Testimonials

Among the most significant decisions we have ever had to make as a couple was the choice of an agent to help us sell the striking, architecturally significant home that we built almost 40 years ago. We are now seniors. Much as we loved our home, it was time to sell and to downsize dramatically. But it was crucial to obtain the best price we could in a reasonably short time frame. Without reservation, we can say that Deborah Samuel, as the listing agent, not only met but far exceeded our highest expectations. Our home was unique. It demanded a totally customized marketing approach. But sale of our home was not just a business transaction. Both our financial security and our powerful emotional ties to the home we built required an agent who genuinely appreciated our home for its virtues, while simultaneously being extremely sensitive to the emotional journey we had to take to market, and…

Among the most significant decisions we have ever had to make as a couple was the choice of an agent to help us sell the striking, architecturally significant home that we built almost 40 years ago. We are now seniors. Much as we loved our home, it was time to sell and to downsize dramatically. But it was crucial to obtain the best price we could in a reasonably short time frame. Without reservation, we can say that Deborah Samuel, as the listing agent, not only met but far exceeded our highest expectations. Our home was unique. It demanded a totally customized marketing approach. But sale of our home was not just a business transaction. Both our financial security and our powerful emotional ties to the home we built required an agent who genuinely appreciated our home for its virtues, while simultaneously being extremely sensitive to the emotional journey we had to take to market, and ultimately part with our dream home. Honestly, we cannot imagine an agent who could have met those very high expectations more seamlessly than Deborah. Her staging, print, video, social media, and open house presentations were extraordinarily creative and thoughtful. To give just one example, the day we went to market she organized a small, private cocktail party for invited agents and their high-end clients so that they could experience our home as it was designed to be lived in. Who else would have done that? As listing agent, Deborah seemed to be thinking every day of what she could do that could be new, catching and effective to find the perfect buyer for our home. Rather than implementing a plan and then just waiting to see if it worked, she studied the market every day, thinking of new angles or approaches or advertising or outreach to find a great buyer. She implemented creative and effective strategies to market our home, even featuring it on her segment of American Dream TV, which garnered nationwide exposure and attracted significant interest. At great personal expense, she kept implementing new initiatives. And her creative, energetic efforts made all the difference. In the end, we found the perfect buyer—a couple who appreciates the home for all the things we love about it—and we would not have found them without Deborah’s incredible energy and creativity. Thank you, Deborah! Before listing, Deborah insisted on conducting a thorough pre-home inspection, addressing every identified concern, and thoroughly documenting all inspections and corrections. That approach made all the difference. Time after time, prospective buyers told us that they had never seen such a meticulous and comprehensive pre-sale report and that the report gave them full confidence that they could purchase with no concerns about unknowns. Deborah’s approach simply eliminated what is such a common obstacle to the successful sale of a home. Her attention to detail, market knowledge, and tenacity ensured we felt supported and confident throughout the process. Here’s a story that speaks volumes: Midway through the process we had a long-planned, badly-needed, and very important overseas trip to visit our son’s family and grandkids. But when we arrived at LAX to check in, we discovered to our horror that we had grabbed one expired passport, not the current one. In a panic we called Deborah as a trusted advisor to see if she could even think of a solution. Before we could even hang up, she was in her car, driving from Santa Barbara to LAX to bring us the passport and save our journey. She wouldn’t even discuss an alternative. She just took the reins and solved the crisis. (Our saved trip was wonderful!!) Although we give the highest possible rating to Deborah Samuel, we rate even higher the value of working both with Deborah and Kelsey Samuel, who runs Santa Barbara Senior Organizational Services (SB SOS). We are writing separately ( SBSOS ) about the extraordinary work Kelsey and her crew did for us in helping us to downsize and move. Working together, Deborah and Kelsey are not “just” a Realtor and a relocating consultant but true partners in the home selling/transition journey. Their professionalism, compassion, connections, and drive make them invaluable. They are now friends of ours. If you’re considering selling your home and whether you are “merely” moving or downsizing, we highly recommend working with Deborah and Kelsey Samuel. It is difficult to adequately express what a difference they made for us. We would be happy to speak to anyone who, like us, is getting ready to sell their home. Derek & Beth Westen Montecito, CA

Deborah Samuel, our Santa Barbara Realtor, was very professional, efficient, organized, punctual, and detailed. She is energetic, upbeat, knowledgeable, and communicative. She prepares the property for a clean sale by recommending various inspections so there are no surprises for the seller or the buyer. And she did excellent creative marketing of our property. She found a buyer that appreciated the amenities of our condo. Deborah Samuel is a great and charismatic realtor. She was tenacious and pulled out all the stops to market our property. She quickly responded to all our questions, and her follow-through was exceptional with paperwork and keeping us informed about the status of open houses and private showings. Deborah was creative and did fantastic outreach marketing beyond our typical real estate experience in previous property sales. Deborah helped us with pre-home inspections and…

Deborah Samuel, our Santa Barbara Realtor, was very professional, efficient, organized, punctual, and detailed. She is energetic, upbeat, knowledgeable, and communicative. She prepares the property for a clean sale by recommending various inspections so there are no surprises for the seller or the buyer. And she did excellent creative marketing of our property. She found a buyer that appreciated the amenities of our condo. Deborah Samuel is a great and charismatic realtor. She was tenacious and pulled out all the stops to market our property. She quickly responded to all our questions, and her follow-through was exceptional with paperwork and keeping us informed about the status of open houses and private showings. Deborah was creative and did fantastic outreach marketing beyond our typical real estate experience in previous property sales. Deborah helped us with pre-home inspections and a comprehensive inspection portfolio with all disclosures prepared for buyers to review. She kept our condo very clean and was very professional in handling all the challenging situations with the two offers that came in but ultimately did not culminate. Deborah kept going, and she quickly reignited her marketing and got our condo right back into the front line with potential buyers to avoid losing traction. We were confident in her real estate skills as she negotiated the best outcome for selling our condo. If you are looking for a go-getter with excellent communication and follow-through, we highly recommend Deborah Samuel. Ken & Nina