Testimonials

Margaret just sold my house in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. Working with Margaret was a wonderful experience. I felt like I was getting special one-on-one service and her exclusive attention. Her advice and care were invaluable, and the outcome was even better than I expected, particularly during an uncertain time. When the pandemic hit just before we put the house up for sale, Margaret instantly responded with a strategy to deal with this new environment. In the process of prepping, marketing, showing, negotiating and closing the sale, Margaret was very responsive, dedicated, reassuring, open and honest.  She pulled out all the stops and made what could be a stressful experience into something special.

Christine O, Westboro 

 

We first met Margaret about 15 years ago when she helped us sell the condo and then buy a beautiful 4-bedroom home in Stittsville.  We interviewed several agents before choosing Margaret.  From day one we felt she was committed and understood exactly what we were looking for in a family home.   Since then she has helped our daughter and some friends buy their first home. 

Now as empty nesters we decided to downsize to a small, custom-built home in a more rural area of Ottawa.   We didn’t even hesitate to call Margaret to help us sell the house in Stittsville.   With 5 years of renovating and upgrading the house was in great shape.  We knew once Margaret put her special touch on it to make it ready for market, we would have success.  

Many friends and acquaintances asked, “Why did we have an agent?  We’d save so much more money if we did it ourselves!”  There are several reasons why we didn’t.  Margaret never lost sight of what we wanted and worked to ensure we were happy.   She completely understood the complexity of the market for sellers and buyers and handled with ease. 

Having an agent who knew how to navigate multiply offers and keep us focused on what was important was invaluable.  She saved us so much time and sold our home for over asking with the terms we wanted.   Margaret was worth every penny in the commission she received compared to what others see as “perceived savings”. 

We saw several less than successful sales in our neighbourhood with those homeowners doing it on their own.   

We can’t thank you enough, Margaret!   We highly recommend you to others!

Barb & Terry, Stittsville

 

Margaret is an amazing realtor. Besides being a wonderful person to work with, she met all of our needs, including our desire to sell our home quickly. She had a great understanding of the current market, had amazing up to the minute research on prices and trends in our area and kept us informed on every development in our “hood”. 

She also helped us stage our home to ensure that it would sell quickly and at the price we wanted. Her second career should be as an interior designer! She quickly made our house look very contemporary and appealing. So much so we considered not selling! 

Margaret’s knowledge, drive, sense of humour and patience makes her (in our opinion) Ottawa’s best real estate agent. We highly recommend Margaret!

 Colleen and Doug, Riverside Park 

 

If you want someone who understands the market……

If you want someone to represent YOU and your interests, whether selling or buying……

If you want someone who listens……

If you want someone who pays attention to every detail, from staging to reviewing official documents……

If you want someone who is ‘up-to-date’, using online technology to facilitate document signing, communication, secure entry to your home……

If you want someone who respects your wishes……

If you want someone who responds to your questions thoroughly and immediately……

If you want someone who makes things happen in real-time……

If you want someone who is as excited about your sale/purchase as you are……

Then you want Margaret Forrest as your Real Estate agent!!! I’m so happy that I did!!!

Denyse G,  Orleans

 

We loved working with Margaret on the purchase of our first home. Margaret is incredibly dedicated to and passionate about her work and was very patient with us as we searched for and finally found our dream home. As first time buyers, she made sure that we were comfortable throughout the entire process, answered all our questions and was looking out for our best interests at all times. She is incredibly knowledgeable about the market and made our experience stress-free. We highly recommend working with her!

Lynley and Chris, Stittsville

 

Testimonial for outstanding service: Our family needed to sell a house quickly due to a short notice move for work. Working under tight time constraints, Margaret worked closely with our family to formulate a workable plan to prepare and market our home.  Her attention to detail allowed our home to be presented as it is; a wonderful place to call home.

Margaret Forrest is a true professional who worked tirelessly to ensure we sold our home for the best return. It has been an absolute pleasure working with Margaret; she is someone we would highly recommend to others wanting results when looking to buy or sell property. Thank you again for your energy and everything done to sell our home!

Penny & Roy, Hawthorne Meadows

 

Recently, we sold our townhome in the Fairwinds community with the amazing support of Margaret.  She is fantastic, so positive and energetic.  Her attention to detail, keen eye and staging abilities made our place look and feel like a million bucks.  She would use existing materials in combination with her own inventory of supplies, and give our home a whole new look…one that buyers were looking for. And all this at her own expense.

