About River Realty

We want to tell you who we are and why, as a small company, we can better serve our clients…

Why River Realty?

Small is the Best! We are a small company specializing in the Seward and Longfellow community. Because we are local, our clients are also our neighbors, so we have a special sense of accountability. Because we are small, we have the flexibility to adjust our methods and policies to fit our clients' needs. In this section we want to explore a few important differences between River Realty and the large companies, and we want to show you why working with us is your best choice . . .

Is it the Realtor, or the Company?
Most people choose to work with an agent they respect, without regard to his/her company affiliation. We agree this is the best policy, since you may never see or hear from anyone else in the company except the appointment secretary who sets up showings for your house—no matter how much "Team" talk you hear from any agent candidate. So it begins with the Realtor, who is responsible for leading you through the transaction, making sure you get the best professional services along the way—from initial market evaluation through moving day—including repairs, advertising, inspections, negotiating, lending, appraising, title work and finally, closing (on time, if all goes well).

This is not falling-off-a-log stuff: your Realtor will need a trained eye, a level head, and a good working relationship with the people who provide the services you need to get through a real estate transaction. Over the years we've developed close ties to some of the best professionals in the areas of repair, inspections, lending and title work. Of course, we've never received any kind of remuneration from them—we work with them simply because they perform so well. Appraisers are welcome to call us—and many do—for help with market evaluation on Seward/Longfellow properties.

Specialty
Seward and Longfellow sellers who work with River Realty know that we have sold, toured or seen most of the homes that have come to market in our area over the years. We know what is currently happening in our area—we know if the house down the block really compares to yours. Of course we live in the neighborhood; and having sold homes on most blocks, we can talk intimately and confidently about the area to potential buyers.

Accountability
We are members of the National and Area Association of Realtors which has a written Code of Ethics for dealing with the public and with other Realtors. We are proud of our reputation for treating all parties in a transaction fairly and reasonably. Of course, our priority (and our fiduciary responsibility) is our own clients' needs; but we have seen through the years the harm that can result from rigid adherence to an adversarial position. Our goal is to have win-win transactions. In most cases we accomplish this by respecting all sides and clearly communicating the facts.

Flexibility
Some sellers have all the time and resources they need to get their house ready to fetch "top dollar" on the market. But they are the exceptions. We have a history of helping those who need it to get needed repairs, truth-in-housing reports and other expenses of selling from our own funds, to be reimbursed at time of closing (this is how confident we are of our ability to sell houses in Seward and Longfellow).

We can adjust commissions without petitioning a corporate hierarchy, we can advertise anywhere that seems right for the situation, we can treat clients individually and give them the service they need. Our motto has always been, "Whatever it takes," and we will help in any reasonable way.