4 Buyers Real Estate

I highly recommend Dave Twombly at 4 Buyers. We recently bought our first home after 13 years of renting the same apartment in Cambridge, which we loved dearly. We didn't really want to leave and our landlord wasn't pressuring us at all, but knew that every second we didn't try to get into the Cambridge market, it became exponentially more unaffordable to do so. Not only did Dave have to answer a lot of first-timer questions, he also had to deal with the fact that we were kind of reluctant buyers in the first place. And we were trying to buy in one of the most absurd real estate markets in the country. I don't know if most buyer's agents are also anxiety therapists, but Dave was great as both. Dave came highly recommended by friends of ours who had been neighbors and, later, clients of his. He instantly makes you feel like he's on your team. He's incredibly responsive, texting and emailing back ASAP. Every time we went to an open house, we learned a ton about what to look for and what to be wary of. When we did finally find a place that fit as much of our wish list as possible, and got super lucky with the timing and the buyer, Dave helped move everything along at lightning speed. Our mortgage attorney later told us that Dave had planned to interrupt a family camping trip so he could be at our closing, even though he doesn't need to be there for anything other than moral support (fortunately we were able to just postpone it a couple of days instead). He's even texted a couple of times since we moved in to see how we're settling in. We will definitely use him again if we ever move, and recommend him without hesitation. We also had an opportunity to view a property with Rona, who then drove us around explaining a little more about recent trends and cycles in the Cambridge/Somerville housing market, and pointing out things about neighborhoods and streets that we wouldn't even have thought to look for. We were really impressed with her expertise, and the extra context helped give us a broader perspective on the whole process.

I've been looking to buy my first home on and off for a few years, so I've worked with a few different realtors. This time, I did my homework and found 4 Buyers Real Estate and really liked what I read, both on their website, as well as in reviews, so I decided to give them a go. I was very impressed with the fact that they only represent buyers, because that's the hard part of real estate. My mom is an agent in another state, so I know it tends to be a lot less work to represent sellers than buyers. I just had a good feeling about them. I met with Anna on a Saturday and she went over the process in terms of how 4 Buyers Real Estate works. They're a bit different than most, in that they ask for a $500 deposit upfront that is fully refundable at closing when you buy a home. Because they only represent buyers, they have to be sure they're working with serious buyers in order to keep the operation going. I was so impressed, I signed on without hesitation, and boy am I glad I did! Anna was very flexible, meeting me as my schedule allowed. While I came with a checklist with what I was looking for, I didn't (don't!) know anything about home construction or what to look for in terms of making sure the home was in good condition. Enter Anna, who used to work for a construction company. She knew where to look for cracks, what to look for in the foundation, etc. and would point things out to me as we were looking at homes. When I decided at the last minute to make an offer on a home, Anna jumped right on it and got it in prior to the offer deadline. Although my offer was accepted, the ordeal was far from over. For reasons on the sellers' side, closing kept getting postponed. In the meantime, I had scheduled contractors to give me estimates on doing some work and Anna met me at the house numerous times and sometimes for several hours at a time while different contractors came by (or not; it's hard to get contractors to show up for scheduled appointments!). I felt terrible about taking up so much of Anna's time, but she assured me that it was no problem and that it was her job. Well, my realtor Mom couldn't believe how patient Anna was being with me! As a first time homebuyer, I had a zillion questions. I can't tell you how many times I texted or emailed Anna to ask about things. She again was very patient in explaining things to me; I never felt like I was annoying her and nor did I ever feel rushed with anything. This is very different than my past experience with realtors. After a month and a half long delay, we finally closed, and I'm in the house. I'm so grateful to have crossed paths with Anna, and highly recommend 4 Buyers Real Estate and more specifically, Anna.

