After unsuccessful attempts to sell our home on Pine Island (with off island realtors), we completed a renovation that added three bedrooms and two bathrooms to the house. After undertaking the project we were nervous to find out what the experts felt we could sell our home for. We had decided to move out of state and needed the house to sell. It was critical that we select a realtor with thorough knowledge of the local market and the ability to help us make informed decisions. We interviewed different realtors in April 2015 and felt an instant connection with Donna and Phil Gilles, impressed that their motivation was to act in our best interest. They recommended listing the house for a price that reflected the updates and renovations that we made. In the end, the price that Phil predicted our house would sell for was remarkably close to what it did – we ended up with $2,000 more. What further confirms our decision to go with them is that the house sold for $56,000 more than another realtor we interviewed wanted us to list the home for. Donna and Phil came up with a list of "tasks” that we should do to sell our home. We had 7 months to get everything done. Before we officially signed the contract with them, they met with us several times and promptly returned all our calls and emails. They drove by to see the progress. Our house went onto the market in November 2015 and we had an accepted offer in less than 100 days. We were impressed with Donna and Phil from the start. They are professional in every way. They hired a specialized real estate photographer who made our house and yard look incredible. After each showing, they followed up with feedback from the buyer’s agent. When we were doubtful, they assured us that our house would sell. When we had not received an offer by Christmas, we asked them to meet to lower the price. They encouraged us to be patient that the real "selling season” had not even started. We heeded their advice and in February 2016 accepted an offer for full asking price. From the time we accepted the offer, there were many steps that were still to come – the home inspection, termite inspection, well water testing, and appraisal. They continued to walk us through what we could expect from each step. The great thing about working with Donna and Phil is that they are a team. You get the expertise of two real estate professionals for the price of one. They treat their clients with courtesy and put their clients’ best interests first. When we closed on our house on March 31st, we were extremely happy that we had sold our house but, truthfully, we knew we would miss Donna and Phil. We enjoyed our talks with them. We were their clients but they genuinely CARED about our family. They continue to check in with us and we plan to maintain a lifelong friendship.
John and Susie Pierce
