Jeff Kropp-The Home Buyer Agents

I am so glad I hired Jeff! As a first time home buyer (and single person) the prospect of finding and buying a condo on my own was very intimidating. But Jeff made everything understandable (he basically gave me a crash course in home buying), and greatly simplified things by acting a loan officer and recommending an excellent inspector. He quickly understood what I was looking for and helped me find a wonderful place in an ideal location much much sooner than I expected. And then the buying process--from offer to closing--went off without a hitch. Jeff was awesome to work with--organized, diligent, and generous with his time (plus, he did all the driving). I couldn't be more pleased and would enthusiastically recommend Jeff.

Just closed on a condo in River North with Jeff as my agent! He is an overall friendly guy and I appreciated the fact that he works exclusively as a buyer's agent. He helped me negotiate the price down a substantial amount from the listing price, and then the process was smooth after that. I definitely recommend Jeff if you are looking for a new home!

Jeff was amazing! For first time home buyers who knew little to nothing, he helped walk us through the whole process to make it as seamless as possible. He gave us guidance and answered all our questions. He’s extremely knowledgeable- from where to start, the home buying process, inspection, neighborhoods, potential water damage, mortgage, lenders, etc. We were using other various agents before him, and looking back we’re glad we chose him. He’s also great at negotiating and made sure we had everything we wanted for a great price. Jeff definitely exceeded our expectations and I would def use him again when we’re ready to move up and into our next dream home.

It went great! Jeff provided valuable insight in terms of prices to bid, and helped narrow down our search in a useful way. Negotiations went better than we expected due to his advice. He helped explain everything as we went along, and made sure we understood what the next steps were so there weren't any surprises. He even helped us get in to look at a few locations we were interested in that had difficult buyers which I'm sure were not easy to set up. He wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty and do some work on our behalf.

Jeff worked with as our home-buyers agent, for our first home. He was fantastic to work with, and helped us get an amazing price on our new home. He was always patient and thorough with our constant plethora of questions and concerns. The entire process went smoothly, and we ended up using his recommendation for the lawyer and loan agent. If you ever need to buy a house - Jeff is by far the absolute best resource.

Jeff was extremely professional and well informed. I was buying a property in Chicago, Il, however I live in California, so his help was extremely valuable during the process of purchasing. He was able to guide me and negotiate a reasonable price for my condo as well as help direct me through the Chicago buying process. He was always responsive and provided details I would never have thought of. I recommend him highly! Thank you, Jeff!

Jeff quickly got me pre-approved for a mortgage so I could target a price range. He recommended Chicago neighborhoods based on my budget and transportation needs. We worked together to identify potential houses online and then found a few that deserved a closer look. He arranged a day and time to tour the houses and met me at each location. As we looked at the properties he was able to point out signs of water damage and other attributes that a buyer would want to be aware of. Within weeks I found a house in my price range that exceeded my expectations. He negotiated a good price for me and was even able to recommend a home inspector and lawyer. Jeff walked me through every step of the process, was quick to answer my e-mail messages and was professional in all respects.

The first meeting with Jeff I noticed he had a keen perception of people. He asked me pointed questions to understand what my needs and wants were. He showed me only a handful of condos before I found the place that was perfect for me. He even negotiated a lower price than I had expected to pay! Jeff also helped me with my loan and managed to locate a loan with a lower percentage rate on my 30 year fixed loan. The process was stressful since I was a first time home buyer. Jeff made it as painless as possible. He answered every single question without delay, patience, and was extremely knowledgeable. I will use Jeff again and will refer him to anyone looking to buy property.

As a first time homebuyer, Jeff walked me through every step of the process, from getting a pre-approval, to the making an offer, to closing. Without his assistance, there is no way the process would have moved as smoothly as it did. I have a lot to thank Jeff for; he put me at ease, made me make some decisions on my own, and was always available to answer any and all questions I had, and there were a lot.

