Testimonials

Thanks for helping me purchase this property! Your communication was great, and you listened to my needs throughout.

We give Debbie Jefferson a “five star” or “A+” rating! Debbie is extremely savvy and professional. We interviewed several highly recommended realtors, but Debbie stood out because of her calm, can-do attitude. She clearly and patiently explained the ins and outs of the Seattle market and – very importantly nowadays – how to forge an aggressive Purchase and Sales Agreement. With Debbie’s expert guidance we were able to make a very strong, genuine offer on our home. It turns out that we didn’t even make the highest offer, but the offer that Debbie helped us assemble got the sellers’ attention and she once again provided invaluable assistance to negotiate terms with the sellers. Debbie is the agent you want to not only find your dream home, but to actually get your offer accepted. We enthusiastically recommend Debbie to friends and family.

Elisa was proactive in finding quality listings, and responsive to my interests and particulars. She worked tirelessly to find a good listing and get it closed. She also provided keen insight into the bidding process, lending process, and closing process. Also provided quality referrals to local lenders whom I ultimately used.

We loved working with Leslie! The Seattle housing market is not for the feint of heart and Leslie made it as painless as possible. We miss seeing her on a regular basis! Please don't hesitate to use us as a reference!

We found our agent to be incredibly reliable and always available to answer our questions. Their guidance was crucial in helping us navigate the home buying process.

I have worked with Justin Mellon as my real estate professional three times now, and would choose him again in a heartbeat. He helped me to buy my first house, sell it when it no longer seemed to fit our needs, and then buy another house when the time came. Each time he’s been professional, available, honest, friendly, and a joy to work with. I trust his opinion, and I value his willingness to take the time to walk me through opinions and choices. He has always gone above and beyond the call of duty in making himself available, even for last minute unreasonable requests of mine. (“Hi Justin, I know we placed on offer on that other place yesterday, but today I saw this new one come on the market, can you get me in to see it ASAP?”) His personal warmth is genuine and comfortable. I felt relaxed and at ease, never pressured. That helps a lot when one is trying to imagine residing in a new house during a walk-through. His professional advice was spot on. Oftentimes he would take a guess about how fast a place would sell, and time usually proved him right. He also took the time to learn what was important to us in a home, and worked to find us a great match.

Kristen was fantastic and truly went above and beyond to help me and my husband find our first home. From our first face-to-face interaction with her, we knew she was a keeper. We flew into Seattle (and it was only our second time in the city, but we knew we would be moving here several months later), and Kristen cleared her entire Saturday to take us house hunting for the whole day. Nine months and countless emails, phone calls, texts, and house visits later, and we are living in a home that we love. Kristen never rushed us and always offered sound advice as we considered a variety of Seattle properties. We feel very fortunate to have found her and that she was our real estate agent. She has a wealth of knowledge to share about the area, about housing, and always strives to educate potential home buyers, which we truly appreciated.

A real estate professional is expected to be a skilled salesperson. Standards are high because so many aspects of life (assets, contracts, relationships, negotiation, access, community, etc.) are involved in a real estate purchase. Claudine fulfilled all of the expected standards, several times going above and beyond on my behalf. She listened throughout, helping me articulate my needs, then several times reminded me of priorities as the process unfolded. When, after a few months, the desired unit did not appear, she contacted residents to encourage any almost-ready sellers, and found my dream home. When we got down to the nitty-gritty of negotiations, she was fiercely realistic about each detail. Claudine also treated the seller with respect and equanimity, co-creating a win-win atmosphere on everyone's behalf. I would of course recommend her and hire her again!

Justin has been involved in 3 real estate transactions with me and has proven himself to be extremely knowledgeable on a wide range of real-estate related activity and comes with a deep network to get the most out of the transaction, including lenders, house-preparation no matter the task and even movers. Justin will get the best deal available in the market place and do so with the least amount of stress for his client.

YOU'RE THE BEST!! Thank you so much for helping me become a first-time homebuyer! YAY! This has been such an awesome/scary/exhilarating experience and I am so glad I've had you by my side for all of it. Thanks for always having my best interests at heart and for imparting all your knowledge. You made me feel secure and confident in my decisions and I so appreciate that!

...I also wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed working with Missy. You were represented well by her, and to be honest, if it hadn't been for her diligence and persistence you would not have gotten the house. She was never pushy, but definitely assertive and professionally passionate on your behalf. It paid off. ...

Sarah was very helpful and knowledgeable. Also she was very honest which was very important for us when we bought our first house. I strongly recommend her for all of my friends who are looking for a house to buy.

