Susan Forrest*

Peter Coles has been a wonderful companion in our search for a home in the Oceanside area of Vancouver Island. He is market savvy, knowledgeable about process and as well about the ancilliary issues; septic, legal, inspection etc. Thanks Peter for your generous gift of time, expertise and kindness. It was truly a pleasure to be in your company. Kind regards, Bill

Richard Plowen’s and his team at Royal LePage recently sold my Property in Nanoose Bay. The team was a pleasure to deal with and Richard’s ability to communicate and keep me up to date on current market conditions, along with his marketing skills were top notch from listing my property to the final sale. I would highly recommend Richard, you won’t be disappointed. Jerry Kupiak

Richard Plowens and Team Susan Forrest provided excellent service in our recent purchase of a new home and sale of our existing residence. In selling our home after 20 years, we discovered that the transaction process has changed significantly from what we had experienced in the past. Richard and Team Susan Forrest took the time to explain and guide us through each step, thus ensuring that we fully understood the implications of each transaction. With this supportive team effort, we felt comfortable at every stage of the real estate procedures. If you are searching for a professional and reliable Real Estate experience, we strongly urge you to engage Richard Plowens and Team Susan Forrest Jim & Cathy Gibney

Team Susan Forrest are Professional, Helpful, Knowledgeable, Honest and a Joy to work with. We worked mostly with Roger Deveau & Susan Forrest and they made the whole experience easy and stress-free. The other team members we dealt were so helpful and got the job done in record time. We highly recommend this wonderful group of professional people and would call on them again when needed.

We have worked with Glenda and met others from the Susan Forrest team over the years and can say without doubt they are the most professional, courteous, dedicated, patient and caring realtors we have ever met. It started 3 years ago when we contemplated moving to the island and Susan told us she would be happy to show us properties and help in our search even though we were just at the investigation stage. Over the years we have seen many many homes without pressure. We remember Susan saying she has had clients for 10 years before they finally bought. For the last 2 year we have worked with Glenda who has been truly a star realtor who we cannot fault in anyway. She thought of everything and kept us informed at every stage of our buying process. Her impeccable communication and timeliness and being there for us whenever we needed something or had questions was outstanding. We really appreciated her tact and diplomacy in being able to share both the good news and the bad. The whole process has been a truly positive educational journey and we have been lead wisely. We now have a beautiful new island home. We absolutely recommend Susan Forrest team - thank you.

Moving is certainly a stressful thing (especially when moving to a whole new town) ... but, Peter made the process a whole lot smoother. He was very thorough, knowledgeable and attentive. With a little back and forth, I got the house that I wanted and I'm now loving island life.

Many thanks Richard and staff. You made selling my home a positive experience.

I would like to give a BIG thank you to Susan Forrest, Richard Plowens and their team!!! Their professionalism, marketing, Real Estate knowledge and overall service was above and beyond! Richard and Susan (and the team) were fantastic right from initial contact, meetings, requests for guidance to ready the property for listing, detailed market information as to the best market value to attract a wide spectrum of interested buyers and to the final acceptance of an offer. Overall marketing of the property was superior, it was well represented on their website and many other platforms to obtain the most visibility. The listing was very professional and represented the property beautifully. As well Richard and Susan kept us constantly up to date through the entire process. There professionalism resulted in the best market price, the best marketing and the best customer service! I would highly recommend this team for all real estate needs!

Susan, Peter, Richard, and the entire team were fantastic. From start to finish, they were professional but made the process simple and easy. The house sold quickly, very quickly considering the market, and we for our asking price. It was a brilliant experience. I would recommend them highly and would go back to them in a heartbeat and without reservation. Thank you again for all you did for me and my mum.

We worked with Peter Coles to help us find and purchase a dream property in the Eaglecrest area of Qualicum Beach. He possesses a ton of knowledge about the area and maintains a deep list of local contacts that aided with inspections and property advice. We were navigating the deal from Vancouver, which added an extra challenge, but we felt very supported throughout the whole process. He was always available and made time for us when we needed to talk things through. Moreover, he did a wonderful job coordinating with the selling agent. And, importantly, we secured a great deal on a beautiful property. Thank you!

