I have purchased many properties over my lifetime. Without doubt, Tom has been the most professional and responsive of all the Realtors we have dealt with. My wife and I could not be more pleased with his service. If you want a great agent and a great experience, you should call Tom!
Joni and Mike McCain
Tom has been an absolute pleasure to work with. His unquestionable professionalism, knowledge and business standards helped us find the property we had been looking a long time for, after passing on several other ones. He kept us informed all the time about the process. He went beyond his duties to answer questions about the property, providing every answer and resource for us. He is also very personable, kind, and full of experience. We are very thankful to him.
Jose and Gabby Panza
Tom is an exemplary real estate professional. First, he assisted me in finding the perfect home for me when I moved to San Diego. Then, he took great care of my home when I turned it into a rental property. Finally, when I sold the home, he did a superb job in marketing the property and selling it to an ideal buyer. Tom is extremely competent, service-minded, and works with integrity, always looking to the customer’s best interests.
C. Nilsson
We have worked with Tom Rico for several years. He helped us buy our home, after we relocated to California. He is extremely knowledgeable of the area and assisted us in finding the right home. He also helped us sell our house – we were able to sell at listed price within a short period of time. We have enjoyed working with him. We have no hesitation to recommend Tom for your home needs.
Duke and Lynn Tran
Tom is a conscientious realtor who has his client’s interests and goals as his priority. He was always friendly and helpful. However, his responsiveness to our questions and needs was most impressive. You will not go wrong using Tom and Berkshire Hathaway as your representative.
John Morais
Very easy to contact, he returned calls usually within the hour. Friendly and knowledgeable of the areas in and around San Diego. He had our best interest in mind when choosing homes and during the inspection process.
Rahvie and Ann Pagely
We used Tom 1st as our buyer’s realtor 12 years ago, when the kids were small, to purchase a new build home. We were new to the USA and the complexities of CA home purchase then and Tom was invaluable getting us registered on interest lists in that seller’s market. A decade down the line we decided to move locally, and Tom acted as our realtor, selling that original home and searching for our next dream home. We sold for more than expected and won through on the purchase side despite adversity coming from the seller and his agents. Tom is very good at asking the questions to help you identify what you are really looking for in a new home along with a generous helping of the expected realtor skills. We recommend him to you!
Eunice and Jerry Brothers
Tom was great to work with! He was knowledgeable of the market, patient, very responsive to our questions and inquiries, and went the extra mile to help us get our new home. He was instrumental in helping us beat out other prospective buyers for the home of our dreams. He also offered valuable advice in how to rent out our previous home after we secured our new home. This is the second time that Tom has helped us purchase a home. We have no problems recommending Tom to friends and family and will use his services again, if needed.
Alan Segal
Tom did an amazing job of selling our home. Multiple open houses within the first few weeks sealed the deal, despite strong competition from within the neighborhood. Tom made us feel like we were his only clients, putting in time every day to check on our vacant home until closing. He tended to every detail without delay and kept us informed of every step. Even with 2500 miles in between, Tom took care of us, our home, and the sale.
Mark Dubiel
My wife moved to California earlier this year. As newcomers to the state, we knew that we would need the eventual help of a real estate professional to assist us in finding a new home in the Escondido area, while we rented a small apartment. Prior to our move, our own homework had already shown us that the Escondido area would be ideally suited for us. Shortly after moving to CA, one weekend, while touring Escondido, we happened to meet Tom at an open house event he was hosting for a client of his. From the moment we met Tom, he came across as a true gentleman; very courteous and attentive to our situation, and our desire to some day find a home in the Escondido area that would meet our needs. We exchanged email addresses and later, at his request, sent him a list with the criteria for the home that we were interested in buying. With this information, Tom placed us on his automated system that would send us periodic emails whenever new homes were about to go on the market, which was a nice added bonus in our house hunting.