When we first found Jeff, my wife and I were at our wits end.  We were first time homebuyers, and we felt that searching for our first home should be fun and exiciting.   Prior to meeting Jeff, we just felt stressed out and that everyone was out to take advantage of us, or that as buyers (and not sellers) we were not their top priority.  That all changed when we initially met with Jeff.  He is very passionate about what he does, and after our first meeting with him we finally felt excited.  

Jeff started with our ideal area, and worked out, which provided us with a daily report on any homes for sale in our ideal area.  Within one week we were contigent on an amzaing home in our ideal area at a fair price.  Jeff really knew the market, and got us a great price on our first home.  It was already appraised at several thousand dollars more than we purchased it for.  Further,  Jeff worked tirelessly throughout the whole process.   He was extemely responsive, and went above and beyond to keep us informed and satisfied at all times. For instance, if we had questions at 9 pm on a Sunday or any other weeknight, he would answer within a few minutes.  If you are buying a house, do yourself a favor and work with Jeff, and don't waste time with a different agent.  

Last but not least,  Jeff was able to give us an extememely competitive rate on our mortgage loan.  He was far and away the least expensive option.  At one point I even went to Chase Bank to get a competing quote, and when the loan officer there heard I was working with Jeff, he said "don't waste your time i never beat that guy."

Jeff is very professional, knowledgeable, and easy to work with.  He listens to our needs and offers great suggestions in the home buying process.  We value his knowledge of the neighborhoods, and was REALLY helpful dealing with Peoples Gas.  We will absolutely work with Jeff again in the future, and encourage all of our friends to do the same.  I wish there was a grade higher than "A" !!!
SV & GV

When I contacted Jeff, I was in a bit of a jam.  My landlord had sold the property I had been living in for seven years.  I wasn't planning on buying a place, but when I saw what the rental market had to offer, I decided to look into it.  Jeff helped us find the perfect property within our budget and helped us get into it quickly.  It was a tall order, and he pulled through for us.
As a first time home buyer, I had a lot of questions.  Jeff was patient and answered all of them thoroughly for me.  He did a fantastic job of explaining the entire process and had great recommendations so that I didn't have to sweat the small stuff.  He was able to recommend a great home inspector and attorney.  He also did the financing.  As a busy guy with a family, a full time job, and freelance work on the side, Jeff made things really easy by being a one stop shop.  
When it came time to get the deal done, Jeff was a fantastic at negotiating.  I had read Jeff's reviews and expected to get the property at a great price.  I didn't expect the extras such as negotiating to finance our closing costs to minimize our out of pocket expenses and the inclusion of some extras like the nice island in the kitchen.  
I'd recommend Jeff to anyone looking for a home.

Jeff Kropp saved us over $50,000. My wife and I were trying to purchase a house in the desirable Sauganash neighborhood in Chicago. As with any desirable neighborhood, properties move fast. We found a pretty nice ranch and the seller was asking for $360,000. I was sold, but Jeff did a CMA (comparable market analysis) and advised us that the property was priced too high. He then recommend a property that just popped on the market one block over. We liked the looks of the new property and decided that we had to take a look. Jeff made himself available to check out the place the next morning. We loved it. By noon that day Jeff locked up the deal for us. We ended up paying $305,000 on a place that was easily worth more. It would have been easy for Jeff to give us the green light on the $360,000 place. He would have earned more commission and I still would have thanked him, but he went above and beyond. He worked hard to find the perfect place for us. On top of relaying our experience with Jeff, I will outline some things about him that make him such a good agent:
*Knowledgable: Jeff knows what he is talking about. He's a seasoned agent and he knows what he's doing. I learned a lot from Jeff just by following him around and listening to him talk about the places that he showed us.
*An Eye for Potential: Jeff can look at a property and with a cursory glance tell you a bulleted lists of the ways that the property could be improved. 
*Available: Jeff is flexible. When the market moves fast, only the fast movers get in. Jeff was extremely flexible. If a place pops up on the market at night, Jeff may make himself available to see the place in the morning. 
Our experience with Jeff Kropp was top notch. He will help you through the buying process. He will make his contacts available to you. He is patient and experienced. And, if your experience is anything like ours, he will save you a bunch of money. Thanks Jeff!

