Brenda Bonebrake

1 year ago

Brenda was actually not our first realtor. The first showed up at our door with an interested buyer at a time when we weren't ready to sell, but was polite and kept in occasional contact for months until we were. My wife had mentioned to the gentleman that it would be nice to be able to sell to the buyer they had and not to have to put the house on the market, but at no point did the realtor suggest that it may not be in our best interests monetarily to sell without putting the house on the market. When it came time to sign the contract retaining the realtor, I had a couple of days before fallen and would later find out fractured two of my ribs. I was in a lot of pain and not exactly thinking clearly, but the realtor made my wife and I feel pressured to sign on the spot before going to urgent care that day. We were also shown a CMA that estimated the value of our house more than 15% below what it would ultimately sell for, but "coincidently" was the amount the buyer they had was willing to pay. The relationship quickly soured and after a couple of weeks of back and forth which included the realtor's very condescending superior telling us she had worked on the CMA and our house was actually worth even less and that they had valued it generously, they finally let us out of the exclusivity contract. I only bring that all that up in our review of Brenda because working with her was an absolute night and day difference. At no point was she ever pushy like the other realtor or condescending like his superior, and she just had a trustworthy vibe that the previous realtor, although polite, did not. Brenda came and took a look at our house, worked up a far more comprehensive CMA that came in much higher than the other realtor's CMA, and after having some other members of her team come take a look at the house actually suggested we price it even higher than the CMA indicated. We were actually a little bit nervous that maybe things had swung too far in the opposite direction and we were asking too much in the current housing market, but it turned out Brenda and her team had nailed it. The house went up on the market, we had a few showings, and offers came in very quickly; several which were quite a bit higher even than the already raised asking price. We went with an offer that wouldn't close for a couple of months thinking it would give us plenty of time to find a new house to move in to. Fast forward almost two months, we found a house and put down non-refundable earnest money, but just three days before closing the buyer backed out with no warning and by then the other offers were no longer on the table. It was obviously not Brenda's fault, but we were absolutely crushed because we couldn't imagine getting such good offers again, especially since we would have to sell very quickly to close on the house we wanted to buy. On top of that, we would lose the earnest money. Brenda sprang into action, lining up several showings in a very, very short time frame. Once again, we had several offers above asking price. In the end, we came out with almost just as much as the initial offer that had fallen through and were able to get the house we wanted. Throughout the entire messy process, Brenda was very patient with our constant questions and always got back to us very quickly. She went above and beyond and treated us like family in a way that may have been more common decades ago but seems very rare these days, and her supportiveness and quick action really got us through the period where it felt like everything was falling apart. I honestly can't think of adequate words to express how grateful we are and can only hope that this review will bring some business her way because she deserves as much as she can handle.

3 years ago

Mary Gries, professional buyer's agent, is the one for you! She is knowledgable and on time and very detailed oriented! Mary Gries is fair and honest, and very intelligent and knows her stuff! She is on top of your game and will go to bat for you! Mary Gries was a delight to work with. I recommend her to those seriously wanting to buy in Oregon.

4 years ago

Brenda is a phenomenal realtor! She helped us sell our farm, and expertly guided us through the entire process, from pricing to closing. Her communication is impeccable, and she has a remarkable ability to clear the inevitable emotional fog out of the transaction, allowing her clients to make clear-eyed decisions. She also advocates for her clients, and is able to keep the other side of the transaction realistic, ensuring steady progress through to closing. I enthusiastically recommend Brenda!

4 years ago

Mary made my first-time home buying experience great and positive experience. Her understanding of the housing market is amazing and with my rough idea of what I was looking for/fairly large search radius she delivered insight that was top notch. She was always available to answer any questions and did not rush the process. Mary is the best!!!

4 years ago

With this being my first investment property purchase She helped a lot with decisions without any pressure to do it a certain way. Very friendly and responds promptly.