Jen and I want to thank you very much for enabling us to sell our Derwood home in June 2008 in this very difficult real estate market. The service you delivered was beyond our expectations in many ways, including the following: Our house was 20 years old. While it was in very good condition, it hadn’t been thoroughly updated to the material and feature standards of more modern homes on the market. Your advice helped us identify cost-effective improvements for the kitchen and master bath to eliminate the most negative features of our house. The general contractor you recommended, Goshen Home Improvement, did the work at a reasonable price and completed all work on time.

We had lived in our home for 15 years, so it took a lot of work for us to de-clutter and stage the house for sale. We couldn’t have done it without your guidance on what should go, what should stay, and how we should rearrange some of the rooms so they would show to best advantage. You also got us started early enough (two months before going on the market) for us to be ready without a last minute crisis. The result looked like a model home. We understand that there are professional “stagers” who charge for their services. Thanks for providing comparable service at no additional cost. You amazed us with the quality of the marketing material you prepared for our home. The hard copy brochure was the best we had ever seen: printed on top-quality glossy paper with many beautiful wide angle interior photos that made all rooms look as spacious as they really were. The virtual tour you created for the web was even more impressive. The web made our house readily accessible to a very broad market of potential buyers. After a visit to the virtual tour web site, serious buyers would already be familiar with our house before they made an actual visit. In a tight market, this really helped make our house stand out from the others and attract potential buyers.

The buyer’s home inspection didn’t reveal any serious deficiencies. Nonetheless, we had many items that had to be addressed in order to satisfy the buyer. You helped us prioritize the issues and arrange for contractors who were able to resolve all items in a timely and cost-effective manner. Our buyer made getting to closing a rather difficult and uncertain process. We especially appreciated your professionalism and guidance during this trying period. You helped keep us on track and reach the goal of selling our home.

We were very relieved when our Derwood house sale closed and we could move on to the next phase of our lives in California without the burden of that house lingering on the resale market.

Thank you very much for all of your efforts in making the sale happen. We know you went above and beyond what we, or anyone, should expect from a seller’s agent. You delivered the results we needed in a time frame that was perfect for our move.

         - Jen and Pete ~ January 2009
 

Thank you for the services you provided in selling our home in Rockville.  As you are aware, we put our home up for sale during a challenging real estate market. Further, we were selling our home after just 7-months of our purchase date. This combination of events required a truly competent realtor who understands the need to aggressively market the home in an effort to get the home under contract in the shortest amount of time. Your sense of urgency, attention to detail (including a comprehensive marketing portfolio), and follow up with prospective customers was absolutely critical in getting our house under contract in 5-weeks and sold in less than 90-days.

Thank you again and best wishes to you for continued success.


      - Mark ~ June 2008

We're writing to let you know how much we appreciate the service you provided us in the listing and sale of our house at 7400 Vineyard Court in Derwood. In every sense of the word, your sincere desire to help your clients, your straightforward and detailed approach to the process earns you our highest level of respect. From the moment we met and discussed the Competitive Market Analysis, it was apparent to us that in a highly competitive industry, you were genuinely a professional real estate agent- and our first choice.

All the apparent stress that comes with selling one's house was largely removed for us in 5 remarkable days. That was the total time on the market from us listing to contract - in the worst real estate market in decades! We attribute this in no small measure to your knowledge of our neighborhood when advising us on a listing price, your suggestions for improving the house for "showing", the marketing effort (the internet spread was great!), and your role and a professional intermediary for your client. We do believe that our house showed well. But with all of that said, you never listed "Wizard" among your credentials.

Your commitment, however, didn't end there. Throughout the entire time from contract to settlement, you were extremely helpful in guiding us through the process. You always made yourself available to answer questions and provide assistance. As a result, we got through the appraisal, the home and termite inspections, and the settlement with little difficulty.

We are more than pleased, Robert, to provide this letter of reference for you regarding your professionalism, your attention to detail, and your sincere and heart-felt client orientation.  Once again, thanks for all that you provided.
 

