McCormack & Scanlan Real Estate

This is a review of Bryan Scelza, a realtor at McCormack and Scanlon. In a nutshell, Bryan is the man! Recently, we had rehabbed an apartment we have on the 1^st floor of a two family we have owned and lived in for over 30 years. As the rehab led past prime occupancy time, we turned to Bryan. In the process, we met several perfectly competent realtors. In the end, we picked Bryan exclusively. He found us some wonderful tenants. He takes his job seriously and personally and is just a low key, but informed, professional, class act. If we ever decide to condo out the place, we will surely put him at the top of my list. I was very impressed.
Steve Kaufman
JP

Paula & Karen are exceptional! They were the realtors I used to buy 4.5 years ago and I just worked with them again to sell. Both times they were incredibly informative and responsive. They also provided excellent advice and guidance. The recent sale of my condo could have been disastrous, but it went more smoothly than I could have ever imagined and I am very happy with the outcome. I had to move out of the area shortly after listing my condo and I had no trouble working with Paula & Karen remotely. If you are looking to buy or sell, Paula & Karen should be the realtors you choose.

Bryan Szela helped my husband and I buy our first condo this year, and he is AMAZING. Professional, knowledgeable, friendly, and low-​key, Bryan was always accessible and ready with gentle guidance for us new homebuyers. We were able to buy a condo with everything we wanted, for a great price!
Every single person Bryan recommended to us, from mortgage broker to mover, was as professional and reliable as he is. We felt like we had an superstar team working on our behalf! I should mention, too, that we went from offer to closing in about three weeks, so it was no small feat to make everything happen in such a short timeframe. I cannot recommend Bryan enough!

We worked with Bryan Szela at McCormack & Scanlan to buy our first place, a condo in Roslindale!
Bryan was great — he listened, he was there for us, he was knowledgeable when we had questions and best of all he let us take our time to decide what we wanted. Bryan is awesome because he never pushes you to make a certain decision, he asks good questions and helps you decide things for yourself. I was very pleased with the deal he negotiated for us as well! We had a rough couple of spots at closing with our lender but Bryan stayed in touch and helped us understand what was happening throughout.
All in all a great experience and I would recommend Bryan to anyone!

I have been working with Bryan Szela at finding a new home… What a joy to work with him! Not only does Bryan listen to what I’ve been looking for, but he also understands my budget and what matters to me. This is a really fun process, but it can also be intimidating and confusing because it is such a major decision. I feel so supported by Bryan and I’ve been so confident in his advice and guidance. He has helped me to better understand what I really want and what I can truly afford… I finally found the right home and I look forward to finalizing things with Bryan by my side!!! I highly recommend Bryan as a Buyer’s agent. He’s a great guy! You will enjoy chatting with him about your future home and needs. He makes the process fun but you can always trust that he has your best interest at heart…
I also had the pleasure of working with Karen McCormack and Paula Callaghan to sell my condo… This had been my home for ten years and I was ready to find something that better meets my needs now. Karen and Paula were always so respectful of me and my home. They really helped me still comfortably live in my home while having it on the market. We worked so well together! They guided me through the selling process and helped me make key decisions to get my place sold. I trusted their advice. They knew my building and the circumstances of my particular condo association and because of this, they understood what type if buyer would be best suited. I was very pleased with their advice — from staging to price point. They, like Bryan, were a total joy to work with!
McCormack and Scanlan has guided and supported me through selling and buying… This is a knowledgable bunch who also makes you laugh along the way… A+ rating and huge thanks… You can’t go wrong if you choose to work with this group…

When I wanted to sell my 3 family in JP, I wanted to go with an established JP realtor. I knew the companies in the area but came to Unilocal to get guidance, and I’m glad that I did. Luis Maya gave me options along with likely costs and benefits as we discussed selling the building whole or dividing it into 3 condos. I went with the more complex and expensive condo route but Luis walked me through it all. He continuously went above and beyond what I expected.
Luis kept me informed every step of the way. When something was needed, he would often offer to take care of it even though it wasn’t part of a realtor’s job. He also connected me with an excellent attorney who made sure the closings went smoothly. I greatly appreciated the work that Luis did to not only maximize the selling price but also to minimize stress and work for me. I would definitely use Luis’s services again and highly recommend him to anyone in need of a realtor who knows JP!

