Draft Testimonials

Please take a look at my below references and testimonials that can also be found on Zillow.com. Any one of these clients would be happy to speak on my behalf and the services I provide. Thank you again for your time and consideration.  

 

“Jelena was simply fantastic, and beyond what I could have hoped for as a first-time home buyer! She expertly guided me through the process including defining the type of properties we searched, accompanying me on all open house visits, obtaining and discussing all relevant information on properties of interest, coordinating with sellers’ agents/attorneys, and patiently answering all my questions related to the process. Jelena has in-depth knowledge of construction codes, responsibilities of contractors, and real estate law. She was immediately responsive 100% of the time and used her expert knowledge to help me chose the optimal property and negotiate optimal closing arrangement. She has gone above and beyond her responsibilities every step of the way. I would recommend Jelena to every potential real estate client, and can only hope they are fortunate enough to receive her services.”

 

Jelena Seferovic (Somerville – Buyer)

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“Andrea helped us buy a home in Medford and was absolutely fantastic. She helped us navigate difficult sellers with her professionalism, attention to detail and responsiveness. We already have and will continue to recommend Andrea to our friends, and we ourselves look forward to working with her again, she is an absolute pleasure to work with.”

 

Nick Emmons (Medford – Buyer)

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“Susan + Team absolutely crushes it when it comes to Real Estate. Above and beyond professional, timely and well educated on the local market. They do a great job strategically pricing + marketing – they landed me with $20K over asking. Susan helped me know what to do to get the house ready to maximize my profit without wasting time or resources. They made it as easy a process as possible and I’d recommend them with more than 5 stars if Zillow allowed.”

 

Nicky Shargel (Somerville – Seller)

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“I have many years of experience with Susan McLaren, both as a client and as a colleague. I knew we wanted her to help us sell our beloved home in Winchester because I had seen firsthand how she works. I knew that she is one of the rare types who gets amazing results while always maintaining her untarnished integrity. That is important to us, knowing she is representing us every step of the way through the complex process of selling a home. I also knew she truly cares about her clients and does everything she can to help them (I don’t know how she manages to get so much done every day!), but what I didn’t expect was that so many of all the people that expressed interest in our home also recognized she is all above board and would open up to her about their thoughts and plans. When everyone is relaxed and trusting through the process of a major sale, it makes everything go so much more smoothly! I believe we had the bestselling experience possible – both personally and financially. You’ve got to call Susan and her team before you sign with anyone else and see how rare and special they are!” 

 

Sean McDermott & Stacy Miller McDermott (Winchester – Sellers) 

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As first-time homebuyers in this crazy market, my husband and I were looking to find someone we could trust to help us navigate the process. Jelena was that person and we felt so taken care of during what can be a stressful time. Jelena helped us at every step of the way and gave us so much time and attention. She put so much energy into helping us find the RIGHT house for us. I really appreciated that she never pressured us into making an offer or offering anything we didn’t feel comfortable with. I felt sure she had our best interest at heart. When you see a house with Jelena you immediately see her knowledge of the housing market and houses in general. She can identify future opportunities for expansion or spot potential problems (especially useful in the era of waived home inspections). We ended up in the perfect house because of Jelena’s guidance, patience, and encouragement. 

 

Shaun & Phoebe Donnelly (Milton – Buyers) 

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This team is your dream team!! (We) had known them for a few years and had the pleasure to work with them and will continue to do so. They put up with all our requests and negotiated beautifully. We really appreciate everything that was done for us!!! 

 

Marco Jamur & Cassia DeCampos Jamur (Saugus – Sellers, Reading – Buyers) 

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Andrea was such an amazing agent to work with! She is thorough, knows her craft and is always available. Andrea sold me my dream home and was full of knowledge and wisdom on what to offer and not offer! Thank you, Andrea! 

