Raving Fans

What A Few Of Our Clients Say…

Builder - Robert is a Tenacious Advocate to have on your side, and a Broker who can get Results even in the Worst of Markets!

Robert Whitfield of Advantage Realtors was hired in 2009 to sell two new construction properties we developed in Habersham County near Helen, GA. Our two new homes had been on the market with ReMax and Keller Williams agents for over two years with no results. To make things more difficult our homes were located in a 32 unit development of mostly bare lots – speculative building had stopped with only 4 homes completed, and none had sold. We talked with Robert and could tell he knew what he was doing and after viewing his marketing plan we could see he used a lot of systems and creative methods to get homes sold. We knew Robert had sold over 90% of his listings and had set a few neighborhood price records in North Atlanta. We decided to give Robert a shot because the homes certainly weren’t getting sold by the other agents.

Robert suggested a variety of options to drive buyer traffic to the homes in this remote development, and we decided to try his trade up strategy to sell the properties and generate some cash flow. We would entertain taking a cheaper home in trade if the buyers deal generated an acceptable amount of cash and if certain criteria were met. We relied on Roberts experience as a Broker to assess these deals from financial, sales, and marketing angles and his experience as an ICC Certified Home Building expert to evaluate these trade-up homes for condition, defects, and general structural conditions. We received trade offers right away but after Robert evaluated the marketability and conditions of several homes he came back and suggested we reject all those offers.

A short time later we got a call from Robert advising he had a good looking trade deal for one of our new homes and the buyer’s home had passed all the right criteria. Robert negotiated the deal with the buyer and put complex dual contracts together requiring a back to back closing and he successfully sold the first of our homes in the development. A short time later, Robert presented us with another trade deal and sold our final home in the development. A few months later Robert sold the first of the two homes we took in trade and we closed in April 2010.

In the first trade deal, Robert successfully protected our already reduced sales price by rejecting a flawed appraisal which was $25,000 short. Robert had to prove to the lender the appraiser was wrong, and then get the purchaser to accept and agree to a new appraisal, which easily supported our contract price. Robert also assisted us in getting the county Building Department to rush the CO a week sooner than normal. In the second trade deal Robert used his expertise as an ICC Code Certified Building expert to personally evaluate and successfully refute several defects the buyer’s inspector found as invalid, putting the Buyer at ease and helped us come to satisfactory resolution with the buyer. These actions show Roberts dedication and tenacity to help his clients and clearly exceed the responsibilities and capabilities of the typical agent.

We highly recommend Broker Robert Whitfield as your Real Estate Professional of choice. He is a capable and knowledgeable representative and a tenacious advocate and resource to have on your side and Robert has proven to be a Broker who can get results in even the worst of markets.

Alan Paulk, President     Summa Builders, Inc.

Buyer – Roberts’s Determination and Ability Made it Happen - No Ordinary Agent Can Provide All This!

I am a first time home buyer and would like to refer Robert Whitfield to anyone who is even thinking of buying real estate. I could tell from Roberts’s website that he normally works with clients buying very expensive homes and was not sure he would help me. Robert assured me he would be happy to help me find my first home as long as I had good credit and got qualified for a mortgage first. I got qualified with a lender right away and signed a Buyer Brokerage Agreement for Robert to represent me.

I chose Robert because he was a Broker and ICC Building Inspection Expert and that really paid off for me in ways I never imagined. As I expected and as advertised, Robert evaluated the condition of every home I was interested in to make sure I was not going to waste my time and money submitting offers and paying inspector fees only to learn it was a seriously defective home I was better off avoiding! That’s valuable information and protection I could never have gotten from any other realtor. Weeding out bad properties saved me a lot of time and made my choice so much easier.

These days there are a lot of loop holes and hurdles you must go through with lenders and their various requirements – Robert helped me through many of those hurdles but one in particular that could have been a deal killer.

Robert found a fantastic Townhome for me that was in good shape, but after getting an accepted offer we ran into a serious roadblock because the HOA Association did not have critical info needed by my lender to get my unit spot approved for an FHA loan. Robert did research that the Association should have done to find this data, and then supplied the info to the Association so they could fill out the lenders FHA loan questionnaire. My unit was finally FHA approved because of Roberts’s research efforts!

I highly recommend Robert because his determination and ability will make sure your transaction happens and his experience as a Broker and Construction Inspection Expert is a winning combo that will save you time and money - no ordinary agent can provide all this.

Cara Waiswilos – Medical Administrator

Buyer – Roberts Buyer Representation Is Unmatched!

