Debra Burke was our realtor during one of NJ's most difficult real estate markets ever. In the year that Debra was our representing agent, she gave us crucial advice about how to present our home for maximum results, during a time when there were hundreds of homes on the market all at once in the Chester area, many of which were just sitting unsold, and continuing to decline in price.
Debra emphasized the importance of showcasing the beauty of our home, not the contents that it contained. Debra communicated everything to us in a very professional, positive and precise manner, in order to get the best results possible in a tumultuous market. At times we felt stressed when our home wasn't selling as quickly as we would have liked. However, Debra was always positive, reassuring and calm, and her excellent knowledge of the market always gave us a sense of comfort, that if anyone was going to sell their home, we were, when the right buyers came along!
Debra has an excellent relationship with all of the realtors in the Morris County area, and she did a superb job of attracting positive excitement and interest in our home amongst the area realtors, which in turn, brought a number of prospective buyers through our house! Debra had a realtor open house, as well as several subsequent open houses, which brought many interested buyers through our home. Also, you could always count on her to follow up promptly with the various realtors, representing these buyers. She continually communicated to us the pros and cons of what people thought about our home, and did that in such a tasteful and useful way, that it actually strengthened our position in the marketplace, by following some of the feedback, which we received!
In the end, Debra was a friend, as well as our realtor. We were very fortunate to have had a couple of very strong offers at the same time, in a dismal market. Debra coached us with our strategies, in how to negotiate with both buyers. This guidance helped to make it very clear to us, which buyer to go with, and which buyer would enjoy and love our home as much as we did, in the ten years we lived there!
We were one of just a few house sales in our price range, during the month of August 2009, in Chester, NJ, and we have Debra to thank immensely for that success! We got the results we were hoping for in the long run, with the sale of our house, while many other homes in our price range, continued to remain on the market, and decline in value.
The time it took to sell our home was probably a little longer than it would have been, if the market conditions had been more favorable. However, we sold our home to a lovely family, received a fair price in a rocky market, worked with a wonderful, professional realtor, and had a happy and successful conclusion to our home selling journey! We highly recommend Debra Burke as a realtor, who gets maximum results, in any prevailing real estate market!
Carolyn and Jeff Schwarzwaelder
I´m writing today to express our gratitude and appreciation for our real estate agent Debra Burke.
Her professionalism in dealing with both the buyer and seller is unheard of these days. We only wished that we knew about her years ago when we were purchasing our first home! One thing that we loved about Debra is how comfortable she made us feel. There pretty much wasn't a question that we felt we couldn´t approach her with. We could always count on her for her honesty and prompt service.
Debra is very knowledgeable in current market values and was wonderful on providing us great advice on how to stage our home for the maximum potential dollar value. Even in a slow housing market, we received quick and multiple offers from many buyers. The website they provided for our house was exceptional and we received many compliments from our friends and family.
There´s no doubt in our mind that we would definitely recommend Debra and her wonderful team for any potential buyer or seller! Thank you, Debra for holding our hands through this crazy housing market!! We couldn´t have done it without you!
With Best Regards,
Joe & May Chan
To whom it may concern!
I am sending this note to Debra for her to use with any of her current or future clients.
I have bought and sold 8 homes throughout the years. I have to say that the most difficult sale I ever had to make was the sale of my home. The market was dropping and fear of pending collapse was in the air. Debra is the most professional individual I ever worked with in any of these sales or purchases. She explained exactly what we needed to do in order to sell the house and move in our desired timeframe. She worked with us through every phase of the sale and ensured everything was completed in an accurate and timely manner. We were very pleased and quickly became aware that all we had to do was listen and we would reach our goals. Please listen to her advice, even if it is not what you wanted to hear, she knows what she is talking about. Debra knows the business, the market and what it takes to make the sale happen. Once again, I give her the highest praise possible and wish I could use her services any time I purchase or sell a home. Thanks Debra for all of your help and professionalism.If anyone would like to discuss my experience with Debra, her team or her abilities, please write me at dan.brown@verizon.net or call me at 214-287-7623. Thanks, Dan Brown
Hi Debra and Thank You, Thank You, Thank You,
I can start the many nice things I want to say about you by wishing that you were down here to help us with the North Carolina end of our real estate transaction like you did on the New Jersey end. You know that this is our 11th relocation in the last 35 years so we have some experience with the process but it is a new challenge every time. This is the first relo we have had to do all on our own - no company support or involvement! If it were not for your understanding of the current psychology of the psychotic real estate market and your well-informed handle on real estate, our 41 day sale cycle would never have happened!
