Doug Hovde, Cochrane Realtor, Coldwell Banker United - Cochrane, Alberta

Kristin N.

My husband relocated to Calgary from Whitehorse, Yukon after we got engaged to my 525 sq. ft. condo in downtown Calgary. Although we both work away for three weeks at a time, the three weeks that we were trying to co-exist in such a tiny space was an added challenge to a new marriage. We knew we wanted to leave the downtown area of the city and both of us ideally want to be closer to the mountains, with easier access to the outdoor activities we love - fishing for him, paddleboarding for me. We started looking online at homes in Cochrane, initially thinking a low maintenance condo or townhouse would be the best choice given our work rotation. Doug was the first agent to reach out after I selected the option for a property viewing, and we set up a meeting shortly thereafter to look at a few properties. Doug sat with us before we went to view properties to go over the process, including securing a pre-approval, viewing as many properties as we could to determine our needs, and figuring out when we planned on moving. We were in a lease in the condo until the summer but our frustrations with the small space and various building malfunctions were mounting and we decided paying the lease payout was favourable while we got more serious about our property search. We were pre-approved for more than we had anticipated and expanded our search to duplexes and a few smaller detached homes. Doug was always available for us and flexible, especially when urgent things came up and we had to change viewing appointments last minute. He was not a typical real estate agent, doing and saying whatever he needed to in order to make a sale. We walked through properties and he looked at them as though he was the buyer, pointing out deficiencies and concerns, such as water damage in a brand new condo or cracks in the concrete floor of the basement. We viewed townhouses, duplexes, and single detached homes in multiple areas of town, all of which Doug was able to provide detailed neighborhood pros and cons and future development plans. We explored the option of new builds and viewed show homes, while Doug shared transparent information and knowledge about builders, quality, and potential challenges. On only our third trip to look at properties, we walked through a well maintained pre built single detached home that was fully finished and bright with a small low maintenance yard and a detached garage. Nearly four times the size of what we currently have, we asked Doug to do a little research on our behalf about market prices and a potential appropriate offer price. On our drive back to Calgary, I got a message from Doug saying that another offer was expected on the house that night and he asked if we were serious enough about it to want to put an offer in. We decided that we were, and Doug jumped into action quickly, even though it was a Friday evening and he worked through the weekend for us as well negotiating on our behalf. He didn't pressure us to go above the price we were comfortable with offering. We ended up being the only offer and it was eventually accepted the following day. Since then, Doug has continued to provide support and guidance through every step through to our home inspection and the removal of financing conditions. The only item left is signing with the lawyers when we return home from work and then we take possession of our beautiful new home on February 27th. His referrals for mortgage brokers and home inspectors were also excellent and this has been as low-stress as we could hope for. We can't recommend Doug highly enough for his professionalism, honesty, and support throughout a fairly major and complicated life decision. We feel very grateful that he was the responding agent the day we poked our toes in the market.

Jimmy G.

If your looking for a home Doug is your man ! He's amazing, he know everything about homes and he's real estate skill/experience are big. But the main and most i can say, he's honest and he want to help you for real ! I have no words to express how reassured my wife and I were during our first meeting with Doug. Thanks Doug for everything.

Ryan J.

We sold our farm in Ontario and drove out to Alberta to find a new home.
We called Doug for his help, and we were not disappointed!
Doug worked hard for us, He immediately found properties and organized showings for us at our price range and in the locations where we wanted to be.
Doug's customer service skills, professionalism, and knowledge of the industry were outstanding!
Doug did not try to sell us any home, He helped us to find our perfect home!
I highly recommend Doug for all of your real estate needs.
Thank you Doug for your for all of your help.

Sincerely,
Ryan and Jo-Anne Jeffries

Leslie E.

We really enjoyed getting to know Doug. He was always professional answering any question we may have had, explaining things we didn't consider and offering an unbiased opinion when we asked him. He was easy to talk to and if he didn't know an answer to a question he would find out and get back to us. We knew that we could talk to him at any time and if he was not available we could leave a message and he would call us back in a timely manner.
When determining listing price he checked all houses selling in our area and how long they had been on the market so we were able to make an informed decision. Always listening to any concerns we had.
We would not hesitate to recommend Doug to anyone we knew selling or buying a home.

Laurie G.

I recently relocated from Ontario to Cochrane. Doug was instrumental in finding us a house that met all of our wants and needs (there was a lot) and very quickly. He kept me aware of sale trends and of potential of riskier areas. This was my first purchase on my own and their was a lot of guidance and info required. Doug went beyond his job as a real estate agent and he gave a list of lawyers, property inspectors etc to assist in the purchase. Upon final inspection he was meticulous in assisting me in going over things and finding anything. Because of Doug I felt very relaxed during the whole process. His knowledge is outstanding and I highly recommend him to anyone looking to purchase a new home. I know I will not hesitate to have him be my agent again. Regards, Laurie

Nina S.

Our experience with Doug was Great right from the beginning! With moving out of province and not being able to find a home in person Doug made this transition very easy going, he was extremely patient and attentive to the needs of our family when we were shopping for a home online! We will definitely recommend Doug to anyone we know searching for a home.
Thanks again for making this such a pleasant experience .

Nina and Matt Sinclair

Natalie &. D. C.

Doug is SUPER knowledgeable and very helpful. He’s honest and cares that you get the best deal for you. He always picks up his phone and is great with keeping us in the loop and giving advice.