Robert Whitfield assisted and represented us in the location, negotiation, and acquisition of our Georgia home in May through the closing in August 2008. Because we were relocating from Northridge, California and had little knowledge of the Atlanta housing market, we relied heavily on Robert’s in-depth knowledge of the local area market and his experience as a licensed Broker/Owner.

Throughout the search process which ranged from North Fulton and East Cobb to West Marietta, Robert was happy to escort us through each home in which we were interested, often multiple times. Robert not only quickly located every property that even remotely matched our needs, but evaluated the structure of each home we seriously considered to look for defects. This is an invaluable service that we were not aware of any other agent providing. The feedback on both positive and negative aspects of each home was a key component in helping us make a choice among the best homes available.

Throughout the entire process, Robert handled all matters and made our home buying experience an enjoyable one – from helping us access and see homes to negotiating an offer that was accepted in our favor, referring us to our lender and home inspector, setting up our closing, and arranging the drafting of a Power of Attorney so Arlinda could sign at closing on Ron’s behalf while he attended to commitments back in California.

We highly recommend Robert Whitfield as your buyer broker of choice.

Ron Martinez – Movie Producer and Dr. Arlinda Eaton - Dean of Education

Seller – Robert oversaw entire rehab – then SOLD home in worst market in years – March 2008!

We would like to suggest to anyone wishing to sell or buy real estate to strongly consider the Robert Whitfield Home Selling Team. Even though Robert has a team we received his personal service and representation at all times. Robert successfully sold our property in March 2008 in the worst real estate market in 30 years – and our home was not in the best of school systems. We had initially considered a popular neighborhood ReMax agent with several listings in the area, however, upon reviewing Robert’s 97% list to sell ratio, additional marketing systems other agents weren’t using, and his extra knowledge as a Broker/Owner, hiring Robert became the obvious choice. Our decision turned out to be a very wise move as many of the other listed homes in the area are still for sale as of this writing.

Our property needed some updating, minor structural repairs, and decoration changes to make it market ready. Robert visited our home and suggested a scope of repairs and improvements to obtain maximum effect for the least amount of money. We relied on Roberts design and color recommendations regarding carpet, paint, tile, and granite installation and entrusted Robert to handle the complete oversight of this work from developing a scope of work for multiple contractor trades, to securing competitive bids from his list of contractors, monitoring all work, and verifying proper completion prior to making final payment to each contractor. We forwarded Robert funds to complete our rehab work and Robert accounted for every penny of the funds he held in escrow for us, and submitted receipts for all work and the unused funds remaining at the end of the rehab.

In addition to his real estate and marketing skills, Roberts experience and knowledge of construction and property rehab and qualifications as an ICC Certified Combination Building Inspector was an invaluable asset throughout the process of remodeling and updating our home. Robert also verified items the buyer’s inspector found and assisted us with repair negotiations and then ensured the proper and most cost effective repair of those items by the deadline.

We highly recommend Robert Whitfield as your realtor of choice.

Dr. and Ms. Phillip & Suzanne Bracken

Seller & Buyer - Robert Saves Sellers Over $30,000!

We would like to thank you for your recent services in selling our Smyrna/Mableton home, the same home in which you represented us in the construction and purchase of, as our Buyer Broker in 2002. Our second experience working with you was again very positive and a great choice on our part. With my job relocation taking us out of Georgia, securing a buyer for this home in under 30 days and successfully negotiating one of the top neighborhood prices was a huge win for us!

Robert, your efforts in the three weeks leading up to closing, were clearly above and beyond what we would have expected from a Realtor. In particular, your effort in handling the flawed appraisal on our home was critical to keeping the deal on track and preventing us from being in a very difficult position with the buyer. Obviously, as the sellers we disagreed with the appraisal but otherwise had no qualifications and therefore no real grounds to question or challenge the appraiser because he is the “expert”. Your were able to quickly recognize that the initial appraiser made several significant errors resulting in an appraised value that was more than $30,000 under our agreed on sales price with the buyers. Without your involvement and oversight the erroneous appraisal would have stood, and we would have either lost the sale or been forced to suffer a significant price cut in favor of the buyers. We were already out of Atlanta at our new location and you handled the entire situation for us from beginning to end. We are convinced that a less tenacious and knowledgeable Realtor would not have been willing, nor known how to effectively and expeditiously handle this situation to achieve the successful outcome.

Equally impressive was your willingness to work directly with my Companies relocation agency which was occasionally difficult to deal with. Finally Robert, you volunteering to personally verify the inspection items, (even helping us with a few of the minor repairs) while pointing out, and refuting several items that were incorrect calls made by the buyers inspector, was a big help and truly showed your 110% commitment to serving your clients.

