over 20 bids on the house... went above and beyond

"My wife and I hired Mark to assist us in purchasing our first home. After looking for several weeks we found a foreclosure that we loved in the Bouldin Creek area. There was over 20 bids on the house but with Mark's expertise and suggestions we were the winning bid! After months of lender issues and bank issues due to the foreclosure we finally closed on the house. Through it all Mark stuck by our side and was always positive and reassuring even when we wanted to give up. He went above and beyond what a normal Realtor does in a transaction and was continually calling the bank and lenders and doing everything in his power to ensure we closed. If you are looking for a professional and knowledgeable Realtor Mark Strub is it!"
- Corey Dulimba, Buyer

wouldn’t have this house if I didn’t have Mark as my Realtor

“I met Mark when I was a renter – he was my landlord’s agent when she decided to sell. I worked nights at that time and he went out of his way to be respectful of my weird sleeping hours. As disappointed as I was to have to move, Mark made it as painless for me as possible. When I mentioned being unsure about buying instead of renting again, he got my email address, did a personalized analysis of which would make the most sense for me and sent it the next day. Considerate, professional and an all-around nice guy. Fast forward a couple years when I was finally ready to buy for the first time. I made the HUGE mistake of using two other (lesser) agents over the course of a year trying to buy. This was not only a frustrating experience but also an abysmal failure. After making offers and missing out on several great properties, I called up Mark. What a difference it made to have Mark working for me. He helped me find a perfect house on a big, wooded lot in an area I never thought I’d be able afford (78704EVER!). The first day it went on the market I drove by. Cars were parked everywhere and lots of people walking around outside. The next afternoon, Mark and I went to look at it together even though I didn’t think I had a chance. I was sure it was already under contract. But when I told him “I want it”, he went to work immediately. He knew just how to structure an offer that would be accepted and like magic it was under contract for me that very night. Between contract and closing he did everything for me. He met me back there anytime I wanted to look around “one more time”. Arranged all the inspections, surveys and helped me counter-offer the seller when we found things that needed work. The process for me was essentially effortless. And a lot of fun for a change. I can say without a doubt that I wouldn’t have this house if I didn’t have Mark as my Realtor. He saved me money and got me a place I never thought I would find. I recommend him to everyone I know that is looking to buy or sell. Mark will be my Realtor if I ever decide to sell or buy anything else.”
— Heath Marr, Buyer  

buying your first house in a new city is a really big deal.

"Buying a house is kinda a big deal. Buying your first house in a new city is a really big deal. 
From the start, Mark was helpful, informative and relaxed even switching from showing us houses to driving us to different apartments to find our temporary landing spot in Austin on our first meeting with him. From then on, we decided to stick with Mark throughout the process of finding our first home together. Throughout, Mark was patient and observant helping us hone in on our ideal location and eventual home. After we pulled the trigger he has continued to be helpful in recommending contractors for remodeling projects, advising us when we considering renting and just overall continuing to happily provide assistance long after we purchased the home.
Mark truly understands how important building and maintaining relationship are to running a successful business. Because of this he helps take some of the stress out of buying and even owning a home."
- Ananda Christopher, Buyer

dedicated to his work and his clients

“After living in Milago for 5 years deciding to sell our condominium wasn't an easy decision and neither was finding the right realtor to represent it; until my wife and I met Mark. We luckily came across his business card and asked him to meet with us at our home to get an idea of his selling style and feedback about the property. My wife and I couldn't have been happier after that first meeting-Mark's approach was personable, detail oriented, well organized and above all else he had exceptional marketing strategies to get the property the exposure it needed to find the right buyer. The offers started rolling in just four days after we listed and Mark made the transaction easy and seamless. 
He's very dedicated to his work and his clients and was great about keeping us informed throughout the entire process. In addition Mark helped us find our new home which wasn't an easy task since we had specific needs and a short time frame to do so. His flexibility for short notice showings, honest advice and endless patience were paramount, and he provides his clients with essential resources most realtors don't commonly share. 
We were fortunate to find and work with Mark Strub and have referred him to our friends in the community as a stellar real estate agent in Austin, TX.”
- Scott Blount, Seller

Christy worked tirelessly for us in one of the most insane real estate markets out there

Christy Strüb of Strüb Residential could not have come at a better time in our lives.  Recently engaged, my fiancé and I were on the fence about whether or not we should buy property in Austin.  When we met with Christy for the first time as our realtor, she explained things in great detail for us, taking us step-by-step through the looking, lending and buying process, and really helping us figure out our wants and needs in relation to the current market.   Having Christy as our realtor immediately made us feel relaxed and confident as first-time homebuyers to take a bite out of Austin territory. 