 

Elizabeth Muse (Boston – Buyer) 

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Jelena is the best! She’s knowledgeable and professional but also very personable. What I liked most about her was that she was honestly trying to get the best home for me. As we saw a few houses that didn’t click, she got a feel for my personality and what I was looking for. She never pushed me into buying a house that wasn’t quite right. Then finally when we found my current house (which I love) she encouraged me to go for it. I knew her recommendation was sincere! 

 

Sheila Rajan (Reading – Buyer) 

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Susan McLaren isn’t just a real estate agent. She becomes the project manager for the sale of your home. She organizes work crews to get the home ready for sale and follows through to insure a good work product. Her expertise is second to none. Susan and her team were seasoned experts in the sale of units in our building. She communicated directly and was absurdly quick in how responsive and immediate she was when contacted with questions or concerns. She does everything to set your home up for a successful and profitable sale. Following her advice as directed yielded us close to a 70% return on our initial investment. I’m not sure if the sale of our unit broke a sales record for the building but I know she has sold single bedroom units in our building that have done so. Her professionalism was consistently impressive. She went out of her way on several occasions. When it comes to real estate, many people over promise and under deliver. Susan over delivered time and time again. 

 

Paul & Heather Mathieson (Medford – Sellers) 

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My husband and I were both first time home buyers and had no idea what we were doing. We worked directly with Susan and Jelena and they both exceeded our expectations. Both ladies were so knowledgeable and understood the whole process from start to finish. Buying a house is very overwhelming process but they took the lead and walked us through each step and made it a less stressful experience. They really got to know me and my family and understand what we were looking for in a home and neighborhood. We have a four-year daughter and we were expecting our second daughter at the time we were house hunting. It was very important to us to not only find the right house but we wanted to be in the right neighborhood and a town with great school systems. Susan and Jelena were very responsive and could answer the million questions we had. After multiple offers in this crazy market, they never let us feel discouraged or defeated and we ended up finding the perfect home in a perfect neighborhood. I would highly recommend The McLaren team, there is no one else I would ever want to work with. They make you feel more like family and not just a client.  

 

Kevin & Melissa Golden (Reading – Buyers) 

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After interviewing several different realtors, I quickly realized that Susan and her group were the ones! Moving/selling can be very stressful, but Susan made it easy. 

 

Paula Harker (Winchester – Seller) 

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I can’t imagine purchasing my home without the guidance and support from Susan McLaren and the McLaren Team! I was a first-time home buyer, and Susan and team provided the guidance and support which allowed me to feel confident in the process from beginning to end. The knowledge her and her team bring in regards to local towns and understanding their clients provides a custom service which is hard to find elsewhere. 

 

Christina Mortelliti (Melrose – Buyer) 

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My husband & I couldn’t have had a better experience with Susan! From the moment Susan took on our condo listing, we knew we were in good hands. She was super communicative every step of the way, gave us solid advice on staging, guided us through the competitive market to draft the right listing and gave us the right advice when it came to accepting an offer. We couldn’t be more pleased with Susan and would highly recommend she and the McLaren Team!! 

 

Christian & Sabrina Sandberg (Somerville – Sellers) 

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This is our second time working with Susan McLaren and her team and there are no other realtors that match the care, responsiveness, attention to detail, and communication that her team commits to every day. If you are using these reviews to decide which realtor to choose then please spend the time to call Susan McLaren and her team (617) 648-9617, you will not be disappointed while you are making the greatest investment of your life. When you sell your home, the McLaren team prepares your house for purchase by paying attention to all the details home buyers are interested in. The team, offers you pricing options and knowledge about how to get the most buyers into your home – and then executes on that plan. Our home had hundreds of interested people due to the advertising and network the McLaren team ‘s developed over the years– which let me explain is far beyond the interest of other houses in the neighborhood. When you pick a realtor, it is important to remember that you MUST find a realtor that is constantly educating themselves on why the market is changing – which helps your home sell at its peak. We were able to capture a generous asking price for the house because of Susan’s intimate knowledge of the town and historical data which I am positive would not have been the case without her. Remember that positioning the house in a specific angle could make the home buyer see 20% more value in your home and this market research was so important for our sale – thanks Susan! As for purchasing a home, we have discovered that Susan knows the house we want before we do. She listens to our needs and really understands which houses will be a waste of time. This is VASTLY important when you are looking for a home with a toddler as she tells you with complete honesty which houses are good for your family. She also has such a deep education on house prices that she knows what the house is really worth – and what the bidding price should be based on all the factors involved. This allows us, the buyers, to believe we bought a home at the best price feasible without the hassle of getting into bidding wars. Lastly, Susan communicates with you every step of the way. She goes above and beyond making sure that your move is seamless even when there are a few hiccups along the way 🙂 She has such respect in the industry that other realtors often comment on how great her team is and how lucky we are to have her working with us on our dream home. I would never suggest another realtor to work with as Susan as truly become a friend through this process. We hope all of these readers make the decision we made by calling the McLaren team because we know how happy the outcome can be! 

