What my clients say about my work . . .
We found Thom “by accident” on YouTube, as a Subject Matter Expert as it relates to Bend area real estate. Being impressed with the content of his video we emailed him, and from the very start he put us at ease with excellent responsiveness, detailed answers to questions, obvious knowledge of the area as well as what we were trying to accomplish, and low pressure style and demeanor. Because of that comfort and trust level, as well as the great service he offers, we negotiated 3 possible purchase contracts with his help remotely, and didn’t even meet him until a couple months later after when we were in escrow on TWO homes!! We would recommend him without hesitation (and if fact have already, to family members looking to buy in Bend). Thanks for your help and guidance Thom, and keeping us “out of the weeds”!!
J&M
I could list several adjectives here to describe Thom, but the one that matters most is, genuine. Have you ever gotten a dog from a shelter and realized it was not a good fit for your family? It may have too much energy or too little energy for your lifestyle? It’s usually because shelters are trying to get the dog into a home, any willing body/home. They don’t employ a matchmaker skill. Thom has that skill. He looked at the bits of our life we were willing to share and he guided us to our home. That takes genuine talent. Now I wouldn’t go as far to say he’s the Buyers Agent Whisperer, but he spent less than 24 hours with us, caught on to the people we are, took the list of houses we wanted to see, and he got us to where we needed to be. Our new home. Also worth noting that Thom was available to us whenever we needed him. He was there for the inspections, made a video for us, let in painters, and met us the day we finally arrived from Raleigh, NC with the keys to our home. Very reliable. Genuine. I urge you folks, take advantage of his talent.
My husband and I found Thom on the internet while we were researching for a summer retirement home. With very short notice we asked Thom to put together a list of houses for us to visit and we flew into Bend. We spent several days with Thom and found him to be extremely professional, yet very friendly and warm. We were delighted to work with him and found our home within a few days. I highly recommend Thom. You can trust that he knows what he is talking about.
I was looking to buy a home in Bend and living in Seattle, I picked Thom on a whim from his website because I needed a buyers agent. Good choice-he was there for me every inch of the way, offering to do videos of the building progress for me and taking care of anything else that needed to be done. He would often offer to do things I didn’t even ask for. Not only did this convenience factor save me multiple trips from Seattle, but when it comes down to business Thom is also a skilled negotiator and saved me several thousands of dollars. It is obvious that he really cares about his clients. It was a great experience and I would hire him again in a heartbeat!
“We couldn’t possibly have found a better person than Thom to guide us to our new home in Bend. As a buyer broker with deep knowledge of the community, he listened carefully and consistently offered honest and practical advice. He exceeded our expectations in every way, staying in touch from beginning to end, even after the sale. We are so grateful to have connected with Thom!”
“When I decided to move to Bend, I went online to look for a real estate agent. I was immediately drawn to the professionalism of Thom Gardner’s website. When I emailed him about my search, he was quick to respond and link me up with his portal which provided me with a continuous stream of new listings. As my search evolved, I was constantly impressed by Thom’s ability to comprehend and flex with my changes as well as provide astute observations of my changing needs. Thom’s recommendation for a lender put me in contact with one of the best.
Once the offer was made, Thom proved a tough advocate for the sale and remained vigilant during the entire process. Buying a property from a distance made me somewhat of a needy client but Thom never tired or waned from doing everything I asked and often went above the call of a normal real estate agent. In addition, Thom brought humor, interesting conversation, and an excellent knowledge of the market and real estate contracts to the process. Thom did due diligence on my behalf regarding city codes, easements, utilities and resources surrounding the property and its sale.
He was vigilant to the end and was there for me after sale—he even showed up on moving day to help even he was suffering from a sprained ankle! I would without hesitation recommend Thom Gardner and consider him the finest real estate agent I have ever had the honor to work with.”
“When we first decided to move to Bend, we didn’t know much about the city itself and we didn’t know a thing about the home buying process. We had heard all kinds of horror stories about the trials and sufferings of buying a home – especially your first home – so we were a bit nervous when we first reached out to Thom to begin the search for our first house. Would he be the right fit for us? What questions should we ask? How could we make sure we were getting all the information we needed? Would there be hidden costs? Could this process actually feel fun and simple, despite what other people had said? That’s just a tiny fraction of what was on our minds, but after the first call with Thom we felt so much better. It was clear that he was really knowledgeable about the area, and that he was committed to being honest and straightforward with his clients. Exactly what we were hoping for! From there, the process was a dream.