I highly recommend Dave Twombly, he's a great guy and a terrific real estate agent. What stands out the most to me is that he treats you like a friend and a neighbor, and really gets into your world to understand what you're looking for. He is also very patient. We searched long and hard for our condo, with a lot of near-misses along the way, but we never felt the slightest bit of pressure from him. Another thing you come to value when looking for a house over many, many months is clarity, responsibility, and responsiveness. Dave has all of those, and this took a lot of the stress out of the whole experience. We always knew what to expect next, and he always replied very quickly. When he had to travel, he always made arrangements in advance and let us know exactly how to proceed in his absence. Similarly, when we were away and might miss a showing, he made sure he knew what we were looking for and had a plan in place in case something came up that we might want to place a bid on. Dave is also a generally all-around knowledgeable guy. He understands enough about construction to point out strengths and weaknesses of different houses, and even to make suggestions for improvements we could make. He also knows a lot about the neighborhoods we were looking in, so he helped us get an idea of what life would be like in each area. And, lastly, since he seems to know everybody, if he doesn't know something, you can guarantee that he knows somebody who's an expert in that area. He's a great guy, wonderful to work with, and a tremendous resource.

After many false starts with other agents, my wife and I lost all hope in buying a home. Then we got introduced to Rona at 4 Buyers Real Estate, and our fortune changed. She and Anna did an amazing job understanding our preferences, needs, and limitations, and made sure that every home we visited was a good contender for a bid. Rona and Anna took the time to educate us about the home buying process, and about warning signs of old homes. They were also incredibly patient with us – we're pretty picky. Okay, who am I kidding? I am the picky one! We ultimately landed the perfect fixer-upper, and paid under asking. The house not only passed inspection, but was a total steal for anybody with vision. The flow of the house is great, and the possibilities for what we want to do with the house are endless. I can't recommend Rona and Anna enough. They are amazing people through and through, and will take good care of you.

This is one of the most well deserving reviews I have written. We spent a good two months interviewing several agents and attending open houses with them and failed to find someone who understood our requirements and whom we could trust. We started getting stressed because the peak season was already on and we were missing out on many good properties. But right from our first conversation with Dave Twombly, we started feeling relaxed. 4Buyers asks their clients to sign an agreement and put in a refundable $500 check which we were a little nervous about. But Dave walked us through the process clearly and said that he would go with us to a few open houses so that both parties could understand each other well before we signed their agreement. They have a very fair process about the broker's commission. They take only 2.5% of the list price so that way unlike few other brokers they don't have any motivation to sell the property at a higher price. Another plus with their agency is they are buyer's only agents so they would never get into conflicting situations as seller's and buyer's agents. Also, the other agents in their organization have each other's back while one of them is on a vacation, so no missed open houses! Right from our first open house, Dave started educating us about what to look for in an Open house. He was very transparent with us about everything and was very quick in learning our preferences. Dave effectively organized the time and went with us to many open houses and would discuss pros and cons of each house. When we actually liked a few properties, Dave was always a step ahead of us with getting the offer, pre-approval, and the inspection ready to go! Dave had said in one of our first meetings that he was like a "project manager" who formed a team that could work together and get the offer accepted and closing completed with minimal stress or glitches. And Dave truly did that. He suggested the best home inspector, lawyer, loan officer who all coordinated and made the whole process so easy. In today's competitive housing market, it is very important to have someone efficient like Dave to successfully secure a house! He was on the mark with estimating the market price of the house. When our first offer ended up not getting accepted, Dave was extremely supportive and our spirits up. Though not very soon after we found a much better house that satisfied all our requirements and exceeds our expectations! We are gonna not have to look for another place for a very long time but if we ever got back in the market we know that there is no one better than Dave in the market.

I was a first time home buyer with lots of questions, and Anna was very willing to explain things in as much detail as I needed. Throughout the process she was responsive by both email and phone, and helped me find a place that is just right for me.

We were looking for our perfect home, and we had a lot of high standards and many requirements.  Dave, Rona, and Anna, were all extremely helpful in walking us through all of the intricacies of buying a home for the first time.  They were very patient with all of our questions, and provided a lot of really useful guidance on home quality and potential pitfals - something that is really necessary in this area.

We got to know Dave Twombly when we were eager to buy one of the houses in the Boston area.
As a first home buyer we did not have any experience in houses at all, and Dave played a critical role in our decision making processes. He has provided a list of houses on sale in a daily basis, and recommended what he thinks suits for us. Also, he was quick in response any time we wanted his opinion and help.
We like the idea that they (4Buyers RE) work only for buyers, and we could rely on their opinion and suggestions.
Also, we used many of the contractors in the list they recommended and they were all reliable and worked well.
I definitely and strongly recommend Dave Twombly and 4Buyers RE to anyone who is looking for buying a new house.

