Michael Ackerman – Coldwell Banker Bain Real Estate

See my previous review about selling our home…
This review is for purchasing our forever home!
As I mentioned before, we had planned on using Michael to buy our next home. We had thought that we were going to wait for a few years. But, ha. We found a house that we wanted NOW. (I do need to mention that Michael never pressured us to buy early. He waited until we contacted him to help us with a search. I really appreciated that.) It turns out, that house already had an offer and it was more than we were willing to pay.
We decided to keep going. We ended up finding the next house that we wanted within about a week. Initially, we didn’t put an offer in. My husband and I, along with Michael, completely believed that the house was going to go for well over our budget, given the current state of real estate market in Ballard. One week after seeing the home, it was still on the market! As it turns out, Michael went on vacation that week and had given us contact info for his partner, Hania Younis. I will review her separately (she was also great!).
A long story short, our offer was accepted. Michael kept in contact with us throughout the whole process and even had a back up plan in place when there was a hiccough with the bank (that, thankfully, ended up being nothing). Michael was such a pleasure to work with, enough so that even the listing agent of our new home commented on Michael’s professionalism and great communication.
As it stands now, we are in our forever home. We found exactly what we wanted and couldn’t be happier. While we aren’t planning on purchasing a home for at least another 30 years, we don’t hesitate to recommend Michael to friends/​family/​co-​workers/​people on the street.

I have no doubt that Michael is one of the best agents in Capitol Hill, if not the entire Seattle area, and I’m very happy that I was able to work with him.
I was looking for an industrial type loft in Capitol Hill, and Michael was able to understand my tastes and suggest the right homes to visit as soon as they came on the market. Throughout the entire 5 month search, he was incredibly patient and made me feel very comfortable. He is not pushy at all when it comes to placing offers, and was able to give effective bidding advice. He knows the market extremely well, and knows what it’ll take to place a competitive offer.
Thanks to him, I was able to decide at my own pace and make sure that I was making the right decision.
I plan on working with him in the future if I buy or sell in Seattle, and I thoroughly recommend Michael Ackerman to anyone on a search for the perfect home.

In the real estate transactions I’ve had in the past 28 years, Michael stands far above any realtor I’ve worked with. He provided me with the most comprehensive set of services I’ve received from any business person.
I used 5 of his recommendations to prep my house: Seattle Staged to Sell, Happy Homes (handyman), JCP Cleaning Services, Crystal Panes (window cleaning), Kien Nguyen (painting.) All the work they performed was top notch and their customer service was swift and friendly.
Due to his strong sense of ethics and his impressive knowledge, I found that I could trust his judgement all across the board. The first weekend of open houses, over 110 interested parties showed up and I had SIXTEEN offers within 7 days. My home sold for 28% OVER the LISTING PRICE!
I didn’t think it possible that a process as fraught with stress as selling a home could be transformed into an exciting and uplifting experience; but this is exactly what happened for me with Michael’s expertise. Michael truly cares about his clients and that creates a synergistic upward moving positive process.

My partner and I recently moved to Seattle from Baltimore a few months ago. We decided to purchase a home in the absurdly hot Seattle housing market. Michael was our zen real estate guru throughout this process.
Buying a home is intimidating even in a tame housing market. Here in Seattle, you really need someone who knows the real estate process and market inside and out. Michael and his business partner Hania Younis did not disappoint. I don’t think I ever waited more than a few minutes to get a response to one of my numerous emails, text messages, and phone calls. Together we toured several properties. They helped us write three offers:
1.) Fixer upper in Wallingford — lost to full price, cash offer
2.) Updated Wallingford/​Fremont craftsman — lost to a buyer who waived the inspection contingency without pre-​inspecting (which is crazy)
3.) The charming Wallingford craftsman we now call our home
Thanks to Michael, we submitted a winning offer after looking for barely over a month. He even helped us negotiate the purchase price down by $ 20k when the house didn’t quite appraise (even though we would’ve paid full price).
If you’re looking for a real esate agent who can make buying a Seattle house a fun and rewarding experience, you’ve hit the mark with Michael and his team.

