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August 2023 by Yuchen Chen
One of my colleague recommended Paul to us. It is my second time to buy a house and Paul is way better than my previous agent. Also, from the stories from my colleagues about their house buying experience. Paul is definitely among the top of buyer agents. I would strongly recommend him to you.We started in September, when there weren't many houses in the market. Paul guided us all the available houses( including pending houses for price comparison purpose) in 2 weekends, seeing about 5 or more a day. Then if there are any new listing, and if we are interested, he will arrange the tour ASAP.Paul showed us houses in our price range and he also provided us a list of the comparable houses while showing (in terms of number of bedrooms, location, living area, etc) nearby sold within 12 months so that we could make the decision how much the potential house could be, which is often lower than the asking price. Or how to avoid a bid war, etc.Last but not least, Paul has more than 40 years of experience. While he lead the house tour, he could tell us every little piece he sees, just like an inspector. He can tell the year the renovation was made, age of the heating system, roof, window, water boiler(these are what you might need to spend a lot of money once you own the house), and also the electrical panel (this could prevent you installing new applications). He never push us doing any decision and always replies messages, emails and calls on time. And he teaches us a lot from buying process and of cause saving a lot of money as well.
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August 2020 by Michelle L.
My fiance and I are first time home buyers and Paul was super helpful throughout our home-buying process. He is as honest and knowledgeable as they get. By the end of the entire process, we can say we've learned so much on home-buying and home maintenance in general. The negotiation part of our process was a hell of a roller coaster ride and was so stressful and straining on all parties. Paul was there every step of the way, giving us advice and fighting on our behalf to get what we wanted. In the midst of this, we were sure that nothing would go our way, but by the end, the outcome was greater than expected. All in all, Paul will certainly help you through the entire process. He wants to be there with you to all/majority of the open houses to help you spot any issues. He is just as good as a home inspector! He does not sugar coat anything. With his experience and knowledge, you will definitely be in the right hands with Paul!
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August 2019 by Rachel G.
As first-time homebuyers, my husband and I were pretty clueless about the entire process. Like many couples, we started by going to some open houses that seemed interesting. At one of these open houses where the house piqued our interest, the listing agent offered to represent us as we did not have representation at the time. However, it seemed suspicious to us that a listing agent could bargain as a buyer's agent as well. My husband thus submitted an inquiry to the Massachusetts Association of Buyers' Agents and they recommended Paul Cottone, who we then called. During that phone call, Paul asked us a variety of questions about the property that we were interested in and without explicitly saying it, suggested that we would be idiotic to pursue the house any further and then explained why. Thus begun our intensive year-long education as homebuyers. We subsequently met with Paul at a mutually convenient location where he talked about his experiences working in many realms of the real estate process. He also provided references and effectively a small textbook's worth of materials to review that outlined a ton of information about the home-buying process to which we would have been otherwise oblivious. Both of these first interactions highlighted to us how Paul was never interested in solely making a commission, but rather in educating us and guiding us to a home that suited our present and future needs and was a good investment. In visiting likely 50+ houses over the course of a year, Paul continuously directed us to small details that he found important not to overlook. Paul was always blunt and not shy about criticizing the flaws in every property; like we said, he was never trying to hurry us along or have us look at houses with rose-tinted glasses. Once we became more acutely attuned to what we were looking for in a house, Paul took more of a back-seat role and had us drive the search process. When we finally found a house that interested us, Paul drew from his extensive knowledge having worked throughout MA and parts of NH to help us to make our offer more attractive without pressuring us into anything with which we were realistically uncomfortable. Once our offer was accepted, Paul went above and beyond to navigate a sale that he dubbed as one of the most difficult transactions of his long career due to a lack of communication and cooperation from the sellers' side. During this time, Paul uncovered issues with the property that were left unresolved with multiple town offices and went to the property for certain inspections that we couldn't make due to our work schedules. He negotiated with the sellers' agent, again bluntly, to try to get us the best deal for everything that was uncovered prior to signing the Purchase and Sale. Additionally, Paul physically helped us to clean up and move trash off the property during our walk-through prior to closing, as the owners and seller's agent were not close to making the house ready for us. Paul also empathized with us and advocated on our behalf for compensation when the process took longer than expected and displaced us from our rental due to negligence on the sellers' side. In short, without the insight and brutal honesty that Paul provided us over the course of this process, we would have likely made a poor decision when it came to the largest purchase of our lives thus far.