Her negotiating skills must be mentioned as well. When we were going to settle, her attitude was that “we can do better”… and we did. This significantly helped us position ourselves in the purchase of our new home.

She always made sure that we were kept informed with the status of our home as well as homes we were competing with in the neighborhood. 

If you are looking for someone with a positive attitude, great staging abilities, knowledge of the market and the Real Estate industry, we would refer Margaret in an instant.

Tobe & Lori, Stittsville 

 

It was a pleasure buying a house with Margaret.  I never felt pressured. In fact, looking for a house with Margaret was like looking for the perfect house with a friend – a friend who knew what she was doing. When it came time to negotiate sale price, we worked as a team, and managed to bring the price down substantially beyond my expectations – quite an accomplishment! I appreciated Margaret’s sincerity, professionalism, flexibility and experience. She was also able to recommend Mortgage Brokers and Inspectors, making the process almost stress-free. I would heartily recommend Margaret as a Real Estate Agent. You won’t regret it. She’s just that good. Thanks Margaret!

Christine O’Nions

 

Only a few months ago I was confiding in Kyla my numerous worries and fears about the whole process of selling my house by myself… Oh!! how happy I am that she mentioned you, she said: “I know the perfect person to help you selling your house, she will make this whole process so much better”… she was right!  It wouldn’t have been the same positive experience without you! I really appreciated your approach from day one, you are a great Agent who believes in a relationship with Clients and it makes a precious difference, alleviating an immeasurable amount of stress. Not only do you have great people skills, you also astound me with your “staging an entire house” skills!! Also, your motivation, patience and devotion at all times are remarkable. I will be delighted to refer others to you as I know you will take good care of them. It has been a pleasure working with you on one of my biggest projects!  Margaret, you rock!  Thank you kindly,

Marie-Helene T, Barrhaven 

 

Recently we successfully sold our home in the Riverside Park area with the professional support of Margaret Forrest. Ms. Forrest was truly outstanding during the entire process in every regard. She brings an excellent knowledge of how real estate works; demonstrating first and foremost, what needs to be done in order to successfully list a property at its optimal asking price.

One area in which Margaret is particularly effective is in her ability to stage a home for sale. Initially this was not that appealing to us, but in the end the extra return we believe we got from staging more than compensated us for the effort involved. Margaret is an accredited Staging professional, with a significant inventory of her own, and what we observed was that if the required staging article was not part of her existing inventory, she did not hesitate to rush out and buy it, at her own personal expense. This served us well, especially the evening prior to the professional photo shoot!        

Margaret demonstrates a solid understanding of the buying and selling process; managing a first refusal, handling interfaces with legal and financial personnel, etc. and is able to make things happen in a seamless and smooth manner.

Selling your home and buying a new one presents many challenges and issues along the way; Margaret, however, is extremely effective at dealing with any situation that materializes. She successfully minimizes stress for the buyer/seller by her being on top of things throughout the experience. She is someone who is conscientious and dependable; and one who goes the extra step on a regular basis. Her negotiation skills are exceptional, as is her ability to gain and maintain the trust and cooperation of the Agent on the other end of the transaction.

Furthermore, to the best of our knowledge, Margaret was able to sell our house at an unprecedented price point in the Riverside Park area. We would recommend Margaret to anyone in a heartbeat!

Linda & Ken, Riverside Park  

 

“Everyone we know in Riverside South knew how happy we were with you, and they saw the results that came with listing with you. Quick sales with significant profit. Your work speaks for itself!”

Abby & Chris, Riverside South

 

“Best Agent Ever” Simply put – Now to elaborate!

We wanted to find a house that we could expand our family in, a house that we would stay in for many years to come. To do that, we had to sell our condo. Margaret, your fantastic eye for décor and style helped stage our condo so that it piqued everyone’s interest. It was clear by the steady stream of viewings (as well as the extremely positive feedback) that the staging and the professional photos were right on target. You gave us daily updates that kept us in the loop and we were never left wondering “Where has our Agent gone??” We honestly felt like your only Clients as you never left us hanging and were always prompt to reply to our questions. You went above and beyond for our condo sale.

