"I have lived in Columbia for close to 30 years and have bought and sold several primary residents over the years. I have had several agents during that time but never really felt that their expertise went deeper than just listing and showing my home. When I made the decision to move into real estate as an investment I started looking for a different agent and Susan was recommended to me because of her knowledge of the local market as well as having extensive experience with property management. Over the last year Susan has been my agent for a total of 4 property purchases and 3 property listings. Each one went smoothly and I have been thoroughly impressed with her business savvy, negotiating skills, and dedication to getting me the best deals. She has a team of professionals who works with her, so even if she is not available because she is doing a showing, one of her other staff is more than happy to help you. Now for the justification for each subsections answer:
Local Knowledge - I believe Susan has lived in Columbia most of her life. Because of this she has an extensive network of contacts that she can get you in contact if you need them. Need a contractor, no problem, she has personally worked with many in the area, and she can tell you which ones do a good job and which ones are affordable. Need a mortgage broker, again, no problem. She is there to help you get the deal done.
Process Expertise - As I mentioned earlier, Susan is not only a real estate agent (for several years I might add), she also owns a property management business and knows the inns and outs the legal as well as practical aspects of real estate.
Responsiveness - If she is not available, she has a whole staff who are, who will take care of you immediately. I found that text messaging was one of the most effective ways to get critical messages to her. If you don't need an answer right away, she always answers voice messages and e-mails.
Negotiating Skills - She has been my agent where she was just a purchasers agent and she has also been my agent where she acted as both the sellers agent and the purchasers agent. In all cases, she has been really creative in looking at ways to get deals to work out. In a recent purchase where I was buying a foreclosed property, Susan not only negotiated me an additional 15% off the already low asking price (started asking price 20% below market value), she found several issues like tax liabilities and association dues that the listing agents were not disclosing."
- Jeff Galen
"As a 1st time home buyer 16 years ago, we stumbled upon Susan because she was the listing agent of the house we wanted to purchase. After having met and become to know MANY other realtors in our area, we still chose Susan and team hands down to the others... so again, for our recent home sale/purchase in 2014 we knew exactly who to call! She is without comparison the BEST of the BEST.
Susan and her team went above and beyond to sell our home and find the perfect new home for our family. Their knowledge, experience, and expertise stands out above the rest. Every step of the way, I could count on Susan's experience to help us make the best decisions.
She didn't just "list" our house and throw us to the wolves.... she came by and helped us stage our home, sent a professional team of photographers to generate upgraded quality images, helped us secure contractors for repairs, and more. If we needed it, she arranged it. That says nothing of her marketing approach. I encourage you to try to find another agent anywhere that has the presence she does in the print or digital space - you simply will not find it. In today's market, sales begin on the web - she is one of the very few agents with a team dedicated to managing her digital presence.
When it came time to buy our new home, we helped us decide what the right "fit" for our family was and then went to work finding it. In the end, she found us our dream home.
In addition to being the most professional that there is in the business, she was also able to talk to me like a friend and a mom to understand what I needed and why. She understood life with 4 kids and was able to speak to what we needed now and what we would need in the near and not-so-near future. She helped us plan for that, thinking of things that just had not yet come to be for us.
Due to time constraints of closings on the same day, we were without a place to stay for several days - of course, she solved that too. If you didn't know, Susan rents affordable furnished homes on short-term & long-term basis. Our move was seamless and Susan and her team made sure of that every step of the way. While our efforts were focused on selling our old home and buying new, Susan kept a roof over our head in between as well - she didn't make that "our problem", she jumped in even when she didn't have to. I don't know of another realtor that can or will make that happen."
- Becky Spicer
I both purchased and sold a home through the Susan Horak Group, in one tough market and season. Susan went far and beyond expectations in arranging a great deal for both parties - on both occasions.
Susan is a wealth of information on the Columbia market, and the process. She has the knowledge and contacts to handle about any situation you can toss her way. And believe me, every real estate deal has a situation.
With Susan, you'll get dead on market values and straight up answers. She has put together a fantastic team dedicated to one task: buying and/or selling your home. Quick responsive replies be that via phone, text or email. Flexible and takes advantage of the latest technologies for fast transactions.
Susan - and her teams', Jan, Molly and the rest - extensive experience comes through at every stage. Creative, knowledgeable and professional are terms you'll quickly associate with the Susan Horak Group. Susan IS Columbia Real Estate.
- Craig Bailey
We chose to go with The Susan Horak Group after meeting her daughter, Molly, at an open house. She was very personable and had a great amount of knowledge about the Columbia area and Columbia real estate. Out of the 20 houses we looked at based on our price range and our wish list, we ended up getting our “dream home”. It had everything we wanted and a few added perks. Not only did the process go smoothly, but we got a GREAT deal! There was never any pressure to go for something out of our price range and there was never a single question Molly couldn’t answer for us along the way.
