Paul Bednar - Testimonials

Even before we were ready to look for a new place, Paul Bednar came over and did a walk-through of our house, giving us his opinions about what was fine and what improvements we might tackle to make the house more marketable. This list was sensible and extremely useful. As we prepared to put the house on the market, Paul was great about walking us through the steps. He brought over some items to help stage the house. He attended to some business in Elgin for us after we had moved away. He recommended a painter who did great work for us at a reasonable price. We set what we thought was a realistic if slightly high asking price. We had an above asking price offer within 48 hours of listing the house. Thanks to the improvements we had made, the house inspection was smooth and didn’t turn up anything significant. Paul was very helpful throughout the contract negotiations. We closed in 6 weeks. It was an excellent experience and we know that Paul’s expertise and helpfulness had a great deal to do with it.

The neighborhood and friends we made stand out as highlights of a life well lived. Diane and I would especially like to thank you for your efforts in connecting us with the right buyer for our elegant lady of a home. Your dedication to us and professional approach are greatly appreciated. We were truly impressed with all you did. Thanks, my Friend.

We had lived there for nearly 36 years. We started with a foreclosed handyman special and put in the blood, sweat, and tears needed to make it a home. We raised our family there. But it was time to move on. Luckily, we found Paul Bednar, a realtor who lives in our neighborhood and understands both the challenges and rewards of historic house living to help us.

He generated enough interest by listing it in the private/coming soon MLS site and it was immediately sold. Paul is very knowledgeable about old homes and can address the unique qualities of old homes with buyers better than anyone else in Elgin. He is well versed in this area as he has invested his own resources into his own home and other old houses in Elgin's Historic District. Paul has first-hand knowledge of old houses and homes with his wealth of experience. We appreciated his patience, his recommendations/suggestions to get our home ready to sell, and the people he recommended to do the work on our home."

He was always available to answer my questions. Paul explained the contract and handled a few sticky situations clearly and timely. Without performing a test, an inspector claimed he smelled carbon monoxide (carbon monoxide is odorless), Paul called the fire department, who tested it and found the setting way below normal. Paul didn’t let it end there, he had another official test performed, which confirmed there wasn’t a carbon monoxide issue. This likely saved the deal. His knowledge of the market and old homes was a huge advantage. You will be in good hands when you list your home with Paul. Many thanks to Paul. Jill

When the time came to sell our older house (1888) and move to another one in the area (1887) we knew we wanted Paul to be our realtor. His expertise in older homes and the quirks that sometimes accompany them was a huge help when it came time to address them with the potential buyers as well as when we were buying our new old home. He knows the market like no other realtor. He will help you every step of the way beginning with advice on preparing the home for listing, marketing the home, to bringing in buyers, all with attention to detail. Call PAUL! Happy house hunting, Mike & Sarah Burns Elgin IL

Paul is great at explaining the whole buying process in a way that anyone can understand. He was great at communicating with us every step of the way and we always felt in the loop. Not to mention Paul’s knowledge and expertise in historic homes were so helpful as we were purchasing in a very old building. I would highly recommend Paul to anyone looking for a great realtor. Michael and Caroline, Evanston

His knowledge and experience in the specialized market of Elgin’s historical homes allowed him to provide key insights throughout the sale process. We began working with Paul a month prior to putting the house on the market, which allowed us time to act upon his various recommendations for prepping and staging our home. The results were captured beautifully by his top-notch photographer and provided for an appealing listing that quickly drew the attention of prospective buyers."

Paul is a quiet, and professional salesman. He is very knowledgeable, and skilled in his field. After the usual boring routines of measuring rooms and signing disclosures, then the excitement started. It started when Paul suggested ideas for preparing my house for viewing. He brought in his extremely talented photographer. The house was ready for viewing. I was totally amazed. It was so beautiful that I wanted to keep it! Then the magic escalated as the first party to view the house was willing to buy my house at the listed price. The second and third viewers offered to increase their offers. The next morning, before making any decisions on the current offers, Paul got a call from someone who offered to increase the price substantially, pay in cash, take the house “as is”, and delay the closing to accommodate my needs! For sure it had to be a dream! No, It wasn’t a dream! It was Paul’s magic pouring out! I discovered that Paul’s success is not solely due to his great efficiency and expertise but I learned he possesses an added, unique gift that brings magic to his work. That is creativity and artistry! Since he is a landscape architect, he brings a magical combination of creativity and skill for success in his job. I’m so lucky and grateful for this experience with Paul! Alice

It sold in 10 days and closed on a helpful schedule. With Paul's assistance, the house was beautifully staged and shown with inviting photographs. His astute pricing and negotiating with the buyer's agent was right on and we received 94% of the asking price. He also made helpful referrals of professional workmen to make minor repairs. We were well pleased and highly recommend Paul Bednar.

