Sarah Perman is very thorough in every imaginable way. This was my first experience purchasing a property, and it was a new construction townhouse in Atlanta, GA. Having lived in six different states and earned degrees from a top-tier university, I have very high standards, and Sarah Perman exceeded my expectations. First, when I was trolling the web in search of a realtor to represent me, Sarah impressed me with a very detailed analysis of home prices in every major school district in Atlanta, covering all important metrics, such as how median prices have changed and how inventory level has changed. Sarah had created bar charts, line graphs, etc. all by herself by analyzing MLS data. Analysis was done for each school district. I work in technology, and I was impressed. Our first meeting on Zoom exceeded the scheduled time (one hour). All of the other realtors I got in touch with spoke on the phone only and never went beyond 15-20 minutes of unimpressive conversation that made me feel like I was back in elementary school. Based on the depth of data analysis involving the real estate data and the amount of time spent with me on the Zoom call, I felt I could trust Sarah Perman to represent me. Second, Sarah actively participates in the buying process to negotiate on behalf of the client. At one point, the builder made a mistake on the countertop (incorrect curves). Once Sarah pointed that out to be fixed, the builder did so by the next day (within 24 hours). The work crew literally took the whole countertop off, trimmed the edges correctly, and then placed it back in position. What is interesting and baffling is that, whenever I told the builder to fix something, nothing really got fixed. It was as if I was invisible, even though I was the one paying for the property to live in it. Also, when the builder had not fulfilled too many items by the final inspection and a re-inspection had to be done, Sarah negotiated so that the builder would have to pay for the re-inspection. Third, even after closing, Sarah keeps track of any items that need to be addressed. For example, Sarah has a thorough list of service providers who have solid track records (painters, electricians, etc.). Sarah continuously updates the list and provides relevant contacts when I request for references. Sarah also follows up with me at certain milestone points (one month after move-in, for example) to make sure everything is okay in terms of warranty items. Sarah also keeps track of which warranty items are still on the list (for new construction, you typically get one-year warranty period during which you can get the builder to fix or adjust various things). Fourth, Sarah is available (or makes her available) when you need her urgently at odd hours. At one point during the construction phase, I discovered that my lot was flooded with water and food debris, a condition that led to various fungus issues, etc. It was around 9PM on Friday, and I was able to speak with her on the phone. Next day, Sarah spoke with the builder and the sales agent. The builder then replaced all of the affected lumber in the following week and cleared the area of water and food. Fifth, during the design selection phase, Sarah provided insights that met my needs: quartz vs. granite, LVP vs. engineered wood, light vs. dark cabinet colors, etc. You can get tailored advice for your needs, whatever they may be - maximizing resale value, minimizing maintenance, etc. With over 10 years of real estate experience and personal ownership of more than five properties, Sarah brings a wealth of knowledge to your design/renovation process. I hope this factual narrative provides sufficient insight. read more

