Testimonials

The following testimonials were written by just some of my happy sellers and buyers. They have all been kind enough to give me permission to show you their correspondence. Their letters and words are very gratifying. It seems that my down-to-earth and honest approach has earned me many friends - I think that's fantastic!

We chose Joe Bratkowski to help us find a new home in Nanaimo. As we were moving from the Gulf Islands and didn’t know the area at all, it was very important to have a good realtor. 

Joe was excellent in all ways. He was quick to figure out what we were looking for. When  we found ‘the’ one, Joe navigated the offer with great skill and secured the  property. After the purchase he kept in contact and made sure everything went smoothly. It was a real pleasure working with Joe and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him. 

Gord and Jenny 

Joe is a very professional, hard-working and caring realtor. I highly recommend him as he places his client's interests above everything else. He will work night and day for you. 5 out of 5

Patricia 

Thanks Joe.  Our home sold quicker than we expected and for a great price in the end! 
Sandra

Joe helped us sell our Mom's house after she passed away.  He was knowledgeable about the area and sensitive to our situation, and always available if we had any questions.  Joe gave great advice on suggestions for minor updates and staging, and worked well with all of us.  We accepted a terrific offer the day after listing.......complete 100% customer satisfaction here.

Laurel

I have worked with many realtors in the past, and they had given me a bad taste in my mouth of the real estate business. By chance I met Joe Bratkowski who treated his clients like humans, not dollar signs, and put all his efforts into helping me find the right property for my needs.  He is honest, knowedgeable about all things "real estate" and made sure that I was satisfied with all proceedings of the sale. He was endlessly patient, always on my side, and continues to be a good friend long after the conclusion of our business.

Hugh M

Very impressive service.....I really do appreciate all that you have done as well as your professionalism.  When we bought our last home, we had to chase down our realtor to try to find the keys to our new houme....he was too busy to help us....we finally were able to pick them up at the real estate office.....Disappointing when you have a moving truck and staff waiting to unload and no keys to your home when it is now yours!  I really like how you are helping my mom out, especially given my circumstances. You have gone above and beyond!  I will certainly keep you in mind if we ever find the need to sell this house or if someone asks me for a reference.

Leslie B.

Thanks, Joe.  Diana and I both signed the two docs you sent last evening.  Such a great feeling to be done!  Hard to believe it was only two weeks we were at the open house.  Your expertise and understanding made this whole experience manageable for us Joe - we feel very fortunate you were recommended to us.  We will definitely be in touch if we need any additional info/clarification.  Hope you have a great weekend as well!

Diana + John

I wanted to thank you for all your guidance and assistance with Nicole’s move.  She couldn’t be happier and you were a great calming influence through a fairly stressful time.

Many thanks and you know our family will refer you to anyone that is asking for a realtor reference!

Sandra

We had the pleasure of working with Joe when we decided to make the move from the Cowichan Valley to the Oceanside area. We knew what we were looking for, and Joe was both patient and supportive in our search for our new home. He understands how to let homeowners see things from their own perspective, but also provide timely useful advice when needed. We found Joe very respectful of our time and responsive to our communication, both traits that are essential in a good real estate agent. He is an expert negotiator. He worked hard to get us a fair price using all the facts at his disposal, and did so with honesty and integrity. Above all, Joe genuinely cares about the people he represents. He is invested in his clients and provides support long after the home is sold. We are very grateful to have worked with Joe, and would highly recommend him to anyone else seeking a real estate agent.

Jenn & Ryan Tyler

Joe is very open, answers all questions without hesitation. If he doesnt know the answer, he finds out and lets you know.

Tom

I've had the pleasure of working with Joe on multiple occasions and each time it has always been a positive, professional, and personable experience. Joe responds immediately whether it be an email, text or phone call and I've never had to wait on information, even if it is just a question out of curiosity. Joe has completed multiple deals for myself and family and will continue to be our Go To realtor for all our real estate needs. I would highly recommend him to anyone who is looking for a professional and, most importantly, honest realtor.

Eden 

Joe understood what I was looking for and I ended up getting exactly the type of home in the location I wanted. Joe’s professionalism and knowledge made the process of buying a home worry and hassle free. I would definitely use Joe again to buy or sell real estate.