This is a different market than we had previously experienced and you knew it would take a different attitude and approach for a successful sale. Your value started with insight into what needed to be done to get our house ready for market - what was worth doing and what wasn't. This saved us from spending time and money that we would not have recouped. When we were ready, you did a fine job of taking pictures of our home; you have a real talent in that area!
Next came the marketing expertise of your team. You marketed it professionally and thoroughly, including the development of a separate web site for our home. Your team understood the technology, insuring that our house would be seen by as many web searches as possible. You and your team followed up with the realtors who showed the house to get feedback and improve our approach.
Debra, we were proud to have you representing us and it was always a pleasure to see you. Thank you for coming by often to make in-course corrections or answer questions we had. You are THE BEST!!
You helped us get past our dreams about what we thought our house should be worth and to a realistic understanding of what the market would tolerate. We call that 'tough love'. We were on our way to retirement and really needed to sell our house for 'big bucks' but once we told you that our strategy was to get to North Carolina before Christmas, you told us what we had to do. We did it and sure enough, we celebrated Thanksgiving here!
Thank you so much!
- Susan & Matt Mengel
If you are looking for a real estate agent in New Jersey, I would highly recommend Debra Burke, of Coldwell Banker. Debra Burke is truly professional in all phases of her work. She sold our house, her marketing plan was very effective as we encountered a swarm of potential buyers/lookers during our first open house. She made all the important arrangements and contacts for staging our house and spared no expense when she advertised it. It was a real pleasure working with her. If you want a real professional for buying or selling a house call Debra Burke. She manages the process to ensure everything happens on time and when a last minute issue arises, she takes care of that, too. Her recommendations for professionals to do repairs have been great and I have yet to ask for a referral that she cannot provide.
She has performed above and beyond, since we lived out of state, we depended on her and she was always accessible to us. Debra would be available at the home and handle any problem that needed to be resolved. She would always have a smile, and made us feel comfortable in our decision in selling our beloved New Jersey home. Her experience in the New Jersey real estate market makes her a great resource for either the first time buyer or an experienced buyer that needs help finding just the right home.
We truly thank Debra Burke and we recommend her to all who wish to have a true happy experience when selling or buying a home.
John and Pauline Blasena
Dear Debra,
We would like to say thanks for helping us through the home buying process. Having a realtor who lived in the area we were looking in was tremendously helpful as who would better know places to eat or contractors to trust than a local. Your staff was very helpful as well which helped reduce the stress of trying to buy and sell a house at the same time. We hope to enjoy our new house for years to come.
Doug and Leigh
Douglas Cohen
Systems Engineer
US Army ARDEC
Enterprise & Systems Integration Center
Systems Engineering Directorate
Picatinny Arsenal, NJ 07806-5000
973-724-9653
It is with great pleasure to recommend Debra Burke as your Real Estate agent. She has all the skills required to serve your needs as your agent. She is overly competent, professional and fulfills the real estate contract with utmost respect.
Debra has been my agent for the past year. We have had countless phone discussions, emails and she has completed details on my home that were way beyond her call of duty.
Debra is personable, thorough and can handle herself with dignity in a given situation.
This last year has proven to be a struggle for the housing industry and with that, Debra has always been positive and provide the seller´s with appropriate advice in reference to the house.
I would highly recommend Debra as a superior real estate agent!
Sincerely yours,
C. Dellostretto
Dear Debra,
I would like to thank you for the outstanding support you provided through our home sale. Marketing the house so well in very difficult market conditions, but also being such a great support in dealing with very demanding circumstances, and guiding me through to a successful conclusion.
Your willingness to deal with the required testing and inspections while I was out of the country was so valuable to me.
Thank you very much for your terrific support.
Best Regards,
S. Hammond
Our home is one of our biggest financial investments. We view our personal finances as our own business; give it the priority it deserves. So when interviewing realtors for selling our home, we did not want a so-so realtor, we wanted the best.
