Olsen Ziegler Realty

This is the third home transaction that Chris has done for our family. Chris does an outstanding job. It starts with his software background and developing a search program that lists our specific criteria. This is emailed to us on a regular basis to review homes on-line that meet the criteria, including specific areas. Chris then is more than willing to devote as much time looking at homes that we choose. Once we landed on a home to make an offer, Chris did a great job providing comps and a very detailed spreadsheet analysis. He then provided exceptional guidance on negotiating strategy. Finally, when we reached agreement on the price and terms and conditions, Chris guided us through all the contractual details, inspection, and closing (and final walk-thru). Chris is very hands-on throughout the process, and I would highly recommend him to represent any buyer or seller.

Chris Olsen was excellent. I would highly recommend for any of your real estate needs. He was very professional and made the process very easy.

After thirty-four years in the home that we raised our Son’s, my Wife and I decided to sell our home and pursue our dream home. We contacted Chris based on a recommendation from our Son. Chris was highly recommended by a colleague to him and subsequently represented him on sale and home purchase in 2018. Chris met us at our home and quickly gained our confidence that he was an agent with the personal touch to help guide us through the process. We found and purchased our dream home successfully competing in a multiple offer situation. The sale of our home took less than one month in winter that included a polar vortex! I would recommend Olsen Ziegler Reality to anyone interested in feeling that your transaction is a priority.

We were very pleased with Chris and his attention to detail. He performed very well and got our property sold just before the winter season. His real estate background is extensive and he was very knowledgeable regarding the needed improvements before going to market. He prepared us well by setting our expectations with potential buyers. He is very professional and handled our situation of multiple ownership of the property with poise. We highly recommend Chris to anyone considering a real estate transaction.

My partner and I loved working with Chris. I had a house I was selling, but for my partner, this was his first time experience. His remarks are "As a first time home buyer, Chris was spectacular throughout the journey. His sense of understanding is rich and authentic. Chris was extremely flexible and reliable in making this an educational experience throughout the process. My partner and I are completely satisfied with the diamond of a home we found through Chris Olsen." I couldn't agree more in this assessment. Additionally being from Northeast Ohio and my partner from Texas, we both learned a lot about how great an area this is for us to live here for many years to come. Hopefully we can get more of our friends to buy in the area, and we'll send them to Chris when they're ready!

Chris is the encyclopedia of real estate. He truly knows all the various aspects of what’s at stake. From staging your home, passing inspection, beautiful photography to managing expectations and closing the deal he’s your person! We have entrusted him, on both sides, multiple times and he has never disappointed. His calm and compassionate demeanor makes him perfectly suited for the job at hand. We toured endless homes and he never made us feel like we were a burden. We bombarded him with hundreds of questions and he always came back with fact-based, history backed data. On this last transaction, we pretty much just handed Chris the wheel and let him steer the entire process. We’ve worked with him enough to know that it’s just not humanly possible to match his knowledge. He knows all the possible scenarios and has seem them play out hundreds of times. I believe having him involved makes it easier for everyone on both sides.

Wow!! We were beyond lucky to work with agent Chris Olsen of Olsen Ziegler Realty. The level of expertise that Chris possesses is above and beyond that of any realtor we have ever heard about or worked with. Chris is the agent that you want to have on your side when finding your new home. He is extremely knowledgeable on many levels, from the structure of a home, and materials used, to warning signs, and the list goes on. He has a great grasp on whether or not a property is listed close to its actual value with experience as an appraiser. He went above and beyond what is expected of an agent. His communication with us throughout the entire process, even after we closed on our new home was so excellent, thoughtful and much appreciated! An e-mail, text or phone call was answered within 15 minutes or less, even into late hours of the night. We were moving from out of state and Chris made everything a breeze. Chris acted as our proxy when we could not be present for the home inspection and he FaceTimed us during and after the inspection. It was not an issue that we were 6 hours away, thanks to Chris. Chris is a courteous professional, with an awesome personality. He is easy to talk with and direct when it comes to explaining what is what. We were very impressed and grateful that we were lucky enough to work with him. If we ever need an agent in the greater Cleveland area again, we will definitely contact Chris. We refer Chris Olsen to friends and family all of the time now and we HIGHLY recommend him to anyone reading this review. Thank you again Chris! Best! Steph & Nick

