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Return To Realtor Information Testimonials
To whom it may concern,
Until my wife and I began working with Bernie Kagan, we had no reason to believe that other agents we’d worked with in the past were anything less than excellent. Working with Bernie, however, made us realize the huge difference between your average agent and a true pro.
The bottom line is this: you want Bernie on your side. Period. He blends an astute understanding of all aspects of the real estate market with a personality that is simultaneously affable and driven to serve. He was on the constant lookout for our best interest. He stopped at nothing to get us over every hurdle, tackling the interminable and unenviable details of real estate transactions with remarkable patience, experience, and composure. He was careful to involve us quickly whenever the situation called for it, while saving us time and aggravation by deftly sheltering us from nuances and negotiations that were better served by his expertise.
You would expect to pay a premium for the level of service Bernie provides. But not only does he charge the lowest fees around, my wife and I are convinced he actually saved us money… a lot of money. His expertise in all aspects of transaction negotiation helped forge the amazing deal we got — on the type of property we’d always dreamed about.
We often joked with Bernie about how we surely had to be his only clients because of all the time he spent helping us. But the fact is, we truly felt like it. There was no question that he cared for us as people, not just clients. He is a sincerely good-hearted and friendly man whom I intend to stay friends with long after the last paper is signed.
We have already referred good friends of ours to Bernie. And we urge anyone looking for an absolute top-of-the-line agent to spend a half hour talking to him and see what you’ve been missing.
With gratitude,
Matthew and Karen B.
Bernie Kagan is the “Stress Reliever” of the Real Estate Industry!
We started with another agent who didn’t see things the way we did and caused a tremendous amount of stress. The pressure to lower the price constantly in this market too quickly was intense. All I kept hearing was how the sky was falling in the market and we had better lower the price again or it could go down even farther. We were already losing a lot of money we didn’t need to add to the stress factor!
We had to let the other agent go and I immediately called Bernie. We were so glad we did!
He said “No worries, I will sell your beautiful home for the most amount of money we can get, I work for you”. He also said “even in this market, I prefer to look at the positive and that is what I will do for you”. And he did just that.
From that day forward we only heard from Bernie when it was something important, (not constant negative reports of how bad the market was, we already knew that, we certainly didn’t need a reminder) otherwise he handled things (along with his wonderful assistant Billie) without a word. He spoke to agents of potential buyers and sifted through who was serious and who was not. He didn’t bother us with the ones who were not serious or didn’t qualify. He did an incredible brochure with professional pictures and 360 degree video views.
He showcased our home as if it was his only listing and it sold within a month of our listing with him. In this market? That was incredible!
He is the most professional, personable, knowledgeable, intuitive person that we have ever dealt with in real estate. He instinctively knew how to sell not only our house but our “home”, our treasured neighborhood, our wonderful street, the amenities, the schools, everything that makes someone fall in love with a house.
We had a beautiful home, but the neighborhood, the neighbors, and the street all made it that much more desirable! And he knew how to find just the right person who would appreciate that, not the flock of those who were just looking for the “best buy in this awful market in a great neighborhood”.
The phone call that came that said “Congratulations, we have a done deal” was the best one after closing and all the paperwork was done.
I have recommended Bernie to everyone that I meet that is either looking to buy or sell and will continue to do so.
He took the horrible process of selling your home in the “slowest market in 50 years” and turned it into a positive and rewarding experience. Even though we had to take a huge “hit” because of the market, the process was made easier because of Bernie’s approach to things. He is an upbeat, positive and imaginative thinker who knows people and just what to say and do to get the job done!
We thank you Bernie and will always remember how you were our “stress reliever” when the clouds looked like a major storm was coming at us…. You made the sun shine….
Thank you so much!
Karen and Mike M. |
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To Whom It May Concern:
Bernie Kagan is the utmost professional.