And we got it in Debra. We found her passion, determination and dedication to us reassuring that we made the right choice. Our hearts were invested into our move, and the decision on where we planned to raise our family. Debra understood that and put her every effort into marketing our home, following through on every request we made.
Debra runs a consistent business, has strong follow through and has top notch support team with Heather at her side. We were always a priority to Debra, who answered our phone calls or returned our calls in a timely manner. There were days where we were on the phone several times a day every day of the week. This is not some side job for this realtor, this is her business!
When we got into a shaky situation with the buyer, Debra was there, getting down to the real issues with the buyers realtors, and making the action happen! She did so much behind the scenes at time that we had no idea how much she truly did for us! Her words and direction helped us get through the tougher times of this wonderful adventure. While every moving story is full with some turmoil, we count our blessing that Debra and Heather were by our sides as we experienced our incredible dream come true when we sold the old and bought our new home.
You are making a wise choice when you choose the Burke Team!
Sincerely,
T. & B. Lauterbach
Dear Debra,
Sorry it´s been a while since we touched base, but it´s been quite hectic getting settled into a new life down here in Baton Rouge.
I can´t believe you got our house in Budd Lake sold, not once, but twice even in this challenging market. The outstanding marketing campaign really brought heavy traffic into our house and several offers. You were always quick to give us feedback, and kept us up to date with what was going on, even when we moved to Baton Rouge. I honestly can´t thank you enough.
I truly believe the only reason that we did get a fair price for our home was due to your efforts and expertise in how best to get the word out about it, and work through any last minute necessities-like the well water test, the landscaping, and questions from the buyer. It was a great relief to both my husband and I that we picked such an outstanding realtor to handle our home sale.
Thank you so much again Debra!
Yours Truly,
T. Tunis
Baton Rouge, LA
Dear Debra & Michael,
I just wanted to thank you for the wonderful way you have treated my family, both in selling my previous home and in finding and purchasing my new home.
You both took the time to get to know myself and my children, and our needs and desires in terms of a new location. You took to heart our need to move quickly and to find just the right house that would not only make us very happy but also make it affordable too.
Scheduling was never an issue and you both went completely out of your way to make yourselves available for us to see new houses whenever I would call, even at the last minute.
It was truly a pleasure working with both of you. I would never hesitate to recommend you to anyone I know. In all honesty it was like working with family and I will always be grateful for your help during such a difficult transition.
Sincerely,
D. Morros
Department of Radiology
Health System Imaging Services
Southwestern Medical Center University Hospital
Dear Debra,
Sheila and I can not thank you and your entire team enough for all of your hard work and dedication throughout the entire process of selling our home. Although we decided to list our home just as the market was changing, you managed to put our minds at ease every step of the way. You were confident when we were doubtful and you were supportive when we were anxious. But most importantly, you were right every step of the way and turned negative times into positives by selling our home for close to our asking price while most other homes on the market sat for weeks and months on end.
Thank you for helping Sheila and my three babies in New Jersey while I had to start my new job and relocate to Texas. Thank you for helping me from afar with all of the property improvements issues, attorneys, open houses, contractors, landscapers, realtors, home inspectors, Township Officials and their issues and thank you for always answering the endless phone calls and the long list of emails.
We signed a contract for a professional and knowledgeable realtor that would sell our house quickly and for the best price possible - we got all that and more - we got compassion, caring, understanding and most importantly we got a friend. Please do not hesitate to use me as a personal reference for you or your team. I would be happy to pay you back for some of the endless phone calls and emails.
Thanks!!!
M. Medina
Debra,
I hope this finds you and Mike doing well. Kim and I are really looking forward to our upcoming move. Things are moving along really well.
I just wrapped up the financing with Bob Bannon today, and I just wanted to tell you what a great job he did. He totally exceeded my expectations and really made some terrific recommendations. Thanks for getting us together with him.
You've got a great team, they've all been top notch. Kim and I are really fortunate to have you looking out for us! Looking back I realize that fate's a great thing, had I not jogged past that house in Chester 8 years ago and called you and Mike, I'm quite certain Kim and I wouldn't be moving into our dream home in just a few weeks.