We would be more than willing and happy to recommend you to any prospective clients. Thanks again for the fantastic support.

Paul and Michelle Parkes – General Electric Corporation

Seller - Robert sold my home in only 13 days, and for over $8,500 more than a well known Keller Williams agent wanted to list my home for!

When it was time to sell my home in East Cobb, I interviewed Robert Whitfield of Advantage Realtors, and agents from both Keller Williams and ReMax. The other agents gave me printed materials and a very long winded listing presentation. They seemed to dwell more on their company’s reputation and market share than what they personally could do for me. Unlike a lot of people I am not impressed by a big national company name or how many homes an agent has sold - that only tells you how well the agent did for themselves, not their sellers. I wanted the most experienced agent and one who could prove positive results for past sellers. As Robert pointed out, it’s not the agents company that sells your home – it’s the individual agent you hire - their marketing plan better have something different if you want different results.

I was impressed with Roberts short and to the point laptop Marketing Presentation. I chose Robert as my listing broker because of his superior marketing plan, and his documented results for other sellers.

As an added benefit, I felt I was in more capable hands because Robert is the Broker/Owner of his own company and a Licensed ICC Certified Building Inspection Expert as well. Choosing Robert really paid off. Robert sold my home in only 13 days, and for over $8,500 more than a well known Keller Williams agent suggested I list my home for!

When my home was inspected Robert personally verified all defect items the inspector found and helped me negotiate and even refute some of the repairs saving me about $2000. Robert also helped me coordinate the repairs with contractors.

I highly recommend Robert to anyone who needs to sell their home for the most money possible, but also wants a level representation and expertise the typical agent simply can’t provide.

Gloria Panarello

Seller – We Would Have Been In Big Trouble With Any Ordinary Agent – Robert Saved Us Thousands!

Robert Whitfield was referred to us by a family member after he sold her home in East Cobb and got the second highest price ever in her neighborhood. Before she hired Robert, our relative’s house had already been on the market for over a year with two different ReMax firms without selling. Robert looked at her house and diagnosed a major repair problem he felt was causing buyers to reject her home, and helped her get it repaired. Our home had no major problems but needed some general repairs and Robert was very helpful in suggesting what we needed to address for the maximum return on our expenditure and then gave us a variety of proven contractors to choose from to get our house market ready. We called Robert out to list our home when our improvements were complete.

Roberts advertising and marketing system beat what all the other agents in our neighborhood were doing and that was important to us in the slower 2007 market. What we never expected was how valuable it was going to be that we listed our home with a Realtor (Broker/Owner) who is also a Licensed ICC Certified Building Inspector.

We got an accepted offer, but the buyer’s inspector picked our house to pieces. Worse, the buyers had a contractor come over and quote over $12,000 to correct the inspector’s repairs! Roberts’s first response was to personally verify everything on the 35 plus page inspection report. Robert then advised the buyer’s agent which items were not code violations, which items were in error, and which items were not defects per the language in the purchase contract. Robert even had to send a joist span table out of his code book to prove there was nothing wrong with our deck after the inspector advised the buyers to consult a structural engineer! That report could have scared off any buyer but Robert assured us he wasn’t going to let them walk away based on the flawed report!

We would have been in big trouble with any ordinary agent. Even courts defer to the inspectors opinion. Robert helped us negotiate the repairs from a position of power and knowledge rather than being subject to spending thousands to address overzealous and incorrect calls. Robert was able to get a contractor in for us and handle all of the repairs for less than a 10th of the buyer’s repair quote saving us thousands of dollars and saving our deal!

We highly recommend Robert Whitfield to anyone selling or buying a home, his unmatched experience and qualifications can really pay off as it did for us.

Jin & Jong–Wan Chung

Buyer – Robert Went Above And Beyond The Expected Responsibilities Of A Realtor!

Robert helped us buy our first home and went above and beyond the expected responsibilities of a real estate agent. We heartily recommend Robert to anyone who wants to get the most for their money! Thanks Robert! You are the best!

Renee and Chad Bishop – Northside Hospital

Seller & Buyer - Robert Sells Home In 7 Days!

Robert came to us with a unique game plan to do more than just put our home in the MLS, but to actually target likely buyers for our home. The result - Robert sold our home in only 7 days - while other homes had been listed in our neighborhood for as long as a year! Robert then represented us in the purchase of a great nearly new home, first evaluating the home to insure there were no serious and costly defects BEFORE helping us craft and submit the offer. Robert drafted an offer with special stipulations to protect us in the purchase and successfully negotiated with the sellers to help us get the best possible price. Robert set up both closings in two different counties with his attorneys and coordinated all aspects of both transactions for smooth closings. I recommend Robert as your Broker of choice over any ordinary agent.

