Lee Ritchie-Realtor

Reviews 3

ZA

Zachary Farquhar

Homebuying requires the homeowner to make many decisions. The first decision I made when relocating back to Columbus turned out to the wisest and most fortuitous one: choosing Lee Ritchie as my realtor. I had several friends that had bought homes in Columbus, but none of their recommendations gave the impression that their realtors were anything more than just competent. Based on Lees online reviews, she seemed to be exactly what I was looking for. She had helped a lot of people buy from out of town and she specialized in the downtown/urban market where I wanted to buy, so I decided to call her. Like I said, maybe the best decision I made during this process. From our first conversation, I could tell that she was the real deal. Her deep knowledge of the urban /downtown Columbus market was immediately apparent to me. Lee was upfront and realistic about the challenges facing a buyer in this sellers market, and what I would need to do to make things happen. Every step of the way, Lee gave me advice that always turned out to be sage and correct. Most importantly, her advice always had my interests at heart, even if the recommended course of action might have resulted in a lowered commission for her. For example, the first offer I made on a house was way below the listing price, based on Lees market research. Lee simply didnt think the home was worth what they were asking for it and didnt want me to buy a place for more than it was worth, even though we both knew that the place would probably sell for close to the listing price. She was looking out for my long term financial interests. I believe many agents would be more interested in their commission. Lee also advised me to wait until something really great came along, and not to settle, whereas other agents would have been pushier about simply trying to get a buyer into contract. I was anxious about finding a place in time because of starting a new job, took her advice, and got a wonderful place that I love. When it came to negotiating and dealmaking, Lee was fearless and always willing to go farther to get results in my favor. After going into contract, a number of complications arose that could have potentially derailed the whole transaction. Every step of the way, Lee was there to present a solution and keep things on course. Her efforts also defused and minimized the unavoidable stress that is part of the process. Lee also has a network of professional referrals who do work at the highest level. The home inspector she recommended was extremely thorough and went through every inch of the house with me. (I also had access to a previous report that another inspector had prepared, whose work paled in comparison to Lees inspector.) I asked Lee for a referral to a loan officer because I had been unhappy with the one at my bank. The guy Lee referred me to worked incredibly hard and, like Lee, found solutions to every crisis that arose. Recently, I attended a continuing legal education class on the closing process where an attorney asked the realtor who co-taught the class, how can we advise our clients on how to choose a realtor? The realtor said that the first thing to look for is whether the realtor does the job full time because only 10% of the realtors are responsibly for the vast majority of sales. The industry is very competitive, turnover is high, and if a realtor is working part-time, its because they have another job as their means of support. That also limits their availability. The point is, Lee is a full-time realtor. Real estate is not a hobby or part-time gig for her. She gives it her all, she is successful, and for good reason. She is both passionate and very serious about her work and helping her clients. I cannot imagine having had a better guide and advocate when buying my home.

SO

Sonja Parcell

After my husband relocated from Chicago, I then relocated from San Diego to join him in Columbus; and with a baby on the way, we were more than overwhelmed starting our home search as first time buyers. As well be entering quite a different lifestyle than what were accustomed to, we werent confident on neighborhoods or even where to start. We went to random open houses, searched popular websites, and met random realtors, but nothing was the right fit, and we always seemed to be too late. The Columbus market is in such high demand, homes we did like, wed finally get a showing and theyd already be off the market with several offers. What we thought would be fun was turning into one frustrating disappointment after another, meanwhile our babys due date was quickly approaching. LUCKILY, LEE RITCHIE TO THE RESCUE! My husband and I are so thankful one of his clients put us in touch with Lee Ritchie, who happens to be Columbus Best, and she certainly earns the title. With her wealth of experience, knowledge of the area and quite the network of business relationships and clientele, as first time buyers we needed a certain amount of hand-holding and guidance and she was glad to help us! Lee throughly understood our needs vs nice-to-haves, and our deadline with a baby on the way, she was realistic with us and helped us with neighborhoods and areas based on what we were looking for. Lee was so quick to respond to our requests for showings, enabling us to see homes that were just put on the market that day, and some that werent even on the market yet. We greatly appreciated that she didnt waste our time, or hers, she didnt show us places in areas we didnt like and she didnt show us places that were significantly above our budget. We never felt like we were a burden or just a number to her; Lee genuinely cares. Lee contacted us late one evening with a prospective, and we were able to view it within the first few hours of being open. Once we knew we loved it, she helped us make an agressive offer with friendly contracting terms, beating out I believe five or six other offers, in the 26 hours the house was on the market. Lee also had great reccomendations for the home inspections. We just closed on the house, paperwork was a breeze, and we received immediate possession and keys, all before our baby is due! We couldnt be more thrilled with our new home, and we wouldnt be in it without the help of Lee Ritchie!

CA

Cassie Bradford

I happened to come across Lee Ritchie as I was searching for my first home. I really lucked out, having no prior experience at all in this business, to find her and have her guide me through the process. Lee was fantastic from beginning to end! She took all of my concerns into consideration, discussed with me her concerns, and really helped solidify my decision to move forward with each process. She is efficient at what she does. I never felt the anxiety of not receiving an email or call back in enough time for anything, and/or being left in the dark. I knew she would always be there. She had no hidden agendas, no political involvement; I knew she was there to help me make the best decision for myself and what fit my life the best. She is full of knowledge, not just in real estate, but in networking as well. She helped connect me to, what I would like to say, the best people to help facilitate the rest of the home-buying process; gave me great recommendations for lenders, home inspectors, etc. A lot of the "hard work" was already laid out by her, and given to me for my disposal, if I so desired to contact them vs go on endless searches for reputable sources. It was very helpful, especially for me who works full time, has no immediate family in the area to help, and was beginning grad school in the meantime. Everything from beginning to end went very smoothly overall. I felt confident having her on my team. I cannot thank her enough for treating me as one would treat a family member that they love so dearly. She was, and is, an amazing real estate agent and person. I would definitely recommend her! PS She had "Moms and Grandmas Approval" from 2 hours away, which meant a lot to them, and to me! :)

Other organizations