This is to thank you, Kelly Strauss, Charles Nicholls and all your colleagues at Nicholls Auction for the fine job everyone did in recently auctioning and closing the sale of my late mother’s home in Fredericksburg, VA.

The transaction involved a difficult property in a challenging market and a less than straight forward closing process.  Any one of these problems might have nixed a sale, but Nicholls Auction’s efforts and dogged follow through resulted in a transaction that was probably the most satisfactory result possible under the circumstances.

All of your recommendations and advice proved to be correct. Nicholls Auction took a substantial burden off my shoulders, and the execution of the entire process was first rate. Specifically:

• After my initial contact you promptly went to the house, made an accurate assessment of the situation and proposed a comprehensive process to market the property.
• The promotion of my property, including a well done internet campaign, was effective in attracting a number of prospective buyers to the actual auction.
• Several security and maintenance measures were needed to protect and properly show my property and you took responsibility to engage contractors who did the necessary work in a timely and cost-effective manner.
• Throughout the entire pre-auction and closing process you and Kelly Strauss always took the initiative to keep me regularly updated on relevant events.
• Nicholls Auction’s forms, contracts and post-auction paperwork were clear, complete and timely.
• During a challenging closing process Kelly Strauss, in particular, kept on top of the situation in a manner that completed the transaction on time and exactly as I wished.

Your father, Charles, founded your company many years ago and created a reputation for honesty, professionalism and effective results on behalf of clients. That reputation — and the evidence of it that I experienced in my own transaction — was especially important to meas an out-of-state seller.

Finally, I must note that although the value of my property was substantially less than many of the properties Nicholls Auction handles, you and your staff always treated me as if I was consigning a $1 million estate to your care and responded promptly and with great courtesy to all my inquiries.

I wish you, Kelly, Charles and Nicholls Auction continuing and, in my opinion, well earned success.

Charles R. Ryan
Winthrop, WA 

— All of your recommendations and advice proved to be correct.