Len Gabbay and Donna Daniels, long-time residents of Austin, had plenty of experience buying and selling Austin real estate. They had owned everything from condos to houses to an apartment downtown, and they were ready to settle down. As Gabbay put it, “Having lived in Austin for 26 years, I wanted the next place I purchased to be the last—it had to be perfect.”
Gabbay and Daniels began their search in Tarrytown with the assistance of a realtor who specialized in that area. Soon, however, they decided to focus on Barton Hills. They wanted to find the person who had her thumb on the pulse of the neighborhood—someone who could help them get ahead of the competition. Driving around one day, they saw a Blairfield Realty sign. Enter Donna Blair, President and Founder of Blairfield Realty.
Upon meeting Blair, the couple knew that she was the realtor for them. They immediately appreciated her responsiveness, admired her involvement in the neighborhood and local charities, and were interested in her remodeling projects. When they subsequently met VP of Operations Tamara Carlisle, with whom Len realized he had connections dating back to 1990, they quickly signed with Blairfield Realty.
One of the first things that appealed to Gabbay and Daniels was the all-inclusive nature of Blairfield Realty’s offerings. The couple had paid a professional stager quite a bit of money to help get the apartment they were selling market-ready, and they were amazed to discover that home staging was something Blairfield Realty included in its fee. Even more impressive was the pressure-free feeling they got from Blair and Carlisle, said Daniels: “They believe that there is the right house out there for the right person. If they get the sense that something isn’t right for you, they won’t push it on you.”
Once the couple told Blair what they wanted, the rest was simple. “(Before signing with Blairfield), we had spent about one-and-a-half years looking—and trying to fit our very specific wants into a box. Donna told us about this home before it even went on the market. We avoided the bidding war that would have occurred had she not been so tuned in,” said Gabbay. He added, “She’s always working. Then when you add Tamara into the mix … well, she just supercharges everything and has a really good vision. Together, they have this comprehensive energy.”
Comparing the home buying process with others they have experienced, Daniels remarked, “They know their real estate and made the process easy and comfortable, taking away a lot of the anxiety that is a natural part of buying and selling a home. Plus, Donna really knew about the house we were purchasing.”
The amazing service didn’t end there, either. Even since closing on the home, Gabbay and Daniels have consulted with Blair on a construction loan and have found her to be an invaluable resource. “They stay in touch,” said Daniels. “That’s important.”