Chris is an amazing realtor! My husband and I were relocating from California to Ohio and he helped us buy a home. Even though we were in different states I never felt like there was a communication issue and he was very easy to get a hold of and was able to explain everything in simple terms either through email, text or call. My husband flew to Ohio for a weekend and Chris dedicated multiple days to help him look at houses. He was very knowledgeable about the area and looked up information on the houses we were interested in prior to viewing them. He cared about the details of the house and gave us his honest opinion on how it was built and what he thought about prices. Once we chose a house he handled all the paperwork quickly and helped work through issues with the lender we chose. He stood up for us as buyers when needed and made the whole process as easy as possible. I was nervous going into the home buying process because I had no idea how it worked but Chris made it all really easy! He is great and we would definitely work with him again if we were selling/buying a home.

Chris Olsen is kind, honest and extremely knowledgeable. He made my buying and selling process easier than I ever expected. He was always available to answer any questions I had. I would recommend him to anyone buying and/or selling a home!

Chris is excellent at what he does. He helped us both sell and buy a home. We found Chris to be extremely knowledgeable, detail-oriented and responsive to our questions and requests. Compared to other real estate agents we've worked with in the past, he was BY FAR the best. We would 100% go with him again if we needed to buy or sell a home in the future.

When we decided to move from the only house we have ever lived in we lived in for 35 years we had so many questions and doubts about how we would proceed. There is so much to know and we knew that we could make a lot of mistakes. We asked Chris Olsen to help us with both transactions: the sale of our existing home and the purchase of our new home. Chris was an excellent resource on both transactions. Chris has the experience that we needed to navigate through a complicated process. He was able to anticipate challenges and give us the guidance to bypass any potential problems. He understood how stressful it can be for a family to buy and sell a home. We trusted Chris and we followed the steps that he recommended on both transactions. Everything worked out perfectly. We purchased the home that we love at a fair price. And, we sold our home on the first day that it went on the market at a price that was over our asking price. This would not have happened if Chris did not give us the benefit of his experience. If you are buying or selling a home, my recommendation is: Hire Chris Olsen, take advantage of Chris’ knowledge and experience, take the steps that he recommends and proceed with confidence. You will be as satisfied as we are today. We are very grateful for the service and knowledge that Chris shared with throughout our move. THANKS CHRIS!

Chris worked with us for months as we relocated to the area. He was a huge source of information and saved us from several expensive mistakes in our search. Super fast response any time we wrote, texted or called. Found the best inspector and lower cost closing company. Highly recommended

Chris Olsen is the best realtor we could have hoped to work with – my husband and I feel so lucky that we went through the house-buying process with Chris as our realtor. This was our first time purchasing a house, and it’s definitely a seller’s market now, so everything had to move extremely quickly at the beginning. Chris helped us every step of the way, and he was so informative and answered all of our questions and provided so much beneficial information. It was really nice to know that we could rely on Chris throughout the process and we really trusted him every step of the way. When we saw houses with Chris, he was always very open and honest with us about potential issues with the houses, and explained what we should look for and things like that. When we eventually saw the house that we ended up buying, we knew that we could trust Chris’ opinion of the house and its value, which was very helpful – especially since we needed to put an offer in the same night we saw the house. And Chris did such a great job facilitating the process and making sure that we complied with all of our requirements. He was a great advocate for us, and we appreciate that so much. He has also been excellent with recommendations – both during the home-buying process and afterwards; he’s recommended really great people for us to work with (i.e for the home inspection, painting, etc.). We highly recommend working with Chris Olsen as your realtor!

As first time home buyers the process can be overwhelming and a path unknown. We were referred to Chris through family members and couldn't be more pleased! Chris was extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of not only the homes themselves, but the entire buying process. He helped answer questions and concerns in terms that made sense to us, and always responded in a reasonable amount of time. Chris made a very scary process a lot easier! We could not have done it without his knowledge, experience, and his care. The experience could not have been better and I highly recommend Chris to anyone searching for their next home!

