the SBN team

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"When we approached Helen and Rezwan, we were in dire straits after being mired up in a protracted failed deal. Having had experience with another brokerage, we can confidently say that the right agent is key to the transaction. You can have the most wonderful product, but if your agent does not market it correctly and capably, the property will not be sold for the optimal price to an optimal buyer. Helen and Rezwan are extremely competent, knowledgeable and organized. They guided us through the process in a very short time frame with minimal involvement. “You don’t have to be there, we will handle it” was Helen’s constant refrain, which was music to our ears, what with three kids and the pandemic. Within two short weeks of listing the house and only 2 open houses, we had 4 great offers from very highly qualified buyers (three were above ask!) and were in contract. Besides their incredible competence, what really stood out about Helen and Rezwan was their grace and warmth. Selling a home is an emotional transaction, and they went above and beyond in making sure we knew how much the potential buyers appreciated our property. The SBN team turned our nightmare experience of selling our home into a dream experience, and for that, we remain deeply grateful. In less than 90 days, our home was sold 51k above ask, leaving us with nothing but fond memories!" - Marie & Francisco, Sellers

"Rezwan and Helen were amazing! Even in the face of the COVID challenge, they handled everything with utter professionalism and grace, helping us navigate every conceivable twist and turn of preparing, showing, and completing the sale of our house under these unprecedented times. And they did it all for us remotely since we had relocated to the West Coast and could not travel because of COVID! From their expert advice on how to approach staging, photographing, and filming of the house, to their wise words on how to best conduct the open house (just before the lockdown) along with a video virtual tour, from pricing it correctly, to creating a truly creative and compelling marketing approach, they demonstrated tremendous knowledge and impeccable taste throughout. They were an absolute delight to work with!" - Sid & Jess, Sellers

"Rez and Helen were incredible to work with. From our first meeting to close, they were communicative, proactive, and constantly thinking outside of the box. We knew that selling our home during the pandemic would be a challenge, but Rez and Helen were unphased by this. Through virtual tours and other technology, they were able to market our home during a time that traditional marketing was unavailable. We were shocked when they garnered the level of interest they did in the place and felt like the whole process was easy - something that was welcomed in 2020. If you're looking for agents that will advocate for you and go above and beyond just the motions - this is your team." - John & Jeff, Sellers

"We had Helen and Rezwan on both the selling and buying side and I can't recommend them enough. They were patient, incredibly informative about the NYC/Brooklyn market, easy to be around and made themselves very available. Buying and selling a home is incredibly intimidating and overwhelming and I felt very guided throughout the whole process. ALL of our questions were welcomed and eagerly answered even when they were outside of their scope. I also felt like they were genuinely invested and working on our behalf. Beyond all of that they are good people. You really can't go wrong! I'd give them all the stars." - Lauren & Ronnie, Sellers and Buyers

"We recently sold our apartment with Helen and Rezwan. It was our first time selling property and we were overwhelmed with all the steps and where to start. They were amazingly clear and specific about how the process would go, which made us feel like we understood the steps and how to approach each stage. They made our apartment look absolutely gorgeous with the staging photos, and put every effort into getting the word out with both traditional and non-traditional means. They also took a lot of effort to get to know why the apartment was unique and special and how to make it stand out in a crowded market. Once we moved into the final stages they were totally on top of it every step of the way, made sure we had all our "ducks in a row" and were incredibly patient with our endless questions. All in all it went really smoothly and we were thrilled with the final results. Helen and Rezwan have my full confidence, and I would recommend them to anyone looking to sell or buy a home." - Alaina & John, Sellers

"Helen is very responsive and does what she says she is going to do, when she says she is going to do it. She is incredibly knowledgeable. It was a great relief to know that we could rely on Helen for quick and accurate answers. She worked very hard to keep the entire transaction on track while managing everyone’s expectations. In the end, she went above and beyond to arrange a closing on a tight timeline. We also relied on Helen’s expertise to assist us in finding a renter to take over our lease. From the photos to the listing which highlighted the advantages of the neighborhood and location, Helen and her team did a wonderful job marketing the apartment. Helen’s hard work ethic and her friendly, honest personality make her a delight to work with. We are happy to recommend the services of Helen Chee and the SBN Team at Compass." - Taylor & John, Buyers

"Helen is amazing - she tirelessly helped me buy my first apartment in Manhattan and expertly guided me through the challenging and demanding 5+ month-long process. She is a NY native (from Brooklyn) and has been in the game for decades, so she is super knowledgeable about NYC real estate, which is a completely different ballgame than other cities. She is also very organized and a numbers person, which is hugely important in the beginning stages of the search with setting budgets, securing finances, and looking at listings that are realistic with your budget. She prioritizes your interests and never compromises on your needs when going to bat for you in the process. She is also caring, empathetic, and an all-around amazing person. HIGHLY recommended!" - Olivia, Buyer