This past summer Bernie helped us sell our existing home and find our dream home. His undying focus and attention to detail is what we enjoyed the most about him. We knew that he was the right person to work with, from the moment we met him.
As a busy health professional, my time is valuable. Bernie made an extremely rough decision turn into something that was pleasurable and most enjoyable. His experience on both the sell and buy side made for a smooth transition.
My kids miss Mr. Bernie and ask about him all the time. He was great to my kids and had the patience other agents may not have had. I think my wife put it best when she said, "Bernie is a great guy, you just want to go up and hug him!"
Thanks Bernie!
Raymond S. Solano, D.C.
Chiropractic Physician |
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To Whom it May Concern:
Working with Bernie Kagan was like having a trusted friend help us find our new home. Locating a neighborhood and home that was the right match for our family was his main concern. He worked tirelessly, giving us support, encouragement, and information throughout the entire process. Bernie’s cheerful voice and “can do” attitude made working with him a pleasure.
Bernie stayed in close contact with us and worked hard to view all potential properties. In many cases we could not personally visit properties, and we needed to trust Bernie to be our eyes. Bernie astutely assessed the benefits and detractors of each property, not only for resale, but also in terms of value to our family. He took the time to fully understand our needs, and gave us confidence to buy the right house. We could not have done this with another agent.
Bernie was also incredibly in tune with successful bidding strategies and altered his advice for each unique situation. He is keenly aware of the competition as well as the motivations of the sellers and agents. He was resourceful, possessed an excellent community network, and moved ahead of the market. His contract savvy helped us secure our perfect home.
Throughout the entire process, we felt we were working with a friend who had our best interests at heart.
Amy and Bob B. |
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Bernie:
We can never forget what you have done for us. You have exceeded all possible expectations. When we found you on the web, we know you were someone special. We still love that line “…and I answer my own phone.” But it goes much deeper than that. You really care about what you do and who you do it for. You work tirelessly, compassionately and with great accuracy in all aspects of your personal and professional activities.
You helped us purchase our home and managed difficult negotiations with a seller who clearly had only a fleeting grasp of reality. You and your mortgage banker were able to pull off 100% financing (with less than stellar credit) during a time when mortgage bankers were running for the hills. Two days before settlement, your mortgage banker called us out of the blue to say that she was able to lower the rate on our second trust by 2.25%. You and your team then helped us sell our townhouse (a contract in less than three weeks) during a time of rising inventory and declining prices, for more money than we could have hoped for. Your support team did flawless work and attention to detail. Your referrals for home inspector, handyman and HVAC were better than anyone could expect.
I have dealt with many Real Estate Agents and even sold “by owner” successfully in the past. I sought you out because of your discount pricing. I give you a glowing recommendation for being incredible! Anyone who wants to call me to verify, please do.
Phil and Pam C. |
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Danny Samson
Samson Realtors
14225 Sullyfield Circle
Chantilly, VA 20151
Dear Mr. Samson,
As I was pouring through some documents concerning the sale of our former house and purchase of our current home, I was reminded of the pleasant experience that we encountered using your firm and especially your agent, Bernie Kagan.
We met Bernie at an open house, and my wife and I immediately knew we had found our real estate agent. Bernie was extremely helpful in finding a home for us and in helping us list our house. Whenever I had questions, and there were many, Bernie was always there for us. I truly feel that Bernie helped us get the most for our house and was a great source of information and support in the purchase of our new home.
I just wanted you to know how great Bernie was to work with and that he represents your company in a very positive light. I know that I would use your company if we move again and I will definitely want Bernie to help us with our next home purchase.
Sincerely,
Steven J. |
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Bernie,
We would like to thank you for all of your help in completing the sale of our home.
We were very impressed by your professionalism throughout the process, which was filled with unexpected twists and turns. Selling a house in a sluggish market is never easy, and your updated knowledge of the overall market conditions and our neighborhood was absolutely essential to completing the sale. We are very glad that we chose your services, a full service that covered all issues, big and small, from beginning to end. You also have the best website we've seen, and your internet marketing clearly paid off.