First time home buyer here and I couldn't be happier with my decision to use Community and Council Realty. I'd like to give praise and a big THANK YOU to Dawn Bray! From the first phone call I already knew she would be my realtor. She gave an overview of the process and a short list of what I needed to do next. Dawn made sure I was ready to move on a home if I wanted to make an offer. Due to COVID we had our first meeting via Zoom. She emailed me a lot of information and then proceeded to explain each and every bit of it until all my questions had been answered. She then sat back in her chair and asked me what I was looking for in a home. I said, "All I want is a lot of light and for the floor plan to make sense." Yeah that was a lie! As we reviewed some homes she found in my price range, I discovered there were a few (A lot!) more things I wanted. From there on out, any house she showed me included all my non negotiable items. Visiting houses was a blast! Dawn really likes what she does and it shows. From my perspective as the buyer I felt like she wanted to be there, she wanted to help me and she was happy for ME when I found my home. Her energy is so positive, she's incredibly genuine, funny and relatable. I remember this one house was absolutely gorgeous in the photos. However, that was not the case when we got there. Dawn turned her car around and pulled up beside mine. We gave each other that 'I don't think so' look for a good 5 seconds and then it was off to the next. It was like that scene from the movie Bridesmaids where Annie tells Lillian they can communicate with just a look! It was hysterical and I laughed all the way to the next house. I was very impressed with Dawn's knowledge in regard to construction of a home. We saw some old homes, new builds and flipped houses. Dawn can identify any material used in the home and whether it was installed properly or not. Her knowledge also extends to the yard. She will let you know of anything that might be dangerous to you, your children, pets or home. I'd also like to point out that Dawn's a fantastic realtor but she may have missed her calling as an arborist! If you're wondering what kind of trees are in your back yard just ask her! I 'd like to say that when this process gets frustrating she's there to keep your spirits up. Dawn won't sit back and let you throw your hands in the air and walk away. She will communicate with the broker, seller, and lender to make sure items on the inspection are taken care of and the paperwork is in order. Lastly, on closing day she was there with a big smile, we took pictures holding signs that said First Time Home Buyer and Sold, she joked about me signing official documents with my right hand because I broke my left and we drank a little champagne to celebrate crossing the finish line. Community and Council is and will always be who I use and who I recommend when purchasing a new home. Thank you from the bottom of my heart read more

Ashley Weibel went above and beyond. First off, my family and I had a very tight schedule for looking at houses. We were flying in from the west coast and only had three days to visit properties from Macon to Atlanta. Community and Council were the only real estate office that I interviewed that could immediately offer me a fiduciary type relationship, meaning they were obligated to look after my best interests. The other offices I interviewed brushed me off or weren't sure what I was talking about Community and Council offer it up front on their website. Ashley interviewed us carefully about our budget, needs, and wants, and never wavered in understanding what we needed. We flew in Friday morning early and Ashley was ready to go at 9 am. the airport was slow, so we missed the first two showings, but Ashley was there, sent us pictures and was able to rule two houses off our list before we'd even managed to up in Macon. For the next 48 hours, we hit house after house with barely a break and she was always on top of the situation, had the details, instructions, communicated clearly even under stress and was practical and a joy to work with. We narrowed it down to our final two choices that Sunday afternoon and realized were were in a bidding war on the way to the airport, one that had a 90 minute deadline for the house we really wanted. With the help of the Keller Mortgage agent (who has a relationship with Ashley's office) and a ton of guidance from Ashley, we put together a winning bid over our cell phones and laptop on our way back to the airport with minutes to spare. She was amazing, and we got our house. The rest of the process was difficult, because of issues on the seller's side with the deed and the seller's lawyer, but Ashley caught mistakes, managed negotiations, and went above and beyond to make the sale happen. Everything on our end was always ready ahead of time and completely squared away. I will contact her and her office again in a heartbeat, if I need more real estate buying or selling services. They are truly professionals and I recommend them without reservations. read more

Buying a house in 2022 was an extraordinary challenge. It was my third time buying a house, but with the intensity of the market as it was, all the normal rules had been thrown out the window. What it meant to make a competitive offer was entirely different than it ever had been before, and the speed at which any house disappeared from available inventory was unprecedented. However, my wife and I were prepared from the start thanks to the diligent efforts by our agent, Peter Searcy. From our very first conversation, Peter let us know the state of the market and prepared us for how aggressive our offers needed to be. It was through his diligent efforts and with his guidance that we were able to go under contract not once, but twice during a time when just getting under contract was no mean feat; and that included getting under contract and into our dream home. It cannot be understated how much additional challenge to the process it added that my wife and I were moving from clear across the country. Through spotty service areas and long commutes between houses, Peter was always there to give us the best possible showing and give us honest opinions about each house. He always told us what to watch out for with each house and some of the issues we might expect. He looked after us through the entire process. It was refreshing to work with someone who you could immediately tell was more concerned with finding us the right house, not just any house we would see. Peter made sure we were ready in every respect. He made certain we were in contact with a highly dependable lender. He made sure our offers were both competitive and realistic. And despite the long-distance challenges, he always made every effort to ensure our success. It was through his insurmountable help that the one house we well and truly fell in love with is the one we closed. Thanks, Peter, for finding us our home. read more