Michael was reccomended to me from a friend when I was looking to buy on Queen Anne 10 years ago. I knew after working with him I had found my realtor for life. He knows the market and Seattle like the back of his hand. So when the time came for me to buy again I gave him a call and he was in touch with me within 10 minutes. Always friendly and upbeat, he helped me get my new home, explaining everything along the way and made the whole process an exciting and pleasant experience. Thank you Michael!

Michael helped us sell our 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, $ 1M+ penthouse condo in downtown Seattle. We knew going in that there were certain things every agent would do (put our home on the MLS, take photos, etc.), and some things that only the best agents would do, like going the extra mile to make our home look its best, marketing our home relentlessly (with exposure various additional places and open houses), and setting the price correctly from the start. Michael excels at all of these things. Any agent can list your home, but whether your home gets sold and brings the best price is really up to the quality of the marketing your agent does. I have never seen anyone do this better than Michael. He goes above and beyond with staging, photos, videography, website, and extra touches throughout the home to really help buyers imagine themselves there and fall in love with your home. We had an open house every weekend, and updates on everything that was going on. We were out of town sellers, so the communication was very important. Michael also helped us get some things done that an agent would not normally do, and because we were out of town this help was invaluable. The real testament is that our home had a great offer in 5 weeks, which is fantastic in this price range. Michael walked us through the closing process with ease, and we are very happy! Thanks, Michael!

If you’re searching for an experienced, knowledgeable and friendly agent for your real estate purchase or sale needs, look no further! We recently worked with Michael on the sale of our Capitol Hill condo and couldn’t be more impressed. Michael was extremely responsive to all of our needs from start to finish. He has impeccable communication and marketing skills, and excels at making his clients feel at ease throughout the entire process. Check out his website and informational videos; they are extremely beneficial to anyone considering buying or selling a home. Bottom line; Michael is the BEST!!!

Michael is beyond amazing, we went on our first house tour where he highlighted neighborhoods and gave us a feel for the types of homes in our budget. We found a home we wanted in our first house tour, and he has a network of great professionals that helped make the home buying process easy. We closed in approximately 1 month from the day we saw the house and it was all due to his professional and quick service and the great people he recommended for us. We are so happy with our new home and have Michael to thank!

I recently purchased a new townhome in Ballard with Michael’s assistance. As a first time homebuyer we were very thankful to work with Michael to navigate this very competitive seller’s market. Michael is professional and on the ball at all times. I think it’s important when trying to offer in a hot market to have a broker who is responsive and Michael would always respond to our inquiries quickly and write up an offer asap even if it’s at 8pm at night. Michael has been doing this for a long time and you can tell. When we went out viewing properties I wasn’t sure if I wanted a new build or an older craftsman. When we went into the properties he listened to our feedback about the house to consider for future listings that we might like. After going in the third older craftsman he could tell by the frown on my face that we should stick to new builds with modern floorplans and boy was he right! When we found the place we wanted his experience led us to the right offer and we got the house! I don’t think we would have gotten the deal we got without his guidance. I also appreciate his low pressure approach. I’ve wandered into open houses before and dealt with greasy car salesman vibe, this is definitely not Michael.
I highly recommend working with Michael to purchase your first home. He’s funny too :)

We recently move to Seattle from Chicago and were referred to Michael from a good friend. We were blown away by Michael’s experience in the Seattle market and his level of customer orientation. We were choosing between several agents, but after our first consultation with Michael, my husband and I immediately knew we wanted to work with him. He just got us. He listened to our perspective and asked the right questions right up front to ensure we made the most of our time together.
The Seattle market is incredibly competitive and most properties go quickly with multiple offers, which can add stress to the process of buying a home. But Michael actually made the process fun, and put us at ease by taking the time to educate us on the finer points of the Seattle market.
The best part of working with Michael was his commitment to making us happy (and comfortable!) over selling us a home. We ended up finding our home very quickly, so Michael challenged us to make sure we were ready and not rushing the process. It was incredibly refreshing.
Michael is very organized and has a strong attention to detail. He was on top of everything from the inspection to closing to coordinating contractor quotes for follow-​on work we were considering. Had we used another agent, I do not believe we would have been able to purchase our home for the price we did.
In the event that we decide to sell someday, Michael will be our first call.