From the initial meeting in May throughout the long summer weekends visiting possible homes, Rona and Anna worked tirelessly to find prospective homes that would suit our needs despite a limited budget. They helped us analyze available homes in terms of what we needed and valued, a terrific gauge for finding a home, helped us learn to evaluate the pros and cons of a house, the location, proximity to amenities, and hardest of all, when to make a bid and when to walk away. All this was happening during a hot real estate market in the Boston suburbs, on a limited budget that put us at a disadvantage in bidding wars.
Rona is super smart, notably forthright, level-headed, and eagle-eyed. She knows the market, understands the psychology of buying and selling, and inspires trust. She also has a great sense of humor, an invaluable quality during the stresses of a house-search.
Our eternal thanks to 4 Buyers for their time, their knowledge, their sound advice, and above all their integrity and good will helping us find the right house. The best decision we made in looking for a house was engaging 4 Buyers. We closed today and we are over the moon happy!

Highly recommend Dave Twombly, who helped us buy our first home in Arlington. We had been looking to buy for several years without luck, mostly working with a variety local real estate brokers and losing out on deal after deal. Then we met Dave and everything changed. (Had we met him earlier, we might have even landed the first house we ever bid on.) Can't say enough good things about him and the entire 4 Buyers team. They're a powerhouse of Boston real estate know-how:  Well connected, honest, reliable and - dare I say - ethical! They're one of the few agents who truly have the buyer's interest in mind. If you want the top-of-the line buyer representation, look no further.

As a buyer's-only agency, 4 Buyers has a great policy regarding their fees, so you never feel as though your agent might be working to drive up your bid. Dave was a pleasure to work with. He listened carefully to our needs, which meant he could help us think twice about a property we were initially drawn to, and to navigate making a much lower bid on a great place that was just out of our price range at first. He followed up with us even after our sale. It was a great experience overall, and we highly recommend both Dave and 4 Buyers.

Dave Twombly was our realtor when we purchased our condo in June of 2014.  We were first time buyers and are very happy that we had decided to go with a buyers agent.  We didn't have to worry about any ulterior motives and could trust that we were going to be shown properties that truly worked for us (as opposed to wondering if the agent was just trying to push properties that they were trying to sell themselves).  Dave was professional, personable, and very knowledgable of the housing market.  Home buying is stressful enough on its own but, in a fast market like we have here in the greater Boston area, it could have been absolutely overwhelming.  Dave kept those nerves at bay and was able to walk us through step by step once we made an offer.  He is a fantastic realtor and I highly recommend him.

Rona and her staff at 4 Buyers were a treat to work with: honest, thorough, smart, and responsive. Mine was a unique home buying situation and this did not phase Rona at all: she worked with my father (the buyer) who was out of state and managed to juggle all the issues created therein. When my target market was determined out of my price range, she found another agent to handle my ongoing search. BUT- when a perfect situation appeared and I needed help- Rona signed on. Since she is so invested in her clients a step outside her regular market was one she was willing to take. We- my family and I- really liked working with Rona because we trusted her, saw immediately her intelligence in her field, trusted her opinions and her integrity, and recognized her experience and skill in reading her market vs. her clients' needs. (She would not sell me a house I would be unhappy in or that would have been a ad situation). She knew my wants and respected me on the emotional/ personal side of home buying as well. She went above and beyond- hand holding and looking out for us all the way. Also, she always shows good humour and encouragement- things needed in the often tense process of home buying. She got me an awesome home :)
(Please note: the $500 fee was the retainer- which Rona offered to discount when it looked like we might buy with another agent. Her commission fee is 2.5%).

Dave was my agent and he was great. He was able to point out things about the properties we looked at I never would have thought of, particularly in terms of costly repairs to watch out for, and was great in working around my schedule not just for showings but even for a slew of contractor appointments while the sale was pending. Once I closed he sent me a list of contractors previous buyers used and liked. He's also just a great down-to-earth guy. Thumbs up to 4 Buyers RE.

