Saffron Realty Group

Well, it’s been a year since I worked with Ron Knoll during my first time buying a home and I feel compelled to leave a review.
Buying my first home was, initially, a nerve-​wracking experience. It is, by far, the biggest purchase I’ve ever made. Ron demonstrated superior patience and was with me every step of the way; he was happy to address my numerous questions about what to look for in a condo, but more importantly, Ron wasn’t afraid to be honest when he needed to be. I feel like I can trust Ron and, call me old fashioned, that means something to me. I recommended my best friend to Ron when he was looking to move to Logan Square. While my friend eventually decided to postpone his purchase, he had nothing but good things to say about Ron and intends to dial him up when he’s ready to take the plunge.
Bottom line: Ron’s a good guy and he’ll be the first person I call when I’m ready to sell my place.
Oh, and Ron — your license plate worked! It was the reminder I needed because, let’s be honest, you earned this review.

GREAT EXPERIENCE with JENNIFER BARNES. It was so great to partner with Jennifer on the sale of my home. I had also worked with her on purchasing the home and that was a nice experience as well. Jennifer did a great job of guiding me through the sale process, consulting with me on the complexities of showing a home with current tenants, and helping to set my concerns at ease when we hit bumps along the way. She is a true professional and fantastic person. If I am ever in the market for a home in the Chicago area again I know I’ll be contacting Jennifer and would happily recommend her to anyone. Thank you so much for support through everything, Jennifer!

I never imagined myself seeking help from a realtor since I usually went about looking for places via word of mouth or driving around neighborhoods but when I had the help of Lindsey Moak, she was so helpful in finding me a place that was exactly what I was looking for and did so in half the time it would have taken me to search out one place! I’m pretty picky on what I like but with her knowledge of the market she was able to find me a place I love! Lindsey is super personable and understanding and I would recommend her to anyone looking to rent or buy in the Chicago Area!!!

Ron Knoll is a soldier. Not only did he act on every promise he made, he was more than a broker. During the course of our sale with a tumultuous buyer, he was all of the following at one point:
A psychiatrist
A Mediator
A Watchdog
A Friend
Even though our family lives out of state, Ron will be our first contact when we need help moving into another home. He’s that good.

I will echo Neena. We closed the end of July with Jennifer Barnes who is wonderful! Hubby accepted a job in Nashville and had to move down there in 2 weeks. After spending a week prepping the condo, we were eager to list ASAP so I too could move down. Years ago I sold my Logan square condo via Dreamtown and it was a horrible experience start to finish, so I asked a friend who recently purchased for her realtors info since she raved about her experience — this how we found Jennifer and we’re so glad we did. I spoke with her over the phone for 30 mins and scheduled to have her come out to see the property, go over comps, suggestions, etc. she gave us valuable input which we followed to the letter, answered all our questions. We had photos up and were listed within a few days of our initial meeting. We listed on a Thursday and we had an offer on Tuesday. Jennifer was great in the negotiation process and very communicative. Our home inspection went off without a hitch but our appraisal came back low. Jennifer went to bat for us! She pulled more comps and over 4 days «gently» communicated with the appraiser to reconsider the amount. We hoped for the best, prepared for the worst and were extremely pleased that she was successful in getting the change made. Throughout the process start to finish Jennifer was communicating constantly, including our attorney when needed and working hard behind the scenes to get everything ASAP so the closing could happen on-​time. (No fun paying for two residences and living without my husband for 6 weeks.) She knows her business, sets clear expectations and gets things done. We were very impressed with Jennifer and thanks to her diligence we closed on-​time and for an amount we were completely comfortable with.

