As someone new to the condo buying process and the Chicago real estate market, Megan Bhatia, of Om Realty Group, made my experience enjoyable and stress-free every step of the way.
Megan willingly and thoroughly explained the condo-buying process to me upfront, before we began our search. After considering my needs, wants, and dislikes, she hand-selected numerous condos in my price range, and highlighted the units offering something ‘special’. Her candid commentary on building construction, quality of interior finishes, and the energy efficiency of walls and windows made it evident that she was on my side and not simply interested in finalizing a deal. From a buyer’s perspective, Megan is extremely professional and passionate about helping her clients make well-informed decisions, which ultimately leads to finding the perfect home.
I strongly recommend Megan Bhatia and can assure anyone considering her as their Realtor that she will work tirelessly on your behalf to find your ideal property, resulting in a positive home buying experience.”
Laura Georgy
- West Loop –
“We can only say nice things about working with Megan Bhatia over what ended up being close to four months! From the moment we emailed Megan requesting a meeting, she was quick to respond and so well-informed.
Megan did an excellent job managing our expectations for the home-buying process, always making sure that we knew we were buying in a highly-sensitive time which meant a lot of the typical “first time norms” were constantly changing. However, because Megan was always telling us about these changes, few came as a surprise.
The buying process took a few unpredictable turns throughout the FHA portion of the experience, but it really helped that Megan was always willing to listen and let us vent our frustrations, even though the delay was out of her control. It really meant a lot to know that Megan understood what we were feeling, and was always empathetic to our emotions. It was greatly appreciated!
Honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing! The inspection was smooth, Megan’s negotiation skills were amazing (that Home Warranty has been a HUGE help), and we are almost settled to our new home and we couldn’t have done it without Megan!
We couldn’t have asked to work with a better realtor! We will definitely refer Megan to anyone we know that is in the market to buy or sell a home.”
Rachel & Kevin
- Lincoln Square -
“We met Megan Bhatia of OM Realty Group while interviewing several real estate agents as I decided to sell my condo in Chicago. From the very beginning Megan impressed us with her professionalism and her nice personality. She presented a personalized detailed marketing plan, walked us through the process, and competently responded all our questions. Later, throughout the process, she maintained the same level of professionalism, enthusiasm, high energy, and competence.
Megan is very knowledgeable, organized, and reliable. She will go the extra mile to smooth out the process, and she was always available for us. These qualities were more relevant in our case, as I live in Massachusetts while selling the condo in Chicago. She took over the entire process, from aggressively advertizing the condo to dealing with the condominium association, recommending a competent lawyer, assertively helping in negotiating the offer, and being present and aware of every step throughout the process.
I highly recommend Megan as your real estate agent. In this difficult market her decisive enthusiasm coupled with her professionalism may really make the difference. In my case I am convinced it did, as she sold our condo in just over 3 months, start to finish. Thank you Megan for your great help!”
Eugene Rusu
West Loop
“I first met Megan Bhatia during an open house for a unit she had listed. I had just started our search for a new home, and like many, started by visiting a few open houses. I was not only scouting for a new home, but also for a realtor to help with selling our home. Of the many realtors running open houses that day, Megan was by far the best. Quite unlike the agent who barely looked up from her blackberry when I walked into another open house. She really took her time with me and answered my questions related to that home and about the buying and selling process in general. Megan offered to meet with my husband and me to give us information on the buying and selling process. She spent well over an hour with us with no obligation that we continue to work with her.
Having been through the buying process twice (once with an agent and once without) and the selling process once (with an agent), I was very impressed with Megan’s abilities and professionalism. She made the entire process down right painless. She was always available to answer questions thoroughly, gave good recommendations on everything from movers to great restaurants in our new neighborhood. She did an excellent job negotiating with our buyers and the seller. We went out of town just before our place went on the market and jokingly said, “Just have our place sold by the time we get back.” And lo and behold, she did! We signed the offer the day we returned from a less than two week trip. That’s right, in this market, our condo sold in less than two weeks, for almost 100% of asking price!
Megan also did a great job helping us find just the right place to buy. We have pretty specific wants and needs and tastes. Megan listened very carefully to what we wanted and how we responded to each property she showed us and then put that information to use when deciding what places to show us next time. She never tried to talk us into a more expensive unit; she worked with our budget to find a home that met our needs. She was a trooper on our marathon days of house hunting, always keeping us entertained. Her positive attitude and genuineness were very much appreciated. We really did have fun driving around this crazy city with her. And now we are in a new home we love!