Thanks again for all your help and hard work, hope you and Mike will be able to join us for dinner soon in our new home.
Regards,
Rob
Dear Coldwell Banker Realtors,
I would like to take this time to thank Debra Burke for her real estate expertise. I have utilized her services in the past for two transactions and always find her to be knowledgeable, attentive to details and always pleasant to do business with.
Sincerely,
J. Nocilla, Jr., M.H.A.
Well it has been a month now since we moved into our new house and we absolutely love it! Both the house and the neighborhood is such a good match to our family´s lifestyle, it feels as though it was custom tailored for us!
On behalf of Mark and the family, I would like to thank you for taking the time to get to know us and for keeping the overall real estate process so simple. Your approach was extremely professional; instilling an immediate level of confidence in me that you were looking out for our best interests. The very first round of properties that you presented us, I felt were custom tailored to what we have vaguely described on our "wish list" and the end result was that we found the ideal house/neighborhood for our family.
You clearly know the business and were an absolute delight to work with. Know that we appreciate the time you took to help us find the house, your overall professionalism and that you are on the top of our professional recommendation listing to friends/family should they find themselves in need a realtor.
Best Regards,
L. E. Williams
We wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for the outstanding job you did as our realtor. You were truly a pleasure to work with from our initial meeting through the sale of our home.
You provided us with extensive comps on the area and gave us an honest and realistic assessment of the value of our home. Your expertise helped us price our home competitively and sell our home in a very reasonable period of time. We appreciate the detail you put into the creation of the marketing materials for our home and for the assistance you provided in showcasing our home to potential buyers in the area.
Thank you to you and your team for being prompt in responding to any questions we had and for providing us the realtor feedback from each of the showings of our home. Your professionalism and service are remarkable.
Sincerely,
J. McDonald
On behalf of my Mom, Aunt Jeanne, and myself especially, we would like to thank you for your excellent work in the sale of my Aunt Gertrude´s house. Without you the sale of this house would have been more of a nightmare than it really was.
Despite the fact that I reside outside of New Jersey the sale of the house went extremely well due to your experience and helpfulness. Everything that could possibly go wrong in the sale of a house went wrong in the sale of this house. You generously offered to coordinate all the work and inspections and did so efficiently and smoothly. You were always available for any questions I had and went above and beyond what a real estate agent is expected to do. For that we thank you very much.
Throughout the entire house selling process we have been impressed with your thoroughness, kindness, honesty, and knowledge. It will be our pleasure to recommend you to anyone wanting to buy or sell real estate in the New Jersey area.
Again, thank you for assisting us in this venture. And good luck to you in your future.
Sincerely,
L. Blum
We would like to thank you for the exceptional service you provided in listing our home. Your knowledge of the area and superb marketing skills sold our home above asking price in less than 2 weeks. We appreciate your responding to our questions so promptly. Your professionalism and kindness helped to make our relocation less stressful. We are pleased to recommend your services.
Sincerely,
R. & S. Marlier
I wanted to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for all your help in selling my house. You were always available whenever I needed advice and offered excellent suggestions. It also helped that you put this on the internet.
I would gladly recommend you.
Sincerely,
I.Menken
We recently bought and sold a house in Tewksbury with Debra Burke representing us for both transactions and what a pleasure it was! This was the second time we dealt with Debra within a 5-year period and we were so glad we chose her again. She is a thorough professional, very pleasant to be with, who made a very difficult time so much easier to deal with. I would recommend Debra to anyone who is looking to buy or sell a house, and as a matter of fact, I have!
Sincerely,
J.Raimo
Well, our latest home sale is complete thanks to you!
I have to say that each time we buy or sell a home, you somehow manage to surprise us and that's why we keep coming back. We thought you were crazy when you told us what you were going to list our house for, way too much. But as always, you surprised us and the house sold for the full asking price and in just nine days! Thanks again for the "hand-holding", outstanding knowledge and professionalism.
P.S. We will be living in our current home until "death-do-us part".If this should change I'll be calling you.