Once we started the search, Christy worked tirelessly for us in one of the most insane real estate markets out there.  Christy would be out at 8 am looking at two or three houses with me, and then turn right back around at lunchtime to look with me again at a promising house that just came on the market.  We would call her late at night and on the weekends, and she always made us feel like a priority,  and that she truly wanted the best first house for us to call home.

With Christy by our side guiding us through one of the toughest buyers’ markets out there (bidding wars, houses pending within 24 hours, anemic inventory) we were able to find our first home within a month of searching!  By the time we closed on the house, it had only been two months from the time we had our first conversation with Christy about buying.  Some of my friends had horror stories of spending six months or more in an exhaustive and unfruitful home search, and I truly feel like I owe everything to our wonderful realtor with her smart strategy and keen eye.  She is so hardworking, dedicated and focused, and someone I consider a dear, dear friend.  Down the road when it’s time to start thinking about real estate again, she will be the first person I call!

Sophie Pearson, EH (Ecstatic Homeowner)

Mark is a one-of-a-kind realtor, the only one you should consider

I'm not generally a fan of realtors.  In the past, I've lumped them in the same bucket as the worst of the worst of used car salesmen.  I can genuinely say that Mark completely changed my opinion and showed my husband and I just how valuable an excellent real estate agent can be.  

Mark took the time to help us figure out exactly what we were looking for.  He was patient with us and provided helpful insight as we worked through our different ideas of our 'dream home.'  Beyond that, he was always available to show us new listings; and the few times that he wasn't, he found another colleague who was.  We always felt like we were a priority for him.  He was so accommodating to our many questions and went above and beyond to do analysis and pull reports of different areas.  After months of looking, he knew exactly what we wanted.  So, when the right house came on the market, he helped us jump on it and get our offer in first. Within 24 hours, there were seven other offers.  He came up with a great strategy to ensure our offer was chosen and thoroughly outlined all of our bargaining options. 

He didn't stop there, though.  Mark was a great asset throughout the buying process and even after.  He has continued to provide support even after we moved in and got settled -- from finding a painter to plumbers to electricians, he has a network of solid people with excellent references to call on.

In my opinion, Mark is a one-of-a-kind realtor and the only one you should consider working with if you're buying in the Austin area.

Kara Norwood - Buyer

got what I needed/wanted immediately

Fabulous!. Christy was my real estate agent when I moved to Austin, TX. She was fabulous to work with, got what I needed/wanted immediately and went the extra mile(s) to find it for me. She was personable, very well-informed and excellent at her job. I love the house she found and she made the entire transaction smooth and pleasant.

— Marjory Hawkins

went WAY above and beyond

Unfortunately, Yelp doesn't allow 6-star reviews. 

My wife and I are relocating in Austin so I can attend the business school at UT. Mark spent several days with us in the competitive central Austin housing market and we found a wonderful house. 

We had an absolutely awful time with our lender, but Mark was with us every step of the way and went WAY above and beyond the call of duty to get us into our house. 

If you're looking for an agent who is kind, courteous, professional, unbelievably helpful, tenacious, and willing to do whatever it takes to make your deal work for you, Mark Strub is your man. Honestly, I can't recommend him highly enough. He is a WONDERFUL agent and he, no doubt, will be our agent for any deal we ever make in Austin.

— Ryan Talbot, Buyer

amazing to partner with

If you have had the pleasure of working with Mark, then you won't need any details to back up the fact that he is amazing to partner with. Mark took a calculated, but cool approach to helping my wife acquire our first home together. There were tons of factors at play and he helped us navigate the great abyss with ease and confidence. The support doesn't stop at the closing table either, he left us with materials custom made for us and our purchase that I have referenced many times. I now turn to Mark for any and all real estate questions. For me, there is no better approach to dealing with the market here in Austin.

— Tyler Woodall, Buyer

he stuck with us and found us a great house

Wohoo is right. I've dealt with other Realtors and he is the best. He is extremely professional and goes the extra mile. Even through a failed house search the first time, he stuck with us and found us a great house. He was patient and we never felt pressured through our decision making process.

— Jen Sims, Buyer

attentive, knowledgeable, and helped us snag a highly sought-after house

I can't imagine a better experience.  Mark was very attentive, knowledgeable, and helped us snag a highly sought-after house (7 offers in 48 hours!) in SW Austin. When I screened realtors at the outset of our (first) house-hunting, I asked Mark why I should choose him rather than representing myself in the process (I'm an attorney, but don't practice RE law). He responded by explaining how he'd add value in excess of the commission-split I'd theoretically earn. Looking back after several months, I know he was 100% correct.

— Marc Druck, Buyer

understands your lifestyle and passions

Having a realtor is kind of like having a therapist. House shopping can make you pretty neurotic and sometimes even depressed but Mark Strüb was always calm and collected as he listened to me voice all my concerns and "rationalizations". He was always there to answer questions or if I just needed a sounding board - even when I would email or text him in the middle of the night... um, but don't do that. And most importantly, he was enthusiastic throughout the entire home buying process. He never broke his charisma or let his passion for helping me find my home die.

