Michael O’Brien dispenses sensible business advice about how to sell or buy what is probably your most valuable possession: your house. We asked Michael to help sell our Cabbagetown home and he was on the mark about everything: what we should do before it went on the market, how much to ask, when, and how to handle offers in a market in flux. He was worth every penny we paid him, and he made it a pleasure all the while. He’s a calm, reliable and highly experienced business person you can rely upon to give you solid business advice. You can take it to the bank. We did. These are reasons in themselves to hire him.

However, he has made a study of a rare bit of real estate: that beautiful, historic, leafy-green neighbourhood known as Cabbagetown. He lives and works there and he knows its micro-market intimately. This makes him the right person to help you buy or sell a home there at the very best price possible. How we chose Michael to be our realtor is a story in itself: I am not a fan of unsolicited telephone calls, frankly, but on our first of several calls he was very polite, and he knew his business. Then I received his newsletter and I thought: “This is someone who knows how to sell his services. I bet he can sell a house.” I didn’t want to sell my house then, but several years later (and a call once or twice a year) I phoned him up and we got serious.

Selling and buying is a poorly understood business. It’s tough. Not just because it’s competitive, but because it’s an emotional event requiring good communication, a strong sense of the value you are selling, and careful attention to good business and legal practice. Once we had sorted out what we should and not should not change within the house, his staging partner was invaluable in preparing our house: not just decorating it in a particular style, but ensuring it looked as spacious as possible and open to a new owner and their imprint. As a side benefit, we felt we were no longer selling our home; we were marketing a clean slate to a new owner.

Michael O’Brien helped us show our house in the best light possible, while being credible, open and honest. We were very pleased to have his attention throughout the process, even for little questions. He never lost sight of our interests and our objective, and we were very successful in that objective. We’re very pleased to recommend Michael O’Brien to anyone and we’d be happy to talk to anyone about our experience.

Go ahead: sit down and talk openly about what you need, what concerns, interests and motivates you about the home you want to live in, or the one you love (and from which you now intend to retrieve the most value). Michael O’Brien is an ethical gentleman who will make you smile during one of the biggest personal transactions most Canadians ever make. He has our enthusiastic recommendation and our sincere thanks.

It was my pleasure to list my home with Michael O’Brien. Throughout the entire process Michael demonstrated his vast experience and knowledge in the real estate market. With the assistance of his staging partner, they professionally prepared my home to enhance the floor plan. In addition to staging, the extras that were included such as home inspection, window cleaning etc., were very much appreciated. All marketing tools including a video were of the highest quality and certainly contributed to a satisfactory sale. I would definitely recommend Michael and Michael to anyone.

We sold our Cabbagetown house with Michael. The experience was so overwhelmingly positive. Michael was professional every step of the way. From our initial chat and meeting, to the Listing Agreement, staging, other house preparations and open houses, Michael did exactly what was right and required every step of the way to represent our interests and obtain the best price for our home.

We’ve worked with lots of agents, but Michael is the best. He genuinely valued our business, before and after the listing agreement was signed, and after the sale was closed. That matters! He is the only agent we’ve ever used who called us after the sale “just to see how we were doing”. Michael was easy to work with, offering a simple “one-stop-shop” that we didn’t find other agents offered.

He did everything he said he would do, exactly when he said he would do it. Let’s face it; selling a house in Toronto is a bit like falling off a log, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy, especially if you want the best price and terms the market will offer. If you want all that and an easy, seamless and, dare I say it, enjoyable experience, Michael is your guy.

Michael helped sell my home. From first discussion through sale (slightly over-asking), Michael and his entire team were professional, courteous, and helpful. I was three time zones away for much of the process, and it went entirely smoothly—not only for me, but for my immediate neighbours, who appreciated his care and attention to detail as much as I did.

Michael demonstrated an unparalleled understanding of both market conditions and our neighbourhood. His expertise and experience made our sale feel effortless. He and his team were highly professional and reliable throughout the process. Michael helped to make us feel confident and happy with our decisions.

I have known Michael a long time, and always feel extremely confident in his knowledge and ability.