No agent can turn around a soft market but your professional service can certainly make the arduous process of house selling less painful. We would never hesitate to use your service again and are willing to share our experience with any of your potential customers.
Yours sincerely,
Guang and Sheila |
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Dear Bernie,
Marilyn and I are writing this to express our unbounded appreciation for the superb job that you did for us in both buying and selling our homes. When we sold our house, you coached us step by step not only through the details of the selling process but also through changes both large and small that we could make to improve our selling position. And boy did those changes work! Thank you for that education. We would certainly not have done as well without your guiding hand. When our sale took some unexpected twists your patience and experience allowed us to close the deal anyway. When it came to buying our condo, your assistance was again way beyond our expectations. We are thrilled with the place you found us. The buying process could not have been easier because of your guidance. Our new home is perfect for our needs and the door is wide open for a visit from you anytime.
Thanks again,
Ken and Marilyn B. |
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Dear Bernie,
Happy New Year! I hope 2006 is a wonderful and prosperous year for you. Ken and I wanted to send you a thank you note to let you know how much we truly appreciated everything you've done for us -- both before and after the sale of our house. You went above and beyond for us and we thank you for it. You are the best !!!
Love,
Patti and Ken D. |
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Dear Bernie,
I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your guidance, enthusiasm, and friendship over the past year as John and I searched for the perfect home. As I write this letter to you, I am cognizant of the fact that few realtors would have been patient enough to lead us through such a process. We had a certain vision in mind, and needed to see many homes before making a commitment. Although it took us a full year to find the house that suited our family to a tee, you remained optimistic, cheerful, and engaged the entire time we were looking. During that period, we never felt pressured or rushed to make a decision. Thank you!
We were also very happy with the way you handled the sale of our home. Listing a home in October is not the optimum circumstance! However, we were given excellent advice about a competitive listing price, and showcasing our home's best features. We truly worked together as a team in this endeavor, and the house sold in the first weekend on the market. Needless to say, we will be singing your praises to all of our friends and we will use you again for future real estate dealings. We are looking forward to having you as a guest in our beautiful new home.
With warm regards,
Joan and John W. |
| To Whom It May Concern:
We recently bought and sold a house with Bernie Kagan. Bernie has great people skills and much knowledge of how the real estate market works in our area. Bernie assisted us in purchasing our current home in 2003. After deciding to up size, Bernie recently helped us find and secure a contract on the perfect house for us.
Within 24 hours of finding our new home, Bernie found a buyer for our current house at the price we wanted! I call this, “Bernie magic”.
I highly recommend Bernie for anyone wanting to buy or sell a house in the Northern Virginia area. He’s someone who is dedicated to his clients 100%, is trustworthy and a great person all around.
Sincerely,
Jay and Lori M. |
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To Whom It May Concern:
Bernie Kagan has been our realtor for both a house sale and a house purchase. I can say, without reservation, that these have been the simplest, easiest, least stressful realty transactions of the ten that I have been through. In a relaxed, yet expert manner, Bernie provided us with screened lists of home for viewing, while letting us take our time making a decision. He provided excellent counseling for all aspects of both transactions. Most importantly, he managed all of the details; he took us quickly and easily from offer and acceptance to closing on the purchase, and through listing to offer and acceptance on the sale (closing will occur shortly). We will happily ask Bernie to work with us on any future realty transactions, and we will recommend him without reservation to our friends.
Michael S. & Jean L |
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Samson Realty, LLC
14225 Sullyfield Circle
Chantilly, VA 20151
Dear Mr. Samson:
I would like to take this opportunity to express me satisfaction with your company and its staff as it relates to the selling of my home in Franklin Farm.