Strub also "gets" the homeowner that wants to live in central Austin for different amenities and lifestyle reasons. This may be the most important quality you'll want to find in a realtor. You want a realtor that understands your lifestyle and passions which in many cases is much more important than just understanding your budget or real estate policies and procedures.

I started off not really knowing what I wanted. I can't count the number of houses we saw or how many times I changed my mind or expanded my budget (or how many phone calls that ended in "let's go see it just ONE LAST TIME"), yet he was very patient and let me find my way on my own time. His knowledge of Austin culture, businesses and neighborhoods helped me quickly identify which houses to check out and which to not bother with which helped tremendously as I finally narrowed down what I was looking for (which we usually will all learn is that it's really location) He also has a lot of connections and was really great at finding the right broker for me after the first one didn't work out too well. I also really loved the home inspector he paired me up with.

I've happily recommended Mark Strub and his team to a handful of house-shopping friends and everyone has been delighted with his enthusiasm and dedication!

— Yi May Yang, Buyer

will be referring all my friends and family to him

I found Mark through yelp and decided to go with him for the purchase of my first home.  I'm pretty particular about things, and I wanted to find the best realtor to guide me through this daunting process and Mark was the right choice.  Mark was informative, patient, and extremely helpful. He helped guide me through the process from start to finish, and went out of his way on several occasions. Mark was thorough and attentive, even for someone like me who can be pretty demanding!  We had a pretty short time to close on the house due to outside time contraints, but thanks to Mark we met our deadline and At the end of it all I closed on a beautiful new home!!! I couldn't recommend Mark more and will be referring all my friends and family to him if they are ever in the market for a home.

— Vinh Ngo, MD - Buyer

I highly recommend him!!!

I would give Mark 10 stars if it were an option. I was completely new to the home buying process and had no idea what I was doing. Luckily with Mark, I didn't have to. He walked me through the entire process and made it SO much easier than I ever thought it would be. He's very no-pressure and totally understands the emotions behind finding the home that's right for you. I highly recommend him!!!

— Anne Pratt, Buyer

straight, fast and honest answers

My husband and I found Mark through yelp and chose him because of the great reviews he has. (Thanks by the way to all the reviewers, your feedbacks were very helpful to us.) After working with Mark for a couple of weeks, without any hesitation, we subscribe to every single positive review posted below and to more. He is very professional, organized, well-informed, very efficient, patient and friendly. Only after a couple of days from our initial meeting, we managed to get pre-approved for a loan and started our search. His guidance and recommendations (e.g., mortgage lender, potential renovation costs, location, resale value, schools, etc.) were extremely valuable. We appreciated very much his straight, fast and honest answers and are grateful for everything Mark taught us along the way. We absolutely enjoyed working with him and if we had to grade him on my favorite 1-10 scale, we would have definitely given him a 10+. There is no doubt that Mark will be our agent for any real estate deal here in Austin and we highly recommend him to anyone looking for an excellent realtor.

Thank you Mark so much for everything!

— Noemi Petra, Buyer

skip the 'interviewing a bunch of agents' ...Just hire Mark

If you're like me and a little uncertain about how this whole house-buying thing works, let alone how to survive this insane market, let me save you a step. You can skip the 'interviewing a bunch of agents to be sure you're finding the best representative' part. You can probably also skip the 'home buying for dummies' books, unless you're the curious sort. Just hire Mark and know you've made a genius decision. We had a very specific dream house - one that's extremely hard to find in Austin in our budget range (Craftsman bungalow, original built-ins, great lot, great neighborhood, etc.). So when our house came on the market, Mark had us in to view it in, like, an hour. He submitted an offer for us within the next ~3 hours. Over the fraught bidding war days, he built a good relationship with the seller's agent. So while our best and final offer was pretty awesome, it is Mark's work with the sellers that set us up as the obvious choice. BTW, there were ten offers. 10! Madness! This is why you hire Mark - he not only helps you navigate a really intense process, he helps the sellers *know* that selecting your offer is right for them. We actually met the seller's agent a few weeks after buying our home, and he specifically mentioned how impressed he had been with Mark!

So it's probably enough to know that Mark is the guy to find and get you that one-and-only dream house despite a crazy housing market. But I also need to mention that Mark has great contacts and recommendations across all remodeling trades, advice when you ask for it, an unflappable and friendly demeanor, deep knowledge about Central Austin neighborhoods, a stellar reputation, and in general is just a great person.

If we ever get the bar unpacked, we're going to invent a cocktail called the "überSTRUB" in his honor. It will taste like triumph.

