ZillowVERIFIEDReview of the Performance of Real Estate Agent Chris Meier,The Jody Avery Team and Keller Williams RealtyAn amazing thing just recently happened to me. I am nearing retirement and was an absentee landlord with a residential property in the Tampa Bay area. I had recently been advised that the occupants of the structure were going to leave. I decided that selling the house was the best option for me and my retirement. I thought the house would sell reasonably quickly, as it was in a good neighborhood, with good schools and it was a aEURoeright sizeaEUR? house with three bedrooms and two baths. I flew into Tampa with my hopes soaring. Those hopes came crashing to the ground the moment I saw the house. The yard was overgrown and not maintained. The swimming pool was green with algae and appeared more like a frog pond! Thankfully the exterior was structurally sound, but the interior badly needed shower repairs and the sheet rock needed patching and paint. Estimates to make all the repairs ranged from $30,000 to $70,000! That is a lot of money to reinvest in the house and it would take months to complete it, which was not in my retirement plan at all. After searching the internet for a Real Estate Agent who would be willing to advise me and guide me through the repairs and ultimately sell the house for me, I made a short list of the Agents I felt could meet my needs and were qualified. I talked to my banker in the area, visited with the neighbors and asked nearly anyone who would talk to me. The list quickly narrowed down to one man, Christopher Meier, Real Estate Agent with the Jody Avery Team, working with Keller Williams Realty. Chris agreed to meet with me, at the house, and he was very thorough in his inspection and in discussing with me the alternatives. That was very nice because I did not even know I had alternatives!We talked at length about the situation and he asked me to consider pricing, what return I expected if the house was in really good shape, after all the repairs were made. I agreed to do so, and we scheduled a second meeting. Chris said he would discuss the situation with his counterparts on the Jody Avery Team and see if he could present some suggestions in our meeting the next day.In that meeting I stifled a sense of dread, afraid to share the figure that I thought I had to have left from the sale of the house for fear he would laugh or tell me that it was unrealistic. But I did share my figure. His reaction was just the opposite of what I expected! He was very positive, telling me the figure his Team had arrived at (which was very close to my figure) and then said lets talk about how we might be able to get that for you and also save you the time you would expend in repairs and renovations. Chris suggested that the first thing we could do was offer the house aEURoeas isaEUR?, with a reserve clause to ensure that I would meet my financial needs. He said he thought he and the Agency could put together a listing for those buyers who may be interested in aEURoeas isaEUR? properties. There being very little downside for me, I readily agreed. He did excellent work in a very short period of time. He scheduled a showing of the house and was inundated with calls about the property. Obviously, their marketing was working! At the end of the showing Chris had received 47 bids on the house, the best of which exceeded the amount I felt I needed by nearly 22%! On top of that, he drove the process through to completion and the house closed and I had the money in about 30 days total time, beginning with my first call to Chris Meier! Needless to say, I heartedly recommend him and his Team. Allen Inlow