I would highly recommend Megan for both buying and selling your home. You would be in good hands with her on your side.”Cathy & Edward Evins
Andersonville
“Overall I was very impressed with the professionalism of Megan Bhatia’s service from day one. At the first meeting she presented the marketing plan and I was impressed by how organized and detailed the entire process was; Megan’s plan was integrated and I could tell that she knew what to do. Megan was also very honest with her feedback and didn’t promise anything she could not deliver. It was very important to me to gain trust fast and I did with our 1 meeting in person because I live in Germany and was handling the entire sale from there. I thought that being outside of the country was going to complicate things, but Megan made the process as easy as possible for me. She did a lot of extra things for me, like finding me a good attorney, dealing with the repairs, and allowing me to not have to be present for any of the process including the closing. I also knew that she was looking for my best interest the entire time, especially during the offer negotiations.
I would absolutely recommend Megan’s services to anyone looking to buy or sell a home. One of my good friends recommended Megan and I already thanked him for doing so, and I know he along with other friends have been very pleased with the professionalism, experience and skills that Megan brings to the job. In this really tough market, I was really not expecting to sell in that short window of time…but she did it! My only regret is not finding Megan Bhatia, and Om Realty Group sooner!”
- J. Mercado, Lakeview
“Megan Bhatia is a wonderful person and a knowledgeable real estate agent. Finding a good agent is very important because you need to trust what they know, like their style of communication, and should enjoy the time that you spend with them from start to finish. If your agent isn’t someone personable, honest, informed, and have keen follow-up like Megan, then your experience will be more of a chore than an adventure. Megan’s professionalism, friendliness, and soft sale approach made our house hunting experience a positive one without any contrived moments or cheesy realtor babble like so many others scheming for your business. We were almost as happy as our wedding day as when Megan was there with us to clink champagne and snap a photo when I carried my wife over the threshold into our very beautiful house that is now our home sweet home. I HIGHLY recommend Megan Bhatia and the OM Realty Group.”
- A. Yates, Oak Park
“When we asked Megan Bhatia to handle the listing for our West Loop condo during a time when foreclosures were high, prices had fallen, and there was a glut of condos on the market with more under construction and on the way, we were so pessimistic about the possibility of finding a buyer at the price we wanted that we asked her to list the property for rent also. Megan advised us to give her a few weeks to list the unit for sale first, and we trusted her advice. She presented us with a comprehensive market assessment of our unit, and then suggested a marketing strategy based upon other similar units listed in the area, including a unit for sale in the same building as ours. Again we followed her advice, and we are very glad we did. Within a month of listing, we had an offer, and we closed on the unit a few weeks later at a price which was very acceptable to us. Megan handled just about everything in the process, from showing the unit, managing the communication with the buyers and their agent, through working with our attorney to assure a smooth contract negotiation process and closing. The process was, thanks to Megan’s efforts and professionalism, quite painless and in fact, even enjoyable. We highly recommend Megan Bhatia and Om Realty Group to anyone looking for a great realtor who really adds value.”
- A. Loumbas, West Loop
“Selecting Megan Bhatia as my realtor was the best decision that I made for the process of buying my first home. I saved a significant amount of time by having Megan search for my specific criteria, as opposed to the hassle of reading through hundreds of listings. Having a realtor is certainly beneficial throughout the home buying process; however, I consider myself lucky to have found Megan. Knowing that this was my first home purchase, she prepared me for what to expect and assisted me by asking the questions that I wouldn’t have thought to ask. Megan went above and beyond my expectations by following up with all parties involved, which made my first purchase go a lot smoother than I anticipated. I have already recommended Megan’s services to friends of mine; I want them to have the same experience I had during my first home purchase.”
- C. Steiner
“From the time we began working with Megan, she worked tirelessly to meet our needs and personalize the home buying process for us. As first time home buyers, she made sure that we understood each step along the way. Megan made us a priority; anything that we needed throughout the months that we worked with her, she was able to do for us. She has a great knowledge of Chicago’s neighborhoods and she was able to give us feedback on each property that we saw. We would highly recommend working with Megan not only because of her professionalism, but also because of the way that she individualizes the home buying process for each client.”