As first-time home buyers, my wife and I relied heavily on Lara's expertise and experience to navigate the multiple steps to buying our home. We began the process feeling fairly intimidated, but Lara quickly put us at ease with her knowledge of the region and quick responses to even the smallest of questions. Once we were inside a potential home, she continued to impress us with her detailed information about the property we were viewing and suggestions about ways we could change/update it to fit our needs - all of which were accompanied by her kind, warm, and friendly personality. Additionally, the home we ended up buying was way outside of Lara's usual area of work, but we never once heard her complain about the multiple times she drove over an hour to help us on-sight for inspections, walk-throughs, etc. Truly, a class act. Lara was the perfect realtor for us and while we don't plan to buy anther home any time soon, if/when we do, Lara will be our first phone call. No doubt about it.

Kristen was excellent at showing me homes that met my criteria, financially and otherwise. She had a great way of gently reminding me of my own priorities! Because my price range was so low, we didn't find anything in the Seattle area (north or south). When we started looking on the eastside, she was hesitant because Kristen knew I loved the city. Living in suburban Bellevue might not cut it. However, we were able to see enough possible choices. I felt confident that I'd chosen the best condo for me. With Kristen's help the sale was successful. She is a joy and pleasure to work with. Her style is thorough and relaxed. I recommend her highly.

Working with Larissa to sell my house was the best experience! She knew exactly what I needed to do to prepare my house and get it on the market to achieve optimal results, which we did! She worked with me on the important costs to invest and helped manage all the details - and I mean everything! I live in California and did everything remote. She navigated multiple contractors and projects on site with professionalism and dedication to making my house look like a million bucks, literally! I am so proud of the house we presented to buyers. I highly recommend Larissa when you are ready to buy or sell.

Terry, We can't thank you enough for all you did to get us into our new home. You were incredibly professional, kind, generous and honest (especially when we needed it the most). We couldn't imagine navigating the process with anyone else. We look forward to staying in touch and of course telling our friends and family about our awesome realtor and friend.

At the height of the real estate bubble, I had the good fortune to meet Eva Brandenburg. I had interviewed 3-4 realtors referred by friends or co-workers, none stood out like Eva. We met over coffee and just explored my situation and got to know each other. She introduced me to the home buying process, all the players involved and helped me navigate the super competitive market. We made the list of “must have”, “would be nice” and “no way” before we started. We did market research before we ever set out and her referral circle is amazing! Her ability to negotiate and maintain positive relationships with all sorts of buyers, sellers, agents, lenders, inspectors, and neighbors made the road so smooth. Her transparency in communicating the pro’s and con’s of each property were objective and matched to my own individual list. She made me feel like I was her only client, she knew my list so that as we walked properties she could help me visualize how I could set up a home or get me out of a place quick if she saw it was a bad deal. As a First Time Buyer, her integrity and experience were invaluable to me. She was not just willing to answer my questions, she went the extra mile to follow up with articles and reports to educate me so I had the information to feel safe and confident about a decision. I felt like she always had my back. She wasn’t with me to make a sale but to find a home. Her patience and positive attitude was phenomenal, unlike other agents, she never lost her cool and always but my concerns above all others. I looked for a house for over a year, I read the articles she sent me and studied the maps of neighborhood and homes she had found that were a good value. I spent so many Saturdays with Eva, driving walking and crawling around homes, she was always on time, consistent, friendly, kind and painfully realistic with my budget and the realities of the market. When I was finally ready and found a place I wanted to make an offer on, Eva was on fire. I let her know on a Thursday, we had a showing the next morning with an inspector already lined up. At the last moment I had to come up with another 10K, and that is when I realized the excellence in coordination and resources Eva can mobilize to make things happen. We worked with banks and brokers and family and retirement plans to find the money. By Friday afternoon, she had drafted various contingency options to set me up with a competitive bid and by Friday night, we had an offer in. I was trying to buy a home alone, on a modest income at the height of the real estate bubble. There were four other competing offers that drove the list price up 30K, my offer was not the highest bid, but I had taken Eva’ advice and took every option Eva had in her tool kit. The buyer accepted my offer and Eva held my hand to escrow. We overhauled the walls, plumbing, electrical, paint and yard in 6 weeks and moved in on Halloween. About a week later, we got an 8x10 original photo of our home from some historic archives from Eva. Every year, we would stay in touch and get together, often at one of her famous holiday parties to carve pumpkins or drink mulled spice wine. We moved out of the area and rented our place for a while, but when my mom got ill and we lost our excellent renters. At the same time, my mom became terminally ill and I stopped working to care for her. We made the decision to sell our Seattle home in 2015, when the market was just barely recovering. By this time, Eva had a partner and we met Tara, who embodied the same interpersonal excellence and friendliness as Eva, but with her own style and interests. We let them know our situation and talked over the phone. We got them keys and they did a walk through assessment and gave us a task list, timeline and contacts…then offered to make it happen. Tara loved our garden and came by to keep our flowers alive for curbside appeal. My husband went up on a few weekends to work through the task list. Whatever we couldn’t do, Tara, Eva's partner, was able to pick up the slack. They had a solid market strategy and market timing plan that we kept to. When we listed, we got 11 viable offers, which we reviewed all together virtually to walk through all the pro’s and con’s with the same transparency, integrity and kind honesty I remembered. After having the place be under market from the recession, were able to recover our investment and turn about a 30% profit. Since then, we have moved out of state and purchased a home, the agent was professional and kind, but didn’t hold a candle to the level of attention, customer service and excellence Eva and Tara bring.