Jeff was totally awesome from start to finish. We were first time home buyers and he walked us through each step in the process. He was really patient with us during the super stressful negotiation process, and managed to get our house for thousands less than what we were willing to pay (he's a master negotiater!). We specifically sought out an Exclusive Buyer Agent so that we could feel 100% confident that our interests were being met without bias and Jeff definitely accomplished that. We recommend Jeff to all of our friends!

Jeff was very professional in spite of the fact his firstborn was on his way!   He managed to meet with us for a number of showings, coming all the way out to the western 'burbs from the city.  We really appreciated his feedback and comments about issues to look for in each of the properties.  When we finally decided on a house Jeff was diligent with following up on a couple of issues with the selling agent.  We really appreciated his insight, patience and professionalism.

Jeff was friendly, approachable, and authentic - which is important in this kind of transaction.  He knows the city of Chicago and the different neighborhoods extremely well and was able to help recommend where to look based on our wants and needs.  We did end up buying in a completely different area than I had imagined when we started the process, but it is perfect for us. 
Jeff also was able to point out potential pitfalls in some of the houses we looked at, and explained some things that we weren't aware of (standard Chicago lot sizes, code issues, etc.)
A lot of the process was very frustrating due to low inventory in our price range that met our requirements, but I feel OK with the way things ended up.
Once we had a house under contract, there was a concern found in the inspection, and Jeff met up with the service provider we asked to come out, as we were living an hour away.  That was definitely an added value for us.
One note I would make is that we did go tour some homes with his assistant on one occasion, and I felt that day was wasted.  He didn't offer any opinions or advice, and even left us to get from one viewing to another on our own.  Luckily we had driven into the city that day (we had taken the train most of the times we went looking).

Jeff was a great help in finding a home in a very difficult market.  Jeff is very patient, responsive and knowledgeable about all aspects of the process (search, negotiation, financing, etc.) and was a tremendous help.  Jeff was also able to recommend a number of other service providers (e.g. home inspector, attorney) that I am also very happy with.

Jeff was the first and only agent we met with when we decided to start looking for houses.  He was very patient in sending us many options and meeting us week after week in the Western Suburbs.  He was very instrumental in coordinating the financing, referring quality vendors such as the appraiser and attorney.  He was always quick to reply to our e-mails and return our calls.  We really enjoyed working with Jeff and were really appreciative of all that he did to help us get our home.

Jeff was extremely professional. We sat down before we went looking, and he walked me through the whole process. Jeff served two roles here. He was the mortgage broker, and the buyer agent. The one stop shopping made the whole process far less stressful. He stayed within my price range, and showed me several homes that were good fits. During this process, he guided the process with my loan, which ended up being similar to most of the bigger banks. Jeff managed all details of the transaction superbly.

Things went as well as we expected, there wasn't much to complain about. Jeff was present at all meetings that we needed to have with other service providers playing a role in searching, securing, and maintaining our new home. Jeff had much influence in finding the inspector, painter, and was even familiar with the office handling the closing. Jeff was incredibly instrumental throughout the entire process. I have to imagine Jeff saved us from many of the headaches that others probably go through in the process. Jeff is an efficient and very productive option and he'd be the first person that I would call if I needed to do this all over again.

We interviewed several agents before deciding on Jeff.  Several things about Jeff stood out to us: first, he represents buyers only.  That alleviates any potential conflict of interest concerns.  Second, he came across as very straightforward and honest, and not pushy.  Finally, he answered all of our questions knowledgeably during our initial interview.
During our home search, Jeff was extremely professional - he was always very responsive to both emails and phone calls.  He answered all inquiries in a timely manner and carried out requests and visits promptly.  Importantly, we never felt pushed in one direction or another.  Jeff was very good at pointing out positives and negatives of prospective properties but never rushed us into making a decision.  In fact, because our timing was flexible, he encouraged us to wait until we really found a property we liked.  We ultimately did find a property in a hot spot in town, and Jeff helped suggest ideas that would make our bid stand out in a multiple bid situation.  Ultimately, we won over three other bids on a property that was shown for only two days.
The real estate industry is, unfortunately, peppered with agents that have questionable business practices and reliability, as well as conflicting interests.  It was nice to find a representative that we felt comfortable with and did not fall into any of those descriptions.  I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Jeff to anyone looking for an agent to assist in the purchase of a home.

