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Real Estate Brokerage Services in Columbia County, NY

What They're Saying...

Testimonials & Reviews

Margaret is such an amazing realtor and great person! We connected with Margaret when we were looking for a second home in Columbia County in 2019. She was very responsive and helpful, and was very good about understanding what we were looking for, what was important to us, etc. We've also kept in touch after we bought the home and Margaret continues to be a useful resource to us, recommending local shops and services, and providing general information. I can't say enough nice things about her. Highly recommended!

— A.B.

When it came time to sell my father's home, Margaret was there every step of the way. I lived out of town down in Georgia with my sister in New York city so not in the same town as dad's home. When we had a buyer from out of the country, all the way over in Israel, Margaret did everything she could to make it an easy transaction. I highly recommend Margaret. She's knowledgeable, super friendly and very caring. You'll be in good hands.

— Sherry T.

We have known and worked with Margaret for almost ten years. She is extremely knowledgeable, responsive and most important, very honest and trustworthy. Having worked in real estate myself, I know what to look out for and she has been amazing. She understands what you are looking for, is fantastic at finding great tenants for your property, knows the area and the market super well. I can highly recommend her!

— Kathrin M.

"If you are looking for a realtor to help you buy or sell a home, I highly recommend Margaret. This past Spring my daughters & I were planning to move from NC to Columbia County, when I called about a house Margaret had listed. Our contact over the next few days let me know she was the realtor I wanted to deal with. Margaret quickly returned my calls, and always went out of her way to find the information I asked for, plus anything else I might find helpful. I feel very confident that she is honest and hardworking. Over the weeks it took to get to closing, she worked hard making sure everything was completed on time. I’m happy to say, that our house already feels like home and Margaret has quickly become a good friend.”

Sincerely, T. Sanders, Copake NY

This was our third experience using John and Margaret Avenia, Columbia County Real Estate Specialists. Once to purchase a home and twice, and most recently to sell property. I would highly recommend giving John and Margaret a call! They are very knowledgeable with Columbia County and pricing in the ever changing real estate market. Our most recent sale was at the start of the pandemic and their professionalism throughout the process was second to none! Thank you John and Margaret for all your help in all of our RE transactions!

— Heidi LeBlanc Cooper

“This was such a great experience from a buyer's point of view. They did everything to make my wife and I comfortable regarding the selling process, helping alleviating any fears we had... We were kept up to date at every stage, always communicating with us while putting in place an action plan to sell our lovely home. I highly recommend this team of Realtors, very diligent, persistent, detailed, and easy to deal with!”
— Tom O.

“Finding our first home involved much soul searching and reevaluating, but John always welcomed our new decisions and was genuinely focused on locating the right home for us. The buying process was made far less complicated by his suggestions and guidance. By the time we'd signed the closing papers, my husband and I counted John a friend.”

— Candace T., Livingston, NY

We feel lucky to have found John! Besides his extensive knowledge of real estate, he was very patient about explaining our options and guiding us through the sale process.


Carol & Drannon Buskirk, Harrisburg, PA

“Now that the dust has settled, we want to thank you very much for what seems to us to be above and beyond the call in settling our house. The enclosed check is to start or add to Emma’s college fund. By the time she reaches college it probably will pay for no more than two books.”

— The Muscats, New York, NY

John's knowledge and expertise were invaluable to me in the process of finding and buying a house in Columbia County. As a first time home buyer and relative stranger to the area, I relied on John not only to show me the region, but also to help me make intelligent decisions regarding specific properties. We spent some long days looking and eventually found the perfect house for me. His guidance and assistance continued throughout the entire process - from making an offer all the way to the final closing and beyond. I simply could not have done this without him.

— Donald W., Stockport, NY

"Margaret is an awesome agent and we'd recommend to anyone, especially to any of my friends in NY looking for a second home. We starting working with Margaret as she was the most proactive broker, sending us listings she thought might appeal to us & following up in a friendly, non-pushy way.  She has gone above and beyond what we expected, especially as we are not local, and needed some local support on 'the ground'.  This support includes meeting with tradesman to help get appraisals of work needed, viewing places ahead of time to short list, and negotiating on our behalf. I think Margaret has worked incredibly hard, both cheerfully and honestly."

— E. Fowler, New Lebanon, NY

"Margaret surpassed all our expectations from the very first time we contacted her. She was very professional throughout and yet very personable. Throughout the negotiation process, she was right on top of things until an agreed upon purchase price was secured. From that point on, she was in contact with us and walking us through the processes that would ultimately bring us to our closing. We have now been in our beautiful home for one month, and we love it! We know without a doubt that Margaret's patience, perseverance and guidance was instrumental in making this lovely home ours. Thank you Margaret...we love you!!!"

— Craig & Heidi Cooper, Hillsdale, NY


“ The house is great and everything seems to fall into place like it was meant to be. I love more than anything coming down our road and pulling into the drive at the end of the day. It is truly like coming home. All in all we are loving being homeowners. We cant say thanks enough for getting us here. If I know of anyone buying in the area I am going to point them in your direction. Please also feel free to swing by and visit us anytime, you know were we live. ”

— Angela and Kory, Chatham, NY

"John was not our first agent, but our third. We should have found him sooner. John's service to us was second to none. He skillfully led us through the process of selling our home, anticipating and acting on the various steps and requirements along the way. John kept us informed and worked extremely well with our lawyer. We confidently moved to South Carolina a week before the closing, knowing that we were well represented. Our thanks!"

Ken and Claire, Hilton Head, SC

As someone from outside the Columbia County area looking for a second home, we found John’s services to be invaluable. Without him by our side, purchasing a vacation home in Hillsdale would have been a much more daunting and time consuming proposition.

— Jennifer C., New Hyde Park, NY

We have just purchased our dream home with the help and guidance of Margaret, she is the GREATEST and most patient and sincere Realtor we have worked with over the past couple years while viewing houses. We had met and dealt with a few different Realtors during our search, but never really felt the commitment that Margaret has shown. She is a very upbeat and pleasant person to work with, makes time available immediately for viewing or getting answers to any questions you may ask, and always supports your best interests in the purchasing process. We would highly recommend Margaret and use her again should the need ever arise. She is absolutely outstanding!

— Don & Theresa T. Claverack, NY

“John Avenia was terrifically helpful to me, operating from out-of-state, in marketing and executing the sale of a family member’s residence. His networking of local resources to assist me in meeting the buyer’s requirements was critical to closing the deal in a timely manner. John’s availability and commitment to on-going communication, keeping me abreast of local market conditions and presenting my position to prospective buyers, were exceptional.”
— Name withheld, Cleveland, OH

"Margaret, thank you so much for all your efforts showing me property in Columbia County. I appreciate all your time and energy!"

— Nan L., Boston, MA

John, your services have been great and we all appreciate your work more than we can say. I would also like to echo my father's appreciation for your hard work and dedication. You've done and are doing a great Job. Thanks.


— Steve R., Berkeley, CA and Andrew R. New York, NY

John, sorry its taken me so long to reply, it is finally sinking in the deal is done. Diane and I want to thank you for all of your hard work in helping us get our land. I think without your skill and knowledge we never would have found the perfect place and then navigated the process. Again thank you.

— Lee T., Austerlitz, NY

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