I have been putting off writing this review because I just don’t know how to capture the awesomeness that is Jennifer Barnes. I’m sure she is great with all types of clients, but she is truly first-​time home buyer’s savior. Let’s be honest, I had no idea what the hell I was doing. I didn’t even want the responsibility of owning a place — I just couldn’t keep throwing away money on rent. After our introductory meeting I knew I’d be in good hands. She gave me a high-​level overview of the whole process and made me feel at ease. Plus, you have to like your realtor since you spend so much time with him/​her and our conversation never seemed forced or formal.
The search: It seemed like every place I looked at before I found «the one» was too expensive, too small, too dumpy, too whatever. Jennifer was always either on the same page as me or one step ahead (would notice flaws that I hadn’t seen and didn’t let me settle for anything I wasn’t completely in love with). It seemed like she knew what I was looking for better than I did, and she never made me feel bad for being the Goldilocks of house hunters.
Submitting an offer: Jennifer has worked in the city for a long time and already had a relationship with the seller’s realtor, which probably helped me win the multi-​offer bidding war. She talked me through the offer paperwork so I understood what I was committing to and helped me sort out what were appropriate things I could ask for in the offer.
Everything in between: Jennifer hooked me up with an awesome lawyer, came with me to my multiple appointments to select finishes since it was new construction and gave her input where I needed it (girl has some great taste), recommended a fantastic and affordable inspector, and helped smooth over some issues with the lender and seller’s attorney. She was a terrific sounding board, educator, and reality check throughout the whole process (let me know when my freak-​outs had merit and when I should probably just let it go). If I had a question she didn’t know the answer to, she went above and beyond to research the topic and help me make an informed decision.
Closing: Jennifer kept me on track for the final walk-​through and calmed my nerves at the closing table.
Overall I could not imagine going through this process without Jennifer by my side. I’m sure I would have had a nervous breakdown along the way, or at least been very confused the entire time. If you are a first time homebuyer, you want Jennifer as your tour guide.

After a failed purchase and getting dropped by two realtors my partner and I found Jennifer Barnes. She met with us and made sure to address all our needs as first time buyers. Over the course of nearly two years she stuck with us, showing us probably over 100 places, sending us listings, us sending her listings, modifying our parameters and seeing us through probably 5 offers that we were outbid on. Jenny from the block never once ran out of patience, never lost her cool and took all our dramatic first time diva-​buyer antics in stride. She knew her stuff and was on top of any/​all questions we had for properties we were interested in. This lady is a wealth of knowledge. When we finally got an accepted offer she was on point, shepherded us through the process, when we had a minor hiccup she made sure everyone had their shit together and saw us through to the end.
You want Jenny on your side, you NEED Jenny on your side.
We even referred her to family that needed to sell and we’re totally going to use her when it comes time to sell our place.

Words can’t express how much I enjoyed working with Ron Knoll and his team. Ron is knowledgeable, honest and takes a hands on approach when it comes to all the little details sellers and buyers become overwhelmed with. Ron is very proactive in communication and made me aware of every detail as we moved closer and closer to closing. We were under contract in 4 days! I have and will continue to recommend Ron to my friends and will use Ron again for my future purchases.

Some transactions are fairly vanilla, with few surprises. Mine was not one of these. The deck was stacked against me selling my property, and I needed the resourcefulness and patience of a seasoned pro to pull it off — that person was Jennifer Barnes. With a few keywords, I’ll describe the obstacles we encountered that she handled with aplomb:
1. FHA
2. buyer pre-​possession
3. liens
4. unresponsive third party actors
5. a down market
Not only that, I live in another state, so Jennifer managed a lot of extras such as hiring a carpet cleaning service and meeting them at the property to let them in. I guess I’m saying that Jennifer didn’t just work smart — she worked hard too, and cheerfully to boot. She gets my sincerest recommendation.

