Why Work With Us?

"We had no knowledge of the investment property but Brenda patiently gave us her expertise knowledge and we could purchase our first investment property very smoothly and also helped us finding our first tenant. Brenda worked extremely hard and very friendly, and we would recommend her to anyone."

"We found out about Brenda reading reviews online like this one as we started the house search on our own through Zillow. We decided to work with her based on all of the prior stellar reviews, and looking back, this is probably one of the best decisions we could have made in this housing search process. Having an amazing realtor to work with makes a huge difference. She guided us all the way through a season of exploring different houses, finding the ones we liked, ultimately making an offer, inspection, and finally closing (and also beyond closing). We were always impressed with her fund of knowledge, her communication skills, professionalism, patience and accessibility.She was really a guide for us in the complete sense of the word, and helped us every step of the way.We learned a lot from her as she helped us figure out what we were interested in, and protected us while navigating several hiccups along the road to closing.

We have interacted with several brokers in Newton/Brookline through this process, and the best endorsement we can give is that we would undoubtedly seek Brenda out again if we ever need to buy or sell another home. We place a lot of emphasis on professionalism and consider ourselves pretty picky on a lot of aspects, and we have to say that Brenda always exceeded our expectations in ways that we could not have anticipated. It is further testament to her, though, that she is so good at her job and matching families and homes, that we don't see ourselves moving anytime soon!"

“We have worked with Marsha on 3 separate occasions. Buying 2 and Selling 1. In all aspects, it has been a really good experience. She knows our areas well and even encouraged us to look in areas we were ‘not interested in.’ She knew us so well that it was in the area we were not looking and at a house that we felt ‘didn't need to see,’ that we found our dream home.”

"Marsha's intimate knowledge of Newton and strong professional network enabled her to find me a great new home, far sooner than I'd expected. She also overcame some unique requirements on my part with practical ingenuity and grace. She was genuinely dedicated to doing what was best for me as a client, and I'd highly recommend her services to anyone."

Julie literally worked magic. We cannot say enough positive words about her professionalism, expertise, and results. From the sale of our previous home to our closing on our new home, we experienced a superlative level of dedication and commitment in both selling and buying. Our previous home was flawlessly prepared for market and obtained very fast selling results. Likewise in finding our new home, Julie was superbly supportive and prepared every step of the way throughout the search and from our initial offer through our relocation. Thank you, Julie. We could not have done it without you!

“Thank you so much for assisting us with the rental of our condo! We really appreciate your professionalism. As you know, we had worked with two prior rental agents and our only regret is that we didn't work with you sooner. Once Howie remembered that his old friend Jim is a real estate broker, everything turned around. We are thankful that Jim recommended you and we couldn't be more pleased with the experience. “After our initial phone call, you immediately sprang into action - you viewed the unit, obtained the keys, took photos and produced a very professional listing. Your listing found us a qualified tenant very quickly. You have truly been a pleasure to work with and we will contact Jim and you in the future if we again need the help of a real estate professional in the Newton area.”

"I would unconditionally recommend Brenda van der Merwe. I've known her for 6 years and would not consider working with anyone else.

I've worked with Brenda since buying my first property - she was very professional, had answers to all my questions, was extraordinarily patient and really impressed me with her calm personality, and thorough knowledge of the business. I really felt at all times that she had my best interests at heart.

Since that first property, Brenda has helped me buy my second (both residential / investment properties in Cambridge) as well as helped me find and qualify tenants.

She's great at her job, and is always available to answer my questions. I feel very lucky to have found her!"

“We have worked with Michael several times within the past 4 years in transactions involving the purchase of residential property in the Newton and Brookline areas. We have also referred him to other people who have expressed the highest level of satisfaction with his service. We have nothing but words of appreciation for his professional, knowledgeable and honest approach to real estate transactions. He is brilliant, able to grasp the needs of the buyer as well as recognize very quickly the potential opportunities available to fulfill those needs. He is easy to reach and to communicate with. He has guided us through multiple transactions at an efficient and quick pace while still maintaining the highest level of quality and precision in his work. Most important, he has not only represented us but has also exhibited a consistent commitment to protecting our interests and negotiating effectively on our behalf.”

"A million thank yous to real estate guru, Michael Rothstein, for his expertise and outstanding work in finding our perfect home. I recently closed on my second home in Newton with Michael as broker. Although he found us our dream home, I would be willing to sell it tomorrow to work with Michael again. Michael is an outstanding professional – he knows the intricacies of the real estate market in Newton, is an excellent communicator, continually advocates for his clients, and also is well connected and respected in the greater real estate community.

“Michael continually goes beyond the call of duty.  For example, there was one home that I fell in love with, but Michael gave me objective and sage advice – he provided a thorough price comparison of recent homes to show it was overpriced, dug around in the cellar with me to show structural issues, and provided me the tools to realize that it was not the right home for me. When I did find the perfect home, Michael counseled me wisely on making a competitive offer that allowed a successful bid in this very competitive market, but still remained within budget. On the walk through on the day of the closing, there were some items left in the basement and garage, and the air filter on the air conditioner was broken. Michael sent me to the closing and then jumped to action, organized a junk repair man to clean out the property immediately and then went to Home Depot to buy air filters. I give him my highest possible recommendation!”

“I was very happy with Michele as my Realtor. She was a great help in my home search. She always gave great advice and never pressured me to close a deal. She worked with me for six months until I found the perfect home for me and assisted me right thru the walk thru and closing.”