MARKET/NEIGHBORHOODS SERVED:
DC and Northern Virginia, including Arlington, McLean, Falls Church, Alexandria, Vienna, Oakton, Reston, Leesburg, Ashburn
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
Tommy has been actively selling real estate since June 2001 when he joined his late wife, Julia, in her real estate business. Tommy views real estate as a service industry, not a sales industry. He enjoys helping his clients find the best possible home while expertly guiding them through the buying or selling process. Tommy is equally comfortable helping a first-time homebuyer, a move-up family looking for their “forever” home, and empty nesters ready to downsize for their next adventure. With a long background in construction, Tommy is uniquely positioned to bring vast knowledge and experience especially suited to give buyers and sellers the best possible service. Originally from Roanoke, Virginia, Tommy graduated from Virginia Military Institute with a Civil Engineering degree. He relocated to Northern Virginia in the mid-eighties and spent 20 years in the construction industry with general contractors doing large vertical construction projects and a site developer building subdivisions for national builders. When not helping clients, you can find Tommy chasing his English pointers for upland birds, fly fishing, or on a horse out west with his daughter Emma, an accomplished equestrian and wrangler in Colorado.
EDUCATION:
B.S., Civil Engineering, Virginia Military Institute
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PAST AND PRESENT:
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
Rebuilding Together Arlington/Fairfax/Falls Church
St. Peters Episcopal Church
OUTSIDE INTERESTS:
Upland bird hunting
Fly fishing
Hiking
Horseback riding
Tommy Avent is an amazing realtor and helped my husband and me search for a home in this crazy market. Tommy was always paying close attention to our search criteria priorities, and every week he narrowed the search, homing in on the perfect property. Tommy NEVER tried to “up-sell” us, was always respectful and eminently patient. We fully recommend Tommy as he is the ultimate professional and truly the best!
I began working with Tommy just about two months ago. When I was beginning the process, people warned me about how tough it can be emotionally and timewise. Be prepared, they had said. My experience working with Tommy was the exact opposite. He was available for all my questions and somehow figured out very early on what I wanted. He guided me about places we should look at and some that he just knew wouldn't be right for me. He guided me about where compromise might be important and where he realized my compromising might lead to me being unhappy. When the time came to give an offer and start working with a lender, he literally walked me through every step and made sure that the anxiety of a first-time buy wouldn't become too much. Buying a house for me was a really big step and something I wasn't sure I could do on my own, but I guess what was great is that I didn't feel like I was doing it alone with Tommy. With all my requirements of schools, neighborhood, rooms, and more, he found me a house that ticked off all the boxes. Without a shadow of a doubt for anyone looking for someone to help them find a house in DC/VA, I'd recommend Tommy.
Tommy really went beyond what I have come to expect from a realtor. Though I was able to travel to Arlington and meet with Tommy to view a few homes and get a feel for the market, my wife and I ended up purchasing our home from the West Coast. Tommy quickly understood what we were looking for, targeted properties that fit our needs and price range, and steered us away from properties he knew would not be right for us. He proactively contacted sellers’ agents, took video and pictures, arranged for contractors, and even offered to take delivery of our household goods if we could not make it in person.
Bottom line, it was clear Tommy had our best interest in mind, and it was a comfort entering into a competitive real estate market remotely. We highly recommend Tommy!
Working with Tommy was very professional and completely stress-free. He was always willing and able to accommodate us based on our schedule, and always brought a friendly positive attitude each and every day. Tommy was a breath of fresh air from prior agents we worked with. Very patient, easygoing, responsive, and always looking out for our needs first. It was a pleasure working with him, and we won't hesitate to do it again.
My wife and I recently purchased our first home, and Tommy was recommended to us by some friends who were also first-time homebuyers. Looking ahead to the purchasing process was an intimidating task, to say the least, but Tommy immediately calmed our nerves. From the first meeting he made it very clear that his sole purpose was to make the process as easy as possible on us. He walked us through what to expect and didn't try to push us into any purchase. He was patient, responsive when we had questions (and believe me, I had a lot), and he was always open to doing walkthroughs with us. When we finally were ready to make a purchase on a home we loved, Tommy carefully walked us through every step. It got to a point where we were communicating daily, and he never made it seem like we were monopolizing his time. My wife and I are currently living in the home that he helped us purchase, and sometimes we joke about getting "withdrawals" from not speaking to Tommy. Thank you, Tommy, for making our experience that much more enjoyable and easier than we anticipated.
Tommy was great to work with in selling our Arlington house in 2015 upon our move to Baltimore. He is personable, honest, and worked hard on our behalf. He provided a realistic assessment of our house and view of the current market, as well as helping to vet potential buyers. Closing went smoothly due to his efforts. We highly recommend him as an agent.
My husband and I have known Tommy for more than 10 years, and he has helped us buy a house, sell it nine years later, and buy a new one. Tommy is an affable straight-shooter who knows his stuff; he has never been pushy or tried to sell us a property outside our price range—which are both experiences we had with other agents. Before we bought our first house, Tommy sat with us and explained how the whole process worked and helped us narrow down areas in which to look. We looked at probably 50 houses over the course of a year before we found the right one! Tommy never stopped showing us listings and following up. We trust and respect him and would gladly work with him again!
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