 At the same time that we were trying to sell the condo, you were constantly on the look out for houses that could suit our needs. You were always flexible in terms of your availability for viewings and after about 20 houses, we found the one. You were also a great sounding board and never hesitated to share your opinion or advice (which we were very grateful to receive). So now that we have purchased our long-term house, you will have to come over and decorate it for us 🙂

 You can be assured that if anyone asks us if we’ve heard of any great Agents that they can trust without hesitation, we will be sending them your name.

Helen and Jacques, Kanata (Soon to be Stittsville)

 

No one ever said life was easy.  Amongst the difficulties and struggles life can throw our way, the process of selling a home can be an added stress indeed.  When going through our divorce, the process of selling our home was emotional and trying. Through choosing Margaret, I have learned that the home selling process CAN be made easier.  What better than to have a real estate Agent with knowledge and understanding; an Agent that is real; an Agent that truly cares about YOU.  Margaret’s approach carries the perfect balance of business professionalism and a personal touch. 

Having sold a few homes before having met her, I have come to realize that not all Agents are created equal.  Margaret became a friend to us while selling our home and she understood and walked with us to make certain everything was done right.  She never hesitated to help when and where she could, and always extended her sensitive and thoughtful nature.  Her insight and thoughtfulness along with her morals and ethics are exceptional. 

Not only have we sold our home to a family we know will appreciate it for years to come, but I can personally say I have gained a friend in Margaret.  My respect for and appreciation to her will last a lifetime. Thanks always Margaret.

LR – Old Ottawa South

 

HEY GIRL!!! You’ve put another smile on our faces. Thank you sooooo much for the wonderful book. It was great to see you left a spot for the sale of my home, so I can add that info too. I received the photos you sent as well, thank you. What a great keep sake. The girls look so happy. You have been terrific! Doing all these little extras … that’s what makes you such a success. We are so happy that Peter recommended you to us. You’re exactly what we were looking for in an Agent … that’s probably why we opted to go with you while we sat chatting in your office the first time. We’ll be more than happy to recommend you to any of our friends or acquaintances who require a real estate Agent.

Barb and Terry – Stittsville

 

We were very pleased with Margaret’s professionalism and dedication from the beginning of our home buying journey to the day we made the purchase. From the onset, Margaret ensured that we understood all of the different aspects of the home buying process: from searching for the right house, using a mortgage broker to get the best possible mortgage, to putting in an offer and completing a home inspection. Due to the quality of Margaret’s efforts, a potentially daunting and overwhelming task was made simple and enjoyable. I think what pleased us most is that Margaret listened to our requirements, and found a home that fit our needs at a price we could afford. The end result is a home we love.

Hugh and Sirkka – Crystal Beach

 

We just wanted to say “thanks” for making the process of buying our first home such an easy and pleasant experience. We will never forget that despite our countless nights searching MLS on-line, you were the one who found our home. So as the deal closes on our home today, we just wanted to take time out to say “thanks” and best of luck with all your future Clients.

Jason and Nicole – Barrhaven

 

It is with pleasure that we would like to recommend Margaret Forrest as your next Real Estate professional. We have recently had the pleasure of working with Margaret with our real estate requirements while moving from Nova Scotia to Ottawa. We first made contact via email and were very pleased with the immediate response and assistance that Margaret provided us. She made every effort to determine our needs even though no contract had been signed at the time. Before we arrived in Ottawa to search for a house, we had already seen numerous houses on the Internet and were provided with details on every property as well as others recommended by Margaret. She was extremely helpful during our house-hunting trip, scheduling numerous appointments and re-arranging schedules and appointments on the fly. With Margaret’s help we were able to successfully find just the right house on the very first day. She is a first class professional and is strongly recommended by both of us.

Sincerely, Normand and Dianne – Elmvale Acres 

 

Margaret, you are GREAT! When I saw the wonderful job you did with the sale of Catherine’s house, I knew you were the Agent for me. As soon as I put my requirements into your hands, I was able to relax and leave all the hard work up to you. I’ve been telling people that one of the best things about working with you was that, whenever I was confused about what to do, you’d help me think it out and come to my own conclusions instead of pushing me one way or another. Thanks to your wonderful pictures & virtual tour, my house sold in 9 days and, due to your continued hard work, I had a new home just 7 days later. You can be sure that I’ll be recommending you to everyone I know. This was a terrific partnership, girl. Thanks so much.

Sue M – Gloucester