Testimonials

“I would like to take the opportunity to provide my highest recommendation to Denise and George Athas of Athas and Associates Real Estate in Novato for any real estate needs you may have. The Athas team provided some stunning staging for our home. We had already shipped numerous pieces of furniture to our new home site, thus leaving our home in need of various furniture to make it homey. Denise and George brought in unique and lovely pieces to complement our living spaces superbly. Numerous agents and clients commented on how outstanding the layout captured the possibilities of the space. These two skilled professionals provided an expert and steady hand in navigating the preparation, advertising and sale of our family home in Novato. Their thoroughness uncovered an open city permit that we didn’t even know existed! Denise’ expertise ensured we completed the required city paperwork as well as maneuvering within the permit appointment system to quickly solve this unexpected issue. There was never a time we weren’t apprised of what was occurring regarding interest and/or offers on the home. Denise and George regularly called or texted with updates in real time. Our home was well researched and appropriately priced, thus we received a full price offer only two weeks into the process. This is due to the amazing real estate acumen of Denise and George Athas. Athas and Associates Real Estate has extensive knowledge of the real estate market and they are absolutely top-notch. You won’t find a better real estate team to guide you through selling your property. Denise and George achieved a stellar results for us!”

“In 2003, a family member recommended Denise Athas for the purchase of our first home. Since then Athas and Associates have been our buyer and sellers agent and have helped us climb the real estate ladder through four different transactions which started with an 850 square-foot condominium to our current 2300 square-foot single-family home. Yes, I know this sounds cliché but I truly believe that without Denise and George’s tireless effort there is absolutely no way we would be in our current home. With the exception of our first purchase in 2003 (it was a single transaction) Denise and George will be the first to tell you the scenarios we were up against did not make it easy for each of the following sales/purchases. Each sale/purchase came at a pivotal time/change in the market where our selling market was softening or in one case declining and our purchasing market was holding. During each of those transactions not only were they able to negotiate a sale package that was top of market they were able to negotiate a purchase package that was below are expected market cost. With her outgoing nature, incredible knowledge of not only market trends but micromarkets within each city, their honesty about sale/purchase scenarios, their art of the negotiating and incredible generosity with their time, there is not a better more qualified real estate team to work with.”

“This was our first experience in selling unimproved property and we were not sure what to expect. Needless to say, our experience could not have been better, everything seemed to go like clockwork. Once we decided to put the property on the market it seemed like the clock ran even faster. The offers came quickly, within three days the contract was signed and almost a week later the money was deposited in our accounts. We know that these are exceptional times but we didn’t think that exceptional would apply to selling our property. A few years ago a friend suggested we get in touch with you to get information about selling. I was impressed with my first phone conversation with you: you informed me of many things “preparation, commission, timelines to name a few” without pressuring me to sell. Last summer we met with you and George, and again we were impressed with your honesty, frankness, not embellishing facts, willingness to listen and having a professional presence. When the time came you took pictures of the property, created a website that was fantastic. Although, we had not seen this type of website before; it was truly impressive. The gallery of photos, strong points of the property and of course the video with great shots and audio. We wanted to thank you both for the excellent work you did in: working with us, setting up the website, showing the property, getting the landscape gardener and many other tasks you performed behind the scene. I give myself a reality check on how fast it went! Looking back we can see why the offers were made so close to the first day the website opened. We were very impressed with both of you and how you work together. Your ability to adapt to the “new way of life” was evident; that is an asset that will be beneficial. Without hesitation we will work with you whenever the house in San Rafael needs to be sold! Best wishes and thanks for your help”

“I am delighted to recommend Denise and George Athas as realtors. They represented me in the sale of a newly remodeled condo in Marin. To start with, they staged and photographed the property beautifully. The market was slow at the time, and although the sale took longer than we expected, their marketing, open houses and efforts with individual interested brokers and potential buyers were comprehensive and consistent, and they were consistently confident that we just needed a bit of patience. Although we did eventually have to lower the price, I never felt like they “jumped the gun” on that, to get a quicker sale – by the time we did it, it was clear that it had to be done. They also were very proactive and helpful in dealing with some issues I had with the city, getting all the needed inspections scheduled and helping deal with some unexpected issues that arose with the HOA, which impacted potential buyers who are investors. All in all, I was extremely happy with their service they provided and would definitely use them again if I needed a realtor in the area.”

“Denise and George have represented us both as buyers and sellers and in both instances, we were so glad we had them on our side. Denise and George have been doing this for sometime and expertly navigate the real estate landscape with integrity and confidence. We sold our house while living internationally which could have been a total nightmare for us. They made it easy and took care of all the details. It was amazing to know things were being done well and when any anxieties/questions crept up along the way, they were quickly answered by their attentiveness, knowledge, and care. Denise and George are a power team that we would not hesitate to recommend to anyone looking to sell or buy.”

“I want to thank you both for all of the help and professional attention that you gave me leading up to, during and after the sale of my condo. As you know it was a very emotional decision for me to decide to sell and you both were so kind and patient with me. You made sure that I understood the process every step of the way and were available to answer my questions any time of the day or evening. Once an offer was received, you walked me through the process and made sure that I was comfortable with the sale. The closing was so easy I couldn’t believe it and putting all of the documents on a CD for me is such a nice touch and most appreciated. I have bought and sold homes many times over the years and the service and experience I received from Athas and Associates Real Estate Inc is by far the best I have ever received. It was a true pleasure doing business with you and I will not hesitate to recommend you to anyone looking to buy or sell property.”