They spent alot of time with me. Helping decide on what kind of area I wanted to be in and what price range I was looking to spend. They are very accommodating and I really like the fact that they work soley for the buyer. They are truly out to make sure that I get the best deal. They do require a non-refundable deposit to work with them. My circumstances changed and I did not purchase a house at that time so they did give me a refund, which was extremely nice.

We connected with Rona if everyone years ago, when we just moved to Boston. We initially wanted to buy in Somerville, but the market was going downhill, so Rona talked us out of buying. We saw maybe 20+ houses, she invested a lot of time in us. Fast forward to 2014. With our daughter growing fast, good school districts and long term home popped back into picture. Rona has been, as we laugh about it, psychologist, marriage councilor, house inspector, and then broker. I tend to over-research things. Rona endures endless questions from me and every little detail. She may have given both of us masters degree I real-estate. In this frothy market, she is the rock that kept us calm and all business. Houses we intended on bidding on and passed she valued often within 5-10k they sold for. She is that good. But most important thing is that Rona always always always goes above and beyond for you. I have worked with 3 agents back when I was in Chicago. Nobody ever gave me the level of service, the amount of data I asked for, or kept us grounded and realistic. We were lucky to be introduced to her!

We're first-time homebuyers, found 4 Buyers based on Angie's List reviews, and got paired up with Ron Rothenberg.  He is totally spot-on with his knowledge of houses.  We also went his connections for a mortgage provider, a lawyer, and a home inspector, and they were all completely exemplary, super helpful, and easy to work with.  I'm an overly-cautious geek with severe allergy issues, and Ron was able to patiently walk us through the entire process of evaluating houses and understanding all our options.  I see him as a bit of a quirky detective sort of guy, which is exactly the sort of agent I wanted to work with -- before and after taking us to houses, he would quietly check out the rest of the neighborhood, send us relevant documents (past permits, nearby problems, airport noise level maps, etc.) about houses we were interested in, and really help us understand both the area and the house.  His experience also helped us keep things in context so we could understand the relative importance of each factor, and how pricing would be expected to play out.  He has strong credentials as well.
In the end, Ron spent some time nearly every weekend for 4 months with us, and showed us 60 houses before we picked one.  I don't have many points of comparison, but I think that he went above and beyond for us, and he was steadfastly patient with us through the whole process.  And he always nailed every important point and key deadline through the whole process.  He also quietly negotiated with the sellers in the background (and involved the lawyer as needed) to make sure every little provision was taken care of and to make sure we were getting a good deal with no surprises.
The buyer's agent fee is included in the typical home price, and I know it's possible (usually with a bit of effort) to avoid spending some of that money.  However, even though I was prepared to do a ton of research on my own to figure things out, I think we still seriously benefited from having someone of Ron's caliber working alongside us.  Based on what I've heard, I'm not sure I can say the same for all real estate agents, but Ron is a rare breed and certainly makes a great case for dedicated buyer's agents who are able to be not only a great source of knowledge and experience, but also openly honest about the state of the market and of local areas.  Highly, highly recommended.

Rona's extremely professional and very knowledgable. She truly understands the areas she works with and the market. She's an excellent negotiator. She's a rare breed and hey loyalties are 100% with the buyer.

We are really glad that 4 Buyers helped us purchase our first home.  The staff is very savvy as to the local market, and friendly and responsive.
We were actually lucky enough to fall in love with and purchase the first home we viewed in person (after looking at numerous listings online), and we were the only bidder.  Even so, we were very glad to have 4 Buyers's assistance.  They gave us advice on how much to offer, which included a custom market study.  They were at our side as we went through the formal home inspection, which otherwise would have been very confusing.  They helped us determine whether to adjust our offer price after the home inspection revealed a few unexpected things.  They basically prepared us for every step of the process.  Thanks to their skill and the fact that they only represent home buyers, they gave us piece of mind that we were getting a good deal and doing everything correctly.  We wouldn't have had that piece of mind otherwise.
Their commission was 2.5% of the home purchase price (if I remember correctly), which the sellers paid to them directly.  So we didn't end up having to spend anything on top of the regular home purchase price to have 4 Buyers as our agent.