It was our first time selling a home. We had a real estate agent, but with our situation, knew he wouldn’t be the right fit. I went to Unilocal and found Michael Ackerman had stellar reviews. I called him and we scheduled a meeting with him. From our first meeting, we knew we wanted to work with him. He was organized and well prepared in that he had done a lot of research on our condo before we even hired him!
We had a short window to sell and Michael was well aware. He made our place look so appealing, I actually contemplated not wanting to let it go!
As the copious amounts of stellar reviews Michael has, they all also apply to us. He was easy to work with, always available, cheerful, optimistic and realistic. When it came down to finalizing the sale, having 3 stellar offers (I attribute to his marketing skills), he explained ALL the benefits and downsides of each offer. When it came down to it, we chose the lowest offer as he suggested. From this we knew he wasn’t trying to get each last buck he could, he was our cheerleader and advocate. If/​when we sell our current home, we will definitely use Michael again and make sure all our friends use him! Happy Happy Happy!

So, I was looking on Unilocal for someone to help me sell my Seattle condo (currently I’m living in San Diego) and came across Michael’s stellar reviews. After one phone call with him I was sold. He made the whole process so easy… including getting an offer within the first week, handling staging, and everything and anything that had to be done. I highly recommend his services, and will use him again for and deal I do in Seattle.

I’m a first time homebuyer, with a budget on the lower end for Seattle, so I worried a realtor may place me at the bottom of their list. Not the case with Michael Ackerman. I never felt Michael viewed me differently than clients who had hundreds of thousands more to spend. I echo the feeling of being his «one and only client». Michael is the best at customer service. I am so happy I found him; thank you Unilocal!
At our initial meeting Michael encouraged me to shop around to see if another realtor was a better fit. I didn’t need to; I could tell he «got me» and was a trustworthy, knowledgeable person. During the home buying process his actions matched what he said his were motivations in being a realtor and how he worked. The most important thing to him was helping me get into the best place for me, no matter how much work or time it took.
The guys know Seattle housing, too. He’s been a realtor for so long & I benefited from that experience. I would describe a building, its nearest cross streets and more times than not Michael’s response was, «Oh yeah! I’ve been to that building (many times he’d been to the exact unit) here is why it will work for you, Jane or here’s why I don’t recommend it.» Not recommended could be because of the unit’s resale potential or because the condo would not be a good place for *me*. Given his knowledge I had no doubt he was right in the first case. He was right in the second case, too. He had listened to and remembered what I said I wanted in a home, understood & respected my lifestyle, and saw the ways a particular unit could enhance my lifestyle & accommodate future possibilities. But, even the places he didn’t recommend Michael was happy to take me to.
Again, I never felt Michael wanted anything but the best for me. One way his actions prove that is letting you make decisions about what homes you want or don’t want to see. He didn’t seem to be motivated by commission or how long it would take to find me a home. He also took the time to explain every part of the process to me. I still don’t understand how he was able to give me such attention but I’m grateful for it. If you choose to work with Michael, and you should, you’ll have picked the best person to work with.

Michael is an absolute dream to work with. I actually met him at an open house for a home that didn’t end up appealing to us, but he seemed so authentic and friendly that when I did find the home I was interested in, I called and asked if he could represent us.
It was such a relief when going through the complicated home buying process to have Michael on our side. He was patient, thorough, reliable and kind.
Michael actually just helped us buy our first home — and he says this isn’t usually how things work, but we closed just one month after seeing the house of our dreams. I’m sure that he had a ton to do with this, and I’m so grateful that we were able to work together. The only bad part about him being so efficient and helpful is that we don’t get to work longer with him!
Thank you, Michael!

Michael was the ideal agent for helping us maximize the offers on our house. His experience and intuition around how to attract buyers is comprehensive and he is obsessed with ensuring a good experience for everyone. We ended up getting 12% over asking! We would absolutely select Michael again as our agent.

