Pearson Smith Realty - Ashburn, Virginia

Martin V.

I'm helping my girlfriend find an apartment to rent. When my she requested information about one particular unit online, the realtor, Claire Chua, reached out to my girlfriend to arrange a tour of the home, but sent information about the National Association of Realtors settlement that suggested my girlfriend required the realtor's representation as a buyer's agent. I checked the listing and saw that the listing agent also works for Pearson Smith. The initial realtor said that my girlfriend would have to sign a document stating that my she'd be responsible for paying the realtor's commission as a buyer's agent if the landlord didn't (and why would the landlord pay both the buyer and seller agent's commission if they didn't have to and the tenant already agreed they're liable for it?) Claire then told my girlfriend that SHE was breaking the law by not signing the agreement.

So just to be clear - both the seller's and buyer's agent work for the same realty company. The seller's agent is presumably getting paid by the landlord already. The buyer's agent is positioning themselves as necessary for the rental process and putting themselves in a position to also get commission from the tenant.

It seems to me like the buyer's and seller's agent are colluding to double-dip on commission (from both the landlord AND the tenant), and the realtor is not being forthcoming about the fact that she's not the seller agent, she doesn't represent the landlord, she's not required for this process at all, and that she works for the same company as the seller agent. Is this not a massive conflict of interest? What value is the buyer's agent even adding here if my girlfriend already did the work of finding the apartment listing? If these are the kind of people Pearson Smith trusts to represent them, I would not trust Pearson Smith.

You are NOT required to have a tenant's agent representing you just because you're looking to rent, and implying that YOU, the tenant, are violating the law by not having one is a falsehood meant to pressure tenants into paying more than they have to. Pearson Smith is framing this as a matter of confusion or misunderstanding in their reply, but this is unethical business behavior and I know they know this.

Kelvin W.

I really enjoy working with Heather Berg as the Managing Broker. She was responsive and helped us get thru the diligence process. Whitney May is a godsend - she is just as responsive and helped me navigate the state bureaucracy to get an active license. I recommend Pearson Smith to any new agent.

Natallia N.

I was disappointed by Nicole Naples' services provided during our purchase of our family home. My husband and I feel we were misinformed on a number of issues and some of our requests for information and questions, pertaining to various aspects of the home buying process were never satisfactorily answered. We felt rushed through the process by Ms. Naples, in spite of the potential legal issues, caused by the seller. Time and again we felt that Ms. Naples is eager to simply see the deal close, rather than to protect my and my family's best interests.

At times Ms. Naples commented that we were getting "so much", or "too much for our money" - something we never expected an agent, representing us to say. In our understanding, the real estate agent, representing us, is always fighting for us, trying to secure us the best deal possible, not encouraging us to close our eyes and just "bite the bullet".

We feel that the agent mishandled a tricky situation and we ended up having to close on the house without being able to ascertain whether the seller made the repairs and eliminated the safety hazards found by home inspection the seller committed to.

Among those were: a leaky roof, attic insulation, hazardous open electrical plugs in the backyard, damaged fence, trees that were found to be a fire hazard, and much more. Ms. Naples did not insist on seller's responsibilities.

We trusted our agent to be our fortress, our defender and a protector of our best interests. We found ourselves having to do a lot of homework, researching our rights as home buyers and making sure that we ask our agent to do what the agent is supposed to do to ensure we do not lose money and do not end up buying a liability.

In one instance, early in the process, Ms. Naples commented that "obtaining permits" for a major overhaul of the house done by the seller was "optional". It turns out it was not - which caused us massive frustration - and forced seller to obtain all the necessary permits for basement remodeling, electrical wiring, fire blocking installation, etc. Purchasing a house without permits would have meant no home insurance for us, issues with the county and possible tens of thousands of dollars of out-of-pocket expenses for us, forced by the code.

The pictures of our home have still not been removed from the internet, although we asked Ms. Naples to do that right away. We will be forced to seek out her employer to ensure our rights and privacy are protected.

Ms. Naples reacted to this review with legal threats. Apparently, our opinion and feedback are only permitted, if they are positive. We shall absolutely fight for our right to free speech, to our opinion and integrity. Reviews should be honest and are meant to improve the experience for future home buyers. Experience may vary, but ours was not great. A disappointment.

Shree M.

I recently contacted Ben Dominguez after inquiring about a property on a Friday afternoon. He responded promptly, suggesting we speak the next morning (Saturday) and assured me he would do his best to be available, which I found promising.

On Saturday morning, Ben messaged me, stating his availability to assist with any questions throughout the day. I followed up with him on Monday and was pleasantly surprised when he arranged to meet my husband and me the same day to show us the property we were interested in.

When we met in person, the interaction was cordial but unremarkable. While Ben was sufficient in showing us the property, he didn’t come across as the most enthusiastic or engaged realtor. Nonetheless, we expressed our interest in the property, and he outlined the next steps. We decided to apply and informed Ben on Monday afternoon, and he assured us he would follow up with us throughout the process.

However, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday passed without any communication from Ben. By Friday afternoon, frustrated by the lack of updates, I reached out to him. His text response was brief and contained a grammatical error, prompting me to call for clarification.

When I called, Ben informed us that another applicant had been selected. While we understood the competitive nature of the process, his indifferent tone and lack of proactive communication were disappointing. When I asked when he planned to inform us, he casually mentioned he thought the portal would update us and, quite dismissively, added, "Well, I’m telling you now."

Reading other reviews that painted Ben as a top-tier realtor made our lackluster experience even more disheartening. His follow-up was inadequate, and his approach lacked professionalism and courtesy. Despite his offer to show us other properties, his failure to keep us informed and his indifferent attitude left us feeling undervalued and unimportant.

There is certainly something to be said for diplomacy and effective communication, both of which were sorely lacking in our experience with Ben.

Libby W.

Michelle Baker is awesome!! She helped us find the perfect home within budget. I love her honesty and how easy she made the process for us. 10 out of 10 - highly recommend!!!

Diane &. S. C.

Leigh-Anne Vaughn is our Realtor of choice. Her knowledge professionalism, communication and advice has been nothing less than spectacular. She definitely takes care of you from start to finish and beyond! She helped us sell our home in Clifton, VA and helped us to purchase a new home in another state by connecting with a local realtor. Her network and referral skills are extremely valuable. Cannot say enough about her and have recommended her to our friends and family! Thank you Leigh-Ann and Pearson Smith Realty!

Justin A.

We worked with Kerry Shannon from this office and she is truly a top-notch realtor! After my wife and I retired from the Air Force, we set out to find the perfect place for us to settle in. Our home search had been ongoing for about 2 years because we had some very specific things in mind. That search finally came to an end when we were connected with Kerry via Redfin. She reached out promptly and we were viewing homes that same week! She was very attentive, detailed, polite, caring, professional, and honest!! We always felt like she was fighting to get us exactly what we wanted and in the end, that’s exactly what she did! Kerry went well above and far beyond our expectations in helping us to find our little slice of heaven. She turned out to be more than just a great realtor, we felt like we also gained a friend. I would gladly recommend her to my children when it’s time for them to find homes of their own! Thank you, Kerry!!

Justin and Jennifer Archer

Mark L.

I work with Evelyn because a friend recommended her to me and she was definitely everything and more when it comes to an amazing agent. She was very attentive and definitely told you the truth on weather a property would be a good home or if there are more problems than it's worth. I would 1000% recommend her to anyone looking for an honest, hard working agent