My wife and I have been residents of this wonderful community for twenty years. Now that our children are gone we made the decision to move to an adult community. Once we decided to move, we discovered that the selling of a home could be a traumatic experience. After living in a home for twenty years where do you turn for reliable sales guidance and realistic fees? We had several realtors who concentrate in the Franklin Farm area appraise our home and provide sales commission rates and suggestions for improving eye appeal of our home. They were basically all the same, including the high realtor’s fee.
It was after reading your company’s brochure and being attracting to your realtor fee that we decided to “give you a try.” We couldn’t have made a better choice. The next evening Bernie Kagan visited our home. We found him to be highly professional, informative, and as an added bonus, he lived in Franklin Farm and knew all of the appropriate information regarding schools, transportation, churches, etc. Bernie is a person that knows how to put you at ease when you’re confronted with an unfamiliar situation. He was there anytime we had a question, no matter how trivial it may have seemed.
Once the contract was signed, Gail Otey came to prepare our home for eye appeal and photographed it for the marketing handout brochure. She did a marvelous job of making rooms and closets appear larger and the exterior, although it was in the dead of winter, look very attractive.
We can only say that with your professional staff, who became more like friends over the course of several weeks, and the savings of thousands of dollars in realtor’s fees we would recommend your services to anyone that is in the process of selling a home.
Sincerely,
Lester L.
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Samson Realty, LLC
14225 Sullyfield Circle
Suite D
Chantilly, VA 20151
Attn: Danny Samson
Dear Mr. Samson:
Sale of 3238 Duck Pond Ct.
I would like to express my complete satisfaction with your company and Bernie Kagan with respect to the sale of our home in Franklin Farm.
Bernie is a true professional with a sense of humor who gets the job done. At no point in the sales transaction was there any doubt that Bernie represented us and had our best interests in mind at all times. With his assistance and support the sale went off better than we could have hoped.
Bernie not only sold our home, he sold us on Samson Realty.
Sincerely,
James F.
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| Mr. Bernie Kagan
Samson Realty, LLC
14225-D Sullyfield Circle
Chantilly, VA 20151
Hi Bernie,
Just wanted to drop you a note and let you know how much I appreciated all the hard work you did for the sale of my former home and the purchase of my new one. Although I was initially drawn to your 4% sales commission and cash rebate on the purchase of a home, I was skeptical about whether I would actually get “full service” from a real estate agent offering these benefits to their customers. You have not only exceeded my expectations but I would happily recommend your services to anyone who is considering a real estate transaction in the future.
Some items that I found particularly helpful were:
Holding weekly open houses and advertising them in the Washington Post, which led to the rapid sale of my home.
Your website, with daily e-mail alerts on new properties on the market
Your availability to show me properties
Your conscientious efforts to keep me totally informed during the negotiation process
Your professionalism and prompt response to potential problems in both transactions
I am almost settled into my new home in Franklin Farm and I am enjoying the furniture I was able to purchase with the cash rebate I received at the settlement of the property
Thanks again.
Maggie W. |
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Mr. Danny Samson
Samson Realty
14225 - D Sullyfield Circle
Chantilly, VA 20151
Dear Danny,
I felt I had to write and tell you how grateful I am to Bernie Kagan. Without his tireless work on my behalf I wouldn't be in my beautiful new home.
I first met Bernie when I was working with another buyer agent and I went to an open house he was holding. He impressed me at that time as a very tenacious salesman and so I contracted him to sell my house when I found another to buy.
Months went by and my agent had not found a home for me. I finally called Bernie and he was able to find my perfect “fixer-upper” in the exact location I needed. He negotiated with the seller and got me the right price, and he was with me every step of the way from inspection to financing.
I was equally impressed with the way Bernie sold my old home. He actually talked me into raising my asking price and then sold the house for the asking price with zero days on the market!
Settlement on the house that I was selling was a breeze. Bernie kept me informed every step of the way and I walked away with a nice settlement check to put down on my new home.