"Chris was nothing short of fantastic !! My wife and I were in need of a realtor to list our property in Richfield that we had owned and had rented out for several years . After realizing we didn't want to be landlords and that the property was becoming a pain we decided to try and sell it by owner at first. There was little activity and not having it listed on the MLS was really holding us back. We then decided that having an agent list the home was our best option. Like most people we have numerous friends and family members who are realtors and have used their services in past sales and purchases. No matter what friend or family member we used in our sales or purchases we were always 100% un-happy and felt like we were un-represented by them. I also didn't want to use a large company that has 20 un experienced so called agents on a team represent me. That is when I remembered the yard signs for Olsen Ziegler Realty around the Brecksville and Richfield area. I did my research and read all of the reviews on Google, Zillow and a couple other websites. They were all fantastic and raved about the representation from Chris Olsen on their selling and purchasing side. They were not a huge corporate company with hundreds of clients where your just another number not a name. We decided that we would give Chris a shot and hopefully sell our property. This wasn't your normal house to sell either it was a challenge for sure. It was a 1 bed , 1 bath condo built in the 70's and had an Atrium entrance that resembles something out of the TV show Three's Company. The Condo was also part of a self governored HOA that was extremely difficult to deal with. Chris made some great suggestions to get the Condo in its best listing condition with small simple upgrades and popular paint color suggestions. He also kept me from losing my mind dealing with the HOA and home Inspectors. There was a lot of showings , a lot of negative feedback but as Chris says it only takes 1 to like it. We had an accepted offer fall through due to a Home Inspection that was a grocery list long and we refused to budge. Then Chris reached back out to a buyer who made an offer around the same time. They ended up buying the property and it closed right before Christmas. I call it the Christmas Miracle! Chris was on top of the whole process and stayed on the buyers agent, the title company and everyone involved to make sure it was done properly. He kept me involved in every step and communicated everything with me . I have a pretty hectic work schedule but Chris was able to text, email and call me for everything I needed. We couldn't be happier to get rid of that property and leave it in the past ! We have Chris Olsen to thank for that! I highly suggest Olsen Ziegler Realty over any Team of agents or large company that you see around town hands down !"

Excellent. Chris did a great job of taking pictures, creating the posting, providing an appraisal estimate, and working with the realtors of prospective buyers.

As first time home sellers, Chris Olsen was an extremely helpful Realtor. He used his expertise in area and buyer needs and expectations to guide us through the process. This included a pre-inspection, through the sale for asking price in three days, to the Title transfer and everything in between. We would confidently recommend Chris Olsen to our family and friends. Rose and Henry - 6/25/2017

When it came time to deciding which realtor to use to help my wife and I buy our first home, there was no question, Chris was our guy. We had met a lot of different realtors during the beginning of our search. Realtors such as the sleazy cars salesmen type, all the way to family friends looking for a favor just didn’t fit right with us. Chris was totally different. He is a calm, quiet man who strives to educate his clients on all the aspects of home buying. As first time buyers, his patience to answer all our questions was greatly appreciated. He was always available to take our calls and would go into as deep or shallow of an explanation as we needed. Several times, he spent over an hour or more teaching us about the different facets of the industry. He worked around our odd schedule and it was always easy to schedule with him to take us to showings. He was very knowledgeable about the structural aspects of homes, always looking at all the mechanics and taking copious notes. A couple of times we saw some freshly renovated/flipped homes and he would politely point out all the flaws and shortcuts the builders had taken. This was very helpful as we were sometimes blinded by the shiny frills the remodeler wanted you to fixate on. He quickly learned what it was we were looking for in a home and even started suggesting places we hadn’t considered. It was fourth of July weekend when we found the home for us. He worked through the whole holiday weekend to get our offer accepted and secure a contract. Chris and his wife run their own independent realty company because they believe in doing what is right for their clients. Which as we came to learn, is not the way the realty industry operates as a whole. He explained numerous ways in which the major realty companies make even more money off you. They do this through owning or having joint ventures with allied real estate businesses that they push you to. These can include mortgage and title/escrow companies. In contrast, Chris recommended independent companies that Olsen Ziegler Realty has no ownership or allied real estate business with. He fought aggressively for our interests and wasn’t afraid to ruffle feathers when needed. When it came time to selecting a loan he had some recommendations, but encouraged us to shop around. We would highly recommend Chris Olsen as a realtor to anyone buying their first home or anyone shopping for a home. We were truly amazed by his personal touch, deep knowledge, and patience. We are so glad we chose him to help us find the home of our dreams. -Logan & Kayla First Time Home Buyers

It was the best possible experience. Chris Olsen was honest, professional, extremely competent, responsive, efficient, knowledgeable, understanding, pleasant to work with and epitomized integrity and trustworthiness. I would highly recommend him to anyone!

