Testimonials

What our clients say about working with us.

Buyer

My husband and I have worked with Jake a number of times over the past 8 years and each time we have ended up in the perfect spot for that time in our lives. Most recently, we worked with Jake to buy our dream home and I could not recommend Jake more highly for first-time homebuyers. He walked us through a very extensive presentation to talk through the process and was patient and prompt in answering our many questions. Jake was very diligent in our showings and asked all the right questions. While you don't want to think about selling as you are buying your home, he made sure we thought about resale value when choosing our home.

Ginette H.

I’ve worked with Jake for years and he is one of the best. Closing on my house was seamless thanks to Jake helping me every step of the way. He connected me with a great mortgage lender, a great lawyer, appraiser etc which meant I had an “a-team” for everything. Jakes advice during the offer process was spot on and when we had a tricky seller he was on hand to offer some thoughtful reassurance. Lastly I appreciate him pounding the pavement with me to see a ton of places before I found the perfect place. Highly recommend Jake based on this experience and dozens of others with him.

John U.

Jake is the best real estate agent I have worked with. I have had at least 10 real estate agents during the course of my home moves over the last 40 years. He took the time to understand my needs and desires. We had two outings to look at potential properties. The first outing included a few condo units that were possibilities and others that were not to my taste. After that initial review, he quickly focused on my specific needs. Very quickly I found my dream condo. Jake was very effective in the negotiation process. The final agreed upon price was less than I thought we would be able to negotiate. He was very effective in how he managed the negotiation process with the seller's agent. Jake had very good insights as to market value and the final price agreed to was very close to what he thought selling price should be. Jake was very patient with me as I was sorting out timing of a purchase and type of condo unit I wanted. It was a two year process but once I was ready to buy, he very quickly commenced the process of identifying possible options and to narrow the range based on my input. For me, this condo is a dream purchase and Jake made that happen ! I will definitely use Jake again should I decide to sell my dream condo.

Sean M.

Jake is among the best of the best. We bought our first home with him and sold that same home 5 years ago. He is the perfect agent for anybody, particularly first-time buyers or sellers. He works hard for you, treats you as if you're his only client, and I would trust him with any future purchase or sale.

Seller

Jake is top-notch! Very detail-oriented and always putting the needs of his clients first. He has a vast knowledge of the market and provides great insights. We have worked with Jake on multiple transactions, and highly recommend him to anyone looking for real estate in the Chicago area!

Kevin J.

Jake did an excellent job selling my Lakeview condo and I’m pleased with the process and outcome. He helped ensure quick and safe process that gave me added peace of mind during the pandemic. Beyond that, he’s personable and easily reachable to make communication simple throughout the sale. I’d recommend Jake and hope to use him again.

Charles L.

Jake took on the challenge of navigating me through the single biggest purchase of my life during the COVID-19 pandemic and the numerous challenges it presented to the process. I started my search in February 2020 and just closed on a beautiful condo in the West Town area. Jake was with me every step of the way. In the beginning Jake took the time to walk me through the buying process from start to finish and made sure that I had a good idea about what to expect going forward. From there, Jake patiently scheduled and attended showing after showing with me as I struggled to narrow down exactly what I wanted. In that process, he was great about educating me on different neighborhoods and pointing out the pros and cons of each location I considered. Given that I’ve spent my 3 years in Chicago living and working exclusively in the loop, these conversations were incredibly helpful. When it came time to make an offer, COVID-19 was beginning to emerge as a serious threat in the US and I went from being ready and willing to pay just below the listing price to not wanting to move forward at all. As I took a moment to pause and reassess the economic conditions, Jake was understanding and helpful. He kept me informed about the number of other units in the building that were under contract, the frequency of showings that were taking place, and even forwarded me relevant articles discussing the implications of the pandemic for Chicago real estate along with current market data points. Ultimately, Jake helped devise a new negotiating strategy where we went with a lower initial offer than originally planned that resulted in me closing on the property significantly below the listing price. In addition to helping me close on the condo, Jake was able to provide great recommendations on other professionals who helped me secure financing, review legal documents, and obtain homeowner’s insurance. He even provided a list of interior decorators with a range of styles to assist me in decorating my new home. Jake was an invaluable partner in my search for a new home and I can’t imagine having to go through the process without him. In short, he is professional, accommodating, knowledgeable, and adaptable. He truly wants to find the best home for you, taking into account your unique wants and needs, and is willing to help you in every conceivable way to accomplish that goal. I would strongly recommend Jake to anyone contemplating a real estate purchase.

