Testimonials

Hall And Strahl Testimonials

Read our client reviews, and find out why people love to work with us for their real estate needs

Over the past ten years, you have represented me in five successful Westside real estate transactions, each one of increasing value and complexity. In each case, your tenacity and determination were key elements in securing the transaction in a market best described as ‘frenzied’. At the same time, your client servicing skills were exemplary. I have always felt fully informed at all times, and found you available to discuss my concerns. Perhaps most important, you have always conducted yourself with the utmost integrity and professionalism, no matter how difficult negotiations became.

Congratulations on an outstanding conclusion to the year’s performance that has earned you a place in the NRT Top 1,000 sales associates for the 4th quarter. In fact your performance placed you in the top half of this group. At a time when listing inventory remains at a premium, you’ve been able to keep your pipeline of business flowing, giving us all a shining example of how dedication, skill and professionalism translate into real production.

Michele recently sold the Wilshire Terrace cooperative apartment and maid’s room owned by the Wilder Family Trust for which I serve as co-trustee and counsel. Her skills, professionalism, imagination and networking all proved invaluable in what can only be deemed a “wildly” successful result.

The apartment was the longtime home of Billy and Audrey Wilder.

Impressive lineage notwithstanding, the unit was in dated condition and had been awkwardly renovated to accommodate in-home medical needs. Michele was very candid about the condition of the unit and about the comparable sales in the building, all of which properly lowered our expectations about what the Trust would be able to net from the sale.

But Michele convinced the co-trustees that the unit was not simply a

“teardown” and that, with a very modest investment, it could appeal to a range

of buyers in its current configuration. She put us in touch with vendors who not only upgraded the unit with a minimum of supervision and expense but also assisted with the disposition of a lifetime of the couple’s personal effects and staged the apartment to optimal effect. The entire effort truly transformed the property, leading to multiple offers, a bidding war, and an ultimate sale to the nicest of buyers at a price that far exceeded our most optimistic projections.

While the result was extraordinary, the experience along the way was no less remarkable. I have been involved in many sales of real property, and never have a listing and sale occurred with less effort, drama, tension, or discord.

Michele knew exactly what to do, and with whom. She dealt with the building management, our vendors, and many buyers and their representatives which clearly involved an enormous effort on her part. Yet, the entire operation appeared relatively effortless to us as sellers. Michele was unusually good about communicating, demonstrating a deft touch in providing updates but not taking up any more of our time than was necessary. She provided excellent advice as we reviewed offers and formulated counteroffers. In sum, it was an unbelievably easy and pleasant experience for us.

I have been a customer of City National Bank for 34 years and am privileged to represent its Trust Department from time to time. As a member of the extended CNB family, I would seize any opportunity to have Michele work with us.

My wife and I have written, produced and directed television and film for the past several decades, from Modern Family and Dexter to all five Twilight films. We don’t write recommendations often, and when we do, it is only for individuals who are truly outstanding in their field. Michele Hall is one of those people.

We have worked with Michele for more than seven years now. In that time she has helped us find and purchase our dream property, helped us find top-notch tenants for a rental property, and expertly guided the sale of two houses — both of which engendered multiple offers, bidding wars, and ultimately, all-cash sales well above asking price.

Michele brings to her clients a wealth of experience, an intimate knowledge of the real estate market, and a calm, cheerful demeanor. She can expertly market your home to gain its highest value, guide you surefootedly through the thicket of paperwork, and will work tirelessly to bring your sale to a

close.

Her professionalism and attention to detail is remarkable, and reassuring. Setbacks do not ruffle her feathers, and she goes over contracts with a fine-toothed comb honed by hundreds of purchases and sales. When she comes across something which she has not yet encountered (which is rare), she researches it meticulously. I always felt that she had covered all the bases. She is great at guiding you through all the legal documents and house viewings, and at every step of the way made herself available above and beyond the call.

Michele has assembled a team of top-flight pros to help her market homes for sale: furniture stagers, photographers, handymen, painters, gardeners. When we sold our rental property, and I was busy with work, I handed the keys to Michele, and came to see the property four weeks later, to find it completely and stunningly transformed.

Finally, we have always appreciated her low-key approach. Michele never tries to bully you into making a decision. She was very patient with us, even as we changed our minds about what we wanted. She will point out pros and cons to you, and gently guide you to making the right decision for yourselves.

In summary, we recommend Michele Hall to you with unreserved enthusiasm. You will not find a better, more honest, more reliable, and more competent Real Estate Agent in Los Angeles. Sign with her. You will not be sorry!

It is a great pleasure for Chris and I to write this letter of recommendation for Michele Hall, our friend and real estate advisor/broker for almost thirty years. The fact that Thanksgiving makes us think of Michele hopefully communicates in its own way how very much she has meant to our family.