       - Ronald and Janice Gudbrandsen ~ June 2008

Sorry this letter is so long in the coming. Its delay is by no means a reflection of our feelings: merely that of the time and energy we've spent settling into our new home, in a new state!

Merrill and I are very grateful to you for your help in selling our home at 17104 Flatwood Drive., in Derwood, this past Spring. You provided us with great advice regarding pricing, upgrading and staging the house for sale. You took us through every step of the process in a friendly, informed and professional manner. You spent as much time as we needed to understand the newer, slower housing market and provided great counsel as to when to accept the offer. In turn, this led to our home selling very quickly. In particular, we want to thank you for your accessibility and responsiveness. You were never more than a phone call away.

You know we think very highly of you, and we recommend you without hesitation to future homeowners and seller.

Thanks again, and again.

       - Cheryl and Merrill Meadow ~ November 2007

Its been over 6 years since we first met you after a referral by our good friends, Peter and Nita, and since that time you've guided our family through four real estate transactions.

You were incredibly patient with us as first-time buyers in a very competitive market back in 2001 (and you went above and beyond when we had to deal with the “radon incident!”). As a result, we had no hesitation in recommending you to Mike’s parents in 2005, and you guided them through their search for and purchase of a home in the area. And of course you were the first one we called earlier this year when, with our family growing, we needed help with the purchase of a new larger home and the sale of our beloved first home.

In every case, we relied on your knowledge of the industry and the process, your honesty and integrity, and your sensible approach. With all the stress that comes from buying and selling a home, we feel very thankful to have had you—someone who we knew we could trust—by our side every step of the way. Our appreciation for your talents has grown with each transaction. We've seen enough of the real estate business to know how exceptional you are. You are truly a professional, and we would readily recommend you to anyone. Thank you!

       - Michael and Margaret Rogers ~ October 2007

 

We recently completed a home listing and sale with Robert Kerxton of Long and Foster. We are writing to express in the strongest terms possible how pleased we were with the service Robert provided and to unreservedly recommend him as your listing agent.

We met Robert at one of his open house listings when we were first shopping for homes in Derwood in 2004. He impressed us so much at that listing that, along with his high profile in real estate in the area, we did not shop around for a new agent when it came time to sell our house. Instead, we simply called him and asked him to be our listing agent. We could not be more pleased with our decision.

Robert is the most responsive real estate professional we have ever encountered. He takes personal responsibility for getting things done with the listing and sale process. We cannot stress enough how important that was- or how unfortunately rare it is. When we needed to check on the house (we moved before the house sold) Robert was there. When we needed to get repairs done, Robert found someone and took care of it. When the buyers' agent mistakenly set the wrong closing date such that the seal would have fallen through, Robert was on top of the situation and got it done. For your home sale, Robert will make sure the financing, inspections, etc. are all done on time - even when the buyers do not. He even
arranged to find our pet turtle that we could not take with us a good home!

Of equal importance is that Robert got our house sold in the midst of a housing crunch where very few houses were selling and the inventories were climbing. Our house was nice, but not unique and probably had a dozen or more comparables. Ours was the only one which we are aware that sold in our time period.

Finally, everyone could learn from Robert- we sure did- about how client-first professional operate. He is proactive (i.e you don't always have to call to get a response); he will advise (and you should listen) but it is your decision that controls; and he works to get you the best deal he can. Most importantly, unlike many professionals in the real estate field or otherwise, Robert understands that it is not the client's responsibility to hand-deliver discreet tasks or hand-hold the professional who is nothing more than an expensive gatekeeper. That it is the professional's job, and Robert does it better than anyone with whom we have worked.

If you have any questions about this referral please do not hesitate to contact us.

       - Jason and Emily Jarvis ~ June 2007

 

We are writing to thank you once again for your "hard work" in selling our home at 19844 Meredith Drive in Derwood. We had watched your career as a highly regarded real estate professional for several years and knew that you would be our choice when it came time to sell our home.