While Chris remained accessible throughout the entire process he used a multiple forms of communication, appropriate for what needed to be shared, keeping us informed. Chris was patient in working with us. New to the region we were not settled as to where to purchase. He shared facts as he saw them as well as shared professional opinions and observations but never overreaching. This was our third time purchasing a home. Purchasing in an unfamiliar area without our own network we needed to trust Chris and he proved himself trustworthy. Once deciding to build, which we never done before, Chris helped us identify temporary housing where our children would not have to move schools once we moved into the house. As we were making decision on what to include in the house Chris brought fresh perspective. In a hardening market Chris provided sound advice where we could negotiate the contract price. Additionally when the builder’s appraisal came back flawed, which the builder did not want to work through, Chris was able to point us to a local real-estate attorney. Things quickly got resolved fairly. We are happy with our home, the neighborhood we belong to and the community we reside in. If we were to do this all over again we would make very similar decisions including using Chris. Chris is a consummate professional.

If you are looking for a realtor, you should consider Chris Olsen. Chris sold our home in the spring of 2016. His professionalism and knowledge is unparalleled. From advising us on preparing our house for sale, to guiding us through the closing process he was always there if we had a question. He priced our house right and it sold in 3 days, with the added bonus that it sold for more than we thought it would. We had interviewed other realtors before hiring Chris and none of them seemed to want to work as hard as Chris does. We are so glad that we hired Chris and can not recommend him enough. Melanie and Steve Swarthout

We invited Chris Olsen to our home because we had seen his signs in our neighborhood and noticed how quickly his listings were sold. He immediately impressed us with his thorough and competent assessment of our property, its market value, and his plan to overcome some of its unique challenges. The other realtors we interviewed were amateurish by comparison, so it was an easy decision to sign a listing contract with Chris Olsen. He immediately brought in an excellent videographer and took dozens of compelling photographs, which he effectively posted everywhere anyone would ever look for a home. His description of our property, neighborhood, and community was so accurate and enticing, we had strong multiple offers during the first week. Chris Olsen then guided us through negotiations, inspections, and closing. He explained each step and prepared us for possible problems, which with his expertise, did not occur. Integrity, encyclopedic knowledge of the real estate industry, and extreme dedication to his clients are Chris Olsen's trademarks. We are grateful for his assistance and wholeheartedly recommend him to others.

My wife and I recently had the pleasure of working with Chris Olsen for the second time. Chris assisted us with the purchase of our first home, so when we decided that it was time for us to put that house on the market, calling Chris to help us was a no-brainer. Chris came out to our house and reviewed the property and advised us to how to best prepare our house to be listed. This detail was very helpful since we were first time sellers and were not quite sure what would show best. His advice on how to best prepare our house and decisions on how to price were invaluable. Our house was unique in a wooded setting, and Chris assured us that it would be the type of place that would either sell in the first couple weeks or that it could sit on the market for quite some time waiting for the right buyer. With Chris’ help, it was the former not the latter. Chris came by our house on a Friday afternoon, took professional quality photographs and reviewed his listing agreement with us and guided us in setting a listing price. Our house went on the market the same night, and we had our first showing at 11 am the next day, and with that showing, our first of three offers on the house. Within 48 hours of the house going on the market, Chris had sold our house. When the time came to buy, Chris was again exactly what we needed. He knew what we should be looking at in our search, and when we would look at a house, we always had insightful conversations afterword to discuss the pros and cons of what we had just seen. Chris was honest in all of his opinions of the homes that we saw, and would lay out exactly what we would need to do to make it our “dream” home, and whether he thought it would be possible with our budget. After looking at over 25 houses, we did come to rely on not only his advice, but also how friendly and easy going he was through all of our ups and downs, especially given how much of a seller’s market we were in as buyers and that we had the added stress of buying a home while not having a home of our own to live in. When we found a home that we knew we wanted, Chris was there for us throughout everything, guiding us through the process of making an offer, connecting us with the best people for home inspections and mortgages. Chris was also always there for our near-constant phone calls, emails, and texts asking if he had heard anything back from the listing agent. Chris made the process easy and stress-free, providing the level head that we needed at a time where we were quite anxious to have a home of our own again. We recommend Chris, both as a buyer’s and seller’s agent. Chris would be a huge asset to anyone looking for an honest, hard-working Realtor in North East Ohio who puts his clients’ interests first. We cannot imagine that this process would have been as smooth as it was with any other realtor.