It sounds cliche to say that, but we honestly couldn’t have had a better experience. Thom was incredibly responsive and available, attentive to detail, and provided detailed (and delightfully blunt) answers to all of our questions along the way. He told us which areas to avoid, which home builders he recommended (and which ones to stay away from), and so much more. With his help, we put together a list of potential properties, and then we headed up to Bend for a week of house-hunting. Turns out we didn’t need a week, because Thom showed us six homes on our very first day and one of those six was “the one.” From there, Thom ensured that the process of purchasing the house was simple and hassle-free, and we’re so happy to be settling into our new home and new city. All of that to say that if we were to ever find ourselves interested in moving to a different house within this same area, Thom would be our first call.”
Getting to know Thom via internet and email before we visited Bend was a straight forward and enjoyable experience.
We spent two pleasant and fun days with him looking at a range of properties he found within our budget. From this he deduced what we were looking for, and we knew then that Thom was a competent professional as well as a good friend.
Back home out of state, when we saw an interesting listing on the internet, he sent us videos, descriptions etc. One house that he said was “just what we were looking for” was, in fact, just that. We bought the house sight unseen based on his video and narrative.
The purchase went smoothly with Thom’s expert help and negotiations. We couldn’t be happier!
“Knowing we wanted to relocate to Bend, and having no contacts there, we went online to find a realtor. As one would, we looked at many, and found Thom Gardner. Having been involved with many realtors in our lifetime, we were skeptical of the number of positive testimonials on his website. All said and done, it was a “not to worry” situation, as the positives were true and correct.
In short, Thom managed the seller’s expectations serenely, and managed the seller’s agent with aplomb. Most importantly, he managed us, our expectations, and guided all involved to a positive and comfortable outcome.”
“Any kind words we would say about Thom wouldn’t really cover it – he exceeded our expectations in every way. Our purchase was a complicated short sale that never would have closed without Thom’s diligence, tough negotiation, honesty and integrity. You’ll never find a better agent or friend.”
“When I first got the itch for Central Oregon real estate in October 2011 I ran across Thom’s website. After voraciously devouring all the great info on the site, I contacted Thom via email to set up a MLS portal service where properties that met my specific criteria were emailed to me. As an engineer, I am both skeptical and detail oriented, and so while everything on his site regarding the way he worked with clients sounded good, many times one finds those in the service industry that are much better at self-promotion than follow-thru. But as I started to work with Thom, all email the first few weeks, I came to realize that he actually underplays how thorough he is. He actually does answer every question (and I ask a lot!). His attention to detail, listening skills, and considerable knowledge of not just real estate, but really of all things Central Oregon, make him THE realtor you want working for you. And I do mean work – Thom is one of the hardest working people I’ve run across.
Being from out of the area, Thom ended up making over twenty youtube videos for me, in snow storms, ice storms, sundays, you name it. Thom must have logged hundreds of miles driving on my behalf. He also answered several hundred emails from me over four months time, in fact we didn’t even talk in person until we had probably exchanged fifty emails or so, his answers were so clear and detailed that it was three weeks until I felt the need to speak to him in person. I always felt like I was his most important client, and his response time was the fastest I have ever experienced – around the clock – sometimes even in the middle of the night after waking up on the couch!
He was amazingly patient with our four-month, three-offer journey to closing and chased down all sorts of arcane questions, set up various inspections, personally checked to make sure conditions of sale were met, and babysat those involved in our complicated purchase so that I didn’t have to. Thom also provided me with trusted referrals that worked out great from mortgage brokers to contractors. If you need a “guy” for anything Thom is your man – he doesn’t refer just anyone, having a strict vetting process to become one of his “guys” (I’m hoping to become one if I can pass the oral and written exams). I also felt that Thom gave me unbiased advice when it came to negotiating with three different sellers rather than just serving his own interests. In over 26 years of buying real estate, Thom is head and shoulders the best realtor, and businessman, that I have ever dealt with, even if he does own one of those little yappy dogs.