Paul Thompson

We cannot speak highly enough about our experience with Joe Bratkowski. We first met Joe at an open house and he was very welcoming. Thus immediately we felt extremely comfortable with him. At the time as we were just looking around Joe offered to send us listings but he promised us that he would never bother us. Hence we gave him the information as to what we were looking for and the areas that we would consider living in. Following this Joe began sending us listings and when we saw something that caught our eyes we contacted him. However not once did he ever pressure or push us. This we totally appreciated and it was the main reason why we chose Joe for our realtor. As time went on and we became more serious about buying Joe constantly communicated with us. We honestly felt like we were his only clients and we knew by this stage that we could put our full trust in him. Throughout the entire process Joe was the consummate professional and nothing was ever too much trouble. He was kind, considerate, driven, diligent, punctual, and reachable. We were not easy people to deal with or please as our expectations were exceptional. However Joe was very understanding and persevered with us right to the end. He knew without hesitation, even though we didn’t at times, what in the end would be best for us. Consequently our stress levels were kept to a minimum. Joe worked tirelessly to find the home of our dreams in the area perfectly suited to us. Then when he finally found this home he checked every inch of it out meticulously. Once he was satisfied with the findings he set up a time for us to view it and we were thrilled from the moment we walked through the front door. Shortly thereafter we decided to make an offer on the house and the next step was the negotiations. Joe’s skills while doing this were unbelievable and his incredible strategy worked to secure the house for us over several other bids that had also been submitted. We were overjoyed and grateful as his hard work on our behalf had totally paid off. Subsequent to this when all of the paper work and the home inspection, etc. had to be dealt with Joe was with us every step of the way to guide us. Any concerns or questions that we had were always addressed putting our minds at ease and continual contact with us personally was never an issue. On top of this any paper work that our lawyer, our banker or our insurance agent needed were Joe’s top priority and sent on to them ASAP. On our moving day Joe arrived with gifts, a wonderful smile, and systematically went through every single room of the house with us making sure that everything was as it should be. Since this time although it was the end of our transaction with Joe and we no longer required his services he’s made it a point to stay in close touch with us. He e-mails us often and every Christmas without fail he stops in to have a visit with us bringing along a little holiday treat. Not only is he genuinely interested in our well being but he invariably enquires as to how our sons are doing. This is just the kind of person that Joe is so definitely one of a kind. We are immensely thankful to Joe and as we truly love our home we can see ourselves living in it happily for many years to come. If we do need a realtor in the future we will be calling on Joe again and we would unequivocally without hesitation recommend him to anyone.

Raymond & Diane Chenier

Joe Bratkowski is the best realtor you could hope to find.  Last year looking to purchase our first condo Joe was the only realtor to respond to our questions in an online search.  He stayed with us the whole way. Answered all our questions in a timely manner (often at inconvenient times for him, I'm sure).  He showed us every place we were interested in looking at, even if it wasn't the best place for us.  After looking at a few we realized that from talking with us he knew exactly what we wanted and the best deals in our price range.  He is patient, kind and has a great sense of humour, all of which are needed when you're looking in a competitive market.  He found us the perfect place and guided us through the whole process from start to finish.

Joe Bratkowski was highly recommended to us by a friend living in Lantzville. Living on the mainland we needed to have a Realtor who was highly diligent on our behalf. After speaking to Joe, it became very evident that he would be a great person to work on our behalf. Joe picked us up at the ferry and had a number of showings each day that we came over. From our phone conversations, we knew that Joe had listened to our requests and took us to several houses that met our needs. He would debrief with us make notes and schedule more viewings in a couple of days. Joe was highly professional and truly a gentleman in every sense of the meaning. When we had settled on a property, Joe began his bargaining strategies and after some tough negotiations he was able to secure our house at a very good price. Even after the sale, Joe stopped by with house warming gifts. Almost two years since the sale we are still in touch with this gentleman. Joe checks in every once in awhile to see the remodelling or additions that we have completed. 

I would highly recommend Joe Bratkowski as an agent for anyone looking for property in the Nanaimo, Parksville and Qualicum Beach area. On a scale of one to ten (ten being outstanding) Joe ranks a twelve!!

John and Penny R. 