Michael Ackerman helped us to buy a home.
We could not be any happier with Michael and the way he handled our project. His knowledge, experience, and attention to detail helped us to find and purchase the right home for us and we made informed decisions throughout the whole process.
Michael always smiled and made us feel that we were his only clients. We highly recommend him, because he will always will have your back like he had ours.

My wife and I purchased our first home last year through Michael Ackerman. Working with Michael was the best decision we made.
We interviewed a number of agents before deciding on working with him, and he was very supportive in our decision to deliberate before deciding. Once we decided to work with Michael, he was extremely engaged, regularly providing great advice and recommendations.
Michael was incredibly understanding, patient, and thoughtful throughout the process of finding a home. He took time to get to know my wife and I, and quickly understood our needs better than we ourselves could articulate. He would regularly steer us away from places that he knew might cause us problems down the road. He encouraged us to enjoy the process, and firmly believed that we would know right away when we found the right place.
When we found the right place, Michael did an incredible job in landing the home purchase for us. His history of great work gave us increased credibility with the seller, and he worked throughout an evening and weekend to get our offer in quickly. But despite the hurried nature of the sale, Michael was patient, relaxed, and supportive. It is no exaggeration to say that we would not have been able to get the home we did without Michael.
After the sale, Michael continued his habit of thoughtful support. From the home inspection to final closing to gathering our tax documents, Michael was organized, professional, and courteous.
Michael is a talented and brilliant representative, and a wonderful person. We are so grateful to have worked with him. And when the time comes to sell or buy a home again, there is no one else we could imagine turning to.

Michael helped my husband and I sell our home in June. He was recommended to us by my brother who had heard he was a fantastic real estate agent and a real «go getter» when selling. Within 24 hours of contacting Michael he was at our home and had done extensive research on our neighborhood. He was honest, professional and very impressive. Despite our initial plans to interview other agents, we immediately hired him to sell our house. The deal went smoothly and Michael walked us through the process step by step.
We were so impressed with Michael and his service, that we hired him again 2 months later to purchase our dream home. This deal had some challenging issues but with Michael’s experience, patience and perseverance we secured the house of our dreams. We highly recommend working with Michael and we will refer him to all of our family and friend’s looking for an outstanding agent.

Simply put, Michael took great care of us. My wife and I came to him nine months before we eventually bought our first home. With historically low inventory of homes on the market, Michael had to work extremely hard and showed tremendous patience, but the end result was one that fit us best and in a great location.
During those nine months, we changed the characteristics of what we wanted several times on him. He even referred us to a great agent to work with in East King County because we didn’t know we could find «our» house in Seattle. But make no mistake, Michael knows Seattle more than anybody else and nothing fazes him because he’s seen it all. There is a calm and wisdom in Michael that makes you feel comfortable during times of anxiousness. But in such a challenging environment, Michael’s enthusiasm and energy was so very helpful. He kept reassuring us that we were going to find the right house and he was right. We made a few offers on various homes with heavy competition and each time, he provided the right guidance.
The home we eventually bought was on the market for just one day and we were up against four competing offers. When I was pessimistic about our chances, it was Michael who encouraged us to make the offer. He could tell we liked it and didn’t want us to squander our chances due to a lack of confidence. He told us on the phone when our offer was accepted, «I told you I felt good about this one.» We had no trouble closing on the house either as we used the mortgage broker Michael referred us to. He worked seamlessly with her. Enough said. We love Michael and would refer him to anybody wanting to buy or sell ANY home in Seattle.

Michael just helped us close on our second house. We lucked out with housing prices on the rise, and being in one of the hottest markets in the Nation (Maple Leaf). Michael’s strategic marketing and timing netted us 11 offers. The offer we ended up choosing was bulletproof, and a whopping 16% over asking.
Just be warned. Michael can dish out the tough love. If something needs to change, or be thrown out, or be cleaned… Be prepared to do it. He holds himself to extremely high standards, and works best when you can raise yourself to match him at his game. He knows what he’s doing, and you need to trust him. We love Michael, and are bummed that we’ve now moved out of his region of expertise. If we ever move back to Seattle, he’ll be the first person we call. In the meantime, we look forward to steering any of our friends in the Seattle area toward Michael. He’s the best!