Whether you are buying a home for the first time or the tenth time, I cannot emphasize enough how good it is to have Thom Gardner working for you – he’s the real deal.”
“I called Thom after reading all of his great insight and knowledge about Bend on his website. We came three times looking for a second home in Bend. Each time we came Thom showed us many properties and gave us the pluses and minuses of each area we looked at. We ended up with a foreclosure property on the Westside of Bend near the river. Thom worked hard for us throughout the unconventional foreclosure property buying process and kept us updated constantly . We closed six weeks after initial signing of the contract. We are happy and we have gained a great new honest friend in Bend”. Thanks Thom!”
“As out-of-state buyers looking to retire in Bend it was important to find a broker that had the aptitude and attitude to help us find and close on the right place. We conducted phone interviews of several other agents before choosing to work with Thom. We were never disappointed. He is very professional and knowledgeable while possessing great communication skills. As a buyers only agent, he never left us with the impression of having the hidden agendas we have experienced with other agents. Quite truthfully, we felt like Thom worked extremely hard, helping us to experience and understand the differences between neighborhoods, shooting multiple high quality you-tube walk-thru videos, and always being available and responsive to our needs. He gets a lot of credit for the journey that ultimately led to our purchase and move to Bend and turned what could have been a most difficult and trying process into one that was most enjoyable!
Cheers….”
“This is just a note to thank you for the incredible job you did in helping me in relocating to Bend. I became infatuated with Bend without ever having been north of the California border… I knew nobody here, had no professional or personal contacts in the area, and had to make the move in a very short period of time due to the exigencies of my financial situation. You were extraordinarily generous with your time and energy, establishing an internet “portal” where I could view homes for sale, as well as answering a deluge of my questions with humor and a positive point of view. You not only made the experience tolerable, but actually enjoyable! Your relaxed interpersonal style was complimented by your consummate professionalism. The fact that you are a member of Mensa as well as the author of several novels has not attenuated your ability to empathize with your clients. After living here in Bend for a few months I have had the good fortune to interact with you at times. It has become very clear that your professional persona is really just ‘who you are’… An intelligent, savvy, good natured and warm hearted family man… And someone who has gained my appreciation and ongoing trust. Thanks Thom.”
“Two years ago my wife and I began a process of researching and taking small trips here and there to find a post retirement adventure. I intend to start a consulting business and my wife is planning to open an Audiology Clinic. After researching the real estate market in Bend Oregon we decided to take an exploratory trip to check out the area last March…so I searched for a buyers only broker.
After looking at several run of the mill Real Estate web sites and reading their cookie cutter claims I found “Bend Oregon’s Home for HONEST Real Estate Information and Buyer’s Services”, Bend’s “Buyer’s Only” Agent! Thom Gardner, ABR. I was drawn into the web site because it was warm and inviting…no cookie cutter here! After reading through the interesting and revealing web site I felt strongly that Thom had the qualities my wife and I were looking for…trustworthiness…knowledge…and dedication. From early long distance email …to face meetings and touring properties …to making, submitting, and successfully negotiating an offer …to protecting our interests after the inspection found serious deficiencies …to researching HOA details involving the solution of significant potential neighborhood problems …to gathering important resources …to recommending HONEST mortgage lenders …Thom proved that he had all of the qualities we thought he had…and more!
My wife and I have had quite a few real estate transactions in the past (both singly and together)…but we never had anyone so willing to work so thoroughly on our behalf. Like Thom says…”I am here for you”…even after the closing. Thom has not only been a valuable resource…we consider him to be a friend …and so will you!”
“The type of house I was looking for just wasn’t available in my price range. But Thom found one for me anyway, and then we found ourselves in a multiple offer situation because the price was so good. But, we prevailed, and I got the home for below market value! I couldn’t be happier, and I am thrilled with everything Thom did to make it possible- it was not a large commission for him, but he worked as though it was. Thanks to his great work, I got a great house at a great price, and even though it was an estate sale, he got them to do many things to fix the property up at their expense. I wouldn’t work with anyone else.”
