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We considered four real estate agents before asking Chris Small to help us sell our house this year. We chose him because he gave us a realistic assessment of the market, the price range we should expect and the work we should do to get the best price. Chris laid out a logical plan and a timeline we could live with. He recommended a listing timeline that was different than what we were planning and I’m glad he did! Chris brought in a fantastic team of experts to look at everything from light switches to paint to www. Once we agreed with Chris on which repairs were most valuable and important, my wife and I appreciated how he stayed connected with us and the workers. I turned it over to Chris and his staff, and I didn’t have people call me asking about color choices or specific light fixtures. The house looked great when the work was finished and the staging was in place. We both agreed we should raise the price beyond our original estimate, and within four days we had multiple offers well in excess of the asking price – the best offer was almost 10 percent over asking price and completely beyond our expectations! I can’t stress enough the importance of having a good plan and sticking to it – Chris was a master at that. I would highly recommend him to anybody looking to get the highest price for their house, with the fewest headaches.

Chris helped us buy our first home in the Fan! He was a great agent, and guided us through the buying process in an extremely competitive market. His knowledge of Richmond, specifically the Fan and Church Hill, was super helpful as we looked at homes and put together offers. We would recommend Chris to anyone looking to buy a house in the city!

Chris provided me with a detailed marketing plan for selling my home as well as a checklist of items to take care of to ensure that my home showed well. He also provided referrals as needed to help me take care of small projects. His advertising was well done and all operational items (such as scheduling appointments) went well. The home sold quickly and for the price I wanted. Chris ensured a smooth closing. I was very pleased with his professional demeanor and knowledge.

I cannot recommend a better realtor than Steve Payne! He comes with experience and understanding of not just the buying and selling process but also what to really look for in a house. As a past inspector, he was able to help us mitigate problems before we put our house on the market and when a few issues came back (as they always do), we were able to fix them quickly and cost effectively with his guidance. He also has renovation experience which is helpful when looking at houses to buy for ideas and inspiration. If you are looking to build, he can help you navigate the build process and really advocate for you to make sure your builder is providing you a quality home. I am not one to post shoutouts but buying and selling a house are some of the biggest decisions a person can make and having a quality guide that you can trust will make that experience so much smoother and less stressful. Steve is that guide!

We initially met Travis when we were looking for a rental property as we moved to Richmond from Washington, D.C. Although we ultimately did not decided to move forward with the property he was showing, he continued to stay in touch every so often to ensure our transition to Richmond had been good, offering any support and local knowledge he could give. He eventually helped us navigate subletting our apartment. All of these small touch points generated trust in Travis – it was clear he had our best interested in mind and was someone we enjoyed working with, which led us to work with him on our first home search. By a first home is full of unknowns and discomfort, yet Travis explained each step to us thoroughly so we felt fully informed and on the same playing field as more experienced buyers. He helped us refine our search conditions, but spent enough time with us to know when to show us something that fell outside of those – including the one we eventually settled on! Had he not understood us and what we valued in a home at a deep level, I don’t think we would have found the most perfect house for us. Throughout the negotiation and inspection process, Travis was extremely detail oriented. He personally helped us find a reputable second contractor to assess specific items in the house that needed more eyes on them for us to truly understand what the scope of repairs were. He has a great network of partners that we have been extremely happy with throughout our home buying process. We would highly recommend Travis as someone who is going to listen and take care of you at each step in your home search!

He suggested repainting some rooms in modern colors, bringing in modern furniture to replace our antiques and adding a large island to the kitchen. Sometimes, it’s hard to hear somebody critique your house, but we agreed because it would open the house to buyers we would not have gotten otherwise. Shaunna and Brad agreed to the plan. They settled on an asking price, too: $570,000. Then, after Chris inspected his team’s improvements and alterations, he suggested that Shaunna and Brad do something unexpected: raise their asking price to $599,950. We got the first offer seven days after we listed it. It was three percent below our asking price. Then, the next day, we got an offer for $600,000.

Chris had a real sense of the local market, and he came to the interview very well prepared. He’d also had previous success selling in my West End area. He was very good at that. His comps were very local and specific to my neighborhood, Colonial Place. He knew what houses had gone for in my area very recently, and he knew how to price per square footage, based on the condition of my house. He really pushed the price up from what I had thought we’d ask. It was great. The house went on the market Thursday afternoon, and it had more than 35 private showings by Saturday afternoon. Then Chris had an open house on Sunday, which was when the house was sold.  And that’s how Chris said it was going to work. We went to Washington, D.C., for the weekend, and when we came back, the house was sold at full price in an all-cash deal. It couldn’t have gone better. He had a plan, and he worked the plan. That included having a schedule for photo and video sessions, as well as an extensive social media plan. He also had a schedule for rolling out the sale. I really appreciated that. He was very organized, and that was very helpful for me. Yes, because Chris is knowledgable and very well organized, and he’s a pleasure to work with. I always felt I was kept up to date. I never had to wonder what was going on. He has made a good name for himself in the Richmond market, and other realtors respect him.

We came to Richmond from out of state and didn’t know much about how the housing market works here, so we were fortunate to have met Tawana Gatling. She really listened to our description of what we were looking for, and took us to a select group of townhouses—one of which turned out to be exactly what we wanted. After we made our decision, Tawana was great at guiding us through the contract process via e-signing. In addition, she referred us to several home inspection companies and helped us find legal representation. Not only that, she also coordinated the home inspection while we were out of town. She was extremely attentive and always kept the process moving smoothly. We always felt like she was on our side. We highly recommend Tawana. She is extremely professional and a pleasure to work with.

He was very frank with us that we needed to make it look like a home and that it needed to be staged, repainted and modernized. He followed through on everything he said he would do and met his deadlines. He kept us on task, and he got the job done. Those changes are what let a family see it as a home that they could live in. Chris was absolutely the reason the house for sold for more than $1 million, If the person selling the house does not believe it is worth more than $1 million, then it will never sell for that amount. He absolutely believed, 100 percent, that our house was worth more than that. He was able to frame the house in such a way that other people could see that, too. We give him huge kudos for that.

I’ve had experience buying homes and I interviewed multiple real estate agents for my current home. Pam understood my goals and didn’t come on strong with a hard sell, which was refreshing. She was always on the lookout for homes and I felt like I was getting personalized service. My goals changed as the search continued and she patiently supported me the entire way. After a short time, I found my house and I couldn’t be happier. She helped me navigate the closing process and gave me great advice during the inspection. She also gave me contacts to fix minor repairs/updates. I would definitely recommend her to friends and family in the future.