Testimonials

Read what other's have to say about working with us!

 

"It is with great appreciation that I write this letter to personally thank Virginia Butler for all she did to assist me in selling my home located at 3016 Via Buena in Palos Verdes Estates. 

After interviewing three agents, it was very apparent that Virginia would be the right person to assist me through what seemed and felt like such a daunting task of selling our home for the past 36 years. Virginia smoothly guided me through the process, offering suggestions and options, but always allowing me to make the final decision. She took the time to purchase various items and stage my home to the point it looked like a model home. Each of her recommended vendors were professional, timely and competitively priced. ay and every time I needed her assistance she was there to help me. 

Now as I ma purchasing my next home in Orange County, I wish I had Virginia on my team again to help me through the process! However, Virginia was kind enough to introduce me to another Coldwell Banker associate that has been very helpful. 

Thanks again to Virginia and her entire staff for all your help, kindness and professional touch. I could not have done it without her!"

-Melba McMillan

 

"For over 13 years I have entrusted to Les and Virginia many of my clients as they sold real properties while serving as successor trustees and executors of estates in probate. Their efforts and professionalism have proven to be of great benefit to these estates and their beneficiaries. 

Les and Virginia bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to each transaction. Though trust and estate properties are often a challenge to sell, Les and Virginia provide thoughtful and thorough analysis to my clients as they determine how best to price, stage and market a property. 

I am always grateful when Les and Virginia represent my clients, because I know the process will be smooth, my highest expectations will be met and my clients will be happy. I can highly recommend them to anyone seeking experienced real estate professionals."

-Susan Hoover

 

"Our experience with Les was great! He was very knowledgeable of the process and an expert in the Palos Verdes area, which made a big difference. Because of his expertise, he was easily able to answer any question we had and walk us through the many scenarios that arise when selling a home. He was patient, kind, and very professional. We would recommend Les to all of our friends and family!"

-Cassidy Park

 

"Les and Virginia: My sister, Kathy, and I want to express our appreciation for the excellent service provided by you both during the process of the sale of our parent's home in Palos Verdes Estates after the passing of our mother at the end of November 2009.

With both my sister and I residing in Northern California, it was a pleasure to work with you both as our agents during the early pre sale preparation, with your willingness to coordinate and supervise the multiple tradesman and inspectors, and professional skill in preparing the residence for going on the market as was demonstrated by receiving the offer within a week of being on the market. 

More over, your responsive and timely communication, experience, professional knowledge and judgement in response to our questions and concerns, during the pre-sale, offer and escrow process were exceptional and sincerely appreciated by Kathy and I. Our most sincere thanks for all of your efforts during this most enjoyable working relationship."

-Steve O'Brien

 

"Les Fishman acted for the Trust of late Uncle Walter Krauze who died in October 2009. The sale was challenging not only in that the property was in need of modernization, but also that I live in the United Kingdom. 

Les produced a very professional market appraisal in preparation for the sale. He then organized and supervised all the renovation property needed so that it was presented at its best once it went onto the market. It sold very quickly at full market price which, considering the difficult economic climate, is an achievement in itself.

I would have no hesitation in recommending Les to act or advise on any aspect of real estate in the area. The sale of the property achieved full expectations, and the transaction could not have run smoother." 

-Christopher Jesman

 

"Virginia, I want to thank you so much for all the large and small ways that you helped me sell my mom's property. It was an emotional, as well as physical challenge for me. You were there to help each step of the way. It was of great value to me that you knew reliable work people, and you met them at the condo when I couldn't get there. Your practical recommendations were all spot on, and your steady guidance was so appreciated.

After the condo was cleared out of the clutter, you really worked your magic to stage it to look its best. You even spruced up the flower pots all around. You attended to every detail. You were so energetic, patient, and kind. 

The marketing and your company networking produced multiple offers and a very strong buyer at over full price. It is amazing how fast and painless it was. Your experience and affable nature made it very easy for me to work through the process and while it was a difficult time for me personally, at least I had your capable support. 

I look forward to a continued friendship and wish you all the best in the future!"

-Peggy Bauchman

 

"Les Fishman was my realtor in both buying and selling my town home in Redondo Beach in the span of a little over a year. He was a great resource on the purchasing side when I was new to the area s well as giving me unbiased information to help in selling me home a year later. Using his services I was able to get a contract on my home in one week, which was a big relief as it was one less thing to worry about during a chaotic relocation. 

One of the aspects I really liked about using Les as a realtor was the experience and contacts he brought into the process. I always got a quick response from Les and if he didn't have the answer he put me in touch with someone who did. When I put my house on the market he helped me stage it but also brought in an expert who made a few minor adjustments and also arranged for rental art and staging pieces to make the home look that much better. Having this depth of experience and contacts made the overall process go so much smoother which to me is the whole purpose of having a realtor. 

Overall, I thought less handled the buying and selling experience very professionally and with high integrity - I wish I could have brought him to Texas to be my realtor when buying me next home! Of the six realtors I have bought and sold homes with, Les is definitely at the top!"

-Andrew Queen

 

"Les and Virginia recently helped me complete the refurbishment and sale of my mother's home in Torrance, California. The home was in disrepair and their guidance and advice was invaluable to the process. 

Let me take a moment to specifically describe how their expertise assisted me this last year. Because the home needed improvement, Les and Virginia provided me with advice so that I could make decisions as to what to fix and what to put aside and leave "as is". In addition, since I was managing the estate of my mother long-distance, they were key to keeping an eye on the contractors and generally watching the progress and reporting its status and giving suggestions, as needed .They simultaneously created a "buzz" about the home among their associates so that there was interest in the property before it was even listed. 