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March 2019 by Ranjit Bhatia
Working with Paul was like working with a family member. He came highly recommended from a friend of ours and totally lived up to the rave reviews. We never felt that he didn't have anything but our best interests at heart. We looked at properties with him for over 2 years (no fault of his, as we were new to Boston and had a tough time deciding where we wanted to buy). He went with us to multiple open houses even though he knew some of those weren't the right pick for us. He was available at all times of the day and responded to emails promptly. Based on his extensive experience, he was able to point things out to us that we never knew. His due-diligence was top notch, as he showed us multiple sales within the same neighborhood where we were interested. Not only that, he pointed out certain things that even the real estate attorney didn't knew or care about.In summary, if you want an agent who has your best interest at heart, is prompt, does his due diligence before showing you a property, and is knowledgeable about Boston and its suburbs, I don't think you can go wrong with choosing Paul. I'd do it in a heartbeat!!
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March 2019 by Natasha Bilan
It was really a great experience working with Paul. We worked with two other agents before we met Paul ( recommended to us by another happy client, who previously bought two houses with him) and we could say it was a totally different experience. My husband spent about an hour over the phone just talking to him for the first time and answering all kinds of questions Paul had for us just to know us better and what we were looking for. After a few house visits with him we felt we were in good hands. He could save our time by providing full analysis of the property, environment, neighborhood, safety. On some occasions when we liked the property from websites, Paul was trying to talk us off it, but he still went to show us the houses and proved himself right.He was 100% available, and if we had any concerns he was there to solve them.When showing properties to us Paul showed great knowledge an inspector would have, and also could give us advise on how things could be changed to our advantage.We really appreciate how Paul worked with the seller’s agent, who was not very cooperative at the start, but eventually they made a great team and made the deal happen.We would highly recommend Paul Cottone to anyone looking to buy property.
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March 2019 by Lindsay Welch
Paul went above and beyond to get our first home rather than a townhome for our family. He jumped through multiple hoops to help us find a home and financing we could afford, and I'm happy to say that 4 years later our house appreciated by nearly 25%, and that's before we did any renovations. We would not hesitate to recommend Paul to any of our friends, and would use his services again.
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March 2019 by Thao Pham
We have just purchased our first home with Paul as our agent, with our tight budget in a competitive market. We truly feel we were lucky to have his help. Paul is very experienced and knowledgeable, and were available and responsive whenever we needed him. Paul did exactly what he promised from the beginning: helping his clients find a house with good resale value. For every house that we were interested in, Paul would send us detailed information about the house, especially things that were not clearly mentioned in the listing, and things that could impact the house's value. When we visited a house, he could point out most of the things that would be reported by a home inspector. We learned so many things after 4 months home shopping with Paul. Paul never urged us to buy any house, instead, there were a few times when he tried to stop us from buying the houses that he had some concerns about. Paul also did his best to protect our interests. When we decided to waive the home inspection contingency on our offer, Paul contacted many inspectors to make sure we could schedule a last-minute inspection before the offer deadline, although we had told him we were OK not doing it. And when it came to price negotiation, Paul secured the house for us for a price considerably less than what we were willing to pay. We couldn't be happier!
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September 2018 by Josh L.