As we came across homes that we liked, either from Tom, or from our own research, he diligently arranged showings for us. He always came prepared to the showings with abundant information on the property, the neighborhood, comparable recent home sales, etc. His vast experience and deep knowledge of the Escondido area proved invaluable and provided us with an informative edge before we even stepped in the homes to be shown to us. We had purchased homes before in other parts of the country but had not met someone as organized and diligent as Tom, in giving us as much information on each property he showed us. At the same time, he offered us much wisdom on the purchase process, the local Escondido real estate market, neighborhoods, pros and cons, and a wealth of information acquired from his many years of experience and real estate expertise. This helped us be prepared with the right questions to ask seller’s agents, how to avoid common mistakes and pitfalls, etc.
Tom helped us put offers on three different homes: the third one being the charm. He worked closely with us at every step, making sure the terms of our offers were reasonable and fair. He took great care in always looking after our interest, always offering us spot-on advice, but most importantly, superbly representing us as our realtor. We very much felt like we had a strong ally on our side looking after us. Tom made sure that every communication we had with the sellers through their agent was clear, effective, and professional during the negotiation process. Once a purchase price was agreed to with the sellers, he also helped us locate an outstanding lender that was also a pleasure to work with (Ms. Kate Williamson), who made the loan financing process simple and straight-forward. Tom kept us informed and continued offering valuable advice to us during the entire escrow process, including the inspection of the home, which he witnessed first-hand, overseeing repairs on issues found with the home, and other aspects of dealing with the seller’s agent. Needless to say, we were most decidedly satisfied with all the work Tom did for us.
We cannot overstate how grateful and happy we still are with the services Tom gave us as our realtor. He was always just an email, phone call, or a text message away. His common-sense approach and candidness in his advice to us was consistently first class and so very appreciated. One tends to forget the immense value a great real estate professional can offer a client, whether it’s selling a property or buying a property, as was our case. Let’s face it, the expertise that a real estate professional can offer is irreplaceable for potential clients with limited knowledge in real estate. Would one go to court without attorney representation? Unlikely. In real estate matters, it is very beneficial and desirable to be represented by a realtor, especially when buying, given that typically the seller pays for the buyer’s portion of the real estate commission. Very hard to beat that cost to benefit ratio.
I would encourage anyone looking for the services of a real estate professional in the north San Diego County area to approach Tom Rico. He has been the recipient of numerous awards over many years for excellence in real estate services. It is easy to see why he is regarded as a top realtor in his field: His clients come first and he represents them exceptionally well.
As we came across homes that we liked, either from Tom, or from our own research, he diligently arranged showings for us. He always came prepared to the showings with abundant information on the property, the neighborhood, comparable recent home sales, etc. His vast experience and deep knowledge of the Escondido area proved invaluable and provided us with an informative edge before we even stepped in the homes to be shown to us. We had purchased homes before in other parts of the country but had not met someone as organized and diligent as Tom, in giving us as much information on each property he showed us. At the same time, he offered us much wisdom on the purchase process, the local Escondido real estate market, neighborhoods, pros and cons, and a wealth of information acquired from his many years of experience and real estate expertise. This helped us be prepared with the right questions to ask seller’s agents, how to avoid common mistakes and pitfalls, etc.
Tom helped us put offers on three different homes: the third one being the charm. He worked closely with us at every step, making sure the terms of our offers were reasonable and fair. He took great care in always looking after our interest, always offering us spot-on advice, but most importantly, superbly representing us as our realtor. We very much felt like we had a strong ally on our side looking after us. Tom made sure that every communication we had with the sellers through their agent was clear, effective, and professional during the negotiation process. Once a purchase price was agreed to with the sellers, he also helped us locate an outstanding lender that was also a pleasure to work with (Ms. Kate Williamson), who made the loan financing process simple and straight-forward. Tom kept us informed and continued offering valuable advice to us during the entire escrow process, including the inspection of the home, which he witnessed first-hand, overseeing repairs on issues found with the home, and other aspects of dealing with the seller’s agent. Needless to say, we were most decidedly satisfied with all the work Tom did for us.
We cannot overstate how grateful and happy we still are with the services Tom gave us as our realtor. He was always just an email, phone call, or a text message away. His common-sense approach and candidness in his advice to us was consistently first class and so very appreciated. One tends to forget the immense value a great real estate professional can offer a client, whether it’s selling a property or buying a property, as was our case. Let’s face it, the expertise that a real estate professional can offer is irreplaceable for potential clients with limited knowledge in real estate. Would one go to court without attorney representation? Unlikely. In real estate matters, it is very beneficial and desirable to be represented by a realtor, especially when buying, given that typically the seller pays for the buyer’s portion of the real estate commission. Very hard to beat that cost to benefit ratio.
