Coldwell Banker Bain of Capitol Hill

Michael recently helped us sell our little home in Ballard. While we knew going into the selling process that Ballard was a strong seller's market, we wanted to make sure that we had someone who would listen to us, give us do-able advice, and help us get the best price possible. We interviewed four agents, Michael being the last one scheduled. We were already tired of talking with agents and had thought we already had one picked. However, Michael and his market knowledge, energy, examples of marketing, and apparent level of commitment to his clients absolutely blew us away! We chose him, even before he sent us his comparative market analysis. Michael recommended changes to make to our house and which stager to use to help make the house look as fresh as possible. We had already made significant improvements to the house, so thankfully, we didn't need to do anything major! However, if we did, I think that Michael would have made some great recommendations. The photos, video, and website put together by Michael were stunning. We had the house on the market for one week prior to reviewing FOUR competitive offers. Closing went ALMOST perfectly (the only hitch provided by the recording office), but even with that hitch, he kept us up to date and told us how everything would work. In the end, the house selling process was amazingly smooth and well-coordinated. Right now we are renting, but 100% plan on using Michael when we buy our next home. We plan on recommending him to anyone that needs an agent.

When getting ready to sell my Mercer Island home in August of 2012 I interviewed a number of real estate agents, and ended up choosing Michael Ackerman of Coldwell Banker Bain. My starting point was a need to sell my house quickly, at a good, price, in a terrible market. Which agent would best serve these needs? My main criterion in choosing a short list of agents to interview was a track record of selling houses in spite of the bad market conditions. I scrutinized their sales records and eliminated any who weren’t performing. All the agents I interviewed were very experienced and probably would have done a decent job, but I chose Michael, not only because he had been selling houses in a down market, but I thought I could see why. Michael brings a creative, vibrant and delightful energy to the process that is just infectious. His knowledge and sales skills are formidable, but he also brings an upbeat “can do” attitude that I found very reassuring. His philosophy about bringing a house onto the market is that it should be like the opening of a Broadway show, and that was exactly the kind of energy I was looking for. He proved to be a very good listener and really addressed all of my concerns. Another strength Michael had over the other agents I interviewed is his familiarity with and use of all the modern media, including video, blogging and social media. He made full use of these, including making an absolutely beautiful video that I’m sure helped to sell the house. All the marketing materials he developed were a clear cut above those you typically see. My house sold at full price right after going on the market. Of course, just when things seem to be smooth sailing, all kinds of obstacles pop up. In my case it was the buyer’s inspection report that listed a number of issues that I had to rectify. Here, a new and unexpected benefit of working with Michael emerged: all his connections to people who can fix things. From the sewer to the siding, to the bee’s nest in the roof, and everything in between, Michael had people on site almost instantly to fix these problems at a reasonable cost. As I had already moved out of town, this was immensely helpful. Whatever problems came up during the closing phase of the sale, Michael swatted them like so many pesky flies. Throughout the entire process, his unfailing calmness, good humor, integrity and generosity of spirit helped keep me steady and reassured that it would all end well, which it did. Choosing a real estate agent is kind of a leap of faith. My experience with Michael was very much that of a team effort, with both of us continually analyzing what we could do to help move the process along and keep it positive for all the parties involved. Working with Michael was a privilege and a pleasure. He brought so many special qualities to the experience and I think anyone would be extremely fortunate to work with him. He gets my highest recommendation!

They were excellent. The broker is fine. I would like to grade them A on all the parameters. I would use them again in the future.

Right now, we're in the middle of trying to buy a short sale, which is a harrowing process. They have been very generous with taking us to various homes and walk us through the non-traditional process.

I use Ricklie Stone for my Realtor. She is great she always finds us the best deals on the market and she really knows how to get great deals. We sold our condo through her as well and she got what our asking price was.