“I was looking for properties because I was moving from New York to Virginia and I initially came up with 15 - 20 places, but then everything was sold within a day or two.”

This was Fred Bergman’s predicament as he looked to move from New York to Virginia. Not only were appealing properties quickly snatched off the market, but Fred was also working on a tight timeline. He had sold a previous property and was looking to reinvest his money as soon as possible, but he was struggling to find the right place.

She’s going to know your needs, she’s going to know which locations to go to, and she’s not going to waste your time.

One day as he was browsing the web, he came across an advertisement for Neighborhoods.com real estate agent Vicki Girdis and was prompted to pick up the phone. 

“She’s going to know when she saw you, she’s going to know where you went to visit, she’s going to know your needs, she’s going to know which locations to go to, and she’s not going to waste your time.”

When Fred and Vicki started chatting, he knew right away that he found the right real estate agent. “I’m very perceptive,” he explained. “I think it’s the customer’s job to pick the best real estate agent. You don’t necessarily want your friend to act as your agent.” From then on, Fred worked with Vicki to find properties that would prove a smart financial investment, which for Fred meant taking advantage of the booming industry in Virginia, specifically in Fairfax County.

I think it's the customer's job to pick the best real estate agent.

“Virginia is growing rapidly—there’s a lot of new construction, there’s no shortage of jobs, and people need a place to live.”

When Fred and I discussed the role online research played in his home search, he explained that he didn’t have to do much research because, once he found Vicki, she answered all of his questions for him. “Whatever I would have found on Neighborhoods.com, I found through Vicki,” he shared. “She was Vicki and Neighborhoods.com at the same time. She answered every question I had.”

She was Vicki and Neighborhoods.com at the same time.

“The biggest value of a website,” Fred continued, “is connecting you to the right agent, there’s no doubt about it. A website can’t walk you into a location, it isn’t going to help you meet someone it has a relationship with—only an agent can do that.”

As Fred and I were chatting about the merits of an excellent agent, he flipped the interview script. “I have a question for you,” Fred inserted into our conversation. “What do you do if you have another agent who is on the site, who isn’t as good as Vicki? How do you direct your users to Vicki?”

Well Fred, I’m glad you asked. At Neighborhoods.com, we take a lot of pride in our real estate agents and believe that they truly are the best in their industry. Every single real estate agent featured on Neighborhoods.com has demonstrated their exceptional knowledge, experience, and trustworthiness through an extensive interview and training process. We choose only the best possible agents to feature on our site, so that every customer has the chance to connect with a real estate agent like Vicki, no matter where they might be looking for a home.

The biggest value of the website is connecting you to the right agent.

Fred seemed satisfied with my mini sales pitch, but to be fair, he didn’t need much convincing— he had already experienced what a Neighborhoods.com real estate agent brings to the table. With Vicki’s guidance and support, Fred eventually purchased four investment properties, two of which were in active adult retirement communities. 

When I asked Fred where he would have found an agent if he didn’t see Vicki’s advertisement online, his outlook was pretty bleak. “Not sure,” he responded, “but I know that I would not have ended up with the same four, high-quality investment properties. At the end of the day, I got a good selection of properties, and that is all I can ask for.”