I just became a 1st time home owner. The experience was exciting, at times frustrating and a bit scary. This was something I’ve wanted to do for some time and I can’t believe it actually happened. I started this journey this with a fair amount of knowledge. I read, did research and I ran the numbers on home ownership. I attended open houses on my own and spoke with many real estate agents. Some agents surprised me with their lack of knowledge for the property they were showing with even basic questions. Others, though physically present, didn’t seem to real care. I think it was just a way to make some extra cash on the weekends. I had many must haves on my list, with location at the top. Between my work location and family, I wanted a commute under 40 mins. I wanted outdoor living space and living near natural surroundings – after all, I was giving up a lake view. An open concept would be nice, attached garage and all within a specific price point. This was not easy. Any broker I worked with would have his work cut out. Once I met Chris Olsen, I knew I was in the right hands. He listened, asked the right questions and gave me a realistic understanding of the market and inventory in my price range. In the end, I had a patio, a great room, an attached garage and living less than 1 mile from a national park. My commute is 37 mins. I met Chris Olsen through Angie’s List. The reviews he has received were quite impressive. I now know why. I’m sure everyone would agree buying a home is a pretty big deal. It’s an emotional journey, with decisions at every turn. I made a good decision seeking out a home buyer’s agent. I made an excellent decision reaching out to Chris Olsen @ Olsten Ziegler Realty. Chris and his professional team work together, combining their expertise, skills and effectiveness into a smooth, uncomplicated home buying experience for me where deadlines were met and expectations were exceeded. There is a point when your wish list encounters the reality of the housing market. When that happens, you need to be partnered with an agent that is experienced, competent, intelligent and patience to help you navigate the twists and turns that lie ahead. It’s a reality check. You don’t know what you don’t know. As much as I knew, I learned so much more from Chris. Our conversations revealed the depth and variety of his knowledge and experience. His first step was setting up a website for me with properties that meet my criteria. There I could virtually shop, ask questions, comment, request showings. Chris was always available – communication by phone, message, email, was excellent. He made me feel as if I was his only client – which of course was not the case. After going through the home buying process, I believe it is imperative anyone considering a home purchase seek out a buyer’s agent who advocates for their client’s best interests. Sometimes that translates into telling you what you don’t want to hear. That’s the emotional part of this journey, but it’s so important. You need to hear the good, bad and the ugly of home buying to make the best decision for you and your particular situation. There are many agents available that are nice and will gladly show you any house you want to see. This route will be successful in wasting your time looking at - maybe purchasing - the wrong house in the wrong location at the wrong price for you. Better idea – work with a highly competent agent with solid experience, partnered with the right team of professionals [lender, title company, inspector] all working together for their client’s benefit. An agent that knows when a house is price well, has established relationships with other brokers, knows the fine art of negotiating / setting expectations of a listing agent, uses current technology to logistically make the client’s life easier – such as signing paperwork – and for the communication/coordination with the various providers. That agent is Chris Olsen. This is essentially what Chris did for me. He advocated for me and put my best interests first in every way. I got all this, but there is something I didn’t get – an invoice. Chris Olsen's primary goal is to ensure his clients get the best possible outcome. This is not the case with many agents who make money by having legal/financial arrangements with vendors for recommending them. He does not charge an additional commission as many agents do. Chris works with an effective team of professionals. He puts his clients’ interest first. It’s never about closing the deal. I had second thoughts about a property. Chris’s reaction was “no worries – on to the next one.” I was never made to feel I wasted his time or uncomfortable in the least. For Chris, it’s always about looking out for his clients’ best interests, even if it means throwing in the towel on occasion. Transparency, strong advocacy, and not making money off of allied service providers, along with a strong core set of competencies, is what every home buyer wants and needs. This is what I wanted, needed and received when I partnered with Chris and his team. I wholeheartedly recommend Chris Olsen @ Olsten Ziegler Realty. It was the best decision I made and it will be for you as well. Good luck!

Chris is a very experienced and responsive realtor. You can count on Chris to answer your questions day or night, even on vacation! Purchasing a home during a market with hard and fast turnover rates was not easy, but Chris was able to help us through every step of the process. He was knowledgeable about unexpected issues as well as standard procedures. We would recommend Chris for any potential buyer looking in the NE Ohio area