Settlement on the new home was not quite as easy though. The Gentleman from whom I bought the home was elderly and unable to ready the house for final walkthrough (there were several loads of “stuff” left in the house, everything from old clothing to canned goods). It truly would have been a nightmare without Bernie’s help. I had already sold my old house and had to move my family into the new one but there was no way I could move in before all of that “stuff” was moved out.
Bernie had already negotiated several thousand dollars off of the price of the house because it was older and not in mint condition, but in the time it took to drive from the final walkthrough to the settlement, Bernie had found a hauling company to come into the house and haul everything off and arranged for the seller to pay for it all. I couldn’t have been more thankful.
Both buying and selling a home can be daunting experience at best. Having someone on your side who knows about things like termites and lead paint inspections is helpful, but having someone who not only knows these things but is willing to go to any lengths to make sure his client is satisfied is priceless! Bernie Kagan is just that someone and I am so very glad he was on my side.
Sincerely,
Michelle M. |
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Dear Bernie,
I am sitting here in my kitchen, I think I could sit here all day and admire it! What can I say? We started looking for houses over a year ago, right before this market went a little south. I remember your grace and patience when we started to look, dragging you all over this end of Fairfax County, considering putting in some offers and then we put on the brakes and got cold feet. You kept in touch with us and didn't put any pressure on us, but let us know that you were still there should we decide to look again.
Things fell into place- Scott got a promotion and we could then start looking. In the meantime, we had taken your advice; we updated that carpeting, spruced up the bathrooms and finally we felt ready to put the house on the market. You had us ready and on the market within one week. All of the pictures and virtual tour must have paid off because someone in Chicago found our house and within three weeks had an offer. Incredible.
Then of course came the most stressful part for me. You probably remember that we chose to wait to look for houses until we sold our house and so the closing coming in three weeks, we needed to find something-fast-especially with a baby on the way within a month! You showed us many, many homes that day... I'll never forget deciding to wait in the car because I didn't think my swollen feet could take much more. But then, at the end of the day we saw it, our favorite one, the house we are in now.
Every day I think how fortunate we are to be here. Thank you, Bernie, for making everything go so smoothly. We love our home! You certainly helped get me through the negotiation process and we are very pleased with how everything worked out. You have become a friend and we will pass your name along to anyone we know who might be putting their house on the market. You are good!
Sincerely,
Christy and Scott P. |
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Dear Bernie,
I just wanted to take a moment to express once again my sincere appreciation for the great job you did in selling my home. Your professionalism, hard work, and overall real estate knowledge were invaluable. It was a genuine pleasure to work with you, and I would not hesitate to recommend you to friends and colleagues. It is obvious that you not only enjoy what you do, but you excel at it, too. I wish you much continued success in the future!
Best Regards,
Chris S. |
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Dear Bernie,
Thank you more than I can say for all the help you gave me in the selling of my house. I know it was a very difficult closing and you were there for me at every step. You worked so hard and I will be forever grateful.
Please ask any prospective clients to call me for any information I can give regarding you or the services of Samson Realty.
Sincerely,
Andrea F. |
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Dear Bernie,
We would like to take this opportunity to let you know how much we appreciated the superb job you did for us in the sale of our home. This can be one of the most stressful times one goes through in life but your professionalism and "down to earth" approach alleviated a lot of the uncertainty about the process of selling a home.
You were always available when we called for questions or when we just needed some reassurance. You were always honest about what should be done to our home or how we should handle the home inspection results and the pricing of our home.
The team you worked with really helped us to show our home. We were especially impressed with Molly, who showed us how to stage our home for the open house, with her excellent suggestions. These suggestions really made a difference in how our home appeared.
Thank you again and we will recommend your services to others that we know who want to sell or buy a home in this area.
Don and Ivy O.
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To Bernie Kagan,
We just wanted to tell you formally how much we appreciated your outstanding professionalism in assisting us with the purchase of our first home. Your service was nothing short of SUPERB!