"I worked with Maria and Helen for six months while buying my first home in Brooklyn. They were very responsive to my needs and took the time to educate me and answers all of my questions. They were great listeners and when I needed, advisers. They helped me think through and weigh my options. When I found apartments that I wanted to make offers on, they helped me think through offer strategy and make a competitive bid. They were seamless in managing logistics and coordinating the process with the sellers' agents. When my offer finally got accepted and I went through the co-op application process, they helped me put my package together and prepare for my interview. They were both there on my closing day, celebrating my big milestone with me. I felt very supported by Maria and Helen throughout the process and I'm grateful for that. Especially as a single woman in my early 30s, the process felt overwhelming at times. It was helpful to have a sounding board as I made some of the biggest decisions that I've ever made in my life. You don't take on a huge amount of debt like that every day! I have been living in my dream home for the past month and I can't be happier." - Zerrin, Buyer

"This was our first time buying, so we felt completely inexperienced and intimidated with the prospect of buying an apartment in Brooklyn. In our first meeting with Helen, she walked us through the apartment-buying process step-by-step and really took the time to understand what we were looking for, which helped to ease our apprehensions. Soon after that initial meeting, after visiting an apartment that we quickly knew we wanted, the team's deep knowledge of the Brooklyn real estate market was instrumental in helping us to get our offer accepted. Thanks to her active role in guiding us through the rest of the home-buying process, we had a relatively seamless and straightforward closing, despite the coronavirus pandemic upending normal life soon after we were in contract. Throughout the process, Helen was extremely reliable and approached everything with a calm but confident demeanor. We could always count on her to be available by phone, email, or in person to answer questions that came up or talk through any issues that arose. I always left our conversations feeling like we were in the best possible hands. My husband and I are now happily settled in our new apartment, and I'm so grateful to Helen and her team for helping us get here." - Meagan & Martin, Buyers

"I want to call out a special recognition for Rezwan Sharif who helped me purchase a home in Manhattan this past Spring. I was just absolutely blown away by Rezwan’s quality of effort and outcome and, on my family’s behalf, I want to say Thank You again to him. Three things on Rezwan: 1. Unflinching client commitment: We had an extremely challenging project/transaction that spanned over a year. Rezwan’s dedication to my family’s needs was unparalleled…through all the ups and downs, we felt he always had our best interest at the fore 2. True consultant, advisor, and thought partner: (...I have to write this as a management consultant myself). I valued extremely highly Rezwan’s problem solving skills, and with every curveball he had the intelligence (including the street-smarts), the skills, and the patience to overcome the hurdles 3. A cut above the rest: When we share our experience with Rezwan with friends and colleagues who have gone through the buying/selling process, we continue to realize that we had a very differentiated experience and service that extended beyond the transaction and post sale… he is a truly rare agent." - Mehran, Buyer

"My wife and I both sold and bought with Rezwan and his team over the past several months. On the selling side, Rezwan and Helen did an amazing job helping us to declutter our apartment and get it in pristine shape to sell--which it did quickly and at well over the ask! As for buying, Rezwan guided us for many months as we got a lay of the landscape and learned what we liked, wanted, and needed. He helped us learn how to look past staging and finishes, to study the guts of a house, and taught us a ton about getting the most bang for our buck. We could not imagine a better broker or team, and we are so lucky to now call them our friends." - Ian & Kim, Seller & Buyer

"I had high expectations and goals, that sometimes seemed unreachable, but the team never gave up on me. With their expert guidance and persistence, I made smart decisions that secured my future, as well as the future of A Little Creative Class. I couldn’t believe it, they even made a generous donation to A Little Creative Class!" - Brenda K., Seller & Buyer

"From our weekend journeys to Ditmas, oversized stucco’ed houses, to PLG, and termites, you have always been there to help guide our way. I appreciate so much your support, guidance, and steady vision over this past year (plus!). Your patience, persistence and friendship have truly helped me through this tumultuous journey and I am forever grateful. Thank you for all you have done in this process, and beyond, to help bring the boys and me some stability (and a house!)." - Anna S., Buyer

"You have done more than any other broker I have either known or heard of in this regard. I don’t think anyone else would have had the intelligence, the savvy, the relationships and the skill to pull this off. I just can’t thank you and Helen enough for everything." - Steve C., Seller

"As an investor, I have worked with many real estate agents before, but Helen and Rezwan are the most creative, hardworking and effective ones I know. I had very aggressive price expectations, and they succeeded with a completely out- of-the box strategy and managed to get more exposure than I thought possible. Their staging worked magic and their carefully planned popup art shows and PR campaign were the perfect approach to reach the right buyer." - Henry K., Seller

"Rezwan and his team, especially Helen Chee, were all incredibly conscientious, easygoing, smart, honest, and helpful in selling our unit. I will absolutely go to Rezwan again if I need to buy or sell property in NYC." - Sami P., Seller

"Your team did a great job of welcoming my buyers and create a friendly atmosphere that helped Doug and Marlow feel comfortable making an offer. Not only were you both transparent, but you quickly provided solid answers to our many questions...BRAVO! At no point during the sale did I feel your own interests' had superseded your clients', which is a the hallmark of true real estate professionals in NYC." - Jonathan M., Redfin, Buyer's Agent

"Helen & Rez are a local broker team that complements each other well and really understands Brooklyn and Bay Ridge specifically. They did a fabulous job marketing our house and got us our asking price. We felt fully informed during the entire process. We were out of town much of the time and they took care of the home as if it was their own. Great people! We consider them friends and cannot recommend them strongly enough." - Sammy, Seller