It was a fortuitous day in 2002 when I first came across a listing by Jennifer Barnes and decided to contact her– I wasn’t even really sure I wanted to buy at that point. I was fresh out of school and completely naïve to what it would entail to find and buy a condo, but without realizing it, I had found the perfect real estate agent to guide me through the whole process. It wasn’t long before I found the right place, in the right neighborhood, and at the right price.
Fast forward to 2011– The seemingly impossible had occurred, I had in fact outgrown my first home. It was a hard decision to put it on the market, but it was a simple choice on which agent to use– Jennifer Barnes all the way. She was clearly dedicated to selling my place; showing it non stop, making sure it was effectively marketed, following up regularly with any potential buyers. Even with the less than ideal real estate market, she sold my condo! And on the buying side for me, I looked over many listings, but she always listened to what I was saying and kept modifying and improving my searches. Sometimes catching on to things I didn’t really verbalize– almost to the point where she and I both knew before seeing a place that it could be ‘the one.“
I am finally in my new condo and loving this place, it was all worth it in the end. Selling/​buying– it was a tedious and often stressful process– without the right agent, I don’t think I would have actually gone through with it. Whether you’re selling or buying or both, you want someone like Jennifer on your side, she’s smart, has outstanding negotiating skills, is persistant (without being pushy), knowledgeable, trustworthy, and extremely dependable. Just contact her and see for yourself.

Bob is awesome. He’s down to earth, super dedicated and goes to bat for his clients. I would highly recommend Bob to anyone looking to buy or sell a new home. He helped me sell my loft (the first weekend it was posted) and helped us close on a new home while he was on vacation. He is truly dedicated, great to work with and exactly the kind of guy you want on your side of the table in a negotiation.
Bob really gets to know his clients — he was by our side throughout the entire buying process, even coming to meeting to select tile, paint colors, etc. He’s got a great sense of humor and is definitely someone you won’t mind driving around in a car with all day.

I cannot say enough wonderful things about Saffron Realty Group, namely Bob. If only I could give 10 stars!
First of all, Bob is an all around great guy. He truely has your very best interest at heart. He was always the first to tell us if he thought a property we were interested in seeing was not a good fit for us. We never doubted that Bob genuinely wanted what was best for us. Bob is also incredibly patient. When we first started looking, we weren’t really sure what we wanted. Bob showed us a variety of different property types and never became frustrated when we changed our minds (several times).
It tooks us approximately 4 months to find our new home and we couldn’t be happier. The deal we found was solely due to Bob’s professional relationships, which are no doubt a result of the great reputation he has built among his colleagues.
Bob has gone above and beyond what we believe to be the responsibilites of an agent. He is always will to answer our questions and give us some much valued advice even after the deal is done.
I would highly recommend this business to anyone!!! THANK YOU BOB!!!

After months of passing Saffron’s storefront and dream-​shopping the homes in the window, my fiancé and I realized around mid-​January that we might actually be able to reach our dream of home ownership. We made an appointment with Bob Safranski after reading a few Unilocal reviews, and long story short, its April 20 right now and I’ve been a homeowner now for over a month.
Yes, that’s fast. When I tell people how smoothly our homebuying process was, nobody will believe me. It is 100% because of Bob’s expertise, not just with the process of buying a home, but with dealing with the unsteady mood swings of the first-​time homebuyer :) It all began with a thorough in-​person meeting where we just sat and talked about what we hoped to find. I work from home, so I needed at least 2 bedrooms. Having lived with my fiancé for a while, I also knew the importance of us having at least 1.5 baths. We gave him our budget and the neighborhood we hoped to move (Logan Square).
The following weekend we toured about half a dozen places, all within our budget and all within our specifications. The fourth place we toured was on our MLS list, and I honestly didn’t want to tour it at first. The pictures weren’t enticing at all, but once we got inside, it became clear that this was The Place. And it was more than we could have hoped for. 3 bedrooms! 2 full bathrooms! Top floor with skyline view, parking spot, fenced-​in yard for our dog, private deck, sun everywhere, professionally managed building… and it was well under our budget to boot! After the second tour we just knew it was time. We’d found our place in less than 2 weeks.
After that it seems things just happened as smooth as can be. Bob was there for us with advice and recommendations the entire time, and everyone he recommended was outstanding. Our Lawyer was fantastic, answering emails in the evening while she was on vacation at the beach! (In our defense I didn’t know she was on vacation until closing!) Our loan officer came out to my apartment to go through every single document with me, and got us the best rate available at the time. We were buying a foreclosure, which came with its own set of unique circumstances, but Bob made everything go just unbelievably smooth. Before we knew it, it was March 12, and I was a homeowner.
I love my condo. I loved buying a home with Saffron and Bob Safranski. It was scary — its a lot of money and its a big change in your life — so don’t leave it up to anyone else. You can trust these guys, and they know what they’re doing. This is THE time to buy, so if you’ve passed the signs in the window and thought to yourself «hey… I think I can do this!» give Bob a call. You will be a happy homeowner too.