- M. Kolarik & B. Kreucher, Lincoln Park
“As a first time buyer, I found Megan’s expertise and attention invaluable through out the home-buying process. She did a great job of walking me through each step and making sure I knew what was going on. The best thing about Megan is her caring attitude towards her client. You feel like you are the only one that matters to her, and I’m sure all her numerous clients feel the same way. I could tell right away that Megan is type of real estate agent others should strive to be: hard-working, knowledgeable, helpful, patient, caring… but most of all, Megan will do whatever it takes to make sure her client is happy and that the process is as smooth as possible. Megan gets an A+.”
- N. Pankey, Logan Square
“I really felt like a priority working Megan Bhatia- she was a great realtor for a first time home buyer! I had a lot of questions and concerns along the way and regardless of the scope of the question – she had the answers. Megan was knowledgeable about every aspect of the home buying process- from the strategic elements to the downright emotional elements. She helped guide me through the entire process – searching, financing, inspecting, and signing on the dotted line! Megan handled issues directly with my attorney and saved me the hassle of calling and trying to work things out. She was supportive during every step of the process and was never frustrated or tired of me! Megan was completely accommodating to my work schedule, commute, personal schedule, etc. I felt like I was Megan’s only client – when I’m sure she had several others! I will absolutely refer Megan to others that are considering buying or selling a home! She’s won 2 of us over in my group of friends and I hope Megan has several more clients from the University of Illinois! I’m not planning on moving anytime soon – but when I do – expect a call from me!”
- K. Hushek, Roscoe Village
“I’d like to express my very sincere thanks and gratitude for all of the successful energy and effort Megan put into helping me to find a condominium. It was an absolute pleasure to work with Megan, and I very much appreciate how she accommodated my schedule and was able to transport not only my husband and myself but also three children to see potential properties! Megan made finding a new place a real pleasure. Megan helped us to identify properties to suit our interests and our price range, and her expert help in negotiations was greatly appreciated! I feel that Megan helped us to get a beautiful new condo at a very competitive price, and I am very grateful for her help! It is my sincere pleasure to be able to recommend Megan with great enthusiasm to my friends and co-workers. Thanks so very much for everything!!”
- N. Frietag, Streeterville
“We were very impressed with all that Megan Bhatia did to make our home buying process smooth and simple for us. Since this was our first home buying experience, the first email she sent us with the “home buying timeline” and contact list were great. We also appreciated how quickly Megan returned communication (both phone and email) especially since we were out of state for the majority of the process. Megan really helped us feel very connected. Megan’s recommendations for attorneys and lenders really made us feel better about picking people we’d never met – and we were really pleased to work with everyone she recommended. Megan’s willingness to make calls and research our questions really made things easy on us and was a big time saver for us. Megan kept us very informed and we were just really pleased with how the whole process went. We will recommend Megan without hesitation to anyone looking to move to the Chicago area.
- J. & D. Jabbour, River North
“Megan Bhatia made buying a home an awesome experience. As a first time buyer I was eager to find the perfect place but also wholly unaware of the real estate market and home buying process. Megan developed a plan to show me a wide variety of properties and locations, and over the next four months Megan and I viewed countless properties in every lively neighborhood in Chicago. Throughout the process she provided insightful and thoughtful advice, and ultimately, she helped me find the perfect first home. Megan has an immense understanding of the Chicago home market and an unbelievable dedication to her clients. In fact, on the day of my closing Megan waited with me for several anxious hours after all the papers had been signed while the seller’s title came in from Korea! I will recommend Megan to family and friends and I will share with them the wonderful experience I had buying my first home. Personally, I look forward to working with Megan many more times in the future.”
- D. Sethi, Gold Coast
“Being first time home buyers, we had a lot of questions and concerns. Once we started working with Megan we were instantly at ease with our housing search. Megan was patient and helpful from start to well beyond closing. Her enthusiasm and energy kept us going when we were discouraged about finding something we loved in our price range. She was always motivated to show us new places. It was such a pleasure working with Megan. We look forward to working with her again in the future.”
- L. & D. Cilio, Lakeview
“Megan understood that I was new to the buyers market and was very patient in showing me as many properties as she did in the location, size, and price range that I was looking for. All in all I have to say that it was a pleasure working with Megan. She made the whole home buying experience a fun one…I am looking forward to doing business with her in the future.”