K.Canavan
With Debra as our Realtor, we sold our house in Chester for close to our asking price in less than a week. While such a quick sale was amazing in itself, it does not begin to describe the prior 2 years of time and effort put forth by Debra on our behalf. Debra acted as the go-between for us for the extensive property improvements (house repairs, landscaping, and clean up), the contractor estimates, the appraisals, the listing of the house for sale, the showings, the inspections, the offer, and the closing. Even though it was often an unpleasant and difficult situation, Debra dealt with the issues quickly and thoroughly with patience, understanding, and compassion. She was knowledgeable and professional, and never failed to promptly respond to every phone call and Email.
In contrast, my house buying experience was a 3 month nightmare because the house was not listed with a Realtor. It was a "for sale by owner", no one had lived in the house for 3 years, extensive repairs were needed, and the seller lived out of the area.
I now realize how invaluable a Realtor is and how fortunate I was to have had the benefit of working with such an excellent realtor as Debra Burke.
D.Mandicz
Debra impressed us from the start when she kept searching for a home that met our very specific needs. Her professional manner put us at ease and did not make us feel that we were pressured into making a commitment. We certainly recommend you to anyone needing the services of a real estate agent.
F. & S. Kaenrath
You tuned into our dreams, put us on the right track with affordable financing, and brought terrific experience, energy and attention to working with us. You gave us an edge in a very competitive market. You followed through with genuine "whatever it takes" appreciated superior performance and dedication.
K. Yvinskas & H. Zerler
My husband and I would like to express our gratitude for having had the pleasure of working with Debra Burke from our office. She assisted us in selling our home in Tewksbury and our experience with her was professional, amiable and productive. We have since recommended her several times to our friends and business associates and know that several successful sales have resulted from our recommendations.
G. & J. Raimo
Our experience with our realtor, Debra Burke, was more of a partnership than a realtor/buyer relationship. She really listened to what we had to say. Debra gave us all the information we needed in order to feel comfortable with our decision. We never felt rushed and really appreciated the time and patience.
G. & N. Molina
We are thrilled with our new home! Without your work, perseverance and extra help, we would not be here. We always felt confident in you given your professionalism and friendly attitude.
J. & C. Harvey
This brief note is to thank you for helping us with so much useful information and guidance as we went through both the sale and purchase of our property. Each time we encountered something new and started to panic, your calming guidance led us to the proper path. You can be sure we're holding your business card to share with friends.
J. & L. Martin
Debra has gone above and beyond her duty in providing her best service to me. She always took extra care in handling every detail. I feel she is an asset to your company.
D. Carroll
It has certainly been a whirlwind experience. Decisions- selling and buying with such speed will long be remembered. You certainly made the transition easier!
A. Woolley
We just wanted to thank you for all your hard work in selling our home. We are convinced that your "little helpful hints" on the presentation of our home and how to improve the "curb appeal" got us the best price and a quick sale. Thanks again!!
P. & K. Canavan
Thanks so much for all your very professional help in selling our home. We always knew we could count on you!
G. Karins
Prior to signing up with any Real Estate Agency, I was determined to employ the management practices I learned in my 32 years working for the U.S. Government.
I actually interviewed several "agents" before I selected you to represent me in the listing and sale of my home.
Most of the agents I interviewed started their conversation with "How much do you want us to list the house for?" My response was "How much do you think you can get for us?". Three agents, after taking a tour of the premises and consulting recent sales of similar homes in the neighborhood, came up with a listing price within $5000 of each other.
As you may remember, my interview with you was conducted in the same manner. However, you did surprise me in that you suggested asking more than the listing price I had in mind. I even harassed you during one telephone conversation to justify your suggested listing price. The net result was that you listed the house for $30,000 more than the other agents.
As it turned out, you were correct and the house sold for $20,000 more than the listing price your competitors thought it should be. The price received for the house set an all time record for the neighborhood. I understand that since the house was sold seven months ago, homes in the neighborhood are now going for more than they were going prior to my sale.
I made a wise choice in selecting you as my agent and I am taking this opportunity to thank you once again.
Mr & Mrs J. Roskoff
Karen & I would like to thank you for all your help in locating and purchasing our home. We never used the services of a Broker before and did not know what to expect. Were we surprised! You helped us find our house, and guided us every step of the way.
Six weeks from our first meeting, we were living in our new home! We would certainly recommend you and Coldwell Banker, to anyone who is looking for a new home.
