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Sophie was without question the best Realtor that I have ever had the pleasure to work with. I currently own several investment properties and have gone through the home buyer’s process on many occasions in the past, but none of my previous transactions compare to the professionalism and expertise demonstrated by Sophie throughout this purchase. It was a difficult contract, with many obstacles to overcome, but Sophie worked through them all with perseverance, professionalism, and exemplary determination. I have no doubt whatsoever that without her efforts, I would not own my current house today. I would not hesitate to recommend Above and Beyond Real Estate to anyone. Paul Paradine 12/09
Exemplary Service. Over the course of my life I have become familiar as most of us have with different types of services as being a part of the necessities within our lives. I have also become familiar with different businesses and have been involved in real estate. Although familiar with real estate, I was not familiar with Tompkins County Real Estate. I decided to choose a Broker/Guide familiar with the area in being an out of towner. I have found this to be a necessity for the many services required for purchase and post-purchase transaction. Sadly today some firms do not do necessary work beyond desire to effect a sale; as closing means closed, few go beyond a thank you & follow-up courtesy call for your business. I want to personally thank Sophie for her patience in representing me as a buyer. Too often many salespersons try to pressure a sale or give up easily if one is not effected swiftly; forgetting the chief role in being a facilitator in business follow up, follow through, and follow up again; forgetting that a person should be happy with their purchase and this "means future business." As Sophie's company name states "Above and Beyond" it does reflect such exemplary service and is more than living up to the name of the company. Sophie is there for you, as a professional, a person, and a friend; I have found that your needs/happiness are becoming her needs. Sophie is a person of rare abilities with a listening ear, open mind and good heart. She is able to discern those differences between needs, wants, desires and reality in setting a true and best course in assisting her clients. It is such service that sets this firm apart from the herd. Add to this familiarity and love of the area, a winning smile and personality, and amicable nature and you have chosen wisely by selecting Sophie Zapala & Company. Steve Rutter and Shahin Buchan, 11/09
Superior Job! Wanted to let you know how much I appreciated all your hard work and dedication to finding me a home I would love. It was an almost two year endever. You always kept me in mind even though I gave up when houses were more than I could afford. I will be sure to let anyone looking for a home to count on you to get what they want and at the price they can deal with also. Thanks again. Sharon Straight 10/09
As a home buyer, one question you must ask yourself is, "Who is my realtor really working for?" If your realtor works for BigRealEstateCompany, Ithaca, NY, they will inevitably show you houses that are being listed by the same company, so the answer to that question becomes cloudy. This is one reason why I asked Sophie Zapala to be my buyer's agent for my family's move to lovely Ithaca, NY. As an independent realtor, she has no inherent conflict of interest with the BigRealEstateCompany listing many of the available houses in thaca. Another reason I chose Sophie is that she was recommended to me as an "exceptionally thorough realtor." From our experience with Sophie I can wholeheartedly vouch for the accuracy of that statement. Her independent company, "Above & Beyond Real Estate Services" could not be more aptly named!! Sophie truly gives her all to ensuring that your house hunting, purchase and closing goes as smoothly as possible. From the moment I met Sophie, there was never any doubt in my mind that she always had my family's best interests in mind. As first time home buyers, the process can be somewhat bewildering and daunting, but Sophie definitely went above and beyond the call of duty to make things as easy as possible for us.
Our timeline was tight: from the time we first contacted Sophie to the date we closed on our house was a period of a mere 10 weeks!! So we really appreciate Sophie's dedication to doing her best to make sure that we could complete the process in such a short span of time. There is no doubt in my mind that at every step of the way, Sophie gave us the best possible, unbiased advice, knowing that our best interest was her own best interest at heart.
For example, given the short time period for closing, Sophie recommended that we include a "time is of the essence" clause in the Purchase Agreement. She also recommended an excellent real estate attorney, who, as it happens, at first said that the "time is of the essence" clause was usually more trouble than it was worth. Well, in our case, since that the seller failed to have all of their ducks in a row in time for the agreed upon closing date, the "time is of the essence" clause turned out to be crucial. With that clause in place, and with the help of our wonderful real estate lawyer (really!), we were able to prepossess the house rent free from the agreed upon closing date to the actual closing date (9 days later). This was really important to us, since the movers arrived with all our stuff the day after the agreed upon closing date! So, Sophie's advice, as usual, was bang on target! I must also mention that Sophie always made it clear that the decisions were ours to make, not hers, and that she could only advise us. With the many decisions involved in buying your first house, you are really in need of objective, unbiased advice, detached from personal emotion. Having been through the process now for the first time (successfully, thanks to Sophie!), I can feel nothing but respect, admiration and friendship towards Sophie both as a realtor and a person. She was our valued and trustworthy guide throughout. I cannot recommend her more wholeheartedly!! If you wish to contact me regarding this testimonial, please ask Sophie for my e-mail address. - JG, Ithaca, NY, 09/09
Great Results, Personable, High Integrity. We hired Sophie to sell a very unusual estate property - 10+ acres - older home - rental units - multiple bay garage. She was excellent to work with and the only realtor we interviewed who understood how to determine value of property. She had us a solid offer within weeks of the initial listing. We closed the deal with her professional assistance and advice. Highly recommend. Karen Allen, 02/2009
On my way to France, I want to take a few minutes to write a little testimony about my recent adventure in becoming a satisfied and happy home owner in the village of Dryden. I met Sophie randomly during last winter while I was browsing the real estate agencies in Ithaca and I have to say that it has been one of the best things that happened to me. Who would have thought that it was so difficult to spend so much money? Thankfully, Sophie was here to guide me through all the obstacles, and let me tell you: There were a lot of obstacles! Indeed, my experience has been quite chaotic, with an obstacle rising at each and every single step. From the start, Sophie listened to my expectations and concerns, while explaining the Ithaca market to me and suggesting the possibility of a 2 unit house, to be able to show me houses that would satisfy me best. Indeed, after looking at houses in the price range the bank told me I could afford on my own, it became obvious that a 2 unit house was the best solution and I finally found the house I wanted in Dryden. One might think that it was the end of the process but it was actually the beginning of a long adventure since the other side was often far from being cooperative, nearly always using confrontation as a solution. Luckily, Sophie is exactly the opposite and did everything she could to make sure that everything would go smoothly and has gone above and beyond to help me finalize this transaction, using as much mediation as possible but also using persuasion and strong arguments (e.g. written letter) when required. In summary, I was more than satisfied with the service I received from Sophie and I would recommend her to any future home buyer who wants to work with someone ethical and who will do everything for you to succeed. Satisfaction guaranteed!!! Best of luck with your search! – Arnaud Germain 07/07
Sophie, we just wanted to thank you for all that you've done in helping us buy our first home. The renovations are coming along well. We'll give you a call when it's all done so you can see the progress. You were a huge help to us, we couldn't have done it without you. Sara and Pedro Trindade 06/2007
Sophie, thank you so much for making our first home buying situation a positive experience. We wouldn't be living in this home today if it wasn't for your dedication. We appreciate everything you did for us. Feel free to stop by anytime to visit. Thank you again. Marcy Estey, Jake Lantzsch and Sadi, the dog. 05/2007
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