David Engel called Garrett Werkman about his experience with Sherman & Associates. Below is a transcript of the call.
David: When did you & Jay do business together?
Garrett: I believe it was December 2006.
David: What would you consider to be Jay's strengths, assets, or things you like about him?
Garrett: Jay does his homework. When I met him, he was heads and tails above anyone I've ever spoken with about real estate investing. He knows what he wants. He knows the numbers. He sticks to the formula, and he goes after it.
David: Would you please clarify what Jay was responsible for & what he did with you?
Garrett: He bought a single family home here in Charlotte, NC. At the time, it was just an incredible deal. The numbers worked for him. So, he flew out here to North Carolina, and bought the home. The deal went incredibly smooth with him. Financing was smooth... as well as a smooth closing.
I was the seller's representative.
David: And the seller was a builder?
Garrett: Yes.
David: On a scale of excellent, good, fair, or poor, how would you rate Jay's overall performance?
Garrett: Without a doubt excellent.
David: Why?
Garrett: I've met investors, and they've always have some simple philosophy of investing. But Jay - I think - has a lot of ideas and a lot of knowledge. He finds what he wants based on the market conditions, not on what's popular. I just felt like he knew what he wanted. He had done his research and followed through with it.
David: Tell me a little bit about Jay's communication skills. Did he answer your voicemails on time? Did you feel like he listened to you?
Garrett: I don't know that I ever had to leave him a voicemail. He pretty much always picks up his phone. I feel like he's definitely available. Although we haven't done a lot of deals, we've got a good relationship. We've kept in touch. For us to connect - with me in North Carolina and him and California - it was kind of incredible.
David: Did any obstacles get in the way during your transaction? How did Jay handle that?
Garrett: There weren't really any obstacles... I guess you could always point out some obstacles. He had to fly out to see it. He wasn't going to take my word. He spent the money and flew out to Charlotte, NC to make sure it was right for him.
There's not a lot of people who would do that. I sold a house to another investor and his group who did not fly out to Charlotte, NC.
David: Thank you. Do you have any final comments or suggestions about Jay?
Garrett: I want to emphasize after knowing Jay over the past couple years, I think Jay may be one of the only people that - after I get off the phone with him - I feel smarter. He always teaches me something new.
I believe he gets his knowledge by talking to the right people, going to the right groups, listening to the right information. He stays on the cutting edge. I think if you surround yourself with people like Jay, you're going to come out a winner.
David: Thank you so much for your feedback, Garrett. I appreciate your time.