I found Bob Safranski on Unilocal,so I must give back to Unilocal in thanks with this review. Bob sold my condo for me, in the dead of the winter, in what hopefully will be the very bottom of our recession. He was thorough in his efforts to market the place, patient through every showing, and in the end — my tried and true guide through the offer process.
I can honestly say if I would have been making the calls without his help, I’d still have a condo on the market. Because of Bob’s guidance — I sold it, at the right time, and at a fair price. Bob knows and loves Chicago, will work hard for you, and will be honest with you — what more could you ever want?
I love it when I can find people to do business with who I can trust who have high integrity in everything they do. That is what you get with Bob at Saffron Realty.

Buying a home can be a daunting task, especially for a first timer in a down market. Enlisting Bob Safranski was the best choice we made in the entire process. It was clear from the beginning that Bob listened carefully to our needs and put our satisfaction as the highest priority. If you are looking to get a long time real estate pro in your corner and fight for your best interests, look no further.
Also, in case Unilocal decides to actually post this review publicly, I would like to point out the scores of positive reviews that have been incorrectly filtered out (there are currently around 100):

There is definitely not much to add about Ron and Co. that has not been mentioned in the previous zillion laudatory reviews — and the positive Unilocal review count is obviously high enough to indicate that Saffron is the clear realtor winner in the city. To try to summarize quickly why you should go with Ron:
1. Unparalleled patience. I have friends who were working with other realtors envious of our relationship with Ron as he talked us out of pricey places and stayed consistently attentive and detail-​oriented through a dozen-​plus viewings. In fact, our friends switched realtors and asserted that working with Ron was a world of difference. Though anecdotal, it’s direct evidence of a sort that, in immediate comparison to other realtors out there, Saffron’s stronger.
2. The beginning-​to-​end expertise and care. From helping us set smart parameters to restrict what was initially a wide open search, to exercising caution in the middle stage, to streamlining the paper-​based nightmare that could have been our closing, Ron made sure our experience was a breeze from start-​to-​finish.
3. Responsiveness. Ron always got back to us by phone or e-​mail — per our preferred contact method — within 24 hours.
4. Personability. Ron got to know us and was friendly throughout. This led to a trust relationship that was sincere, making us more forthcoming of what we really needed in our new place, and making everyone committed to a good result in the end.
Look at the other positive reviews. Go with Ron and Saffron.

As an update to the response I’ve received from Saffron, I would like to say just a few things. I can certainly understand Saffron’s desire to protect their 5 star ratings, but Unilocal is a venue where I am able to give an honest review, which is exactly what I did.
We were never difficult, never negative, never unreasonable, never once disrespectful — we were merely asking how and where our property was being marketed and if we could sit down for 10 minutes to discuss it, neither of which are unheard of or ridiculous requests. If I am being difficult about something, I’m always the first to admit it but we were not. I don’t even know how we could have been since we were with Saffron for less than 2 weeks anyway. We let them do their thing and we did everything they asked us to do. It was completely inappropriate for Bob to start yelling at my husband out of nowhere regardless of whomever may have severed the relationship first.
I am certainly not interested in an argument or a he said/​she said thing here as I would much prefer to forget the whole matter — I am using Unilocal as it is intended which is to express our opinion, our disappointment, share our experience and provide information so others have the chance to make educated decisions for themselves. I stand by my review.

