I am pleased to write this letter of recommendation on behalf of Maggie Calister.

This summer, Maggie helped us find our very first place. Working with us for many months as we changed our wish list, location and price points, Maggie was with us every step of the way. She had patience, understanding and the ability to be honest with us when our heads were in the clouds.

It took us a while to find just the right place and Maggie helped us navigate through some truly interesting real estate scenarios, including three offers and a seller who raised the price of their home by $65,000 after we made an offer and another where competed with seven other buyers for a home. Finally, after nearly a year, we found what we were looking for.

Maggie was truly our advocate in the entire process, from beginning to end. She was there when we needed new listings, wanted to see a home at 8 o’clock night and signed the final papers. She was even there when we lost our keys within the first six hours of owning our home.

I would recommend Maggie to anyone I know who might be looking for a home. Her passion, tenacity and expertise were nothing short of extraordinary. I am happy to call her my agent and look forward to working with her again for any future properties.

Kind regards,

Michelle L.

Dear Maggie,

It is not an exaggeration to say that you are the reason my family’s dreams came true.

Several years ago when we were looking to buy our first house, we were beyond lucky to find you. As you know, there is a special kind of anxiety and uncertainty that new homebuyers face. I will never forget the special role you played helping us hunt for the perfect home for us, getting us the best price, being an advocate who fiercely protected our interests, a counselor for those stressful moments, and a human rolodex who introduce us to a dozen of the best plumbers, electricians, and lawn care experts NJ had to offer.

It turns out that the only thing more stressful than buying your first house… is selling your first house.

When we moved out of Maplewood in 2009, there are few words how appreciative we were for the mountains you moved on our behalf. We would have been lost without you. Your detailed timeline kept our on schedule and brought us to market on time despite all the prep work that needed to be done. You provided a solid market analysis that was higher than we expected, you were honest in your assessment of the work we needed to do to impress a buyer, and you were caring and respectful while showing our house. That magic rolodex of yours once again found us asbestos experts, oil tank specialists, painters, and movers. The bottom line speaks for itself: Maggie Calister sold our house in 6 days for more than our asking price.

My wife said once that you make things seem effortless and easy. I disagree. When I watch you work I am actually physically exhausted just witnessing the limitless energy and vigor you bring to challenges that you tackle.

Life has a funny way of going in circles… and when we had the opportunity to come back to South Orange in the summer of 2011 you were the first call we made. Maybe we shouldn’t have been surprised that you once again found us the best mortgage guy, the best real estate lawyer, and the best carpenter… but you did. It was so much fun looking for houses with you that we would have continued doing it all fall if we hadn’t gotten a great deal on another perfect house.

When someone exceeds your expectations once – you should say thank you.

When someone exceeds your expectations twice – it’s important to recognize their skill and generosity isn’t just luck.

When someone exceeds your expectations three times – you should write a damn strong recommendation letter and shout it from the roof tops.

Thank you Maggie. I hope to God that we personally never need your help again, but I would be more than willing to speak with any of your clients or prospective clients for the rest of my life.

Warm regards,

Steve Froehlich
Vice President, Membership Development
ASPCA ®

Hi Maggie,

       My beautiful expectant wife and I spent much of Saturday watching HGTV.
       We thought it was nuts that so many of those “house flip” shows end in worst case scenarios and after watching 6 episodes in a row, 5 of them sat unsold for months at a time… your name came up quite a bit as we talked about how much Maggie rocks and how lucky we got with the sale of our house.
       In continued appreciation for what you were able to achieve, I decided to add three items to your list below for staging tips (based on our fun experience).
Step 5: If all of your furniture is brown & white, hide your couches in the garage.
Step 6: If your dog’s name is Mason… try to teach him how to stop shedding for a couple weeks.
Step 7: Your realtor always knows best, but if he/she wants to put a blue lava lamp in the living room… ask him/her not to
Step8: If you did less than perfect job with the molding or edges of a kitchen renovation… buy a BIG vase of flowers to distract attention.
Step9: Don’t leave unconnected toilets sitting in the middle of your basement.

Warm regards,
Steve

ATTENTION ANYONE WHO IS BUYING OR SELLING A HOME!!!!