Paula was an absolute dream to work with when it came to purchasing my first condo. I wish Unilocal had more stars to give! I knew the JP market pretty well before making the decision to buy a home. However, I knew absolutely nothing about everything involved in buying a home. Paula made the whole process as smooth and easy as it could possibly be. She gave excellent guidance when we made an offer, was very involved during the inspection, and helped me deal with some unplanned headaches leading up to closing. Since I was a first time buyer, I really appreciated her constant communication with me during the entire process. Paula went above and beyond the call of duty for me. I truly felt like she was my advocate. And for that I am eternally grateful.

Karen and Paula are simply the BEST. They were thoughful, thorough, on top of all details, and really know their stuff. They made a scary process soooo much easier. I could repeat everything Kate G. said in her review as it was all true of our experience as well. I highly recommend them to any buyer or seller.

My husband and I cannot say enough positive things about Karen McCormack and Paula Callaghan of McCormack & Scanlan. They were absolutely fantastic. Beyond fantastic. Truly.
We moved to Boston a year ago and decided to start looking for our very first home in February. When we met with Karen and Paula for the first time, they spent so much time with us, answering every question and walking us through the home buying process without making us feel dumb or silly. It was clear that they wanted us to feel comfortable and informed, and we knew right off the bat that we were in good hands.
And man, we absolutely were!
The Spring market of 2013 was absolutely ridiculous. Inventory was at record low, so there were bidding wars left and right. Houses were going for well over asking price, people were dropping home inspections, and waving mortgage contingencies. As first time home buyers, it would have been so easy to get carried away and do something we’d regret later, like wildly overpay for a house. But thank goodness for Karen and Paula! They had our best interest at heart the entire time and would not let that happen. We feel SO lucky we had them in our corner.
They are also a really good team, each woman bringing her own unique strengths. Karen was born and raised in JP, and has seen the neighborhood change and flourish like nobody else. She has a really good sense of a street’s and home’s value. She knows what’s a real find, what’s up and coming, what’s loaded with possibility, and what’s best to walk away from. Her experience is really invaluable.
Paula has x-​ray vision! She is passionate about understanding how a house works and really is an expert. Every time we’d go to an open house, Paula would head to the basement and could tell us if the place was solidly built or if there were red flags. This was so important because as first time home buyers we had no idea what to be on the look out for and she was so good at not letting us get attached to a place that in the end was going to cost us way too much in structural repairs.
When it came to bidding and negotiating, they were awesome. They didn’t push us at all but they gave us their honest opinion and advice, which we appreciated so much because we really needed guidance. They really did feel like our trusted advisers.
At our home inspection, they didn’t leave us alone for one second. They asked tons of questions and clearly wanted to be informed for no other reason than to help us make a good decision and be clear on what we were buying. They have so much integrity and we always felt that the most important thing to them was that we found a place we loved and would be happy in.
We close on our dream house this Friday. We absolutely could not have done it without Karen and Paula. My husband and I say that to each other all the time. They are just SO good at what they do. I could go on and on and on about them, but the bottom line is they are amazing women who are full of integrity, hard work, and wisdom who will make what could be a stressful experience a real joy.
Thank you, Karen and Paula!

Beware, they tried to underprice our place for a quick sell.
We went with another realtor and sold our place for 20% above what these women suggested we LIST our house at, nevermind the price we would have actually got for our place.

Colleen Scanlan and Karen McCormack are in it for the long haul. They grew up in Jamaica Plain and know this little hamlet like the back of their hands. It’s hard to find a JP home they haven’t been in at some point in their lives!
These real estate experts know their stuff — they know what you need, and they know how to get it. They also know how to pick the best agents to round out their team, so their ‘bench’ is deep.
I’ve worked with M & S several times, and my most recent experience with Colleen really demonstrates how a Realtor is supposed to work for you — tirelessly, professionally, and always with enthusiasm. Although they say the market in JP is HOT HOT HOT, there are properties that are hotter than others, and knowing how to find the right person for YOURS is an art. On the other hand, I have also had Colleen find me two perfect homes — taking her search far beyond the typical — «Here, I’ll have the MLS email service send you some stuff every day. Find something you like and I’ll get you in to see it.» She knows what you want, and she goes out to see it herself — looking at FSBOs, Craigslist, wherever she can. She’s a buyer’s dream.
If you want to sell your home, and want someone who is truly responsive and responsible, or if you’re looking for the perfect fit for yourself, I highly recommend you give McCormack and Scanlan a call. They’re in real estate because they chose to do something they’re really good at, not just because they thought they could make a few bucks. They’re the SuperStars of real estate in my book!