I am very pleased with how Les Fishman and Virginia Butler handled the sale of this property and I would highly recommend them to anyone else looking for expert assistance for their real estate needs."

-Loren Aiton

 

"I interviewed agents from two other brokerage firms in Palos Verdes. I selected Les and Virginia because they came so highly recommended and because I believed they would offer us the highest level of service and the most "hands-on" help in getting our parents' house sold. I knew my brother, sister and I would need a lot of assistance to sell the house because none of us lived in the area. 

The strategy Les and Virginia formulated to price the house aggressively in the hopes of sparking a bidding war certainly paid off. We never expected to receive nine offers on the house and sell it for $300,000 over the asking price. 

But most importantly, Les and Virginia's willingness to pitch in and attend to so many details made the sale possible. Cleaning out our parents' house and readying it for sale presented an overwhelming task for my brother, sister, and I. Our family lived in the house for 34 years and our mother was a notorious packrat. My siblings and I began cleaning the house out in June 2007 when my mother became seriously ill. We still had a long way to go to stage it for sale when Les and Virginia came on board in early December. They helped us move furniture, rearrange art, hired painters, and had the gardener spruce up the landscaping. 

When the house sold so quickly (in four days), I went into a state of shock. So much remained to be done before the 30-day escrow closed. Again Les and Virginia were on hand to help move heavy objects, call Goodwill and, in the final push a few days before escrow closed, call 1-800-GOT-JUNK. I honestly don't believe I could've gotten the house cleaned out without their help as I was suffering major burnout after eight months of driving back and forth from Solana Beach to Palos Verdes to empty the house. 

I so appreciate all that Les, Virginia and Coldwell Banker did to make selling our parents' house as painless and pleasant an experience as possible."

-Sharon Leib

 

"I am writing this letter to recommend the services of Les Fishman and Virginia Butler of Coldwell banker. To put it simply, I wouldn't ask anyone else to list my home. 

We bought our home in Palos Verdes Estates in 1996. We were unfamiliar with the area and decided to drive around and take a look. One afternoon we saw Les setting up for an open house and decided to stop the car and take a look (we eventually bought this house). He immediately impressed us with his personality and knowledge f the market. After a few days, we asked Les to represent us and made an offer. After a long and difficult escrow (which Les somehow held together for us), we had bought our first home.

We recently decided to sell and relocate to the mountains. We asked Les and Virginia to list the house - our goal was a quick sale. Virginia went to work decorating the house and with very minimal expense, turned our home into a showplace (my wife almost decided to cancel the listing!). Virginia has a great eye for design and it really paid off. 

Les and Virginia really created a buzz in the realtor community. By the time we were ready for our Broker's open house, there already was a high level of awareness. At the time, most homes were sitting on the market for a few months before seeing offers. We had seven offers in the first five days! They generated so much interest that our home sold for $130,000 above our asking price (at the time people were lucky to get asking price). I know this doesn't always happen, but in our case it was a direct result of their hard work. 

Les and Virginia combine experience, marketing expertise, reputation in the community, and home staging skills to get incredible results. There are a lot of reputable Realtors in Palos Verdes, but there are none better at what they do."

-Bill Lewis 

 

"I would like to take this opportunity to commend Virginia Butler for her superb service in my recent relocation from Los Angeles to Northern Virginia. Virginia is a real winner. Virginia patiently took us through all the things that needed to be done to stage our house and even spent a day with us arranging the furniture to show the house to its best advantage. She developed a saturated market plan that included numerous open houses in order to get as many buyers as possible and the best price possible. Her success at selling our house for a good price in down market speaks to her skills as a sales person and as a negotiator. Before our escrow closed, we had to move to our new house. Virginia covered all the last minute details related to closing escrow. We would have had a difficult time handling these details had we still been in Los Angeles, let alone on the road. 

I would recommend Virginia without reservation to anyone seeking to buy or sell property in South Bay."

-John Collins

 

"As a testamentary trustee of a substantial estate it was necessary for me to liquidate various assets including a large ocean-view home in Palos Verdes Estates, California. the selection of a local realtor who would be responsible and effective was particularly important because I resided in Arizona and would, therefore, have to place more than the usual reliance on the person selected. It was my good fortune to select Virginia Butler, a realtor with Coldwell Banker, to advise and represet me in the sale of my home. 

From the moment Virginia began her undertaking, her energy, efficiency, initiative, responsibility and professional expertise were apparent. her market value analysis in the valuation of the home proved to be the actual sales price of the home with a sale within a short time after the property went on the market. Prior to the property being offered for sale, Virginia "took charge" of the preparation of the house and grounds for showing to prospective buyers. She retained and supervised gardeners, painters, contractors, and inspectors with a firmness and courteous manner to that all work was performed fully and on time. Along the way she even prosecuted and favorably settled an insurance claim pertaining to a contractor's error, the correction of which she supervised. Virginia actively and effectively shepherded the sale of the home through escrow to an orderly and early closing. 

In addition to her professional expertise and initiative, Virginia is a person with a warm, friendly and engaging personality that makes it a pleasure to work with her. She is responsible, decisive, and courteous. She is a professional in whom a client can repose complete confidence. 

It is my pleasure thank Virginia for her professional representation and to recommend her for such representation of others."

-John Merritt