 

Andrew & Stephanie Amann (Wakefield – Sellers, North Andover – Buyers) 

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Jelena Djuragic knows her stuff. Right off the bat she was able to identify what we were looking for. Her kind candor helped us identify when a house looked nice, but wasn’t up to par. Jelena’s dedication to her clients is unmeasurable. I would recommend her time and time again. You can’t go wrong with Jelena and her team. 

 

Eileen Rooney (Wakefield – Buyer) 

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We have worked with Susan and her team on two occasions. She helped us buy our condo in Waltham, MA, and later helped us sell the same condo. Susan is knowledgeable, diligent, responsible, full of creative ideas and just a pleasure to be around. She explained the options in terms of listing and went over current comps in the area so that we could accurately price our home. I think her knowledge of the market helped to sell our condo within a weekend. We had a lot going on personally during the sale of our condo and Susan went above and beyond to help make the process as easy as possible for us. She even took care of getting our dog out of the condo for showings when we were unable to. It’s the personal relationships that Susan builds with all her clients that sets her apart from the rest. I would refer Susan and her team to anyone looking to buy or sell! 

 

Brad & Erica Nahass (Waltham – Buyers and Sellers) 

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It was a pleasure to work with Jelena to find and buy my first property. Being a first-time buying in a hot market can be a daunting task. Jelena, however, made the process very simple. She offered great insights and was always quick to respond to any questions I had. With her knowledge, I was able to win the bid on a beautiful condominium. Every day I wake up in my new home is a pleasure, and I thank Jelena for helping me achieve the dream of ownership. I would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone seeking a new home. 

 

(Malden – Buyer) 

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“Susan was great to work with! We instantly liked her relaxed, unassuming personality and friendly demeanor. She was exceptionally patient during our 1+ year search for a home in Winchester. We never felt as though we were being pushed into making an offer on a house. She was open and honest in giving her opinion about properties. She was very flexible and willing to work around our busy schedule to show us houses.  

 

Susan knows a great deal about Winchester. As a mom with two young kids, I really appreciated all the information she shared about schools, neighborhoods, local resources, etc. during our search. She even connected me with a personal friend who could better answer my questions about one of the elementary schools. Susan also has great connections and anecdotal information on a number of local contractors, which has been very helpful. 

 

We would absolutely recommend Susan to anyone looking to buy a home in the Winchester area!” 

 

Jennifer & Nick Warner (Winchester – Buyers) 

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“Susan McLaren and her team made our house search and purchase experience an incredible one. The McLaren team is responsive, organized and thorough. She gave us excellent guidance in each step of the process, and was equally good at giving advice as she was at listening to our needs and concerns. Everyone says that home buying in the current market is inevitably stressful, but we personally felt confident and calm going into the process because of our realtor. Our confidence was not ill-placed. We found our dream home and were able to purchase without hassle. I highly recommend The McLaren Team.” 

