Denise genuinely cares about her craft - I believe that is what makes her so great.
She's detail oriented, technically savvy, and the effort she put into researching homes ensured every decision we made was an informed one.
Our purchase was a complicated one done from overseas, and Denise was the one reliable element of the whole process. To say that she effectively advocated for us would be an understatement.
She was stellar from start to finish.
Australia 2020 ~ Via Yelp Reviews
This was our second transaction with Denise as our realtor, this time as a selling agent, after deciding to sell the home in Coralville she helped us buy painlessly 5 years prior.
We had no hesitation whatsoever in utilizing her services again, and every aspect of the transaction, beginning to end, was absolutely flawless. She exceeded our expectations, again.
From a business perspective, Denise represents the pinnacles of excellence in customer service, timeliness, frankness, professionalism, and sound market advice. She gave us excellent guidance for getting our house ready to sell, and how to position it to sell quickly. In total, the home sold in less than 24 hours, for an excellent price (exceeding our expectations by thousands), with the easiest transaction an owner could hope for. Certainly she far exceeded all expectations in this regard. She is very market-savvy, and it paid off in spades.
From a personal perspective, Denise represents the ideal blend of friendliness, practicality, and good humour that one would wish for. She was always cheerful, optimistic, and accommodating to our needs. We never had to deal with assistants, secretaries, answering services, or intermediaries. Thus, it always felt very personal. It very much felt like calling on an old friend for a favor. We greatly appreciated that kind of client relationship.
While we unfortunately had to move out of the area, both my wife and I would unhesitatingly seek Denise again as our first choice for any kind of real estate transaction in the area. She deserves the highest praise for the work she does, and the character she demonstrates while doing it.
I'm not much for hyperbole, or writing reviews adorned with excess pageantry, but the bottom line is that Denise is amazing, will treat you well, and make buying/selling a home an excellent experience.
Cardinal Realty is a great firm, with the best realtor we could wish for at the helm. Give her a call, you'll be glad you did.
Minnesota August 2017 via Google Reviews
Denise did an ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC job helping us buy and sell our homes! We called her based on her stellar Google reviews, and she did not disappoint in the least! With Denise's help we were able to win the bid on our dream home and sell our old home extremely quickly and competitively.
She handled everything we needed help with - the realtors, the bank, the contractors, the paperwork, and more with incredible skill and attention to detail. She did it all in a tight time frame and never missed a beat throughout the process. The advice she gave us was excellent and her communication is superb - she also has a strong handle on technology and knows how to use it to the benefit and convenience of her clients.
She was a delight to work with - I want to buy another home just to deal with her again! I can't recommend Denise highly enough - 5 stars isn't enough to describe the service we got from her.
North Liberty, August 2017 via Google Reviews
Denise is a godsend, we could not have asked for a better real estate agent. When we decided to sell our apartment in Coralville we searched for a realtor who had experience working with similar circumstances as ours. We live overseas (Italy) and needed someone we could trust to represent us during the entire process of selling our apartment.
We were very fortunate to have found Denise. Even though we were able to meet with her in person only a couple of times before leaving Coralville, she reassured us that we were in good hands. Denise proved to be truly amazing, we didn’t have to worry about a thing from the time the apartment was listed to the closing a short time afterwards. Even though we were physically thousands of miles away, Denise made it seem as if we were physically in two places at once. She represented us each step of the process with a passion rarely seen in larger Real Estate Agencies. Her personal attentiveness and caring for clients are traits that are clearly and constantly visible. She rates 5+ stars in our book!
Coralville, October 2015 via Google Reviews
There aren't enough wonderful things I can say about Denise. We had a very long journey to find the right home and Denise was incredible! Not only was she extremely responsive and timely, she was also proactive about getting us in to see houses immediately. We never had to worry about missing out. Most importantly she's an excellent source of knowledge with a keen eye.
