Ana Santos and Sara Branco are a truly exceptional boutique real estate team. Others can declare they offer “unparalleled service.” The difference is Ana and Sara deliver. Whether you’re selling a small condo in the heart of downtown or a multi-million dollar estate in Etobicoke, you can be sure of one thing; you are in for an absolute luxury experience.
The team achieves the outstanding results they have become known for by staying ahead of the curve with the current real estate market. However, their core strength has always been in nurturing relationships for the long term, not just with clients but with their extensive teams of other real estate agents, contractors, moving companies, and other service providers throughout the GTA.
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to work with Ana and Sara, here are four real-life stories where they’ve gone far above and beyond to help a client sell their home.
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Kirstin’s Story: An Urgent Need for More Space
Kirstin and her husband were living in their first Toronto home, an end-row unit in Midtown. When Baby Number Two was on the way, the family made the difficult choice to move on.
They knew that everyone would be more comfortable with more living space. Kirstin reached out to a couple of other real estate agents before a friend recommended Ana.
The two hit it off immediately. At that first meeting, Kirstin could already tell that she was dealing with an industry expert who knew the market inside out. Kirstin sums it up in a single statement, “Ana knew what she was doing.”
As soon as Ana saw their home, she knew how to present it to get the price Kirstin and her husband wanted. She had a strategy, her contractors were ready to go, and the entire process was incredibly smooth and seamless.
Ana respected their wishes about how much they wanted to invest to prepare the home, and managed to fetch a price that was more than the couple hoped for in a tough market. Kirstin reports, “Ana is just Ana. What you get when you first meet her is what you get throughout.”
In an industry where it’s hard to know who to trust, Ana’s authenticity and commitment were a breath of fresh air for the family.
Kirstin continues, “Ana keeps up with trends and is so knowledgeable. It’s obvious that she loves what she does, which is why she gets results. Ana’s attention to detail was a lifesaver, given that I was pregnant, had a two-year-old, and my husband was on the front lines as an essential worker during Covid.”
“She’s not just out for the sale. She really does care about her clients.”
The right real estate partner is a key element in the successful sale of your home. The posts below can help you choose:
- Real Estate Concierge Service: Is It Right For You?
- 5 Reasons Your Agent Should Be A Neighbourhood Expert
- What Happens if You Pick the Wrong Real Estate Agent?
Warwick’s Story: A Journey to a New Country
Warwick felt lucky to realize his dream of moving to a brand new country. It was an incredible life experience, but it also meant that he had to sell his home quickly while staying within the constraints of relocation guidelines.
He originally planned to engage with the transaction on a weekly basis. However, moving to a new country took more of his time than he thought. As a result, it was critical to have a professional he could trust implicitly who would be in and out of the house.
Ana and Sara were recommended through the relocation company. Though the family did consider other agents, her expertise put her at the top of the list. They had met Ana 15 years earlier, and she remembered them from when they had originally bought their house. Her personability and attention to detail made quite an impression.
It never occurred to Warwick that selling this house would be so complicated. Problems kept popping up that Warwick never anticipated. The new flooring didn’t fit. The paint was the wrong colour. Worst of all, a specialty window was broken, one that required custom repairs. Yet somehow, Ana and Sara took care of everything within a single week.
Warwick says, “By the time I realized there were problems, Ana and Sara had already handled them. No matter what happens, they have a remarkable understanding of what needs to be done to fix it.”
Once the house hit the market, the impact was unmistakable. A constant stream of appointments were booked, with 10-15 people viewing the home within the first 5 days. In the end, Warwick was thrilled with the results Ana and Sara delivered. “We got what we wanted in terms of pricing. And it all happened even faster than we expected. ”
We asked Warwick to summarize his experience with Ana and Sara into a single statement, and here’s what he had to say, “Absolutely, bloody, amazing. Incredible.”
Judith’s Story: A Crisis Averted
By the time Judith and her husband decided to downsize from their Toronto home, they’d already worked with Ana twice before. This time, they went with a different agent who was local to their area.
However, Judith reports, “I wish I had gone with Ana from the start. We feel as though the other agent wasn’t 100% upfront about the potential of our home. It almost turned into a disaster when the closing date for our new house approached, and our existing property still hadn’t been sold. We called Ana in desperation, and she saved us.”
Under the previous agent, the house lingered on the market for 2 ½ months. Judith and her husband were under the gun. After they’d already asked for an extension on the closing date of their new home, the pressure was on.
“It was unbelievably stressful, but Ana knew how to resolve it. She was onsite, and her people were in there getting the house ready in record time. I had called Ana in desperation near the end of October. By early November, we already had an offer. It was a whirlwind experience.”
It turns out that offer was the winning one. It came within a day of the listing going live. Judith and her husband got their asking price and were able to close on their next property without further issues.
Judith says, “It’s only when you go through a really difficult situation that you know who you can really trust. When you find that person, you don’t go anywhere else. Things go wrong in ways that you don’t expect, but Ana and Sara fight for you – they just care that much.”
Looking for more advice on selling your house in Toronto? The resources below could be helpful:
- What Is The Best Way To Sell A Vacant House?
- Can You Sell A House In Toronto As Is?
- How Do I Attract High-Quality Buyers to My Listing?
John’s Story: A Seamless Downsizing Experience
When John’s last adult child moved out, he and his wife found themselves in a six-bedroom house that was too large for their needs. They soon came across a bungalow they loved and made an offer.
Now they needed to sell their large family home quickly. After recommendations from friends and family members who had previously worked with Ana and Sara, John didn’t look any further for a real estate agent.
The market had recently taken a bit of a downturn when interest rates reached almost 7%, but Ana remained unfazed. She showed up armed with data and knew what to do to get results.
“My wife and I had our home decorated to our tastes, but Ana had countless ideas on how to stage it for purchasers. Plus, she tells you the truth, even if it’s not what you want to hear. That’s how we knew we could trust her. In our minds, we thought our house would be worth more than it was, but her data showed otherwise.”
Fortunately, Ana and Sara also knew how to increase the value of the home in the market. “It needed some updates – which I did not have time for, especially since we had already closed on our new home. But Ana handled everything. I just gave her the keys, and she ran with it.”
The entire selling process took only about five weeks, from that first meeting with Ana to receiving and accepting the winning offer. “We sold for over our asking price, and Ana even managed to negotiate a fast closing date for us. We got everything we wanted from our sale, and the whole process was surprisingly easy.”
John continues, “You can’t boil it down to one word with Ana and Sara. They are so good at what they do, and they do so much.”
Do you want concierge-level service when selling your home? We strive to make your experience as seamless and stress-free as possible. Contact us at ana@asantos.ca or call us at 647.232.7317 to learn more.