We will always be grateful…. Patti Burke and Jimmy McManamon

He understood what we were looking for and quickly identified a number of properties that would meet our needs. Because of his own rootedness in the community, he was also invaluable in helping us understand rental codes and find skilled contractors to do the work we needed to have done.

. . He's Fabulous! He explains well . . . he offers advice, information and choices and helps with decisions until the decision to make becomes clear. His communication is concise and articulate. He willingly helps/does what needs to happen to make the task work . . . ie . . . he offered to drop by my house and pick up a contract because it wasn't going well on the computer . . . he's flexible, and he forgives easily when my task doesn't go smoothly, and he's always professional. Selling my condo . . . we got an offer and a contract for the asking price . . . I'm very pleased. We just closed on the house I bought yesterday. He brought me a beautiful mum to celebrate! I vote FABULOUS for Paul Bednar! "

Paul made our decision to do so, as well as the entire process of selling, very comfortable for both of us. His estimate of value was right on and his recommendations for staging, were both helpful and simple to carry out. Upon listing our home we had immediate responses, one of which resulted in the eventual sale. Paul continued to help us every step of the way, including legal assistance, inspection, needed corrections and the closing. We have since recommended Paul to friends who were also very satisfied with his service.

He had a buyer looking to buy and my asking price was in the buyer's price range. It was a good fit on both sides, so I decided to sell instead of renting the property. So now we have a nice new neighbor to welcome into our friendly neighborhood. Laura Stroud

With the gorgeous pictures he had taken for the listing, we got several excellent offers right away and we had signed an agreement of sale within a couple of weeks after putting it on the market! Paul was knowledgeable, accessible, and extremely responsive throughout the process. As someone who has renovated several historic houses in the neighborhood himself, he knows all the ins and outs of older home construction and is also an expert in the local market. We would recommend Paul's services without reservation and would return to him in a heartbeat!"

He was patient and listened to our wants and needs in a house. Always willing to answer our questions and show us the way. Paul’s expertise and intimate knowledge of homes were valuable in our search. Thanks to Paul, we are now living in the house of our dreams and we will be forever grateful.

I like his laid back style and attention to details. Even though our house was not historic and a condo...he knew the market and our condo sold in 2 weeks!! He was always there to answer a phone call! Although we are never moving again....I would highly recommend Paul Bednar for all your Realtor needs!!! *****

Paul was recommended because he knows a lot about Elgin’s historic houses, but he was great with any listings, and he really seems to know Elgin better than others. He was especially helpful online since we were out of state most of the time while looking for a house and most of the process was handled by phone/email. This was not a problem for Paul and I recommend him highly as a realtor. I look forward to the next time.’

Moving to Elgin allowed me the perfect distance between my friends that stayed in Chicago and my family living in Huntley. Buying an older house also became somewhat of a treasure hunt as Paul Bednar educated me on the historic district and different things to look for when shopping for a historic home. Elgin maintains that small-town feel that I was looking for while also offering the opportunity to engage in the arts, unique cuisines, and other social activities. Kate

Paul is great at explaining the whole buying process in a way that anyone can understand. He was great at communicating with us every step of the way and we always felt in the loop. Not to mention Paul’s knowledge and expertise in historic homes was so helpful as we were purchasing in a very old building. I would highly recommend Paul to anyone looking for a great realtor. Michael and Caroline, Evanston

We knew that he was knowledgeable about the historic homes in Elgin, the area in which we were looking to purchase. Paul’s eye for the details in older homes was helpful when we purchased our 100-year-old brick tudor. It only took one day of viewing homes with him to find the right one for us. In total, the whole process only took six weeks before moving into our new home, a feat accomplished because Paul closely monitored the progress of the lender and attorneys. Paul is also a wonderful landscape architect and convinced us to not cut down an overgrown tree in the front yard, but rather trim it up. In fact, a day after we moved in, he brought his saws over and did the trimming himself. Now that it is spring we are so glad he saved it, because it is a beautiful Magnolia. We recommend Paul Bednar – Real People Realty, to anyone looking for the best home buying or selling experience possible!