Response from Edward Brewer - Associate Broker on 1/28/2021

For starters, the author of this review was not the owner of the home in question and did not have any interaction with me throughout the entirety of the sale of this home. Here is the other side of the story: When the appraiser showed up at the home, he notified me that he was coming in $20,000 below the sale price which I was not surprised to hear. I mentioned a brand new closing across town that supported the sale price and he admitted he hadn't seen it. After he finished this appraisal, we drove over to this home and ultimately he used this comparable to get the home to its needed value. Otherwise we would have had to negotiate a lower price or put the house back on the market as the purchaser's would not have been able to make up the difference. Many Realtors don't meet the appraisers when they visit their listings but I always do and feel it is a vital step to avoid important problems that can arise. Since it was just the appraiser and myself, we complied with the Statewide COVID regulations as to the number of people in this small home. For the home inspection there was the Selling Agent, Inspector and 2 buyers in attendance. Realtor guidelines were such that my attendance would have violated the stated protocols. New York State and my company guidelines strongly recommended having as few people as possible in a home at one time. Sellers were misinformed about these guidelines by their "friend." I also never said that I was attending the home inspection (despite their claim) because of the reasons stated above. Seller was upset over this but I was not aware until after the fact. Not sure that this was something to get upset about but is apt for the seller. I regret the miscommunication. After the inspection there was one issue to be resolved and there were numerous correspondences between all parties to satisfactorily resolve a minor furnace issue. So the claim that communication ceased after the inspection is outright false as proven by the resolution of the inspection problem, pick up radon canister etc. The seller changed the closing date twice, via his Attorney. Despite the seller's vast knowledge of all things real estate, Realtors have little or no say in the closing date after the contract is signed, as this is primarily the Attorney's role. The purchaser's (via their Realtor) were disappointed with the arbitrary delays (closing date changes) but ultimately they accepted the revised date and a timely closing was accomplished. This was a very smooth transaction from start to finish with no problems and the seller received significantly more than many expected for such a basic home, thanks to my saving the appraisal. Instead of getting upset over a home inspection on a 7 year old home that had one minor issue, he should be happy that I attended the important part of the process which was the appraisal in this instance. I stand 100% by my performance in this transaction and the over 1,000 other home sales that I have been involved in throughout my 40+ year career. Regards, Ed Brewer Realtor Emeritus Associate Broker