We worked with Rona, and this was our second time working with her. We eventually outgrew our prior home. This time we found the perfect place for years to come, and we strongly recommend 4Buyers.
It took a long time for us to find our home. We are a couple and each of us had a lot of preferences. Rona was always patient and always helpful. She paid attention and after a while knew very well what we were looking for. Even after visiting many homes with us, she remained patient, objective and made time to see new places and offer suggestions. She provided excellent advice when bidding, and even after spending a long time with us she kept us from paying too much for properties that just weren't worth it. From our first meeting until closing, we felt connected, well-advised, and comfortable with the home buying process.

If you are looking to buy a house in the Boston area now, you know how crazy the market is and how frustrated the searching process is. I will say the best part of our house hunting experience was having Rona Fischman as our real state agent. We already owned a house, so know quite a bit about house and the buying process, still, we were very impressed by how knowledgeable Rona is.  In addition, she never pushed us to buy a house quickly. Instead, knowing our situation, she constantly reminded us to be patient and not rush to an offer just because tons of other people putting in the offer. Finally, when we found the ideal house, she did a very good job at negotiating the price. She is always pleasant, courteous and punctual. I will definitely use her again if we ever buy another house. But we are so happy with our new house, no plan to move again in the near future.

We wanted an agency that provided buyers-only services so there would be no conflict of interest. Dave Twombly was our agent, and we were extremely happy with him. He was very dedicated and always by our side throughout the process. He was patient with us as we explored various options and gave us thoughtful advice about choosing the right home. He has a lot of knowledge about the local market. Also, he is fun to be around, and that counts for a lot when you are seeing your agent every weekend! We would definitely recommend him and 4 Buyers to friends.

Rona Fischman at 4 Buyers was just superb. I am a first-time homebuyer, and so I had a lot of questions and was nervous about the process. She put me at ease very quickly with her intelligence, her understanding of the process, and her willingness to listen to what I wanted -- and to help me figure out what I wanted when I wasn't sure yet. She took me to see a wide range of places, and helped me narrow down my criteria so that when the right place appeared, I was ready for it. She helped get information out of seller's agents who were difficult to reach, gave me recommendations for a new mortgage broker when there were issues with the one I had, and patiently answered my many questions. I always felt like she was focused on my best interests. She is very knowledgeable about the local real estate market, which helped steer me away from condo developments that could have been problematic. She also knows a lot about things you'd normally hear from building inspectors, which helped educate me about things to look for.
Her colleagues Dianne Schaffer and Ron Rothenberg were also excellent -- they stepped in when Rona had to be out of town at a couple of critical points in the process, and made sure documents got signed and sent when they needed to be.
I would very strongly recommend 4 Buyers to anyone looking to purchase in the greater Boston area.

Relocating from a city 400 miles away, we knew the search for a new home would be hard. 4 buyers RE was recommended by a friend who told me, "They deal exclusively with buyers, and know the area really well.  You need them!"  She was right.  We gave ourselves an eight-day househunting trip to find the perfect home.  Ron Rothenberg took up the challenge with relish.  He was ready with a list of homes and appointments our first day!  It was hard, because the market was so hot, and demand was high.  Ron knows the market and has a good sense of what a home is worth.  He also asked us lots of questions to find out what kind of community we wanted to live in.  He worked long hours that week, staying up late in the evening to research the next day's houses and make appointments.   He also had us get in touch with friends and former clients (with their permission) in various communities to find out what it was like to live in those communities.  The search wasn't easy--we looked at many, many, many homes before we finally found the perfect home in our budget.  Then Ron expertly steered us through the negotiating process, drawing up several contracts of offers as we deliberated back and forth.   He guided us through the inspection and final contract process, making sure all the details were in place.  Closing was a breeze!  The story ends happily:  we are living in our new home, and love our community.  Thank you, Ron and 4 buyers RE.  I hope we never have to move again, but if we do need to find a new home in the Boston area, we will hire Ron again to help us find a home!

The entire process was professional, patient, filled with humor, and went just the way we were hoping. Dave really was a perfect match for our personalities, too.We really did appreciate Dave's responsiveness - I find it hard to recall an email exchange that went unanswered more than 30 minutes.  He was always prompt in communicating with Sellers, answered all our questions, and provided a very (very) helpful list of recommended service-providers.We would certainly recommend 4 Buyers to our friends. Finding a good home in the Boston 'burbs takes patience, and 4 Buyers was a great partner to work with.