“As a custom home builder in Central Oregon, Thom has recommended us several times to his clients – I meet them after Thom has done his magic and can really see their delight with the process he provides. I’d say he is unique in his field and comes highly recommended by his past customers who have in turn become his best referrals.”
“Thom is one patient realtor! He worked with us for 2 years before we finally made it to Bend, sending us information on houses and on Bend and answering our numerous questions. When we were finally ready to move here, he found us the perfect house. Thank you, Thom.”
“Dear Thom,
We are writing to commend you for the outstanding, beyond professional job you did in helping us to find our ‘forever after’ home. You made the tough job of finding a new home from a distance so much better by setting us up with a ‘portal’ so we could see the listings as they come out. You also kept in close touch with us and never let us feel unimportant or neglected. When we came to Bend to search in person we always felt that you cared for us and sincerely wanted us to find the home we so desired. In spite of how busy you were, you always made time for us and you never let us down. You even helped us in doing a walk-through and filming your inspection of the home when we couldn’t be here to do it. Thank you so much for that effort and you did an outstanding job!
It’s difficult to express how grateful we are for your professionalism, your kindness, your sense of humor and your sincere willingness to help us. You also put us in touch with an outstanding mortgage broker. You sent us to Carl Salvo who is another well-mannered and highly professional young man. Both of you showed us respect and patience and the dignity we needed when going through moving here from out of town. Both of you made time for us whenever we came to town and we appreciate you two more than we can ever express.
Again, thank you so much for all of the time and effort both you and Carl put forth in helping us. We will always be grateful to you and we will gladly pass the word along whenever we meet someone who needs help in finding and financing a new home in the area. You two are the best at what you do and we feel so lucky to have met and worked with you.”
“We contacted Thom many months prior to our first visit to Bend. We were interested in finding a second home for summer use. We found his website to be very helpful as we began our looking long distance.
When we met Thom several months later we were immediately impressed. He proved to be a dedicated and thoroughly professional realtor, but as an added bonus, also a genuinely nice fellow who is a pleasure to know. We learned a lot about Bend from Thom and with his help we became comfortable with the community in our first visit.
We found our home. Thom worked hard to make the transaction move along smoothly. This was a very positive experience, largely due to Thom’s efforts. We certainly recommend him.”
“When I first spoke with Thom Gardner in 2009, I was in Iraq living out of a small hut better known as a CHU or Containerized Housing Unit. I was informed that I would be taking Oregon’s premiere Cavalry unit called 1st Squadron 82nd Cavalry in Bend, Oregon upon redeployment. I immediately called several real-estate brokers to find the one that would work for me and after long deliberation and wasted time with pushy salesmen and women, I found my perfect match. I needed a broker in my corner, who thought about the customer first, before his own needs. I did not want the used car salesman just looking to sell the first thing we came across.
My wife, living in Albany, would not be able to travel to see properties, so I needed a guy that would video properties and send them to me in Iraq and to her in Albany. Thom Gardner went beyond his call of duty because he had to have videoed seven or eight properties from doorstep to backyard and everything in between. He never lost his professionalism or patience throughout a year and a half long relationship. Lo and behold, we found a property, a short sale, a broker’s nightmare. Nevertheless, Thom went through the whole process with us and we now own a home in the Sunriver area and couldn’t be happier with the deal we got.
Thom is a people person. He understands the psyche that goes into decision making in a volatile housing market and due to his patience and understanding of this difficult life decision, there is no pressure or rush. He wants the word of mouth to travel and the relationship to last beyond the sale. Thom Gardner is an honest broker and I definitely call him a friend that I would trust. If you are looking to get treated right, don’t hesitate to hire Thom Gardner as your professional broker, he will not let you down.”
“As a very long distance (Hawaii) buyer, working with Thom from afar was as easy as working with my next door realtor. From setting up my on-line portal to taking videos of homes that interested me, to walking me through the back and forth of offers and counter-offers for my beautiful riverfront home, Thom was professional, pleasant and a huge pleasure to work with. I would work again with Thom in a heartbeat.”
We’ve been telling everyone that our buyers agent, Thom Gardner, is hands down the best and the only way we got this house deal done.