Kate B.

As a first-time homebuyer, I was going into the process rather blind. Even before I knew if I was ready, I received unprecedented support from the very beginning. Jake prepared a detailed presentation that was both educational and inspiring and he shared all the tools and resources I needed to find my dream home. From customized property searches to curated open house listings, the hunt was way more enjoyable than I could have imagined. Even during a competitive time, Jake was extremely thorough, responsive, and dedicated to my needs. He was intuitive and asked questions that I didn't even know I wanted to be answered. By the time we first set foot in my home, Jake knew that it was the one, as quickly as I did. I truly feel that his tactful diligence was the main reason I am now a homeowner. Jake's knowledge of the ever-changing market shined through in all our interactions and on many occasions even impressed the seller's agents! I am proud to call Jake my realtor and would highly recommend him to anyone that is interested in buying.

Seller

Jake Tasharski truly understands the Chicago real estate market. He also understands the individual needs of buyers and sellers. Jake is very professional, knowledgeable, honest, personable, and hit the mark on every aspect of selling our downtown condo. His suggestions on updates, pricing, offers, etc. we’re completely accurate and we had several offers and a signed contract within one week of our listing! Following the contract Covid-19 happened, we were out of state and Jake seamlessly managed every detail to closing, on our behalf, despite the ‘stay-home order’. We have worked with several agents over many years and Jake by far has been the best! We highly recommend Jake to anyone on every aspect of buying and or selling of all real estate!

Buyer

As we were not sure what area of the Chicago Lakefront we wanted to look at, Jake was very patient and helpful in showing us the different neighborhoods and the various types of units available to purchase.

Buyer

Jake helped me buy my first condo and it was so much fun that I went back for more! No, but seriously, Jake has now helped me purchase two great real estate deals. A few words that come to mind when I think of working with Jake and Katherine are knowledgable, communicative, reliable, and hustle. Highly recommended! Thanks again, Jake!

Phillip R.

I can't say enough about how positive my experience with Jake was. He's extremely responsive and exceedingly knowledgeable about every aspect of buying or selling property. He does a good job of balancing an agent's goal of closing sales with the buyer's goals of maximizing return/minimizing expenditures. Highly recommended.

Stephen D.

Market Intel: Jake’s knowledge of broader markets and submarkets is the reason we chose him as an agent. He has experience in sourcing deals for both homeowners and multifamily residential investors. For example, my wife and I expressed interest in owning a 1-bedroom condo in the West Loop. Jake has executed on a significant number of closings throughout the West Loop neighborhood and was able to price out each condo we looked at based on a variety of factors. He gave us pricing guidelines based on block/sub-neighborhoods in West Loop, incremental pricing for garage access and amenities, square footage, number of bedrooms, bathroom, the list goes on. We also had an interest in a few Albany Park duplexes, one of which we nearly bought. Jake has made direct investments in this market, so he had skin-in-the-game type information that was invaluable to us. We nearly purchased a duplex in the area that had numerous code violations, but potential for significant upside. Jake provided us with a contractor to walk through the property and price out all of the potential repairs to address code violations. Jake also connected us with lenders that could offer unconventional financing for properties with code violations at reasonable pricing and terms. Finally, Jake’s intel on what level of rent we could achieve based on location within Albany Park, as well as the type of profitability that was achievable assuming a conservative budget for expenses and capital expenditures, was pivotal in us deciding not to purchase the property given that there was >$30,000 of min. downside involved and that only accounts for the potential water damage that he and his contractor identified it was not visible without opening walls. Eventually, we struck a balance. Jake found us a 2-bed condo that was materially lower in price than similar condos in the area. If we eventually move in the future, rents today will more than cover our principal, interest, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees, with enough room to turn a meaningful profit on a cash-flowing rental unit. By our estimates, we should be able to generate a 7%-10% annual cash-on-cash return if we rent out our unit at market rents. Do not let Jake’s charm fool you, he’s much more than a friendly face and personable agent: he is a data-driven, diligent investor functioning as a top-notch agent. He will provide you with sales comparables including his quantitative and qualitative analysis for any property at your request. His thorough understanding of markets will provide you with pricing and value saliency throughout your search process. Process Expertise: This was the third property that my wife and I have purchased, however, our real estate experience has been a side-hustle that comes with a learning curve. Jake got us up to speed very quickly on how and when to get our attorney involved for mitigating unique issues with the sellers, how to properly leverage one lender against another, and where to pick your battles with the sellers and third parties. Responsiveness: Jake responded promptly to every email, and in most cases he responded immediately. If he is busy, he sends you a response in short order confirming when he will be able to provide you with a more thorough response. Customer service and responsiveness are two more highlights of working with Jake. Negotiation Skills: As a buyer dealing with sellers, I am a bull in the china shop (there is a stronger, less appropriate vernacular that better fits my description). My general approach is to try and win every battle, and I prefer to be aggressive in meeting my various asks. Jake has a way of getting you what you want, and he does so without exhausting the sellers to the point where they feel like moving on to a lower maintenance buyer (the market we were playing in had plenty of buyers that would have purchased the condo at list). What’s more, Jake is an excellent mentor during the negotiation process. He’ll help you parse out each negotiating item, help you with prioritizing the most important items, and he’ll assist you in navigating negotiations efficiently and effectively. Jake got us every negotiating item we wanted, even our low-priority items. Through Jake’s negotiation and guidance, we locked in a purchase price that was meaningfully lower than list and directly comparable property sales, we received several buyer’s credits that lowered our net purchase price even further, we sucked every last bit of information out of the seller management company or homeowners’ association, and Jake even helped us trim 50 bps off our interest rate through his network of lenders/providing us with context for how to set our financing negotiations. If you engage Jake as an agent, be clear with him about what you want, and ask him every question that comes to mind. If you do, Jake will get you what you want, and he’ll make it look effortless.