Philip Smith - IBM System Sales

Seller - Robert Saved Deal & Set Price Record!

Robert Whitfield of Advantage Realtors was hired to sell our home in Marietta (East Cobb). We interviewed several agents from all the national firms but chose Robert because he was not just an agent, but an experienced Broker who owned his own firm, and a Code Certified Construction Expert as well. Our decision to hire Robert over the other agents really paid off. Robert not only sold our home in only 42 days during the slower late fall season, but negotiated hard with the buyers agent to protect our price - selling our home for the highest price in our neighborhood to date. As if that weren’t enough, with only 8 days to go before closing the lenders title attorney found two old closed home equity lines still showing up recorded as a lien on our home! This scared the buyer who assured us he would cancel and not extend closing if we could not cure the title defects prior to closing. If it were not for Roberts’s tenacity and persistent negotiations with the bank in Pittsburg to secure the satisfaction letters in record time, we would never have closed! We highly recommend Robert as your Broker over any ordinary agent and suggest no seller try to go it alone - there are just too many ways for a sale to fall apart!

Charles and Betty Cook – Retired

Buyer - Chose Robert Over Harry Norman Realtors

I would like to thank you for your exceptional service during our recent home purchase. As you know, we were relocating from the United Kingdom and had a week to locate a home prior to arriving in the Atlanta area. Even though our Corporate Relocation Department suggested we use an agent at Harry Norman Realtors, we chose you as our Buyer Broker because of your added expertise as a Licensed Principal Broker and extra qualifications as an ICC Building Code Certified Home Construction & Inspection Expert.

The work you were able to accomplish prior to our arrival made our selection and purchase of a home incredibly smooth and easy.
Your pre-arrival services were invaluable to a successful house-hunting trip. After discussing with us the specifics of what type of home we would like and the desired schools and locations, you were able to e mail photos and info on about 40 very relevant homes for our review out of 95 available East Cobb properties. Once we had narrowed this list slightly, your individual pre-screening of each home further weeded out properties that either didn’t truly meet our desires or had serious and costly flaws.

The value of this service cannot be under-stated, as we did not have to waste time touring homes of this nature on our brief house-hunting trip. Had we done so, we would not have located our current home in the week we had allocated to the search! In fact, one of the top properties you found for us was purchased before we could arrive to see it! Amazingly, your pre-evaluations presented us with the top five houses that, after touring, were all in prime condition and desirable. My wife and I were left with the pleasurable task of deciding which of the five to buy. We also were reassured when touring the homes as you pointed out not only the good points, but the flaws in each. This allowed us to make informed decisions regarding issues of concern and, in the end, allowed us to negotiate the repairs into the initial sales contract, assuring their correction, rather than leaving this to chance with the traditional re-negotiation after contract and inspection.

We were also greatly appreciative of your extensive preparation regarding contracts, true market value, and inspections. Prior to us arriving, you discussed the market conditions, all comps in the area, and what an acceptable offer on each home might look like. In all, we felt that we have received excellent value and “instant” equity in the home, primarily due to your market expertise. You also had all the required contracts and paperwork ready, so we were able to produce all the required documentation instantly, including closing power of attorney since we were overseas. This also made our buying experience easy and stress free. Interestingly, it only took one day to look at your pre-screened homes, place an offer, and receive an accepted offer. Incredibly, all of our desired inspections were completed in the same week, as well as additional negotiations regarding radon mitigation.

In testimony to your skill in the pre-evaluation of homes, our home inspector found NO additional significant issues with the home. This provided us exceptional peace of mind, as we had all the information and issues about the house settled prior to our return to the UK. It cannot be emphasized enough that all of this transpired in one week, a virtually unheard of speed when dealing in real estate!

To further expound on your services, you provided excellent closing advice and coordination with our mortgage provider in Illinois. They received all the required information in a very timely manner and we were able to escrow all the required funds, as well as set up all insurance in the same week as well. You were extremely helpful in discussing our required activities and making sure we were ready to close. This meant that we did not have to coordinate any activity from the UK and it allowed us to focus on moving, once again greatly easing the stress load. You even handled follow up inspections of the few repairs and kept us informed with the progress. When we arrived for closing less than 24 hours after stepping off the aircraft from the UK, we found everything complete and in order, allowing us to close easily.