Denise didn't let us settle for the wrong home and never pushed us into anything. The home we ultimately chose came on the market on a Tuesday evening and Denise got us in the next afternoon. If it weren't for her investment in her clients well being and wants we would have missed out on our dream house!
If you want a realtor who's going to work for you and be sure you find the right fit, it doesn't get better than Denise Hamlin.
Iowa City, May 2015 Via Facebook
We had a great experience with Denise. Denise was super efficient, very diligent with her work, and made the process as simple as possible. She worked with us to price the house just right and marketed through video, pictures, web exposure to attract the potential buyers that are right for the house.
She was generous with her time and helped us with preparing the house before showing to ensure it is well prepared and sold quickly.
From my experience with multiple Realtors, she is the best!
Iowa City, February 2015 ~ Via Google Reviews
Denise helped us buy our first home this summer. Since we'd never been through the process before and were terribly busy with work and our 4-year-old, we needed the help of someone knowledgeable, thorough, and very responsive. Denise wasted no time in getting to understand what we wanted and needed in a home and began providing us with listings and insight into the local housing market right away. She was incredibly on top of everything every step of the way, which was very reassuring. Ultimately, we ended up with a wonderful home that we're very happy with. I would gladly recommend Denise to anyone looking to buy a home in the Iowa City area.
Iowa City, October 2014 ~ Via Trulia
Denise was amazingly helpful with my recent home sale in Iowa City. I have worked with many Realtors with sales in the past, and she is the most helpful and attentive Realtor I have worked with. Goes way beyond what is expected to make sure her clients get the best deal. I highly recommend her.
Iowa City April 2014 ~ Via Google Reviews
Denise is multi-talented. She intuits situations--the needs and wishes of her clients are where she starts and then is able to hone in on bringing about the best outcome. She knows the territory well--Coralville, Iowa City, and North Liberty--and doesn't waste your time trying to get you to look where you don't want to go.
As a retired couple wanting to downsize and relocate near our daughter, we depended on Denise to be our eyes when we were 250 miles away. She sent us reports about appropriate houses in our price range the instant they went on MLS and let us know when we needed to hurry over to examine the good fits before they got snapped up by local buyers. She is very adept providing online help, photographs, and words. Both buyers and sellers will find her trustworthy and a pleasant guide and confidante. Her website and blog posts provide insights about real estate and a veritable short course on house buying and selling (so useful for those of us who haven't done much of either).
Iowa City, April 2014 ~ Via Facebook
We've sold two homes and bought one using Denise as our Realtor.
Earlier this year we got an offer the same day our home went on the market and closed within 30 days. Even during the height of the recession in 2011 when we sold a home, Denise got it sold in faster than average time. She's an expert at pricing and marketing a home. She also knows how to negotiate the best deal when buying a home. When we bought a brand new home, she helped us negotiate thousands in concessions.
Another reason we are repeat customers is because of the highly personalized attention we receive from her. If you buy or sell with her, she always treats you as her top priority, something that is lacking with the larger real estate companies.
Iowa City March 2014 ~ Via Facebook
When my husband and I bought our first home, we went with Denise Hamlin, and five years later she made the process of selling this same home smooth and easy. She is incredibly personable, professional, and dedicated. What really stood out to me was her online presence and online marketing. She is forward-thinking and tech-savvy, and buyers are looking online! I would highly recommend Denise’s services to anyone thinking about selling or buying a home. My husband and I have done both with her and give Denise and Cardinal Realty our highest recommendation.
North Liberty IA, August 2013 ~ Via Google Reviews
I agree with Ann D. that Denise Hamlin of Cardinal Realty is the best Realtor ever!
She gave us super advice on preparing our house and her guidance on the selling price was well-reasoned and spot on. She is an excellent communicator and always responded to our questions in the blink of an eye.
Her understanding of the Iowa City/Coralville/North Liberty real estate marketing vis-a-vis electronic communications and technology resulted in wide, yet targeted exposure to all potential buyers. Showings got scheduled within an hour of our house going on the market and it sold super quickly for a very good price for us. And she made the closing paperwork seem like a piece of cake.