We recently relocated from Seattle to Atlanta. We had not been to Atlanta before so we flew into Atlanta for a 3-day whirlwind tour around the Atlanta area looking at different neighborhoods. The last day we were in Atlanta we met Dawn Bray through a referral from the Graham-Seeby Group. She was very knowledgeable and shared information about the area we were targeting and some of the laws in Georgia with regard to real estate that were different than Washington. We met in the morning and we had only a few hours before we had to catch our flight back to Seattle. While we had anticipated we would need to make another home shopping trip before our move, with Dawn's help we found a home that we loved that day and made an offer. It was a new build and had many challenges to selecting a lot and all of the other choices required that we needed to make over the phone and with email. Because we were long distance Dawn went above and beyond to share photos and information we needed to quickly lock up our purchase. It was a long process but every step of the way Dawn was our advocate and represented us professionally and in our best interest. She recommended places to shop, places to eat, places to walk our dogs, virtually anything and everything a new couple arriving to a new area might need to get settled in. In all negotiations with the builder she represented our interests, spoke up for us when we needed her to, reached out to smooth ruffled feathers when we were overly emotional trying to "push" things to resolution. We could go on and on and on. Over the 8 or so months we have been working together, we have not only grown to be very good friends, but we also consider her to be part of our "framily." If you are looking for a realtor we recommend her above all others! read more

Looking for the best realtor in Atlanta? Your search ends here; hire Paul Scannell! My husband and I had 2 months to relocate from NJ to GA with our 2 kids ages 5 & 3. We didn't know a soul in Georgia and needed to find a realtor, fast, that we could trust to navigate us through the purchase of our first home, using a VA loan, in a state we knew nothing about. We interviewed several realtors and didn't find our match until our first consultation with Paul. We needed a realtor who was knowledgeable of the market; who would be responsive, our advocate, a skilled negotiator; who understood our needs to help ease the anxiety of purchasing a home on such a quick turnaround. Paul exceeded our expectations! We flew in for a week of house hunting. Paul was masterful in scheduling our days considering we had 2 toddlers with us. We found our dream home on Day 4 and the seller accepted our offer the next day! When you hire Paul, you also hire his team and he only works with the best! We did our research on lenders, insurance providers, and closing attorneys. Paul's recommendations always came out on top in price and service. When we received a low appraisal from the VA a week before closing, it was Paul and his team's quick action that found a gross error in the report which brought our deal to the closing table with positive equity in our home! Paul's commitment to us along with his team of experts made our home buying process a breeze and stress free! What makes Paul unique is his genuine care for his clients and attention to detail. Plus, he has a great sense of humor and the absolute best food recommendations! Paul has won our business for life and is the only realtor we would recommend in Atlanta. Thank you Paul for making our dream a reality! The Drummonds read more

My husband and I moved to Atlanta with our son about 6 months ago and met Emily Heath at an open house. She got our info and followed up shortly after to show us some homes. Emily was aware that we were completely new to the South and took the time to show us all the neighborhoods that she thought we would like based on all our "must-haves". We saw over 20 properties and Emily never lost patience or let us feel like there wasn't something out there. After every appointment she told us that she had no doubt she would help us find the right house for us. We ended up looking in Candler Park, at Emily's suggestion, and absolutely fell in love with the area. We never would've found it had we not met Emily. Not only did she find us the perfect home for our family but also led us through ever detail of the purchase. Emily would make herself available late at night after we put our son to bed and sometimes spent over an hour with us on the phone just to make sure we felt comfortable with next steps. We are now in our brand new home in Candler Park and couldn't be happier. Also, since we are new to the area and have never owned a house, Emily helped give us any information to set up utilities and accounts with the city and assured us that she will always be there if we have any questions. Emily was THE MOST exceptional realtor we have ever worked with and truly toured us through intown Atlanta to make sure we landed in a neighborhood that would be a smooth transition after such big move. I am SO happy we found Emily Heath and will absolutely recommend her to anyone we know looking to buy or sell their place. read more