I would encourage anyone looking for the services of a real estate professional in the north San Diego County area to approach Tom Rico. He has been the recipient of numerous awards over many years for excellence in real estate services. It is easy to see why he is regarded as a top realtor in his field: His clients come first and he represents them exceptionally well.
Edgar Ramirez
Recently I retained Tom Rico as an agent in the sale of our home in Southern California. I have found him to be extremely competent, bright, and very detailed and completely committed to his profession of providing outstanding service. Tom’s actions honor - in every way possible - what an outstanding sales representative is supposed to do. He provides a level of service that is unique and valuable. He is always pleasant, always thinking and always providing expert advice on a proactive basis. Tom takes the road less traveled because he gives 150% effort. You can tell it is what he expects of himself which is always more than what you would expect of him. In a world of self-service options Tom Rico is a standout. If you ever have the chance to work with him buying or selling real estate, just do it, as you will never do better than him. Therefore, Tom has my highest recommendation. Whether you need to save money or make money with your real estate investments, Tom will create the very best outcome for you.
Dennis Conforto
My wife and I would like to thank your company for the best realtor we have ever experienced! Your employee Tom Rico has been outstanding in every area. He demonstrated honesty, sincerity, enthusiasm, and patience. He was the most thorough and highly detailed worker we have been acquainted with in years. Helga and I both appreciated his breadth of knowledge in real estate and his dedication to our needs. He sold my 900 square foot condo as though it was an estate home. We believe Tom is a superb asset for Prudential Real Estate/Berkshire Hathaway Home Services. Considering his success, he remains humble.
Any future real estate dealings we may have, we have no reservation in having Tom Rico represent us again.
William and Helga Cratty
It was a tough time, and there was many a time that the sale could have ended, but Tom’s perseverance and helpful knowledge made our dream of owning our own home come true. Thanks Tom! Almost a year later and I still love it! So do my children!
Kathy, B.J. and Karen McGuire
We were more than satisfied with our whole experience – from our first visit with our agent Tom Rico until our home closed escrow. He was professional and friendly in every respect. He was also conscientious and prompt. We never had to worry about the details of selling our home. Tom always kept us up to date and had great ideas to make our house the most sellable. I will refer him to anyone that wants to buy or sell their home.
Armond and Christina Mehrabian
Tom was very helpful in finding what we wanted. He took extra steps to ensure that we closed on time. He also made sure we were happy with our new home.
Thomas Han
A terrific can-do attitude. Extreme attention to detail and very willing to help with all aspects of the sale. Very through and accurate. Communicates everything to you. You’re never in the dark or wondering what’s going on. I’ve even recommended Tom to my golfing buddy!!
Pete and Lisa Williamson
In 1993, I purchased a new town home in the Mira Mesa area. I lived there for over six years until I decided it was time to move into a bigger home. During the years that I lived in my town home, I watched many realtors come and go. I watched to see which one of them stayed and which one of them was successful.
In 1999, when I started to look for a new home, I made contact with one of the realtors who advertised extensively in my neighborhood. This realtor was slow to call me back and didn’t leave a good impression.
In March of 2000, I found the house I was looking for and put money down on it. That put me in a time constraint with which to sell my townhome. Because of my experience with the previous realtor, I decided to call Tom and left a message. He called me back within minutes and set up an appointment to meet with me. Before we met, he dropped off a booklet of information for me to read, it was about how he would sell my home. This was complete with videos to help me prepare my home for potential buyers.
When I met with Tom, he made several suggestions. He was friendly and open about how he did business. He never pushed me to do anything and often made suggestions. What he said made sense, so I listened. His marketing plan to sell my house was thorough and complete. I listed my house with Tom and the day after he put it on the market, I had an offer. The offer was for $9,000 over what I had asked. This offer turned into a sale that closed escrow in two weeks.