Iowa City May 2013 ~ Via Yelp
Denise Hamlin at Cardinal Realty is hands down the best Realtor I've ever worked with.
I loved her
honest and direct communication style, at every step in the process.
Being an out of state seller, I also really appreciated the promptness of communications as well as the ease with which I could sell the house in absentia. She is fabulous at incorporating technology -- from several listings online (and lots of updates about them) to all of the paper work that could be signed electronically -- she really made the process stress-free for me.
I enthusiastically give Denise my highest recommendation!
honest and direct communication style, at every step in the process.Iowa City April 2013 ~ Via Google Reviews
Denise is a true professional who knows this business. She offers sound advice and has the knowledge and experience to back it up. She went above and beyond to help us find the right house and had our best interests in mind throughout the entire process of finding the right home to closing.
North Liberty IA, April 2013 ~ Via Yelp
People who work for themselves will always tell their clients what they want to hear, while people who work for their clients will only tell them the truth. What impressed me most about Denise was that I knew from the moment I first met her that I was dealing with an honest person, because she never simply told me what I wanted to hear but always prepared me for the real work and pitfalls that accompany the purchase of real estate. I am extremely happy with my purchase, and a lot of that has to do with working with Denise through the process.
Coralville, August 2012
Denise went above and beyond the call of duty for us. We only had a couple of days in Iowa City and she spent a lot of time with us beforehand – helping us with the logistics of setting up the financing and showing us what was currently available for us. When we got there she had a great selection of places for us to look at with a variety of locales and features. She gave us great information about the pros and cons of the neighborhoods, resale values, etc. as well as general information about Iowa City. She spent a lot of time with us during the day and into the evenings when we were there. She made us feel that she was willing to spend whatever time it took – that our outcome was very important to her – and putting us at ease when we felt a little anxious about things. After we found a place to buy she helped us set it up so she could close on our behalf and save us another trip.
After the sale she has continued to help us with information about utilities, property taxes, etc. Our daughter is living in the condo we bought while she goes to school and just recently the AC went out. We asked Denise for advice about who to call for repairs and she recommended a company that came out within 2 hours after we called and had it fixed an hour later. Working with Denise has been like having a friend in Iowa City and we would highly recommend her to anyone looking for a Realtor in that area.
Minneapolis MN, August 2012 ~ Via Yelp
What an absolute delight it was to work with Denise Hamlin of Cardinal Realty!
Our house closed today after being on the market since the end of May. Denise is innovative, aggressive, and technologically savvy when it comes to real estate and that made all the difference in closing our deal. We were out of state sellers too, and that didn't phase Denise one bit! Denise went to bat for us when it came time to deal and we so appreciate her attentiveness to every little detail she handled for us while we were miles away.
I highly recommend Denise and Cardinal Realty if you want an agent who is honest, realistic, knowledgeable about the Iowa City area market, and is thoroughly comfortable using technology to get your home sold.
Iowa City August 2012 ~ Via Google Reviews
We would highly recommend Denise to anyone looking for a Realtor. She is warm and friendly, and extremely good at getting every detail in order, so the buyer doesn’t have to run around solving problems. Denise was consistently prompt, organized and, as I mentioned above, attendant to every detail. She is quite tenacious and is never satisfied until she has investigated every possible aspect of a problem and has a solution. We are new to the area, so we came to rely on Denise’s knowledge and expertise about many things, and she never steered us wrong.
She was frank about the pros and cons of the houses we looked at. She recommended a local mortgage broker, and a local home inspector, both of whom turned out to be excellent. When we got into some negotiations with the seller (regarding repairs dictated by the home inspection), she was amazing. She made sure we had a back-up plan, and she entered the negotiations confidently. In the end, we got the house we wanted, with a fair deal on the repairs. At the closing, the seller commented that his agent could take lessons from Denise! We strongly recommend Denise and are happy we found her.
Iowa City, September 2011