As first-time homebuyers, we relied on the guidance and expertise of Brendan Jones at the Graham Seeby Group to purchase a home in East Atlanta, and the service and care he provided was absolutely exceptional. During the initial stages of the home-buying consultation, Brendan walked us through the process, drove us around various neighborhoods, and took us inside listings to get an idea of what we were looking for. He was deeply knowledgeable about the intown market and had a lot of insight about the pros, cons, and quirks of each neighborhood. We lived about an hour away from Atlanta, so it wasn't always easy for us to make it into the city to check out a listing. On one such occasion, Brendan drove to the property, captured video of the home and surrounding street, and sent it to us. As that example suggests, Brendan was responsive and tireless in his support, which especially shone through when it came time for us to make an offer on a home. Not only did Brendan make a weekend appointment with us on a day's notice to initially see the house, but he expertly guided us through the process of making our offer in a competitive situation with multiple offers. Due to Brendan's expertise in crafting an attractive offer, we were able to beat out five other offers and still get the house at a fair price. We are very grateful for the competitive advantage we had by working with Brendan. Brendan is committed to his clients, professional, and friendly and personable. For those reasons, we give our highest recommendation to Brendan and the Graham Seeby Group. read more

Community & Council Realty, and most notably Kristen DiCarlo, were an absolute joy to work with. The greatest testament to us is walking away from an economically stressful homebuying process, in an unprecedented seller's market, during a pandemic while gaining Kristen as a genuine friend to our family. We have numerous examples to share as we spent many Sunday's together, all over the city, looking at completely contradicting "ideal" homes, from town homes in Halcyon to 1940 fixer uppers in questionable parts of town. No matter the request, Kristen was on point in all regards. The behind the scene processes were flawless on every account. The technology that they use for signing documents made many of the historically difficult parts of the process super easy and efficient, which was critical in this market to meet the quick submission deadline requirements. The whole team was just wonderful. The icing on the cake came during closing and confirmed all of the above. Following our closing, the Seller's shared with us that they had received 23 offers, some of which were higher and more appealing that our ours. They said that the key differentiator to them was the clarity and conciseness of the written offer, 100% Kristian's doing. We were over joyed to get our first home together and credit Kristen's diligence, professionalism, and overall general swagger for making this happen for us. Great person, great company, exceptional behind the scene support. Could not be happier with our experience read more

When my fiancée and I began searching for our first home, the home buying process seemed insurmountable. We had some ideas of where to look and what to look for but assumed that we would be searching for months on end. We steeled ourselves for endless emails, long days of looking at houses, and a labyrinthine system of agents and lenders. We could not have imagined how easy the process would be with Dawn Bray and her team. After our first meeting, Dawn knew what we wanted almost better than we did. She has an impressive knowledge of Atlanta neighborhoods not just as they are today, but also where they have been and where they are headed. She leveraged her knowledge to identify the neighborhoods and properties most suited to our needs. Communication was effortless and unobtrusive, and Dawn was able to easily schedule viewings even as my fiancée and I both worked full time. When negotiations with sellers became thorny, Dawn was a zealous advocate and made sure we always knew what to expect and why. When we had questions, Dawn was always ready with thoughtful answers. When we sent her panicked late-night messages, she kept us steady. Insane housing markets. Sketchy sellers. Mountains of inscrutable paperwork. Overwhelming numbers of properties. None of it fazed Dawn, and with her on our side, none of it fazed us. We found our Atlanta dream home thanks to her. We cannot thank Dawn and her team enough. read more

