Seniors Real Estate Specialist®

I assured Mavis that as (her agent) I’d make sure that she is always in control – not the other demanding agents with their Buyers. I suggested that Mavis & I have tea and take our time discussing the offers. Mavis felt calm again and ultimately confident accepting one of the offers. She was amazed it went so fast, so smooth, and I was able to calm her nerves and explain everything she needed to know so calmly and easy for her to understand.

Then Mavis felt anxious again because she realized she didn’t know how to find a real estate Lawyer or movers. She actually didn’t know how to hire anyone. She didn’t have a car and couldn’t drive. I told her I’d have my real estate Lawyer come see her at her house to ease her concern.

I assured her I have movers who are honest, trustworthy, safe, and careful with her belongings.
I also assured Mavis that I would supervise the move.

As offer night was getting late and business was complete, Mavis walked me to the door to get my coat. As I put on my coat, in her soft voice Mavis said;

“Michael, I don’t know if this would be appropriate but I would like to give you a hug for all you did for me.”

Of course I agreed to the hug. Mavis confessed to me that she hadn’t slept in days and after the way I handled everything for her (and how I treated her) she told me that she never felt more at ease and safe since her husband passed.

As I left her home and got into my car I had a revelation – I’m not in the real estate business, I’m in the “people” business. I can sell homes with my eyes closed. But knowing I make a difference in someone’s life, and knowing someone vulnerable feels safe and cared for dealing with me, rather than possibly being taken advantage of by other professionals who only care about money or commission – that’s why I love what I do!

The process for seniors has its own unique set of requirements that must be met. A REALTOR® specially trained to serve the fifty-plus market with the sale of their home and transition have additional services and systems to make the experience for seniors as smooth, comfortable, safe, and stress free as possible.

Some of these services and systems may include:

Extra help & guidance. Many seniors are widowed and living alone. They aren’t sure of the next steps. If they don’t have local relatives to help them then as a REALTOR® trained to work with seniors, I provide consultations to explain the entire process. I patiently ask everything I need to know about them. Then I offer all the options for their transition. Even if it requires multiple consultations to be sure they are 100% informed and comfortable.

Slower pace. 

The home selling experience is complicated – for anyone. Many topics, ideas, and contracts are discussed during the process. I make sure I get to know my client(s). If necessary, I present everything in a slower paced format. I help my client to relax and feel they always have ample time to process the things we discuss without feeling any pressure.  The result is better understanding and reduced stress & anxiety for them.

Real Estate Contracts in plain English.

Real estate documents are written by Lawyers. They can be long & confusing Before we list the home for sale I sit down with copies of all usual contracts, in larger type if requested, and written in layman’s terms. This extra consultation helps my clients feel more comfortable with the paperwork required during the actual transaction and allows them to ask questions or explain their concerns with me early.  Then, when an actual offer is made they clearly know what they’re signing, without feeling anxious, confused, or overwhelmed.

Supporting professionals.  The home selling process involves MANY professionals. As a full service REALTOR® I’m your ONE-STOP professional. I offer a safe, smooth, and stress-free experience for seniors. I have a full team of professionals specializing in helping seniors.

These are proven & vetted professionals I’ve worked with successfully in the past for other seniors. This may include professionals to help with packing, unpacking, decluttering, donating, movers who treat seniors with respect, compassion, and patience during the move, and more.

In the next section you’ll see the competitive advantage when you hire Michael Shuster [me] over any other REALTOR®. I offer every service you might need for your move & transition – all specializing in providing a calm, safe, stress-free experience in for seniors.

Michael, we owe you a HUGE THANK YOU for all that you did for us. From selling our house and dealing with the other realtor who you caught trying to pull a fast one on the paperwork without us noticing, to getting us the closing day we needed for our sale, to providing us with all of the different professionals we needed to help us along every step of the way. You were amazing through the entire process. We are eternally grateful for your amazing service, compassion, patience, and amazing negotiating skills.  ~Peter & Sophie

When I asked another realtor what he would do for my Mom to sell her house, he simply said: “everything”. That’s like saying “trust me”. We didn’t have a good feeling. But, your approach Michael was completely different from the start. You took the time with me and Mom to explain exactly what you would do to create a great experience from start to finish. You explained everything from your team helping us pack, to decluttering & donating Mom’s things & furniture she won’t need anymore, to providing movers who are patient and understand seniors, to getting her home sold for top dollar. You were even knowledgeable about the different care homes. When we asked the other Realtor he had no idea. Michael, you have been the most kind, caring & thoughtful professional we could have hired. Every aspect of the different services that you and your team provided was professional, patient, caring, and above and beyond what we expected. ~ Jan

I want to extend our deepest gratitude to you Michael. You’ve truly been a superstar Realtor and true “specialist” for Myself and my ill father. It’s very difficult for me living overseas because I’m not able to help Dad with all of the details of selling his condo and moving into the care home he needs. My fathers health has been declining rapidly and you have far exceeded your duties and quite honestly my expectations. You not only listed and sold our house for more than we expected in less time that we expected. But you also assisted us with the necessary renovations  and staging to get it sold. I was speechless when you went to the hospital to see my Dad when his signature was required. Your team did all the packing and unpacking, moving, junk removal, and many things my Dad couldn’t have done himself. You have done so much more than  the duties or services provided by an ordinary Realtor. You definitely understand the complexities and needs of seniors and their families when they move. Your personality, care, and full list of services made everything easier than I was expecting it to be. Thanks Again! ~ Mike A. & Sal A.

Dear Michael. It was an absolute joy to work with you on the sale of our Father’s home. You took time to understand our situation & helped make everything go so smoothly. We could see that you genuinely cared. You were always patient & Dad never felt pressured by you. All of your suggestions, from getting the house sold, to preparing for the stressful move were amazing. Dad was very impressed that you handled negotiations with such skill, confidence and you always kept him feeling calm through the process. We saw you always had his best interests top priority. Thank you for your patience and keeping us focused. You were honest, supportive, compassionate, and your services covered every possible thing we could possibly have needed for selling and moving him to his senior home. Thank you so much for everything. Dad says he’s going to tell his friends you are the only Realtor they should consider because your personal style, professionalism, and customized service is exactly what seniors need. ~ Sue-Ann

Michael is the only agent who has a true understanding and genuine interest in helping Seniors move and transition. Today’s busy lifestyle of the adult children of seniors (like me) often requires seniors to handle the many tasks of moving on their own. Especially when family lives out of the area. Michael felt like he became a surrogate brother during this process as he was always readily available for all selling and moving related tasks. And thanks to his full team of movers, packers, and transition specialists, he always had immediate solutions. He was simply amazing at handling the sale of my parents’s house. He was patient, understanding, and he explained everything slowly and clearly. There was never any pressure. In fact he relieved a tremendous amount of stress and anxiety. And thanks to his full “Seniors Package” we saved money. ~ Muriel R.

I’ve known Michael for years. When it came time to selling my Mom’s house I knew he was the perfect choice to work with. It took quite awhile for preparations of the home and Michael was there every step of the way to help. He was always patient & understanding. There was never any pressure to list quickly or take short-cuts. Whenever I needed advice or had questions he replied to my emails & voicemails immediately. It seemed selling a house was natural for him, but more importantly Michael always focused on service. He always had our best interests top of his mind. He made every step of the process smooth and stress free and always focused on keeping the most money in our pocket, when getting the house ready for sale. When it came to negotiating offers, Michael certainly lived up to his reputation and didn’t disappoint. Michael has the skills, personality, compassion, & patience every senior needs from a Realtor when selling their home. Thanks for the great service & experience Michael. Keep up the great work. ~ Linda.