We would like to sincerely thank you for your efforts in locating our new home. My wife and I are convinced that we would have never located as fine a home so rapidly and for such an excellent price had we not employed your services. This is our third home purchase, and we have never received such comprehensive and professional assistance in locating and purchasing a home.

John and Elizabeth Brewer –Design Engineer - Kimberly Clark Corporation, UK Div.

Seller – We Chose Robert Because Of His Superior Marketing Plan – He Sold Our Home For The Third Highest Price Ever In Our Neighborhood!

“When we were being relocated to Colorado, we interviewed Robert Whitfield of Advantage Realtors, and two different ReMax agents in preparation to select an agent to sell our home. We ultimately chose Robert as our listing broker because of his superior marketing plan, pricing strategy, and results for other sellers. We knew Robert had sold another home in our neighborhood and it not only sold in a short time, it also established the highest price for any home ever sold in our subdivision. Our decision to hire Robert paid off because he sold our home in the slower winter months in only 38 days, and helped us get the third highest price to date in our neighborhood. In the Marketing Presentation Robert mentioned the benefits of being not only a Licensed Broker, but also a Code Certified Building Expert.

As it turned out, this extra experience came into play when our home was inspected because Robert personally verified all the defect items the inspector found and was able to help us avoid an unnecessary and expensive repair by proving the item was not a defect. Robert also helped us hold the deal together when our buyer noticed some water in the crawl space due to improperly directed downspouts after an unusually heavy rain the day before closing.

We highly recommend Robert to anyone who needs to sell their home and wants the most money possible, and the least amount of hassle. Robert provides a level of experienced representation, counsel, and assistance that goes beyond what ordinary agents can offer.”

Jared and Margie Miller

Buyer & Seller & Buyer - Robert Is A Must Have I The Home Buying Process!

“I cannot express what a pleasure it was working with Robert Whitfield. He made the relocation process so easy! Each time I came to Atlanta to look at homes with him he gave me his undivided attention. I emphasize “attention” since Robert Whitfield has great attention to detail. I’ve moved several times over the past ten years and Robert is by far the most professional real estate associate that I’ve ever worked with. Robert’s customer service does not end at the closing either. He will gladly follow up on any issues you may have after getting established. Robert is a “must have” in the home buying process - you can’t lose!”

Brian and Andrea Donar, Pilot FED EX, GA

Buyer- Roberts Actions Are Proof He Has The Client’s Interests At Heart!

“Nancy and I again want to thank you for your patience and professional character and actions throughout the total house hunting process. We were very impressed with your service - your actions demonstrate that you truly have the clients interests and desires at heart. If you ever need a recommendation please feel free to use Nancy and my name.”

Bill and Nancy Drury, Retired Aerospace Engineer, AL

Buyer- No Other Realtor Has Come Close To Matching Roberts Buyer Representation Services!

“We have dealt with several “agents” over the web and are duly impressed with our interaction with you. We really enjoyed the time we spent with you touring Atlanta and Vinings. We were very impressed with your ability to not only locate property based on sound investment considerations, but sound construction as well. No other realtor we have ever worked with has come close to offering that level of service to us when buying a home. We certainly look forward to partnering with you when we relocate. We will refer anyone we know who is planning to move to Atlanta to you in the future.”

Ted and Gail Beaulieu, IT Manager, TN

Buyer- Robert Provides A Truly Exceptional Service!

“We both really like the outstanding home and builder you found for us in East Cobb. I really appreciate your help in locating suitable new homes to preview. The outstanding insight on quality of construction you provided during our tour of all the neighborhoods is certainly unique - it made our ultimate purchase decision much easier. I am sure your business will continue to succeed - you are a diligent person that provides a truly exceptional service!”

Mike Walker, E Commerce Consultant, CO

Buyer – Robert Found Unique Home In Record Time – Caught & Addressed Foundation Problem!

“I was certainly surprised when you filled my request for such a unique property so quickly! I am confident that if I had used any other realtor, I would have “bought the foundation problem” which you spotted and had your engineer evaluate, and the sellers agree to fix! I will recommend your outstanding services to anyone who is planning to buy a home in Atlanta, but they better be ready to move! Please send me some of your brochures and cards to pass out.”

Bettye Scrutchin, R.N., GA

Buyer- Robert Helped Us Avoid Some Really Poor Quality Properties!

“We are very thankful for your outstanding service, you helped us avoid some really poor properties while house hunting. We would never have found this home without you.”

Louis Bryson, Jason Sylvain, Wireless Communications, GA