Joe is a well-experienced and knowledgable real estate agent in Nanaimo RE/MAX, and I very appreciate his time and efforts for helping me find a lovely and convenient place in the southern district of Nanaimo. Joe is a very informative and generous person, and he was very willing to provide lots of the latest information to help me navigate the local house market and capture lots of great opportunities. He is very wise and friendly. I am an English Second Language speaker, so he was very patient to listen to all my questions and tried to use the simplest way to explain the professional real estate terms to me, which I felt very comfortable to communicate with him. Also, Joe is an excellent negotiator, which he knows about the psychologies and behaviors of house buyers and sellers very well due to the over 30 years of working experience in his career. When I was purchasing my house, I really liked the previous owner’ furniture (coach, photos, rugs, beds) as a part of the original room’s style, Joe provided me lots of useful tips in the negotiation. As the result, our plan was very successful and most of the furniture has been kept. Moreover, Joe has a very wide social network with other associated services, such as house inspectors, mortgage bankers, notarial offices, etc. He can quickly offer me a list every time when I needed, which saved me tons of times. All the reason above, I was very satisfied with the service that Joe provided to me. He is a very friendly, helpful and professional real estate agent and I highly recommend to friends around me!!

Gordon Jin

I would like to say a huge thank you to Joe Bratkowski for his handling of the purchase of my new home. Having lived in my old house for 53 years he made my new purchase a very simple and enjoyable experience. I will definitely recommend him to all my friends.

Cheers Tony

We are enjoying the nature and quiet.  No more Harley's :).......By the way you were right about the house price.      

Rick L

Mr. Bratkowski was recommended to us as reliable and knowledgeable broker.  Coming from the Vancouver area, my wife and I were looking for a home in Nanaimo, we were not disappointed with Joe!

Being new to the Island Joe new all the areas of Parksville and Nanaimo and suggested average prices for different areas and informed us of why prices are what they are for each area.  He suggested some areas and recommended, based on our personal information that these areas are more suited for other families, for example young families raising children or older retired couples  In the end we were both very satisfied with Joe's assistance and knowledge.  We would recommend him enthusiastically, whether you are new to the area or a resident of Nanaimo.

Joe is a long term agent with vast knowledge of the area and we would use not hesitate to use him again if we were buying a home in Nanaimo.

James + Lorraine

Through the best of luck, I met and spoke with Joe Bratowski as he was hosting an Open House.  One week later, I contacted him with an urgent request:  I was moving to the island in a month and needed to purchase a home.  Ever the professional, Joe found me a wonderful house in a great location, and worked with me online to create my Offer, that was ultimately accepted.

Joe has our friendship and has earned our loyalty without question.  His knowledge of the area, it's good points and pitfalls, help his clients find the right home for them.  When it was time to sell and purchase a larger home, Joe was with us every step of the way, through late night calls and bidding wars.  He successfully navigated us through the tight Nanaimo market once again, and we have been thrilled with the results.  

We wholeheartedly recommend Joe Bratkowski without hesitation.  

Marian Remenda

Merlin Hansen

Thank you for continuing to work with Yvonne & David, they have told me how pleased they are with you, as mentioned before they are friends of mine and I am so pleased you are taking good care of them. 

Helen Charlton

Realtor Salmon Arm

“My husband and I had the pleasure of having Joe as our realtor last year when we decided to move from the mainland and purchase a home in Nanaimo. As first time home buyers, we were extremely nervous about taking the plunge and purchasing a home in a new, unfamiliar place. We never could have imagined that buying a home could be such a positive experience, and that is all thanks to Joe. Upon coming across a listing for the home of our dreams, we soon found ourselves in what felt like an impossible situation with some major hurdles standing between us and the purchase of our home. Joe was with us every step of the way to help us overcome each hurdle and saw us through to celebrating the purchase of our “forever home”. We have no doubt that if we did not have Joe on our side, we would have lost the deal. Joe handled our complicated and unique situation with such professionalism, integrity, and care. It was always evident that he was looking out for our best interest throughout the entire process, and he really went the extra mile to make sure we were happy. We feel so fortunate that Joe was our realtor, and we really can’t recommend him highly enough.

 Kirsten B.”

We first made the acquaintance of Joe Bratkowski in August 2018 when we came to Vancouver Island looking for a house to purchase.

Joe was recommended by our agent, Helen Charlton from Salmon Arm BC, who passed along all of what we required in a house.

The process of purchasing took nearly a year to fulfil, but Joe, with all his patience saw us through this difficult time.  We changed direction on a number of occasions but nothing was too great of a challenge for Joe. His dedication and expertize in Real Estate was greatly appreciated.

Joe makes you feel very comfortable and is very easy to deal with.  We would highly recommend Joe if you are looking for a top-notch agent.

Since purchasing our house, Joe keeps in touch and has made our transition to our new home much easier.

David and Yvonne S.