We had started off working with another agent from another real estate company, but their service and responsiveness was awful. It would take them days to return our phone calls and they never returned our e-mail inquiries. Once we met you, we knew we had found the Real Estate Professional that would find us our home. From the very beginning you were always prepared. You worked extremely hard to determine exactly what we were looking for in a home, even when we weren’t exactly sure what we wanted ourselves. You remained in contact with us and immediately notified us of new listings that matched our profile.
It seemed like every weekend you had three to six houses for us to look over. When we would be driving around and located a house that we thought was nice from the outside, you were always available to meet with us to show the inside. We never had to wait two or three days for an appointment to meet. You were always accommodating to us and able to stay ahead of the market. This was an exceptional accomplishment given the atmosphere of the housing market and quickness of home sales in Fairfax County.
Once we found the house that we wanted, you easily guided us through the buying process. This was greatly appreciated given the fact that we were first time homebuyers! You kept us advised of what was happening throughout the home purchasing process. You expertly negotiated repairs needed to the house that were uncovered by our inspector. This made our transition to our new home stress-free. Then to top off the superior service you provided, you handed us a nice check after closing from your Cash Back to Buyers program!
Thank you so much for your exceptional service and your friendship during the biggest decision and investment of our lives. We appreciate your dedication and we look forward to a long relationship with you in the years to come.
Sincerely,
Susan & Stephen L.
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Dear Mr. Kagan,
I just wanted you to know that we are settling into our new home and things are going well. Moving can be a real hassle and because of your professionalism, the selling of our previous home and the purchase of our new home was a smooth and enjoyable process. Your dedication, shrewd negotiation and business skills, sense of humor, and timely handling of the endless details combined to make us glad we chose Bernie Kagan and Samson Realty for our real estate needs.
As you know, I am always perusing real estate and since I have found the pain-free way to buy and sell, may just be calling on you again in the future!
I have recommended your services to others and will continue to do so.
Thanks for everything!
Gretchen T.
Cc: Danny Samson |
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Dear Mr. Samson
I would like to take this opportunity to express my satisfaction with your company and its staff as it relates to the selling of my home in Chantilly Highlands.
My wife and I have been residents of this wonderful community for ten years. Now that our children are in college, we made the decision to move to a smaller home near our family and near the kids colleges.
I have known Bernie for sometime now but only as a father around the baseball fields as both of our sons played ball together. We invited Bernie to our house in early December to evaluate our home for sale in the spring. Bernie jumped right in and had lots of ideas and great info on what we needed to do to get our home ready for the market.
As you know this year's housing market was not what it had been in the past couple of years. We stood by and Bernie kept us up to date on what was going on. We had lookers from day one all the way through to the contract on the house. Bernie, I think went above and beyond my expectations of what I had thought a realtor would have done.
I feel our house was marketed correctly and even if we had to drop the price to today's market we are very pleased with the price we received for our home and from all of the staff and Samson Realty.
I can say with confidence that my wife and I would use Samson Realty and especially Bernie Kagan again when we sell our home, as we only moved south about 60miles from Northern VA.
Thanks Again,
Jeffrey and Jill J. |
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Bernie,
It was a true pleasure to work with you on the sale of our home in Chantilly Highlands. We were so impressed with your approach and with you as a person that we made the difficult decision to turn down another
real estate agent with considerable experience who was the colleague of a good friend. Your hard work and incredibly generous time spent with us was awesome. Our situation was a difficult one and you did double duty on all of the phone calls, emails, and meetings. We are aware of how much extra time you spent to make sure we both had equal amounts of information, and are very grateful for everything you did.
You gave excellent advice throughout the process and it was clear that you know the business, the market, the neighborhood, and the human race very well!!! I appreciated the support you provided as we moved through
the process. Thanks so much for extra time and explanations. I will recommend you to everyone I meet who is looking for the best real estate pro in the business.
Many, many thanks......
Catherine M.
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