Paul Cottone is an invaluable resource for anyone looking for a Boston home. Paul helped my wife and I buy our first home in Newton earlier this summer. Obviously, buying a first home in Newton can be a stressful experience - but with Paul's help and a little bit of luck, we bought a house we love at a reasonable price. All of the other reviews of Paul are spot on. Paul has been in real estate for decades and it is incredible how much knowledge he has. Paul knows everything there is to know about houses and he knows all the areas around Boston, not just Newton When we were working with him, he had clients everywhere - South Boston, the cape, watertown, etc. In addition, we agree with all the previous reviews that Paul is incredibly professional - always responsive, always on time, always available. We always felt like we were his most important client. What I liked most about Paul (and the other reviews don't mention) was his ability to adapt to my wife and me. He quickly figured out our dynamic and approach to buying a house. For example, during our first open house, Paul shared so much detail my head was spinning. But he quickly realized that my wife appreciates such detail even if I don't. So during all subsequent open houses, Paul would share all the tiny things he noticed (e.g., well-built retaining walls, damaged chimney) with my wife. But with me, he'd just give his big picture assessment - whether the house would need zero, a little, or a lot of work after we moved in. It was perfect - my wife and I got exactly the information we wanted. Paul was similarly willing to adapt to us on the finance side - he quickly figured out how to talk about money, making offers, etc. with us in a way that made me comfortable. I can't say how important that is when buying a first home. Overall, we spent about three months working with Paul. He was fairly conservative and never pushed us towards a particular house. If anything, he cautioned restraint. And as other reviews have indicated, he was with us for every step of the process. He even came to our closing. To summarize -- My wife and I couldn't recommend Paul more highly.
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June 2018 by Thao P.
We have just purchased our first home with Paul as our agent, with our tight budget in a competitive market. We truly feel we were lucky to have his help. Paul is very experienced and knowledgable, and were available and responsive whenever we needed him. Paul did exactly what he promised from the beginning: helping his clients find a house with good resale value. For every house that we were interested in, Paul would send us detailed information about the house, especially things that were not clearly mentioned in the listing, and things that could impact the house's value. When we walked through a house, he could point out most of the things that would be reported by a home inspector. We learned so many things after 4 months working with Paul. Paul never urged us to buy a house, instead, there were a few times when he tried to stop us from buying the houses that he had some concerns about. Paul also did his best to protect our interests. When we decided to waive the home inspection contingency on our offer, Paul contacted many inspectors to make sure we could schedule a last-minute inspection before the offer deadline, although we had told him we were OK not doing it. And when it came to price negotiation, Paul secured the house for us for a price considerably less than what we were willing to pay. We couldn't be happier!
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April 2018 by Mary Ann F.
I worked with Paul as both a buyer and seller in 2017. He is extremely hard working and consistently went above and beyond in both capacities. He has decades of experience in real estate and a keen sense of the market. When we began searching for a new home, Paul was able to recommend not only specific towns, but also specific neighborhoods within those towns for us to consider based upon on requirements. Paul has a great design sense, and was able to help us envision how a given home could be transformed with simple changes. At the same time, he also provided invaluable insight into potential issues with a property ensuring we had a good sense of the amount of work it needed before making an offer and paying for an inspection. We are very happy with the house we ended up purchasing. Paul did a great job helping us sell our former home. He assisted in prepping and staging the property, held multiple open houses to increase the number of viewings, and helped us evaluate the multiple offers we received. Paul really hustled and had our best interests at heart. I highly recommend him!
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March 2018 by V W.
Just completed my second home purchase through Paul Cottone. This transaction was quite complicated and I'm not sure any other broker could have made it happen. Paul is attentive, informative, and super-responsive. Highly recommended!
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March 2018 by Jennifer Kim Meneses
Paul recently helped our family find our home in a very competitive market. Prior to contacting Paul, we were looking for numerous years being outbid and with agents who were not proactive in assisting with our search. From the beginning Paul met with us to learn our needs and budget. We found that he was very knowledgeable about the market in Boston and all surrounding areas. He is very experienced and provides helpful feedback regarding the potential value and resale of a home. Paul knows so much about houses and it was a completely different experience seeing a home with him. I believe he used to be an appraiser so this perspective is extremely valuable when having brief amounts of time to evaluate a home and potentially place a bid. He is very responsive by email and is a more proactive agent who will actively look for opportunities that fit your needs. We felt that he was always on our side and never pushing anything on us that was not a fit. When we found a home we were interested in, he had suggestions regarding our proposal and how to make it competitive. Through the bid process, he was supportive of anything we needed to do to secure our interests. We talked often by phone, email and text. He was awesome when we brought our young kids and would even hold our kids while we checked out homes. I can't say enough amazing things about Paul. All sellers' agents would remark how lucky we were to have him. He has a great reputation and it is certainly deserved from our view. We found him knowledgeable, honest, communicative and above all I ended up feeling like we had made a new friend. We really enjoyed working with him and don't think we would have gotten the home that we love without him. Thank you so much Paul!