After raising our family and putting our roots down deep at our home for nearly 19 years, it was with mixed emotions that we knew that the time had come this year. Even though the market was not as strong as it had previously been, you were able to sell our home in less then three weeks for nearly asking price. Throughout the entire process, you were extremely helpful and always available to us. You gave us excellent advice on preparing our home for sale, which certainly assisted in selling it quickly. We were always able to reach you during the entire process as questions arose.

Your professionalism, knowledge, friendliness, and skill were greatly appreciated. Thank you so much for everything! As you know, we have recommended you to many of our friends and will continue to do so.

       - Mike and Judy Hopp ~June 2007

We have found the Long and Foster Real Estate organization to be very professional in their dealings with my wife and I. Robert Kerxton was there for us in a very tough real estate market. He helped us to dispel our fears as the market slowed. He and his team were always looking to present our home in different and unique ways. We knew that, not only did Robert list our home, he also tried to keep it "hot on the market".
When we sold our home, we had no problem with the sale, as Robert guided us through the contract, inspections and settlement processes with ease. Robert made our transition as easy as possible. We felt our needs were well cared for by his team and the Long and Foster organization. Again, many thanks to you Robert for a job well done!
 

      - Ron and Joanne Caldwell ~February 2007

 

As Bonnie and I continue to settle in to our new home, we look back with fond appreciation for all that you did to make this first-time purchase a pleasant one. From the early steps you took to educate us about the process, to the patience you showed along the way as we tried to make sense of the mostly foreign world of real estate and home financing, to the skills and knowledge you brought to the negotiation and closing, we are truly grateful. Thanks, too, for rolling up your sleeves with us as we viewed and assessed the collection of potential homes- we can't imagine many other agents as engaged in the process.

Overall, your skills, knowledge, professionalism, and extremely pleasant manner made a potentially stressful experience surprisingly enjoyable.
 

      - Steve and Bonnie

Robert Kerxton, recently handled the sale of our property at 17209 Olde Mill Run, Derwood, Maryland 20855.

To say that Mrs. Tucker and I were happy with his professionalism would be an understatement. He handled everything with dispatch down to the minute detail. We were very happy in all respects and congratulate Robert! It was a pleasure working with him and his assistant, Laura, who was very helpful.

Without over-elaborating the obvious, we would be more than pleased to recommend Robert to handle the sale of our friends' property should the occasion arise.

      - Ernest and Lorraine Tucker

Sorry that this thank you is so late in coming.

We found you by attending an "Open House" that you held in Derwood. We had seen your signs for many months, and since we were contemplating selling, we wanted to meet you. Once our decision to sell was made, we knew you were the one we would call.

One of the things we most appreciated during the entire process was the fact that you always took your time in explaining things to us. Your advice to "de-clutter", leads to having our kitchen re-done was right on, and the person you recommended to install the kitchen was top-notch- his work was the quality you don't see any more.

As we remember it, the house was listed on a Thursday, Open House was on a Sunday, and on Tuesday we had 3 offers. Your assistance throughout the process and the closing was invaluable.

You are our realtor of choice. If we decide to return to Maryland, you would be the only realtor we would entrust with the purchase of a house.

Thanks again for your professionalism and patience.
 

      - Peter and Ingrid Mueller

To say that Robert made the experience of selling our home a positive one would be a huge understatement.

Among the sea of real estate agents out there, Robert impressed us immediately as one who knew his "stuff". He was professional, thorough and put our minds at ease quickly.

We lived in our home for 18 years. As we raised our children we came to love the neighborhood and the surrounding area. Our roots had grown deep. So, the decision to move was not an easy one. Robert's professionalism was only highlighted by his genuine respect for our experience as a whole.

We are very satisfied and confident that he helped us get the best price for our home. We extend out heartfelt thanks to Robert, Sue and the whole Long and Foster team!
 

      - John and Debra Baun