Demetra has been absolutely incredible every step of the way. Her attention to detail is incredibly strong. Her willingness to ask questions and voice concern on our behalf was very valuable. Her tenacity with keeping in contact with people was great. Her flexibility, experience, expertise, kindness, and top-notch communication are unmatched in any of the prior experiences we've had with real estate agents in the past. You're in good hands with Demetra. She'll be such a great advocate for you.

I worked with Lara in the spring of 2018 as a first-time home buyer. Lara hit every mark as an absolutely exceptional Real Estate Agent. Lara was extremely knowledgeable around the process, always responsive, and was so great at making such an intimidating process very simple. Lara helped us make a neat and competitive offer on our property. This property was the first property we offered on and was a hot home on the market. Thanks to all of Lara's hard work on researching comparisons and working with us on the offer, we were able to purchase the first home we offered on. After the offer was accepted, Lara continued to stay in contact with us every step of the way through underwriting and closing. Lara's attention to detail was highly appreciated and she truly cares for your success. I would highly recommend Lara to anyone in the Seattle area who is looking to purchase a home, especially first-time home buyers! I truly mean it when I say the process could not have gone any better. Thanks Again, Lara.

My husband and I were first-time home buyers and Joseph's expert knowledge of Seattle real estate market and outstanding dedication to find us a home of our dreams was invaluable. He was always available to us throughout the whole process by his cell and email and always took time to address any of our concerns. He referred us to excellent mortgage brokers, home inspectors and contractors. He was there to immediately arrange showings of any properties we thought we might like, including the ones which got on market just seconds ago. Finally, he was able to negotiate an excellent purchase price for us for the beautiful, fully renovated home in a highly sought-after Seattle neighborhood with the best elementary school for our kids. I don't know what inside knowledge and tricks he used, but, in the end, the house was ours, not our competitor's. To put it shortly, with Joseph on our side, the whole home buying process in quite tough Seattle seller's market was hassle free and very successful. I am recommending Joseph now to any of my friends who would like to buy real estate in Seattle, for investment or personal use. Why to settle for less when Joseph can get you what you truly want.

Kevin did an amazing job showing us homes and helping us purchase our first house! He gave us realistic expectations in a sellers market and helped us craft the perfect offer that ensured we could land our dream home. Kevin is incredibly knowledgeable about the market and different areas of Seattle. He helped us narrow down our search to neighborhoods that suited our lifestyle and ensured our growing family would be set up for years to come. I highly recommend Kevin to anyone looking to purchase (or sell) a house! -K & K

Our agent provided exceptional customer care. They were attentive, responsive, and always went the extra mile to ensure our satisfaction.

We had the good pleasure of meeting Eva through mutual friends. We liked our previous real estate professional well enough but then after 7 years in our previous house we were ready to trade up. At that time the market was super hot in Seattle and we were selling a home in Ballard and purchasing a home in Phinney. Due to Eva's knowledge of not only the local area but her amazing knack for knowing how much a home was really worth, how the offer process would take shape was truly inspiring. We knew we were in the hands of a master. While we lost a house (7 offers) at the time, she called it as it exactly as it happened (we lost due to escalation clause -we were unwilling to go higher). The next house she found for us was better for our family and due to having all of our paperwork in order, we were able to get our offer in before the 2 other bidders. Additionally, we sold our home for 15k over the asking price. If you are looking for a truly dedicated professional, Eva and team are the best. We feel so fortunate to not only have worked with her now on both purchasing and selling a home that we would trust no one else. If you want someone that will tell you how it is, treat you and everyone else with integrity and help you negotiate the best price, we highly recommend Eva.