Jeff is very professional and answered all the questions that we had about the process and the bumps along the way. Buying a house can be a stressful experience and he definitely helped make it more manageable by being easily accessible via email, phone, and text. Sometimes his windows of availability were a little small due to us looking in Oak Park and him living north of Chicago so it took him awhile to come out and he typically wanted to avoid rush hours due to traffic (which is entirely understandable). I am not entirely sure how much going with a buyer's agent helped over a traditional real estate agent, but he was a pleasure to work with regardless.

Always available by email and phone.
Very knowledgeable of the home-buying process.
Would use again but not planning to buy a house anytime soon. :)

Working with Jeff was a real pleasure. We were in temporary housing after relocating here for a new job and had a tight time table in which to purchase our home. In addition to having no knowledge of Chicago, it was our first ever home purchase so we were nervous about the whole process. We didn't really click with the buyer agent my company had referred us to, so we went on Angie's List and found Jeff. From our first phone conversation he did everything he could to make the whole process as easy on us as possible. After listening to what we were looking for he was able to guide us to areas that best fit our needs and shifted our search as he got feedback from us. The search went smoothly and when we finally found THE house, Jeff did a great job of analyzing the property/situation and coming up with a competitive offer that saved us some money. Throughout the whole negotiation process Jeff really looked out for our best interests and got us some extras that we didn't expect but were great to have. If you want some slick real estate agent who has lots of flash and little substance, go somewhere else. If you want a hardworking and honest agent that really takes care of his clients and puts their interests first, talk to Jeff.

Jeff Kropp was WONDERFUL!  I found him in Yelp in February 2012.  After calling many relators and explaining our situation to several voicemails, Jeff was the only one who answered his phone the first time.  He spent a considerable amount of time on the phone with me that first day explaining the whole process and trying to get a feel for our needs.  Almost immediately he sent a link with specs on all of the homes within the boundaries of Waters, and modified this as we requested.  Jeff set up a meeting with us to review the process face to face and gave us a guide to home buying that was very helpful to review and reference throughout the process.  One of the amazing things about Jeff is that he is an exclusive buyers agent, meaning he does not take on any listings of his own and is solely focused on finding homes, not selling them.  He also has experience as a lawyer and mortgage broker.  This allowed us to go to one person for a variety of questions we had around purchasing, financing, etc.  He has a great referral network and everyone he referred us to was just as amazing (lawyer, home inspector).  Jeff looked over our finances right off the bat so we knew what we would be eligible for in terms of mortgage and was extremely responsive and patient with all of our anxious questions.  When we went to showings it was always with Jeff and never an associate.  He is very straight forward and direct when answering questions and will go to bat for you when seller's agents give iffy information.  Whenever he was unsure of something, he let us know and got back to us quickly.  No fluffy answers to appease us in the moment.  We were three weeks away from closing on an offer when the sellers backed out.  Needless to say this was heartbreaking for us.  We were feeling pretty burned and were not sure if we would pursue another purchase.  Jeff was very understanding and did not pressure us into looking again.  A short while later we got over our loss, found a great place in a fabulous building in the area we love and the purchase went through seamlessly.  Jeff was with us through the closing process and final walk through to ensure everything was good.  We loved Jeff so much that we referred him to my aunt who just closed on her condo last week!  If you're new to home buying, feeling really nervous about the whole thing and intimidated by the industry- Jeff is you're guy.  Give him a call and you'll know what I mean.