— Penelope Hyslop, Buyer

made it a breeze to cut through the legal and bureaucratic jungle

There are few things more daunting than taking on a new and challenging job, moving to a new city and buying your first house. Now try doing all that within about three months. The new job is to be dealt with by oneself, there are moving services for moving, and, thankfully, for buying the house, I had Mark. I will be forever grateful for his assistance with navigating the quiet neighborhoods around Central Austin in the quest for the perfect place. Once said place was found, Mark made it a breeze to cut through the legal and bureaucratic jungle required to take ownership of it.  Hyperbola aside, Mark was punctual, a great communicator, had fantastic attention to detail, old-world manners and possessed a near-encyclopedic knowledge of the city. Our dialogue was open from the start and I quickly arrived to rely on and trust his judgment. These are, of course, all the traits that one would look for in an excellent real-estate business partner. However, there were a few things that, in my mind, truly set Mark apart from other (admittedly few) real estate professionals that I have worked with in the past: 

1) An uncanny ability to LISTEN (versus TALK): he has helped me articulate my preferences and my needs, and was quickly able channel our efforts from what initially seemed like a wild goose chase to a focused and meaningful search. He did this in very few iterations with minimal waste of time. 

2) Balance: he has always pointed out both the advantages and the flaws of all the properties we have seen, without ever trying to conceal the bad or overemphasize the good. In this sense, he has been, as pointed out above, a trusted business partner rather than a sales agent. 

3) Patience: one of my favorite Mark quotes is "don't worry, we will find it."

4) Finally -and most importantly - vision and perspective: Mark has been in this business for a long time. Long enough to observe, absorb and understand trends, rather than try to glean them (or pretend to do so) from sales data. He has a deep understanding of the evolution of the city's neighborhoods and of their future prospects (whether bright or less so), which means that the perspective that he provides will help you make a good home investment rather than a simple home purchase. 

In summary, Mark has elevated the notion of service to an almost telepathic connection with the customer. I am glad I did business with him, I am glad to refer to him my friends and professional acquaintances who are considering a home purchase, and will gladly ask for his help in the future. He receives my highest possible recommendation.

— Michael Baldea, Buyer

(client) interests are protected first and foremost

As first-time home buyers, we were very careful in selecting our real estate agent.  Mark was referred to us by a colleague.  Once we met him, he made an excellent case to hire him, and we did.  Great decision!   We knew exactly what we wanted in the house.  Once we found a house that matched 85% of our requirements, Mark worked really hard to get us that house.   Throughout the entire process, Mark made sure that our interests are protected first and foremost:  if we were to walked away from the deal, Mark gave us his full support.   

There were many hurdles and big decisions to make in short time regarding this specific house purchase: structural weakness, the work that needed to be done before closing, and foremost arrogant and uncooperative seller's camp.   Our family liked the house (and still does) a lot, Mark fully supported our decision, and took the challenge in stride. He focused on hammering a great deal for us, and making the best out of impossible situation.  

Almost, two years later, I can confirm that this house purchase worked out really great for our family.  We plan to use his agency in the future, if the need arises.  Thanks Mark!

— Nebojsa Stanic, Buyer

made it happen within my budget, on schedule, and with style

The people at Strub Residential consistently went above and beyond the call of duty to make my home purchase possible. My situation was an especially difficult one; with a less competent realtor, I couldn't have done it. Mark and his team made it happen within my budget, on schedule, and with style. As a foreigner unfamiliar with local neighborhoods, and with little credit history, many realtors would have told me that buying a home during my first year in Austin was impossible, but not Mark. He was up for the challenge, and succeeded with flying colors. Mark and his team have always been quick to respond to even the most unorthodox of questions, and cheerful in the face of my thirst for knowledge about the process of buying a home, financing my purchase, different neighborhoods, house construction, and anything else that came to mind. Whenever I called to check on progress, they were already on to the next issue. Strub Residential is especially attuned to the needs of young home-buyers, such as budget and location specifications. They also use technology very effectively to keep the lines of communication open. The Strub Residential team is truly concerned with providing a quality real estate experience. They followed through with me even beyond closing to make sure that I was fully satisfied. I would not hesitate for a moment to recommend Mark and the Strub Residential team to my closest friends, and to any homebuyer or seller who enjoys working with competent, intelligent people. I look forward to working with them again when it comes time to sell my home.

— Jenn Nielson, Buyer

he worked really hard to get us that house

Mark helped us buy our first home in the summer of 2011. We knew exactly what we wanted, and once we found a house that matched 85% of our requirements, he worked really hard to get us that house. The negotiation process with the seller was difficult. If we did not like the house as much as we did (and do now), we would have walked away from the deal, with Mark's full support. Throughout the entire process, Mark made sure that our interests are protected first and foremost, and it worked out really well for us. Thanks Mark!

— Jelena Tesic, Buyer