 

-Justin & Joanna O’Brien (Winchester Buyers) 

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“Susan McLaren is absolutely top notch in every aspect of real estate.  She has helped my wife and I through multiple buying and selling transactions. I have recommended her to countless friends and family. Everyone she comes in contact with seems to feel the same way we do. Susan is a pro, but at the same time extremely easy to talk to and soon becomes a part of your extended family throughout the process. She is a very knowledgeable agent, a killer negotiator and a true sweetheart. If you ask me those are the tools of someone I want on my team. So, if you are looking for an agent, without question Susan McLaren is who you are looking for.” 

 

-Andy & Kate Robinson (Melrose Sellers) 

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“Susan McLaren and her team did a remarkable job from start to finish selling my house. They kept me informed of the results of every showing and their analysis of the current market and eventual sale price were right on target. I would not hesitate to recommend them.” 

 

-Linda Curran (North Andover Seller) 

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“Susan was beyond helpful throughout the entire process — from our home search to our purchase negotiations and our after-purchase needs (trash pick-up, contractors, etc.) She was great at listening to everything that my husband and I wanted, regardless of how many times we changed our minds and contradicted ourselves. She helped us prioritize our needs and refine our search criteria. 

 

Susan was very in-tune with the current housing market. She helped us set realistic expectations with regard to home values and never hesitated to let us know when we were off-the-mark.  

 

She was always responsive and truly went above-and-beyond to make sure our closing went off without a hitch.  

 

I would, without a doubt, recommend Susan to anyone looking to buy or sell their home.” 

 

– Sarah & Mike Rainey (Winchester – Buyers) 

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“We had a wonderful experience working with Susan. After meeting with local Melrose realtors and feeling that we weren’t on the same page, it was very refreshing to meet Susan. She has an outgoing personality with a conscientious work ethic that matches her vast array of financial and real estate knowledge. She recognized the value of our home immediately and set out to help us with the emotional journey of putting our house on the market. Susan made several suggestions on how to best prepare our home, even lending us some of her own furnishings to stage for open house showings. With her professionalism and marketing skills we were able to sell our house in the first week, at above asking price! 

 

Needless to say, Susan exceeded our expectations and we will always be grateful for the time and effort she spent making this transition in our lives go so smoothly”. 

 

-Lauren & Rich Applegate (Melrose – Sellers) 

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“Susan was very professional. She got us the best price for the house we were selling in Charlestown, and found us a great house to buy. She was very helpful in answering all our questions and helping us every step of the process.” 

 

-Eileen & Bill McClellan (Woburn Buyers – Charlestown – Sellers) 

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“As first-time home buyers, Susan was great at introducing us to the purchase process and had so much patience with us as we figured out the right town for us. It took us 6 months to find that right home but Susan was there with us every step of the way. She also had a ton of patience and was incredibly persistent getting responses from the sellers through the P&S process and the close. We managed to get the home we wanted and we are looking forward to moving in! 

 

We highly recommend her as a broker, especially to anyone who is a first-time buyer!” 

 

-Ian & Abby Klein (Needham – Buyers) 

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“We cannot recommend Susan highly enough. We knew that we wanted to move to Winchester, and Susan helped us explore neighborhoods and settle on one that had the right feel for us and where the homes were well-built and would hold their value. She is very organized and provided us with a ton of easy-to-digest information. She spent a lot of time getting to know us and figuring out what we were looking for in a house/property. When we found our perfect home, Susan really rolled up her sleeves and got to work! The transaction was not an easy one…the seller was not that motivated, and there was a lot of negotiating that needed to be done. Susan handled it beautifully! She was in daily contact with us, and her negotiation skills were amazing. She made a long and tenuous process manageable for us, and she got us our house! We would use Susan again in a heartbeat or recommend her to anyone.” 