“We want to express our gratitude to Denise & George Athas for the wonderful work they’ve done in preparing, listing and selling our condo. They went way above and beyond what is typically expected from Realtors. Not only did they help with the considerable clean up. They continually worked on our behalf by arranging inspections, needed renovations and repairs as well as the pre-listing staging of the home and the entire negotiation process. Over the years we have dealt with many realtors and we have never experienced such a professional, knowledgeable and caring approach. Their advice proved to be “spot on” throughout. On a personal note, they were always ready with their thoughtful and caring ways, making this very difficult and emotional experience much easier for us. We would not hesitate to recommend Denise and George for any real estate representation you may require.”

“Our experience with Denise was nothing short of wonderful, Denise’s interaction with us and even our daughter Taylor was professional, friendly and most of all competent, a true professional in a business where I feel this is not always the situation. I don’t think that we could have found a more dedicated professional, nor would we ever look for one after working with Denise. Denise worked as hard as anyone could of to find us a home in Marin that fit our vision of the perfect home, Denise researched every possible question that we raised and even some that we didn’t. She made us feel very comfortable working with her and followed through to the end of the purchase and even after the purchase to see if there was anything that she could do to help. We highly recommend Denise to anyone buying or selling a home.”

“…I wanted to thank you for all of your help with my house/condo. You really did a great job with remembering that this is my “first time” and I really appreciate that I was never in the dark about anything. I know that not everyone feels as comfortable as I did and it was because you did such a great job with follow-up the whole, entire time.”

“…Denise has the unique ability to quickly solve problems, whether they are created by other agents or by the other party in the transactions, so that the deals will go through. She is always accessible, in good humor and very supportive during the entire stressful process. She is also extremely knowledgeable about all aspects of the sale, whether it is staging a property, showing a property or doing the paperwork…Denise will always do her utmost to ensure that things will work out.”

“Denise pointed out the strengths and weaknesses in our home and provided advice on presentation. she was consistent in followup and was always prepared. Denise remained in constant contact with us, updating information. At no time was she too busy to return a call or answer a question. This enthusiasm and dedication proved to us that we were in the very best of hands. Our confidence was confirmed by the fact that our house sold in 5 days for more than asking price.”

“Denise and George excel at guiding the buyer through delicate real estate negotiations, quickly addressing existing or potential problems before they become deal-breakers. They represent their clients in the truest sense of the word, standing up for their interests throughout the process…from start to finish. Their incredible attention to detail is also very impressive. It does not matter whether you are buying a multi-million dollar home or a simple condo…they apply the same standards to both.

By the way, Gigi loves the vase, especially where she put it on the mantle. Thanks again!”

“George and Denise Athas are simply the best! We can’t say it enough. They work so well together. They are warm and inviting, showing professionalism without all of the Marin pretentiousness. We felt taken care of throughout the buying process. They always made time for us, looking at multiple properties in various price-points. Seeing homes in person can be very different than what you see online. Because we lived and work in San Francisco, we really didn’t know the northbay very well. George and Denise took time with us to show us around and help narrow the field of areas to look.

We attempted to buy 2 other homes but an all-cash offer came in and the other one simply had a better offer. Denise is like a tigress that you want in your corner. After losing out on the 2 homes and feeling discouraged, she committed to me in a phone conversation, “We are going to find you your home!” I remember thinking that maybe it IS possible because of her determination. That very afternoon, our offer was accepted and 30 days later, we had our home! The home we got is absolutely perfect for us! The location is better than we imagined. And, best of all, we didn’t pay too much for it. Denise knows the business so well and how to put an offer in that may be appealing to the seller when you don’t have a lot of cash up front. Throughout the escrow process, she remained on top of our every move.

George and Denise Athas are the best of the best! They are 2 beautiful people we are so grateful to call our friends. Thank you, George and Denise, for all of your tireless work on our behalf. You are always welcome in our home.”

“Without question, I highly recommend Athas & Associates. They are true professionals. We challenged Denise and George to sell our house in two weeks or less. And, they did it!! As we partnered with Denise and George through the process, they handled every issue and every detail – marketing, the open houses, the communication to us, negotiating the deal, handling the escrow and closing paperwork. We are so happy we hired Athas & Associates. Wow!! Denise and George did it all, and all so well!! If you want your house sold quickly and at the price you want, there is no question, hire Athas & Associates.”

“Thank you, Denise and George, for the extraordinary service and wisdom you delivered in managing the recent sale of my home.

Having held a real estate license in another state, my expectations were high, my knowledge of real estate transactions in California, low. My prior experience is what gives perspective to the term ‘I could have not done this without you.’ Your professionalism, depth and tenacity were a steady compass and the wind in my sails throughout the entire process.

Your skills were evident from the moment we signed the listing agreement. Not only did you patiently answer the litany of questions, you and George stayed for several hours, helping me understand how to make the most of my home’s attributes, up to and including moving furniture, literally “moving furniture” and telling me which beloved collections needed to be stored immediately. You crafted a strategy for presenting the property, created marketing materials, educated the brokerage community about the opportunity and followed up on every showing. You were encouraging and perhaps more important, reliable council when my expectations were unrealistic, patiently guiding the process if I got impatient or entrenched in an unproductive position. As for many others, selling a home comes with more than a little emotion, which you understood and addressed with understanding. If all this were not enough, you managed to take care of potential impediments to the transaction when I needed to be absent for business travel, relieving me of much work and concern.

I am very pleased with the Athas team, from start to finish, and feel well rewarded for placing my trust in you and your firm. Thank you, for being you and for providing high value real estate services and for exceeding all expectations.”