My wife and I feel so fortunate to have met and worked with Paul Scannell of the Graham-Seeby Group. We had been house shopping for several years and had met many local real-estate agents through open-houses or by introduction. Everyone was always nice and informative, but it was not until I met Paul that I found someone who I really sensed cared about me and my family. I recognize that sounds like hyperbole, but I truly mean it. Before ever really talking about contracts or having a formal relationship, Paul met with me and my wife on multiple occasions just to get to know us. He really took time to not just understand what we were looking for in a house (though he certainly did that), but also know and understand us in the larger context of our life. During the search process through offer negotiations and finally closing, Paul provided guidance without ever feeling aggressive or pushy. He really allowed the home-buying experience to be ours. He is the consummate professional and always made himself available. We had many conversations well after typical work hours. I would recommend Paul to anyone for their real-estate guidance without hesitation. I really cannot say enough great things about him. If you want someone to find you a dwelling, there are plenty of agents in Atlanta. If you want someone to help you find a home, you should call Paul. read more

I purchased my home back in October with the help of The Graham Seeby Group. I couldn't be more pleased! Now I am the over analytical thinker type of person who works independently and prefers doing things myself. That being said, Justin Seeby, Joan Ware, and their group made me feel comfortable and that they actually cared about my needs in the home buying process. Ryan Sconyers was appointed to be my agent. From our first meeting he was very attentive, listened to what I desired in a home, and actually suggested a wish list of features that I thought would be unattainable. Ryan quickly learned the type of house I that was dreaming of but was also aware of my budget in keeping within a price range. Within a few weeks we found the home that I was looking for. This is when Ryan's talents shined. We put a contract down on the home we found, and there were numerous exclusions that I wanted fixed and/or compensated for. I knew that to get everything we were asking for was a long shot. Ryan worked diligently with the seller's agent, staying up until 1 or 2 am in the morning to reach an agreement. In the end, I did get everything that I asked for which only in the long run saved me thousands of dollars in repairs. I can only tell you how pleased and elated I was with the effort from the team at The Graham Seeby Group. What an outstanding group of Professionals read more

I had the pleasure of meeting Marta when she was with H&A Jewelers & cannot recommend working with her enough! My husband & I had come into H&A looking for an engagement ring & Marta made what started as a very overwhelming process become a really enjoyable experience for both of us. I will be the first one to admit that I can be extremely picky & when shopping for an engagement ring, I didn't feel like I was able to find anything that checked all my boxes, while staying within our budget. Marta went above & beyond to help us design a custom engagement ring that not only fit my style & preferences, but one that we could afford. It's been 3 years since Marta helped us create my engagement ring & I still get compliments (almost daily) on how gorgeous it is! Marta's level of customer service was beyond anything we could have ever dreamed of asking for. Within the first few minutes of meeting her, I felt like I had not only made a friend but that we were working with someone who was truly willing to go to whatever length needed to make sure my husband and I walked away happy. Though I have not had the opportunity to work with Marta on finding a dream home (yet!), I know she will be the first person we turn to, when the time comes! I am forever grateful for having met Marta and would recommend her to anyone I know! read more

We were moving from a different, and not very close, state so I came into this process with a heightened level of anxiety but after talking to Samantha, I could tell we were in good hands. Samantha matched us with Ashley Weibel, which was a match made in heaven! Ashley is warm, kind, and understanding and yet such a fierce, go-getter! She was honest with us, kept us in the loop every step of the way and had really creative ways to help our offer stand out (which is CRUCIAL in this market). She took it upon herself to tour the house we ended up getting before I could even test her that we were interested (she is THAT good)! When our original lender's appraisal came back over 100k LESS than our offer (and what it was truly worth in this market), Ashley calmly walked us through that rollercoaster ride of a time, while making calls on our behalf to find another lender that could come in that late in the game and still get us to an on time closing (they did and we ended up with equity!). We didn't even actually step foot inside the home in person until after the deal was done, that's the type of trust we had in Ashley and the Community & Council Realty team! Truly could not imagine going through this intense process with anyone else! Thank you so much for helping us get our dream home! read more