Instead of selling our old home my wife and I wanted to turn it into a rental for another source of steady income. We also wanted to use a property management company so we could remove ourselves from the day-to-day headaches involved with being a landlord. Molly’s professionalism, can-do attitude, and knowledge about real estate and the community made it an easy decision to use their property management company: Southern Properties, LLC. They are able to handle EVERYTHING, from finding tenants to repairing leaky faucets. They have a knowledgeable maintenance crew on staff and the cost is minimal when considering all the time is saves me from having to address the needs of the tenants myself.
It was a relief to find a company that is as eager to please their clients as The Susan Horak Group is. We know if we ever have a question in relation to real estate or property management that we have a friend with the answers. Hopefully my wife and I have made our final home purchase for a number of years, but if we ever choose to move again or are asked for a real estate company to recommend, The Susan Horak Group is the only choice as far as we’re concerned!
- Kris & Jolon Riney
"What would Susan do? This is a question I hear other real estate agents ask all the time. The answer is simple, whatever is best for the Buyer and Seller Susan is representing is what Susan will do! Susan takes care of her customers so that they become clients for life. Yes, I would recommend Susan Horak for all of your real estate needs."
- Kenney Hubble
"Susan is a true professional and it is always gratifying to work with her. I know her knowledge of the real estate industry, the tenancity exhibited to see the contract completed successfully, will be the end result of our transaction together."
- Wanda Northway
"Susan has been a total professional in all she does. She helped my wife and I find the perfect house to start our family right here in Columbia, Missouri. She is very knowledgeable, friendly, and cares about her customers she serves. She helped us in every way imaginable to find that perfect place and we are thankful for all she did for us. Susan is all about customer service which is what I personally respect about her the most. Its not just about a sale, it's about what is right for the people she is working for, that would be you the customer. Susan is a wonderful lady! She will work endlessly for you, and I HIGHLY recommend her!"
- Danny Spry Jr.
"Susan found and sold me my first Columbia house 10 years ago. I contacted her when I was ready to sell it and buy another Columbia home. She's knowledgeable and proactive and I will use her again in the future."
- Susan Wampler
"Susan was my agent in Columbia, She is very professional and knows the market very well! She will work hard for you! She also is very dedicated to her buyers and sellers!"
- Herman & Diane Page Lake of the Ozark
"Susan Horak has been with The Real Estate Book of Columbia, MO for years. There is a reason why. She gets it. One of the top producing agents every single year. Whether you're listing, buying or investing, Susan can help with all of your real estate needs."
- Brian Asbury
"Susan Horak is the best. Period.
Susan dealt perfectly with our transaction both personally and through delegation to very capable staff when necessary. She is knowledgeable about and put us in touch with timely and quality craftsmen and workers who completed last minute odds and ends we wanted finished before our open house.
Susan's colleagues and office staff get things done. Molly dropped everything she was doing and met with us first as we just walked in without a appointment and Susan wasn't in the building. Molly got everything down and gave us several great pointers and good advice. After that, it wasn't long before Susan was setting up the appointment we'd requested. She came over when it was convenient for us and shared her opinions, gave some suggestions and we were off to the races!
During the sales process, everyone we dealt with in Susan's office was top notch. Molly was great, the photo guys that came out to take the pictures were great, Jan in Susan's office is great. Bottom line, Susan Horak and her entire gang are always a class act that produces results.
We've recommended Susan before and would again."
- Jeff & Leanne Bandy
"Susan Horak has dominated the real estate marketplace in the Columbia, MO area for almost three decades. Her extreme competency as a real estate professional has helped thousands of homeowners realize their dreams. Her market knowledge about the industry and process are unmatched, but most of all she cares. She is a leader with RE/MAX Boone Realty and in this marketplace and is someone you want helping you with your next purchase or sale."
- Elizabeth Mendenhall
"Her knowledge of Columbia and surrounding areas is amazing!
There isn't anything regarding neighborhoods or areas in and around the city that Susan doesn't seem to know a whole lot about. She also knows lots and lots of people and shares helpful contacts. She hooked us up with a great mortgage banker and a home inspector that we were very comfortable with. Susan has a strong command of the housing market and truly worked for our best interest. She knows when properties are over, under or priced correctly and freely shared that information with us to help us make the most informed decisions we could. Her responsiveness is amazing - when we call, text or email, we are either answered immediately or very quickly.
Susan can negotiate a mean deal too. Though we are going to get the home buying job done, we did not end up with the first home we attempted to purchase. A couple mistakes were avoided because Susan knew important price points and specific things we should include in our offer to purchase. She educated us continually through the process and helped turn what can be an emotional purchase into a carefully considered business decision.
Susan Horak is top notch, bottom line."
- Review on Zillow (user7883375)
"Susan is incredibly knowledgeable with used home conditions (including structural and remodeling issues). She has vast experience as a realtor which really shows when showing homes to the seller and buyer."
- Review on Zillow (user805451)
"I would so enjoy telling you our tales of house hunting here and finally closing on a house in 10 days that we have been in a struggle to get since May 29. There is still no agent that can hold a candle to you Susan!"
- Diane Reinhardt-Finocchiaro
"She is also an awesome vocalist. Not many people know that."
- Bruce Poe of the the Bruce Poe Band