If I were to sell another house, I’d go to Tom Rico in an instant. He made my whole home buying and selling experience easy and pleasurable.
In 1999, when I started to look for a new home, I made contact with one of the realtors who advertised extensively in my neighborhood. This realtor was slow to call me back and didn’t leave a good impression.
In March of 2000, I found the house I was looking for and put money down on it. That put me in a time constraint with which to sell my townhome. Because of my experience with the previous realtor, I decided to call Tom and left a message. He called me back within minutes and set up an appointment to meet with me. Before we met, he dropped off a booklet of information for me to read, it was about how he would sell my home. This was complete with videos to help me prepare my home for potential buyers.
When I met with Tom, he made several suggestions. He was friendly and open about how he did business. He never pushed me to do anything and often made suggestions. What he said made sense, so I listened. His marketing plan to sell my house was thorough and complete. I listed my house with Tom and the day after he put it on the market, I had an offer. The offer was for $9,000 over what I had asked. This offer turned into a sale that closed escrow in two weeks.
If I were to sell another house, I’d go to Tom Rico in an instant. He made my whole home buying and selling experience easy and pleasurable.
Wesley Albers
San Diego Police Department
More words cannot express how thankful and grateful we are to you! I’ve thought and mulled over the best words I could use to show how much we appreciate you, but all words seemed to measure short, and now words couldn’t even come close to describing just how much we value you. Thank you Tom for all you’ve done. You not only worked hard for us, you made us feel like we were your only clients, and you catered to only us. You made us feel special!
Tom, we know the work ethics you exemplified are not something we should take for granted. It is not common for a person to come across someone like you. You are genuine, sincere, honest, and personable. We appreciate every bit of you! Not only did you give us Grade A quality service; you also worked according to our comfort zone and at our convenience. You always took time to answer all our questions with thoroughness. You went out of your way to research information for us. You were prompt in returning our calls and never made us feel like we were bothering you. You were precise and detailed in all you did. We knew we could always trust you and depend on you. You were outstanding and honest in every way.
Again, thank you for everything. In the past few months, we’ve dealt closely with each other. At times, we encountered a few situations where things couldn’t gotten a little stressful, but you always managed to ease the tension and melt the anxiety. I know this happened not because of any casual reason, but it occurred only because you were always there to intervene and make provisions. Thank you Tom, for making it possible for us to purchase a wonderful home for our family. Without you, we would still be renting instead of feeling so elated about our move.
During our business relation, you have always demonstrated yourself with utmost honesty and integrity. Upon closing escrow, instead of losing a terrific realtor, we hope to think that we are gaining a true friend. We would be honored to be regarded as your friend.
Tom, THANKS FOR EVERYTHING! We can’t praise the Lord enough for you. We’ve been so blessed so abundantly though you. Thank you, thank you and thank you.
With Gratitude,
Tom, we know the work ethics you exemplified are not something we should take for granted. It is not common for a person to come across someone like you. You are genuine, sincere, honest, and personable. We appreciate every bit of you! Not only did you give us Grade A quality service; you also worked according to our comfort zone and at our convenience. You always took time to answer all our questions with thoroughness. You went out of your way to research information for us. You were prompt in returning our calls and never made us feel like we were bothering you. You were precise and detailed in all you did. We knew we could always trust you and depend on you. You were outstanding and honest in every way.
Again, thank you for everything. In the past few months, we’ve dealt closely with each other. At times, we encountered a few situations where things couldn’t gotten a little stressful, but you always managed to ease the tension and melt the anxiety. I know this happened not because of any casual reason, but it occurred only because you were always there to intervene and make provisions. Thank you Tom, for making it possible for us to purchase a wonderful home for our family. Without you, we would still be renting instead of feeling so elated about our move.
During our business relation, you have always demonstrated yourself with utmost honesty and integrity. Upon closing escrow, instead of losing a terrific realtor, we hope to think that we are gaining a true friend. We would be honored to be regarded as your friend.
Tom, THANKS FOR EVERYTHING! We can’t praise the Lord enough for you. We’ve been so blessed so abundantly though you. Thank you, thank you and thank you.
With Gratitude,
Eunice Couples