My husband and I wanted to move into a larger home in our current neighborhood, Dupont Commons. Houses in the neighborhood don't stay on the market for longer than 17 days on average. So we knew this wasn't going to be an easy task. Our plan was to find the perfect home to buy, sell our current home and line the closings on the same day. We approached the Graham Seeby Group and they happily accepted the challenge. Ryan Sconyers would handle listing and selling our home and Paul Scannell would handle the buying side. Paul managed to find a home offering everything we were looking for. It was off market I might add. With his thorough research in the market and neighborhood, Paul approached the sellers with an offer they could not refuse. Within 45 days of approaching the Graham Seeby Group, we were under contract with our future home. Then Ryan Scoyners went to work, found the perfect buyer and sold our home in 21 days!!! The formula and approach of what Paul Scannell and Ryan Sconyers do cannot be duplicated with any other Real Estate Companies out there. The next time my husband and I are in need to buy or sell a home, we will absolutely hire this dynamic duo!!! Thank you Paul and Ryan! read more

If you or anyone you know is interested in buying a home in Atlanta, Paul Scannell at The Graham Seeby Group is the person you want! I was a first time home buyer planning to relocate from NYC to GA. Paul guided me through the entire process with ease and he made sure I was thoroughly informed throughout the entire process. It is great to work with someone who loves what they do and sincerely just wants to make sure you find the right home for you. I have seen and heard about all the stress that comes with buying a home especially for first time home buyers like myself, put a relocation in the mix (I was sure I would be completely stressed). Thanks to Paul's Knowledge of the market and his clear manner of sharing information, my experience was the exact opposite. The entire process was EFFORTLESS, from choosing the right lender, to narrowing down my search, to making an offer, to closing. I remember thinking as we approached the closing date....."this cannot be that easy". I cannot say that you enough to Paul for just being great at what he does. If you or anyone you know is planning to buy a home, Paul Scannell is the person you want as your Realtor. read more

We worked with Dawn Bray of Community & Council Realty and couldn't be happier! Being first-time homebuyers with a tight timeline in a crazy market, we were initially very stressed, but after meeting Dawn and talking to her about our must-haves and budget, she was with us every step of the way. She went above and beyond all of our expectations and was there to help ease our stress. It's clear that she loves what she does and truly listens to her clients. We looked at a lot of houses... and I mean a lot! She helped us be realistic about location, budget, and making sure we found our dream home. She answered all of our questions promptly and provided the resources and connections to close quickly. Dawn made herself available at what seemed like a moment's notice. She gets things done! We love our new home and are thankful for Dawn's wisdom, guidance, and support throughout the whole process. After closing, Dawn has checked in several times to see how we are settling in and to see if we had any questions. If you are in the market to buy or sell a home, we highly recommend Dawn, she will make this otherwise stressful process a smooth, enjoyable experience! read more

This was my very first time buying a home and I was terrified. The first time I met with Kelly King from the Graham Seeby group, she had a whole pamphlet of information for me as a first time buyer including timelines for the actual buying process as well as information for once I was settled in a home which immediately put me at ease. I think as a first time buyer it's easy to feel naive and out of control of the situation- it can be such a whirl wind and you don't have anything to compare it to- but Kelly was very patient and thorough with me. She really wanted to make sure I was making the right decision for me. She didn't rush me and answered every silly and paranoid question I had throughout the entire process. She even went into my crawl space with a carpenter to make sure the floor of my unit was sound. Also, when I first started looking at homes, I wasn't really sure what I wanted and Kelly quickly picked up on all the little things that I liked and didn't like in terms of aesthetics, location, and "amenities." She really helped me focus in on properties she thought I would love so I didn't waste my time. read more

I had the pleasure of working with Peter Searcy from the Graham Seeby Group on purchasing my first home. Peter met with me in the beginning to walk me through the next steps and was helpful through out the process. He setup an online search for me and quickly booked appointments so that I could see them in person. Once I found one I liked he provided guidance on the offer price and was able to quickly submit the offer. There were a couple administrative issues that arose during the process, but Peter stayed on top of them for me and worked closely with the selling agent to resolve them. Peter was able to answer any of my questions or point me to the right person who would know (lender, insurance agent, attorney, etc.). The best part of working with Peter was the trust he established with me and his quick response time, that made me feel like I was important to him and GSG, even though I know they have many other clients. I would definitely recommend working with Peter and the GSG if you are looking for a buyer agent whether it is your first home or you are a seasoned buyer. read more