Paula Callaghan is an amazing realtor and an amazing woman! She was a tireless advocate for me in the sale of my home. In addition to her phenomenal work ethic, she provided very genuine support and warmth to a difficult and daunting process. Paula felt like a friend as well as a very capable partner in the sale of my home and I cannot recommend her strongly enough! She is truly exceptional.

Peggy and Jen helped us to rent our condo in Fort Hill, and they were wonderful from start to finish. They did a great job keeping us informed, yet took care of most of the details without us having to worry about anything. I highly recommend this team if you ever need a rental manager.

I worked with Joe Fallon while selling my condo this spring. I have to say that he was one hundred percent professional and far exceeded all of my expectations. He kept tabs on absolutely every little detail and helped us with everything from staging for better curb appeal to walking us through all of our responsibilities as sellers. He was super aggressive in his marketing of my home and did open house after open house to ensure we got the best possible offers. And he handled every roadblock thrown at him with panache. I highly recommend Joe! He’s AMAZING!

We randomly walked in to McCormack and Scanlan when looking to purchase our first home and we couldn’t have been luckier! Although I have to admit the neighborhood feel to their office and the purple sign are what drew me in, the professional and personal care we received was beyond anything we could have hoped for! Karen and Paula took the time to really listen to what we wanted and always had our best interests at heart. They advocated for us, they informed us, and they were prompt, professional, kind, and caring. Paula is a fighter who you will love to have by your side in making the punch list… She won’t let anything slip by the seller’s agent, the home inspector, or or the developer… whether its the circuit breaker that does not have enough amps, a tile that may be cracked, or a pipe that is not covered. Together, they had strong knowledge of the current market conditions and familiarity with the JP/​Roslindale area. They guided us through the process of making an offer, having an inspection, all the way through to negotiation and finally the home purchase… and then they even follow up to make sure all is well after the closing. a time when most agents don’t care anymore.
Throughout the whole process, they took great care of us and we felt we could really trust them in our first home purchase process — by the end of our brief search we felt we had not only discovered the best realtors ever, but that we had made friends. We couldn’t have been luckier to have found them — I love where I live, but I can guarantee should we ever sell, they will be our agents! I highly recommend you call them for your own home search!

I worked with Joe Fallon when I was shopping for a place. You guys, he was beyond amazing. The transaction was difficult and complicated, and the selling agent was a completely idiotic douchebag. Joe was a superhero though, keeping tabs on every part of the deal. I hit a ton of roadblocks due to Bank of America’s horrifying ineptitude (stay FAR away from that beast!) and the sleazy selling agent, but Joe was always there to talk me off the ledge and give good solutions whenever possible. His tireless work on my behalf was extraordinary. He fought tooth and nail for me and stood up to the selling agent when things got really tough, calling him on his dirty tricks without mincing words. That takes some serious guts and means a ton! He was more than an extremely hardworking, trustworthy and kind agent, he became a friend and I am so glad about that.

We recently were referred to Karen and Paula for our first home/​condo search. From our first meeting, they took the time to really listen to what we want and had strong knowledge of the current market conditions and familiarity with the JP/​Roslindale/​West Roxbury area. They guided us through the process of making an offer, having an inspection, all the way through to negotiation and finally the home purchase. Throughout the whole process, they took great care of us and we felt we could really trust them in our first home purchase process. We couldn’t have been luckier to have found them — I highly recommend you call them for your own home search!

Karen and Colleen are really great at what they do. My partner and I bought our first house with Colleen’s help. She knew her stuff, showed us lots of great places and helped us understand the process every step of the way.
They have integrity and shoot straight — which is more than you can say for a lot of real estate agents out there.
I’d recommend them without hesitation.

I worked with Paula and Karen at McCormack and Scanlan on my home purchase over a year ago. I appreciate how much of an advocate they were for me, particularly dealing with a miserably uncommunicative seller’s agent. During the home inspection, I really felt like Paula was my ally — it was a great feeling like we were in this together and I will never forget it.
I’m very pleased to recommend Karen and Paula to anyone who asks.

Paula Callaghan tirelessly helped us find our home. She was professional, committed and most of all she made us feel that she understood we were making the biggest decision of our life. I already recommended McCormack and Scanlan to a family member, and I highly recommend them here.