You were an absolute dream to work with, Barbara! Thank you for being such a wonderful human being, advocate, and shepherding us though this big leap in our lives. You're the best. And we love your postcards. The housewarming is coming in the next couple months!

I am so grateful someone I know recommended I work with Kevin; it was an absolute pleasure and he went above and beyond at every stage of the process. Being new to the US housing market, Kevin took a lot of time to ensure I fully understood the process and was a critical point of contact between me and the other parties involved. Even when I wouldn’t have expected Kevin to support, he was more than happy to jump in and make sure all elements of the purchase were progressing quickly. He’s clearly very connected and well respected locally which helped immensely and I can absolutely see why. He took the time to make sure we were evolving the search as I learned more about my needs and was flexible on his time. I couldn’t have hoped for a better experience and will absolutely recommend him to anyone I know who is looking for a Realtor.

Missy is a truly incredible person and realtor. This was my first homebuying experience and she made the process so much easier to navigate. She does whatever it takes to get the job done and I would do it all over again with her if I had the chance. She came highly recommended from a friend and I will certainly do the same for anyone I know who is in the market.

Our experience with Kristen over the last two years demonstrated her professional skills as well as her ability to adapt to all of the idiosyncrasies of a couple who had not purchased or sold a home in a very long time. Kristen was excellent at dealing with our issues as they were raised, but more importantly was able to educate us on the current market and all of the changes that have occurred over the last several years. Her patience and skills at coming up with new ways of promoting our home in a constantly changing environment made the sale of our house much easier than it might have been. She states that her middle initial stands for “Service” and we truly believe that the designation more than applies to her in the way she operates as a professional Real Estate Advisor and Agent. We would recommend her unequivocally as a buyer or seller representative as she demonstrates all of the skills necessary to an excellent Accredited Seller Representative.

Justin and Andrew are a dream to work with, and we recommend them wholeheartedly. My wife and I have sold 4 houses, and we can attest that the process has never been so easy, nor so thoughtfully cared after. They felt like partners, and helped us find the right amount of spending to really show off our property in its best light. They put their own time and money into the staging, and used their own contacts to help us with last-minute paint, drywall, landscaping and more. We had an aggressive timeline — and Justin’s wife was due in the middle of it! — but they worked together to make it happen in less than a month, taking care of hundreds of little details along the way. For peace of mind, confidence, and complete coverage, go with the Mellon brothers.

I've known Sydnie personally for years, and when it came time to purchase a home, she was the first person I called. Sydnie is an absolute professional and works hard for her clients. I appreciated her tenacity, her commitment to making sure we felt supported, and excellent understanding of the market. We boought our Green Lake home at a price we found fair and without having to use any escalator clauses. I would readily recommend her to anyone considering buying a home and would be happy to work with Sydnie again.

We have heard about the great reputation of Lake & Company Real Estate, Inc. Having very recently purchased a home through Lake has confirmed that reputation. Karen Sorensen was our agent, and we could not have been more happy with her! Karen was patient, attentive, kind, helpful, and always accessible. Her professionalism and knowledge allowed us to breeze through the purchase of our first home. This first time experience had the potential to be a high stress one. Not so with Karen! We could not have had a more perfect agent to help us successfully acquire our first, perfect, lovely, dream house. Even the contacts that Karen had suggested to move us through every step of the process were outstanding. The whole team was exceptional. We highly endorse Karen Sorensen and Lake & Company Real Estate. We look forward to sharing our positive experience with others!

Aune's enthusiasm, clear communication skills and deep knowledge of Seattle real estate make her an ideal agent! IT was a joy to list our home with Aune and she took care of many details for us, as we weren't in town for most of the process. Thank you, danke schön, liebe Aune! Love, Sean and Lisa

Kristen Cramer is the epitome of a Woman of Rectitude! I would highly recommend her in any situation.... You can trust her integrity , knowledge and honesty...... Plus she has a whimsical sense of humor.....She recently handled the sale of my house.. It was an unbelievable smooth experience.... Thanks to Kristen..... And to be quite honest with you....... It was not the money generated by the sale...... It was my real estate experience with Kristen that was the highlight..... I am sure you will have a similar experience if you choose her for your real estate needs I guarantee it! Peace Terry