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March 2018 by Chris Brainard
My husband and I interviewed Paul Cottone at our local Starbucks, and we were immediately impressed with the homework that he had already done before he even met us - he presented us with a packet of articles he had printed out and pieced together over the last several years, pertaining to many real estate topics, from market trends to things to look for on an initial viewing to the process itself. We chose Paul based on his extensive knowledge of the area and his dedication to the field. Real estate isn't something Paul does on the side - he knows his stuff, inside and out (literally!). We started our search late in the season, but Paul was willing to work with us as first-time home-buyers - and as a buyer's broker, his focus really is on helping you purchase the right house for YOU. The more information you are able to give Paul about what you are looking for, the better he can help you. As he goes through a house, Paul's attention to detail is exceptional and he always keeps an eye toward what the resale of the house will be like for you as the potential owner. He helped us to separate the the investment in a property from the emotional aspects of home-buying - I appreciated his analysis and explanations. I always learned something new, every time we looked at a house - I loved the educational aspect of house shopping. Paul went far above and beyond the call of duty for us; we were in communication even while he was overseas. He was with us at every step of the way as we purchased our house, from the initial viewing of the property, through a complicated set of inspections, right through the closing. I'm positive that we would not have gotten the same high level of service from any other real estate agent, and I would highly recommend Paul Cottone to anyone who is looking to buy a house.
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August 2017 by Sneha P.
Paul was great to work with. No bullshit, no sugar coating - exactly what my husband and I wanted. He is extremely knowledged and was available whenever we needed him. Not only did he help with the purchasing decisions, he went out of his way to help us with the mortgage, lawyer and other information - something we appreciated as first time home buyers. He even gave us information about some of the upgrades we were planning - whether it was something worth putting our money or not. Thanks to him, we were able to get the right professionals for inspection and get the best deal during the negotiations. Even at the first meeting, he had a bunch of information all ready for us to peruse. He doesn't just tell you to do this and don't do that, he explains why and makes sure you understand. I would (and have) recommended him to friends and family. He went above and beyond for us - something you don't find too often. He was highly recommended by a colleague - and now I know why!
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July 2017 by Jennifer K.
Paul recently helped our family find our home in a very competitive market. Prior to contacting Paul, we were looking for numerous years being outbid and with agents who were not proactive in assisting with our search. From the beginning Paul met with us to learn our needs and budget. We found that he was very knowledgeable about the market in Boston and all surrounding areas. He is very experienced and provides helpful feedback regarding the potential value and resale of a home. Paul knows so much about houses and it was a completely different experience seeing a home with him. I believe he used to be an appraiser so this perspective is extremely valuable when having brief amounts of time to evaluate a home and potentially place a bid. He is very responsive by email and is a more proactive agent who will actively look for opportunities that fit your needs. We felt that he was always on our side and never pushing anything on us that was not a fit. When we found a home we were interested in, he had suggestions regarding our proposal and how to make it competitive. Through the bid process, he was supportive of anything we needed to do to secure our interests. We talked often by phone, email and text. He was awesome when we brought our young kids and would even hold our kids while we checked out homes. I can't say enough amazing things about Paul. All sellers' agents would remark how lucky we were to have him. He has a great reputation and it is certainly deserved from our view. We found him knowledgeable, honest, communicative and above all I ended up feeling like we had made a new friend. We really enjoyed working with him and don't think we would have gotten the home that we love without him. Thank you so much Paul!