-K. Rooney, West Loop
“Megan was extremely attentive to my needs. I explained to her that I was not in any sort of hurry to move into the city, however I also wanted to get into the city to start taking advantage of the summer months. Megan was patient and understanding while guiding me through the entire process and never getting frustrated. Phone calls and other correspondence were ALWAYS returned as promptly as possible. Aside from Megan’s unparalleled knowledge of the Chicago real estate market, she went to great lengths to make sure that the closing went smoothly – a process that I, being a commercial broker, am involved in too many transactions and did not have time for myself. Of course I’d refer her to anyone!”
-A. Campagni, Bucktown
“I was extremely happy with the service that Megan provided. She very clearly listened to my needs, goals and expectations, and provided very clear, sensible and sage advice based upon what she felt would be best for me. She clearly was on top of everything and responded to all of my questions and phone calls immediately. I would have to say, that to me, the most valuable aspect of Megan’s service was the sense that she was acting as someone with my best interests at heart and not just a hired gun looking for a quick commission. I really appreciated all of Megan’s advice and effort on my behalf, it made the whole process go so much more smoothly than I could ever have expected. I would certainly be very happy to refer Megan to any of my friends or colleagues.”
-N. Clipstone, River North
“Megan Bhatia was an absolutely amazing realtor to work with throughout the whole buying process. Megan gave us close attention through frequent client interaction we hadn’t found with other realtors. She initially met with us to determine our ideal place and in the end found more than we had hoped. Megan really listened to our wants and provided us with more than the typical automated listing alerts. The whole process went very smoothly. We felt valued as clients and through it all made a great friend. We highly recommend Megan whether you are buying or selling; you can’t beat her outstanding personality or her ability to address your needs and close the deal!”
-B. Boyle and J. Raab, Logan Square
“Megan is outstanding! The key to picking the right agent is finding an agent with experience and outstanding work ethic. As a sales executive, I would highly recommend Megan for anyone in the market to sell or buy!”
- V. Sandhir, Lakeview
“Having Megan as my listing agents was one of the best decisions I made when selling my condo. Megan was always very energetic, friendly, and responsive. Because of the nature of my sale, I had to contact Megan many times. Megan was always either available or prompt in returning my phone calls. She made the sale process as smooth as possible and she proved she can take the most complex sales through. It was a pleasure working with Megan and I would definitely recommend her to anybody.”
- J. Wasiek, Lakeview
“I would like to share with you the terrific experience I had working with Megan Bhatia. Megan was incredibly pleasant and energetic. Her excitement over my condo, energy and great ideas made me realize that I should sell my condo with her. From the start, Megan was an enormous relief. Within 10 days from signing a listing contract, Megan found a buyer and she successfully negotiated a terrific offer. Overall, the moment I signed up with Megan I didn’t have to worry about a thing. It was a terrific experience!”
-K. Garbin, West loop
I met Megan through one of my clients who I preapprroved for a mortgage and was buying a condo in Chicago. From a lender’s point of view, Megan did an outstanding job in taking care of the details for her client particularly with the condo association information. Megan stayed in contact with all parties involved, which made this transaction close smoothly and quickly. Megan knows the downtown condo market and she negotiated an excellent purchase resulting in instant equity for her client.
Linda Hanson
I met Megan about three years ago (2007) when I inquired about a property she was representing. Unfortunately I was not able to purchase the property at that time but told her she would be the first person I called when I began my search for a new home. Just recently, (March 2010), I decided that it was the right time to start my search for a home again. True to my word, I called Megan to setup a meeting so I could learn what the buyer’s agent does. I knew I was going to have her represent me before the meeting was even finished.
Megan worked diligently to locate properties that fit my requirements. That was not an easy thing to do. She sent me listings every few days and even looked up listings that I asked her about. We toured about 30 different properties, over a two month period, before I put in my first bid. Megan was always professional but was not afraid to tell it like it is. That was a good thing, since I was making this purchase without the help of anyone else. I asked her to be my devil’s advocate and she was.
She walked me through every step of the short-sale process, recommended my attorney, a great lender, and was there when I signed all of the paperwork. I highly recommend her as a buyer’s agent if you are looking to purchase a home and I am certain that she would work just as diligently if you are selling one.
Sincerely,
Edgar
Irving Park