Buyer

It was great to have Jake around to buy my first home in the west loop. He and his assistant Katherine are very diligent, thoughtful, and on top of everything. I, a first-time homebuyer, didn't ever fret or was overwhelmed in the process because Jake and his assistant were always ahead in the game. They helped me get the home for a stellar price in a stellar location. He was very honest and transparent in his interactions with me during the home buying process. It was a great decision to have trusted Jake with finding a home for me. I would definitely recommend him as a Real estate agent for home buying and selling.

Seller

Jake was everything you would want in an agent - responsive, courteous, knowledgeable, and a closer. I would highly recommend him and his team to anyone looking to sell in Chicago.

Morgan O.

Jake is incredibly knowledgeable, very professional and great to work with! Highly recommend! He made the process very easy and was very thorough and responsive!

Bart B.

Jake did a great job helping my wife and me get our condo on the market and sell it quickly. When it came to getting the place ready to sell, Jake suggested that we paint all of the baseboards, which really upgraded the appearance of our place. He then saw the sales process through to completion and walked us through every step. When our first offer fell through, he did a lot to keep the mood positive and was able to line up another buyer within a week. If you are looking for a realtor who will attend to every detail and keep the selling process moving along, he's your guy. I highly recommend that you use him.

Alyssa L.

Jake and his team were amazing to work with! We were first-time home buyers and had a lot of questions about the Chicago market and the buying process as a whole. From the first time that we met to closing day, Jake was eager to guide us through the process and ultimately find the perfect condo.

Allie M.

Jake pretty much saved our lives by making the home buying and selling process as stress-free and delightful as possible. He listened to every nit-picky want and need, and worked so hard to show us as many houses as it took. He was available to chat by phone, text, and email, and we felt really taken care of. Towards the end of our home search, we felt tired and anxious and almost settled on a house that wasn’t quite right for us. He didn’t hesitate to tell us his actual thoughts, we took his advice, and I’m currently writing this review from the couch of our actual dream home. He knows what he’s doing and he works hard to match people with the right place. Not once did we feel like he was just trying to make a sale. When we were selling our house he was great about listing specific to dos to get it in tip top shape for viewing. He connected us with an amazing stager and the house went fast, for above list price. On top of his expertise with home buying and selling, he’s just a really phenomenally nice person and we feel like we’ve made an actual friend out of this process. On closing day, he even surprised us with the most thoughtful gift we’ve ever gotten. Our house was a gut rehab, and he secretly had the old, beautiful 100-year-old front door removed, so he could hand cut, sand, stain, and frame the massive floral designs we were sad to see go. They’re hanging on our wall as a daily reminder of our pal Jake, and how hard he worked for our family and our dream home! We can not recommend him enough!

Lucky A.

Katherine was a pleasure to work with and was super responsive. She was also very patience and accommodating of our request. I would definitely recommend Katherine if you are looking for a rental apartment.

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