Success stories
Clients share their experience working with me to find or sell their homes in France
Carsten helped us find our apartment when we moved from Germany in Summer of 2019. The market here is extremely competitive and neither of us spoke French. Our situation was made even more complicated because we have income sources outside of France. To say that Carsten went above and beyond to see that we found a place would be an understatement. He was always available and at our side as we navigated the bureaucracy of the Parisian housing market and I would recommend anyone moving here to use him. He is smart, knowledgeable, persistent, and he won’t quit until you find what you’re looking for.”
— Case Scaglione, Chief Conductor of the Orchestre National d'Ile de France
Over the past three years, we have not only build a longstanding working relationship with Carsten but have also become personal friends. Our adventure began in 2017 when we visited Paris in search of the perfect apartment. We had a clear vision of what we were looking for after having done extensive research ourselves, and spent several holidays in Paris renting apartments in the different arrondissement to get a feel of each. With his extensive knowledge and much enthusiasm, Carsten was able to quickly find several options that met our criteria. Once we had selected our future dream home, Carsten led the process to successful completion on time, which often meant keeping a close eye on the work performed by the mortgage broker and the notaire.
—Chantel Dartnall, Award-winning chef of the Mozaic Restaurant, Pretoria, South Africa
“My wife and I are deeply grateful for Carsten's invaluable assistance in finding our Paris apartment. Carsten and his team were organized, thoughtful, exacting, and determined. They told us what to expect, what was possible, and how best to navigate the unfamiliar purchasing process. Carsten listened carefully to our wishes and then lined up great options for us to consider. We are also enormously grateful for the advisers he brought to us to help close the purchase...and then to the decorator and design team that worked to fulfill our dream. He gets an A+ from us for his efforts”
- Richard and Joann Weiner, International Trade Attorney; Professor of Economics, Washington D.C.
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"We knew we wanted to retire to Europe after completing our academic careers in Massachusetts. Everything about it made sense. My wife grew up in Norway and the two of us met while we were students in Germany. In addition, we long shared the fantasy of learning one more language by moving to France, our longtime favorite when it came to planning our vacations. But how were we to manage such a complex transition? How were we to find a new home? How were we to open a French bank account, get gas and electricity and Internet set up? Each of these questions -- and, yes, there were many more besides -- had a simple answer: Carsten. He not only found us the apartment of our dreams, but he went far beyond that: he found us the absolutely perfect apartment in the middle of a neighborhood of Strasbourg so splendid that in 2017 it was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list. The German poet Goethe famously called architecture "frozen music." It is a sublime but obscure observation that never made real sense to me until Carsten--who also happens to be a violinist--found us a home oozing with old-world charm." Music has not interfered with Carsten's practical head, steering us with ease through the logistic maze that had seemed so intimidating. We cannot recommend him more highly.”
—Joseph Lawrence, Professor of Philosophy (now retired in France)
"Thank you SO much for handling the sale of my apartment. I know that it had some technical issues which made the sale more challenging than usual. I was likely a bit more demanding customer than usual, too - it's been a complex year, with many different plates I needed to keep spinning. You were great at dealing with all the requests I made, keeping me informed and talking me down from every tree I neurotically climbed. Throughout the process, I felt buoyed by your experience, expertise and patience - I feel so lucky to have been able to work with you on this. I'd certainly recommend you to any friend who needed to sell a flat in Pairs."
—Jonathan Hayes, Veteran Medical Examiner and Author, NYC
Owning and managing real estate from afar is not an easy task, but with Carsten's unique knowledge and strategic thinking we were able to rest easy knowing he was in charge. From managing rental clients to cleaning services to repair people, he always had our best interests in mind. As a property manager he was superb, but where he really shined was with his strategy and insight into how to sell our apartment quickly and with the best outcome. Carsten always delivers, and he delivers more and better than expected. He is organized, respectful, navigates cultures fluidly, and makes everyone feel as if they are his only and most important client. We cannot imagine getting over some of the challenges that arise in the real estate industry without Carsten's expertise and knowledge.
- Leslie Speer - Chair & Professor of Product design at MICA, Founder and Director of Simple Limb Initiative; Maryland, USA
As US citizens, buying a home in Paris can be stressful given the language barrier and the complex French purchase process. Carsten's superior market knowledge, vast network connections & his charismatic, welcoming attitude made the buying process much easier. He listened to what we were looking for, asked insightful questions, & adapted his approach as we narrowed down our search. He diligently arranged, often last minute, visits of multiple apartments. His attention to detail was important given the extensive document requirements in the sale process, different than the USA. Carsten is keen on finding YOUR perfect fit when it comes to buying a home in Paris. He doesn't try to talk you into buying something that's not right for you, & he's willing to put in the hard work to find it for you. Beyond the buying process, he also graciously put us in touch with English-speaking contractors, a handyman, cleaning service, and helped to set up all of our utilities and services. He saved us the day we moved in by communicating with our French-speaking delivery folks who were blocking the street and unloading our shipments from the US and ultimately stayed to help us unpack the what-seemed-like-thousand moving boxes. Finally, he continues to help us out a year later if we need a quick helping hand with something while we're in the US.
In the end, we are so happy to now own a beautiful apartment by the Tuileries. We highly recommend Carsten to support your search needs given the exceptional work he did with us. We consider him a friend and see him on our visits back to Paris.
— Sara and Greg Psihas (Corporate VP, Intel Corporation), San Fransicso, CA