       I recently had the privilege of working with Maggie Calister formerly of Remax Village Square and now with Keller Williams in Maplewood and felt compelled to share my experience.
       I have been on both ends of the sale of five homes.  Not one of those times did I ever think about sending in a testimonial because it seemed to me that all real estate agents were the same.They would do what it took to get your name on a contract, then forget about until it was time to close, then they would reappear when it was time to collect their check at closing.
       My experience with Maggie was completely different, and changed my opinion about what one should expect when they are either selling or buying a home.I first met Maggie when I saw her name on the sign of a home that I liked while driving past it in South Orange. Within one hour I was in that house!
       That particular house was not for me, but something happened on that first visit. Maggie was able to gauge exactly what my wife and I were looking for in a house.She was extremely friendly, not to mention extremely knowledgeable about the real estate market in South Orange and Maplewood. I told Maggie after that day that I wanted her to be my agent.
       The next week, when my wife and I went house hunting with Maggie, it was an incredible experience.  She took us to five homes that met every single criterion that I was looking for in a home.  My wife and I were shocked that someone who only met us once would have such a good grasp on our taste in homes.
       After looking around for a bit Maggie found us the home of our dreams.  We signed a contract and set up a closing date for July.  Throughout the entire process Maggie guided us through every step.  Her attention to detail was impeccable.I felt so comfortable with her that I knew I could call her any time for any reason and felt better when I got off the phone with her.
       After our closing, and after we moved into our dream home, Maggie’s service did not stop.  She set my family up with every type of service we would need, from landscapers to caterers and even a computer techie.I have told Maggie that she needs to keep working for at least another 30 years because there is no one else that I would ever want to represent me when it comes to selling my home.
       I could keep writing about Maggie ad infinitum, but to sum it all up she is absolutely everything you should look for in a Realtor.  She is honest, loyal, smart, and knowledgeable and never stops working for her clients. I cannot thank her enough for everything she has done for me and my family.

Dear Maggie:

       When I received your email with the final closeout information of the MLS for our ex-home on University Ct. in South Orange, I felt we had come full circle. Paul and I were so pleased with the whole process; from your original research preparing the house for marketing, to your beautiful brochure, to the constant guidance throughout the selling process. The actual closing went so smoothly. It had an almost social air about it, with the new owner’s two little ones roaming about! Your knowledge, assurances, humor and endless service resources were so comforting to me. I remember you telling me you would be with us throughout the whole process, and indeed you were. What could have been confusing was clear.  I believe your expertise played a big part in such a quick sale. We never expected to get an offer within 6 days of our brokers open house! As we look for a home in Tucson, my Realtor  here will have large shoes to fill. I will expect the same service and support from him as I received from you. Tall order! We will let you know where we finally land in Tucson and stay in touch.

With many many thanks,

Eileen Erickson

Dear Maggie,
       I am so pleased to write a letter of recommendation for you to pass along to future clients.
       Throughout the entire process of both buying a home and selling our old one with you, I have had the good fortune to work with one of the finest business people I have ever met. You have coached us through an intricate process and I am so grateful to have had you at (and on) our side.
       A few of your finer moments include: making sure we got the price we wanted on our new house through your fine-tuned negotiating skills, the incredible referrals to your team of real estate professionals, lending your good taste to our house staging and (how could I forget) selling our house in three days with multiple bids in the challenging housing market of Winter 2007. [Read more...]

Aloha Maggie!

       It is with great pleasure that we write this letter of recommendation. We are so grateful to you for the time, effort and patience. Moving from New Jersey to Hawaii seemed like a daunting task, but your confidence and calm throughout the process made it painless and enjoyable.
       From the moment you said you would help sell our home, to well beyond closing, you were there for us. We were so impressed with your knowledge at every step and your incredible team. We recall venting about how there was no way we could make our home look  “like a catalog”  with three children under eight running around. Maggie gave us great tips about how to live in your home (with young children) while you try to sell it.
       Putting our house on the market during the real estate recession was stressful at times. You always provided sound advice as to how to price to sell, when to list the house and how to stay the course. No one could believe that just a few days after we put our home in the market we received multiple offers and before we knew it were in attorney review. We attribute it all to Maggie’s magic and stellar direction.
       Now that we are settling into life in Hawaii, we think back to how you made our transition so smooth . We were so happy with the results of the process and highly recommend you with no reservations.

With so much gratitude,

Sarah Man and Gabriel

Dear Maggie,
       Now that we are settling in well to our new home in Virginia. We wanted to write and thank you for the tremendous job you did for us earlier this year selling our home in Maplewood. NJ.
       It was a hectic and emotional time, with a brand.new baby, in addition to a toddler running around, and Imad already in Virginia with his new job and our new house. You helped us navigate through all the key steps of selling our beloved first home and we are forever grateful.
       We selected you from other realtors that we interviewed, [some of whom were referred by very good friends]. because you were adept at selling your own capabilities and inspired trust.
       We were also very impressed with the due diligence that you had done prior to meeting us for the first time, going so far as to contact a contractor and provide a cost estimate for renovation costs. We knew that with those qualities. we were putting our single most important investment in the right hands. [Read more...]