“Kim was and is more than a Realtor. She is a friend and mentor. Her encouragement and empowerment for young women to be independent are truly special, and I know that when I eventually outgrow this house and its time to move on to the next, Kim will be the first person I call.” ~ Emma 

What does providing exceptional customer service really mean? To a Savvy + Co. Real Estate agent, it means making the process of buying or selling a home easy, enjoyable and positive. It means providing new homebuyer education courses, working with the most caring and knowledgeable agents in the industry and continuing to go above and beyond for each and every client no matter the market conditions.

It means forming a trusting relationship with clients and keeping things in perspective when the hunt for the perfect house takes longer than expected. First-time homebuyer, Emma, turned to Savvy + Co agent Kim Parati to help her find her “unicorn” home within her budget and that checked off all of the boxes on her ‘must’ list.

Read more about Emma’s Savvy experience!

Time to make a move

After graduating from college, Emma set the goal of buying a home. She planned to live at home with her parents and save money towards the purchase of her first home.

After living with her parents and saving money for a year and a half, Emma was ready to start the home buying process. Knowing she was about to begin the process, Emma’s mom sent her information about an upcoming SkillPop class called “How to Buy Your First Home.” The instructor was Savvy + Co. Real Estate agent Kim Parati.

“After sitting through her class and witnessing her knowledge and patience when it came specifically to first-time home buyers, I knew I had to go with Kim as my realtor,” said Emma.

Finding a unicorn

Before embarking on the home buying journey, Kim and Emma discussed Emma’s wants, budget, and desired neighborhoods.

“We very quickly realized that I would be looking for what we called a “unicorn” in an already tight market,” said Emma. “I wanted an older home with character that wasn’t too much of a fixer-upper in a safe neighborhood on the East side of Charlotte with at least two bedrooms and two bathrooms.”

With a budget of $250,000, Kim told Emma that her biggest competition in the market (area and price point) would-be investors and “flippers”.

“Emma was looking for a mid-century brick ranch in East Charlotte. It also had to be relatively turnkey and not exceed her $250,000 budget,” said Kim. “We searched for houses through MLS and sent our mailers to homeowners in Emma’s preferred locations. We searched for well over a year at about 12 houses and put in about half a dozen offers.”

After over a year of searching, Emma and Kim found a listing that checked off many of Emma’s ‘must’ boxes. The MLS photos of the home were not the best quality, but they both agreed it was important to see the home in person. They were pleasantly surprised to see just how turnkey it was and that the photos did not do the property justice.

“We put our offer in early, went a few thousand over the asking price, which paled in comparison to what we would have had to offer if we had fallen into a multiple offer battle,” said Kim. “And as a result of our quick action, we won the contract!

Persistence is key

“Emma was undeterred throughout the process,” said Kim. “She kept the faith, used the time while we were looking to continue saving money, and never gave up on her dream of finding her unicorn.”

Looking back on the experience, Emma says that although there were times she got frustrated, Kim guided her through and reminded her that “you can’t lose what doesn’t belong to you.”

“When I lost out on houses, we kept moving forward with the belief that my “unicorn” was out there,” said Emma. “Kim pushed me outside of my comfort zone and expanded my search into neighborhoods I didn’t initially consider, which is how I ended up finding the house I am in now. I couldn’t be more in love with my little three bedroom, 1.5 bathroom 1960s brick ranch.”

Even after the ink has dried, Kim still keeps in touch with Emma to ensure she is settled in her new home and see if she needs anything.

“Her encouragement and empowerment for young women to be independent are truly special, and I know that when I eventually outgrow this house and its time to move on to the next, Kim will be the first person I call.”