I think the best way to start this review for Saffron realty (and especially Bob and Becca) is to say that if you are looking for AMAZING, experienced, thoughtful realtors — you’ve found them and you need to give them a call right now.
After nearly 11 months of looking for our perfect single family home in Chicago, Bob and Becca were totally unflappable, always available for advice and weathered my emotional freak-​outs about the entire experience as if it was all part of the process. They both really worked with us as a team and got to know us and our tastes so that it was rare that an outing to look at yet more properties was a waste of time. They always made us feel like we were their only clients and we were absolutely convinced that they had our best interests at heart.
It can be so stressful and hard to find a home (especially when like us, our expectations were kind of up there) and the thing that we valued most about working with Bob and Becca was the immense trust that we built with them. We knew that Bob was not going to let us get swindled, or buy some lemon of a house. And Becca was so intuitive and could pick up on when we just weren’t feeling it — no matter how great the property was on paper.
I really honestly can not recommend Bob and Becca and Saffron Realty enough. They are patient, kind, so smart and really go above and beyond to make sure their clients are happy and end up in homes that they love.
I don’t know if we would have made it without them!

Ron Ron Ron Ron Ron!!!
I cannot say better things about Saffron Realty, and Ron Knoll. Ron is one two owners of Saffron Realty.
My boyfriend and I were first time home buyers. Neither one of had a CLUE what happens, what to do, who to call, and what any of these terms meant: escrow, easement, PMI, good faith estimate. This was definitely a learning experience.
We were ready to go and needed a real estate agent. We started off with an agent that had been in contact with my BF for at least a year. After trying to set up a time with him to meet, he was out town the first weekend we started. Not a good start. So my BF looked on Unilocal and found Saffron Realty due to their 5 star raving reviews. (There is a reason for this rating, they are that good.) He then forwarded the review to me and I randomly chose Ron to call to see if he was available.
In 2 days notice, he was able to pull several listings for us to go to — and our «criteria» wasn’t easy. We needed certain space and sound requirements that made it not so easy to just pick a condo. And even if he can’t make it on a certain day, he will send one of his other agents to take you around, which is great when you don’t have a lot of time to find a place! He was accessible via email/​PDA, so if you had a question for him, he would answer very promptly.
A short time after we started, we ended up calling off the search and having to cancel our upcoming showings because we had gotten engaged and were planning the wedding in a 6 month time frame. Ron was more than understanding. A couple weeks later, our situation changed and we now had to move out of our place and decided we needed to buy our first condo in less than 2 months and didn’t know if this was even possible. This didn’t faze Ron. He knew we could do it. After locking down a building, and then a unit, then dealing with a difficult developer’s agent, Ron kept his cool. He even got us a lesser price when the developer said «it is non-​negotiable.»
As I said before, we were completely new at this. Ron was with us for the inspection to bring up anything we didn’t know to bring up or ask about. He was there every step of the way.
We closed yesterday and Ron was right by our side. (Ron has never missed a closing in 13 years.) The closing itself was anything but smooth but it’s all over and we have a wonderful place! If you think you can’t find a place and close in 2 months, go to Ron, seriously, he will make it happen.

As a home inspector I have the priviledge of listening to agents discuss everything under the sun during an inspection, oftentimes gritting my teeth not to vomit or politely walk over and ask them to allow ME to do MY job.
I, and our firm, have had numerous inspections with Bob and am always comforted by the fact that he is a career agent who cares quite little about the ‘deal’ but very much about his clients. He has a keen sense of of the marketplace and is adept at moving his clients patiently through the process keeping their interests first and foremost.