone.
Jimmy & Jennifer Kent - Studio City, CA
"Hey Michael,
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, GOD Bless You...ad infinitum.
We are in shock - in a good way - just plain bedazzled that we woke up today to 'check out a few places' and now have a HOME. The First BIG STEP in building our future together! Amazing. And we wouldn't be in this wonderful position if it wasn't for all the care and support from you. Jennifer is beaming in a ways I've never seen - she is truly wet with tears from the happiness. I am grateful beyond words that God blessed us by having our paths cross. Not only is it the Next Step in Jen & It's life together - but also the beginning of a friendship I feel (Hope & Prayers included) will evolve into the strongest of bonds. You are a good man Michael, every moment is a pleasure. You have every right to be proud - Your family, the business you've built, of your Team, your expertise and of yourself as a man (even better: a Man of God). I feel honored to know you.
So until the three of us crack open a bottle of celebration together, we raise our glasses on our end: Here's to you and anything you ever find that you may need - I am here for you. You have achieved residence to the most special place in our hearts and we look forward to years of awesome tales of true Rock-n-Roll, Priceless wisdom and endless laughs. Life is Good! Praise God (all 72 names)! Rock on!
Karen Sheiniuk - Van Nuys, CA
"I have recently accomplished a daunting task, the simultaneous sale of my home and the purchase of a new home. I worked with
Michael Barasch as my agent for this purpose. He was aware of what the status was with each transaction, whether it was the house I was selling or the house I was buying.
My goal was to downsize from my home, price wise, by a certain amount. With his help, I met my goal right on, and did so easily and without hassle or strain. A house was found for me almost immediately that met my needs, and where I presently reside happily.
Michael Barasch is extremely knowledgeable in the area of real estate, and made a difficult situation, the sale and simultaneous
purchase of homes, as smooth and painless as humanly possible. Michael Barasch possess finesse along with professionalism, and took care of the details of the transactions, as well as the dealings with offers, agents and the actual sale and purchase and all the small and large details attendant there to.
I would highly recommend Michael , and especially recommend his team, for that is where the client benefits so greatly.
Michael & Laurie Raileanu - Valley Village, CA
"Thank you very much for your hard work and determination. I guess our sale turned out to be more than we had bargained for but you guys guided us through to the end and I really appreciate your professionalism and client centered efforts. I hope the future brings you more success and satisfaction than you have every imagined!
I just wanted to say thank you again for everything you have done to get both of my homes sold and closed! If you ever need to use me as a reference, please consider this an open invitation. My phone number will remain the same and don't hesitate to give it to potential clients. When they call, this is what I will tell them:
I had my house listed with my Mother who is a Real Estate Broker and I had no intention of listing it with someone else (and paying them a comission when my mom would do it for free). When you called after the listing showed as expired, I was impressed with your approach and knowledge of the industry (not just the market). After meeting with you I realized that anyone (my mom included) can throw a house on the MLS and put a sign in the yard, but very few agents really know how to market a house, negotiate the deal, and get it closed. After a little soul searching, I decided to list my house with you. I was so impressed with everything about the Barasch Group, I gave you the other listing I had outside of the area. With both houses, I know my Mother wouldn't have been able to do what you did! With the market getting worse, your negotiating skills not only got me fair offers on both houses, but you managed to keep both of them from falling apart when things starting going south on the buyers side - twice! Then to top it all off, you came to my rescue when I grossly miscalculated closing costs. Thanks to your efforts and again, excellent negotiating, I was able to walk away with out a major legal mess on my hands.
You earned every penny of your commission and you proved that the right agent really does make ALL the difference. Your professionalism, attention to detail, follow up, negotiating skills, contract knowledge, and great support team made all the difference to me on two deals! Thanks again to you and your team for going above and beyond to get the job done. I hope I get the opportunity to refer business to you as someone would be foolish to use anyone else!
Eternally thankfull,
Kimberly Clark
(949) 433-3151
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David & Miriam Morris-Valley Village, CA
"Dear Michael,
We have been in our new home for over a month now and we wanted to thank you so much for helping us get to this point. Working with you was absolutely wonderful and we would like to spell out why.
Firstly, you gave us a crucial understanding of what we were dealing with and what the options were
before we started looking; your informational session was terrific. I can?t imagine going through the process of buying a home without the foundation that you gave us. As the journey continued, you were a continual wellspring of information. That made all the difference of both financing and evaluating homes.
Another key to our shared success was your ability and accessibility. Buying a home can be an intense
process. There were times we needed to get in touch with you and you were simply always there for us.
Along with your assets, you also put together a solid team. When another member of The Barasch Group was assisting us, they were also very helpful. Having a solid team is so important because good service is dependent on every member of the group.
Of course, you were a lot of fun to work with as well. We feel our friendship got a lot stronger and deeper during this time. You were able to put everything into perspective and keep us upbeat and positive.
The gratitude we feel towards you for helping us in landmark stage in our lives is one that we will never forget nor be able to repay. We encourage you to share this letter with other potential buyers and sellers so that they can reap the same benefits of working with The Barasch Group that we have. Thank you so much?.