Thank you again,
G. & K. Fox
Debra always seemed to be on top of things. Since this was my first time selling a home, she not only provided her expert advice, but also seemed to genuinely care about her clients. Although she had other clients, she always made us feel that we were on her top priority by always being there for us and promptly answering all our emails and phone calls.
Debra's expertise in the real estate field and marketing is exceptional. She was always professional and always made sure all of our questions were met.
Thank you soooo much Debra!!!
Joe and May Chan
Debra made sure I was well informed of buyers' status prior to our attorney, which helped us in the hectic process of selling our home.
Norman Boris
RE: Mike Burkle
I'm writing to express my thoughts on Michael Burke. Since he joined us in 2003, he has been instrumental in creating a very harmonious work environment. He regularly and strongly urged marketing, self-promotion, and the use of technology. He shared his thoughts on how to handle stress, marketing ideas, setting goals and achieving them. Mike was easily approachable, honest, decisive, and reliable. Never petty, always concentrated on what was important. He was able to predict the outcome of every difficult situation I've ever had, and I've had a few! His guidance, advice, and wisdom was priceless.
To get to the point, he is a fantastic manager with the best of qualities. I wanted to personally acknowledge that fact and I wish him all the best in joining his wife again as a team.
I genuinely thank you for all of the positive changes you have already made and for providing us with an abundance of tools to help us grow our business. I look forward to seeing you in the office.
Sincerely,
Sonia Brenner
RE: Mike Burke
I wanted to let you know that you have an unusual quality for a man. Through all the years of having you as my manager, you have always been willing to listen and have a quick smile and easy laugh with every situation. That is a character that has always made you a pleasure to work with.
Thank you for everything.
Sincerely,
Elaine Uhl
RE: Mike Burke
Mike is by far, the best manager I have had in my 33 year real estate career. He has the patience of a saint, has a unique way of solving issues, is extremely fair to all, listens exceedingly well, and goes the extra mile for his sales people. He will be sorely missed by all here, and will be extremely hard, if not impossible to replace. Mike really is the patriarch of our extended family and is truly one in a million...it has been a total pleasure to have been associated with him.
Sincerely,
Allen Rosenberg
RE: Mike Burke
It seems to me appropriate to put in writing my thoughts that I have already tried to express verbally.
In my thirty-odd years of managing my own business and my ten years or so at Coldwell Banker, you are without question the most competent and resourceful real estate professional I have had the good luck to work with.
Your calm sensible solutions to the myriad of problems we would all present to you saved many sales that might have fallen apart. Your decency and thoughtful treatment of others are qualities I have much admired.
Sincerely,
Jane M. Cole
RE: Mike
May 8, 2003 was the day that changed how most of us seasoned Realtors felt about managers. May 8, 2003 was the day when Mike Burke walked into our office and into our lives as the manager of the Warren office.
For me, it was a professional awakening since the decline of office protocol over the last several years had taken it´s toll. Most of us, including myself, never knew Mike before that day in May. We didn´t know what to expect and how we would adjust to his managerial style.
Surprisingly, it was so easy, so natural and so uncomplicated. What Mike expected from us was an honest effort to do our best in an extremely demanding and competitive real estate market.
Mike knew what it was like out there, sitting in stranger´s homes, trying to establish instant trust and a good rapport. Mike knew how beat up we could get. He listened attentively. He empathized sincerely. He gave useful constructive advice. He was a calming shoulder to lean on. He raised our personal level of integrity. He recognized the difficulty and always attacked the situation with trustworthiness, fairness and respect for both (all) sides.
He would say, "just do the right thing" - you´ll feel better for it. He encouraged and supported all the agents, every day.
Mike´s daily good natured and pleasant personality only heightened his honorable character traits. Character traits that are innate, you can´t go to any school or business meeting to be taught how be this kind of special man.
Mike also has a great sense of humor and yes, I know, he is human, He is one in a million!
Mike was positive, forceful and very strong yet you felt he managed quietly and softly. He always got his point across and you just knew what was expected of you.
6 years, 8 months later this wonderful manager, man, has decided to change his work address.
Mike will be again partnering with his wife, Debra (whose great reputation precedes her) in work as he is in the real life.
Will all my heart, I wish them well.
Goodbye! Good Luck!
Marilyn