 

– Jessica & Scott Turco (Winchester – Buyers) 

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“Susan helped my husband and I purchase our first home. This process can be very stressful and confusing but Susan was so helpful each step of the way so we could be confident that we were making the right choices. Susan was extremely patient as we started our search in one town and then decided to branch out and look at places all over the map. Whenever we had questions she got back to us by phone or email right away. Once we found the house we loved things got complicated- we had A LOT of competition for this particular house. It had only been on the market for two days and multiple people, ourselves included, had put in offers above asking price. This is when Susan kicked things into high gear and worked her magic to get the house for us. She was in continuous communication with the sellers and their agent. She was even put on the spot when, without warning, she received a phone call from the sellers who had many questions for her about who my husband and I are, what we do for work, etc.  

 

Whatever Susan said during that call is literally what won us the home of our dreams. Although we did not have the highest bid, the sellers chose to accept our offer based on Susan’s description of the kind of people we are! After our offer was accepted there were a few more hurdles to get over before closing and Susan was there every step of the way to make it happen (even when she was about to deliver a baby!). I would definitely recommend Susan as a real estate agent. She is honest, hard working and won’t rest until she is sure you are being taken care of as her client.” 

 

– Eric & Katie Bachli (Arlington Buyers – Cambridge Sellers) 

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“I couldn’t be a happier with choosing Susan as my agent. From the very beginning she was on the ball and very responsive; she was also extremely patient with me in what seemed to be the daunting task to find everything I wanted in a house. My experience with her got even better when it was time to put an offer on the house. I truly believe that we wouldn’t have gotten the house if wasn’t for Susan going above and beyond to show the sellers that we were the offer they should accept (even though it wasn’t even the highest offer). We were able to close on the house quickly and Susan was again patient through that whole process. I would never entertain working with any other agent besides Susan from here on out”. 

 

-Sarah & Erik Astman (West Roxbury – Buyers) 

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“Susan was very helpful with the purchase of our first home. Being first time home buyers, we had no idea what we were doing, but Susan was patient and very knowledgable, and found us our first home!” 

 

-Kim & Andy Bayliss (West Roxbury – Buyers) 

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“Susan was great to work with through the whole home buying process. Being a first-time homebuyer is a scary undertaking and having someone to help guide you through the process every step of the way is worth its weight in gold. Susan was very pleasant and very easy to talk with and responsive with questions. In the future going forward I would go back to Susan when we choose to sell and buy again. I would recommend her to anyone looking to buy or sell their home knowing that she would take care of the people.” 

 

-Colin & Raina Finn (North Andover – Buyers) 

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“Susan was very mindful and attentive to our request of the type of house we were looking for. We were looking for a second home which we could use as a home base while visiting our family. She was able to get a feel for what our style was, and read between the lines when it came to looking for the perfect house for needs. She was very caring and seemed to take a personal interest. Especially since our task was difficult because we reside in another state. Susan is very personable and she always assured us that we were not interrupting her family life (even though we knew we were). She always went the extra mile and returned our calls and answered questions very promptly. When negotiating our contract for us, she was able to negotiate exactly what we needed or asked for.” 

 

-Linda & David Gentile (Melrose – Buyers) 

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“Susan McLaren and her team made our house search and purchase experience an incredible one. The McLaren team is responsive, organized and thorough. She gave us excellent guidance in each step of the process, and was equally good at giving advice as she was at listening to our needs and concerns. Everyone says that home buying in the current market is inevitably stressful, but we personally felt confident and calm going into the process because of our realtor. Our confidence was not ill-placed. We found our dream home and were able to purchase without hassle. I highly recommend The McLaren Team.”

 

-Justin & Joanna O’Brien (Winchester –Buyers)

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 “Susan McLaren is absolutely top notch in every aspect of real estate.  She has helped my wife and I through multiple buying and selling transactions. I have recommended her to countless friends and family. Everyone she comes in contact with seems to feel the same way we do. Susan is a pro, but at the same time extremely easy to talk to and soon becomes a part of your extended family throughout the process. She is a very knowledgeable agent, a killer negotiator and a true sweetheart. If you ask me those are the tools of someone I want on my team. So, if you are looking for an agent, without question Susan McLaren is who you are looking for.”

 

-Andy and Kate Robinson (Melrose – Sellers)

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