The extraordinary results we have achieved by partnering with Michele are the primary reasons we recommend Michele without reservation to our best friends, colleagues and associates. We also love working with her, and recognize that she remains a consummate professional in every element of her work.

Judgment. Both Chris and I are advisors in our professions. Chris is an investment banker, co-head of investment banking at Jefferies & Co., and I am an attorney, former partner with Latham & Watkins and now general counsel to a Los Angeles based private equity fund. We understand the value of a qualified advisor. Michele has never let us down. First she is highly qualified in that capacity. With over forty years of doing major deals in the Los Angeles marketplace, she has observed a lot.
Her keen radar and intuitive nature has let her absorb the best of what she has seen and incorporate those practices into her profession. With her experience and intuitive acumen, we look to Michele first about how to approach a buyer or seller, to inform us of best practices in real estate negotiations, to describe accurately the competitive landscape, to provide the local color, to listen to our objectives, to be incredibly price disciplined and then to develop a recommended course of action. She has been on point in her evaluation of the many investments we have looked at, and we look to her as a trusted partner.
Quality of Interaction. It is a genuine joy to work with Michele. Whether you are a busy parent, professional, retired or just beginning, an interaction with Michele will brighten your day. She is fun, funny, positive, always gigantically helpful and sensitive, and finds a way to support you when you most need it. In our busy lives, Michele has been a refuge from the pressured world of real estate, helping us to focus
on our objectives, our dreams and then being the catalyst that has helped bring those dreams to fruition. When we bought a house, but needed to rent it quickly, we were able to call Michele who immediately knew what we needed to do and how to achieve our objectives. Michele is also lovely, kind, thoughtful and direct. Our interactions with her over thirty years of negotiation have never, ever, been contentious or difficult – she’s way above that and just has a very genuine, evolved way of structuring our objectives with the contemplated transactions and creatively finding solutions, rather than obstacles.
Follow-Through. One of the reasons we so gladly recommend Michele to friends of ours interested in buying or selling real estate is that no matter what the assignment, we know she will treat it as if it is the most important assignment in the world. This is how she has always treated us for the past 30 years and it is how she has treated everyone to whom we have recommended her. She always seems to be one step ahead and works tirelessly to accomplish whatever the desired outcome is. She is a self-starter that is relentless in her pursuit of a good result for her client. One of the things that always impresses us is her resourcefulness which has included introducing us to a variety of providers, including our first decorator, contractors, repairmen, and lenders.
Results. In our case, the results speak for themselves. Since we first met Michele, we have used her to locate and purchase five properties, and sell one. Two were homes that we lived/live in, and three are investment properties, two of which we rent where Michele has found all the tenants and negotiated the leases. In all of our experience, we have felt like Michele had our best interests at heart. Her experience, market knowledge, and skill in strategy and negotiation has resulted in us achieving positive results in every situation we have chosen to pursue.

It is with great confidence and affection that we highly recommend Michele Hall. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have.

I have worked with many real estate agents over the course of many years and I can honestly say that I have never felt better represented than by Michele Hall. Throughout the period of listing she took the initiative in her work, communicated diligently, responded promptly to emails and phone calls and at all times acted in a professional manner. She was never rattled by adversity and was always a pleasure to be with.

Working with Michele and Brian was a game-changer for me. Their expertise and personalized approach helped us find our dream home in no time. They truly go above and beyond to make the buying process smooth and enjoyable. Highly recommend them!

I recently closed escrow on a property in Santa Monica and had the good fortune to be represented by Michele Hall and Brian Strahl.

They provide a bespoke, comprehensive, and genuine service. They have excellent knowledge and broad experience, but what sets them apart is the personalized touch. No detail is too small, all points are considered. They email, text or phone you back promptly.

They guide you, but they also listen to your particulars and react accordingly. They will tell you honestly what they think of the price, the condition, and the neighborhood. They’ll advise you if they think you’re making a mistake. They will point out things you haven’t thought of, and they will educate you if you don’t know about something important.

Michele & Brian let you do your homework and figure stuff out yourself or come back to them with questions. Communication is great.

From the start, they set me up on a portal where I could view properties and give feedback on places I liked within my budget. I then spent a lot of time with Brian viewing properties, getting a feel for the market through his comments and advice. It was clear he has a lot of knowledge about building quality. He was very patient as we went around to see a lot of NO’s. There was one place that could have been the one, but we discussed the cons, and he helped me see clearly after a couple of visits that it was also a no.

Then when I found the property I knew I really liked, Brian came with me a few times to see it and ensure it was ‘the one’. Michele was right in there as we strategized on the offer and closed the deal. The whole process was easy and straightforward, comfortable.

My family had worked with Michele and Brian the previous year, on a property sale, so I knew I was in very good hands.

Michele and Brian are both so nice, so professional and good people – and you can’t beat that!