A long-time client of mine recommended Susan Forrest when I was looking for a realtor early last year. As a person who is somewhat wary of realtors, it was important to me to find someone with a lot of integrity. I had a great conversation with Susan, who then connected me with Sherry Bernes. We went on a long journey together navigating the competitive and ever changing real estate market on the Island, and Sherry was an absolute rock. Always putting the needs of her client ahead of her own bottom line, Sherry is as honest as they come. Her background in construction was a big plus when viewing houses. With every place we would look at, she would point out the positives as well as the flaws/interesting building choices. When we finally found the right house, since her team was the selling agent we sadly couldn't go through the buying process together. For the sale, Sherry connected me with Dan Joughin of Live Van Isle Real Estate Group. As a testament to Sherry's impeccable judge of character, Dan was the perfect fit to get the sale done and put me at ease despite having no prior relationship. I'm hoping to not have to move again anytime soon, but if I do I know who I'll be calling. Thanks for everything!

In the space of 5 years, Richard, Susan and the team helped us buy and then sell the same house under conditions that were not quite ideal. We found them open, honest and realistic about the whole process. Our concerns were dealt with willingly and quickly, leading to the best result in both our transactions. We will always highly recommend this team for property deals in the central island.

I would highly recommend Richard Plowens. He was thorough, detail-oriented and professional. I was very pleased with the service provided

When it came time to sell my parents home, because it was time for them to downsize to to smaller place, I contacted Team Susan Forrest. Richard Plowens met with my parents, and me, and we worked out the details of the sale. The first thing I noticed about Richard is that he was very patient with my elderly parents and listened to to their point of view regarding the sale of their home. He was professional, kind, and sympathetic to their needs regarding next steps for their future plans. The professionalism that Richard displayed was also evident in all of the Team Susan Forrest staff. It didn't matter who I contacted at the office, they treated me with respect and made me feel that the sale of my parents home was as important to them as it was to me. They really do work together as a "Team". I would encourage anyone seeking to sell or purchase a home to contact Team Susan Forrest and give them an opportunity to assist you. Richard has helped me sell a home, buy a home and I will be contacting him, and Team Susan Forrest again for any future home sales or purchases. Again, thank you Richard and Team Susan Forrest for making a difficult job easy. Mike

So happy with Sherry Bernes from the Susan Forrest Team! Sherry was a delight to do business with. Not only is she refreshingly integral, with a professionalism that is second to none. Sherry’s pleasant personality coupled with her no-pressure, sensible guidance, was extremely appreciated. Sherry’s timely and efficient responses left me feeling valued and respected. Sherry’s many years in the industry was a major resource to me, confidently navigating me through the current market with a constructive “what can I do for you” sincere approach. I found the Susan Forrest Team through a typical Google search. I am so happy it led me to such an amazing lady. Sherry’s genuine confidants and expertise was great! I’m certain if I find myself back in the real estate market again, my first step will be to reach-out to Sherry Bernes! Sincerely, Elaine G. 2024 05 01

All I can say is Jody Moore was amazing . Her attention to detail when walking through a home was fantastic and so thorough! She was always asking how to help us find the right home and she delivered. We are so happy after a many year search to finally have roots again with our new home. Jody went above and beyond even after the sale with finding us cleaners and checking in. We would recommend Jody if you are looking for a realtor. Thank you Jody for all your care & support that you continue to give us.

Susan and her team are excellent Realtors. They know the mid island area well and are very pleasant to deal with.

Realtor Review Team Susan Forrest Agent: Richard Plowens Introduction: Susan and I made a determination that we should be single family homeowners rather than continuing as condo homeowners. After 15+years in a condo in Parksville and with an overlapping 6 years with a vacation condo in Maui, we wanted to get back to owning our own stand alone home. Although, as seniors the work of single-family home ownership is more onerous than strata living. With Richards’ help, we found a distinctive residence, close to our then current residence. This allowed us to undertake home ownership and remain in the service area for our doctors and health care professionals with whom we have a relationship. Starting over with finding health care professionals does not appeal to us. Connection to the Agent: We have not used a real estate agent since selling our home in Calgary and moving to Parksville. The Team Susan Forrest name is well known in the mid-Vancouver Island area, our preferred area, so we made contact and Richard became our agent. He listened carefully to our preferences, asked leading questions about things we hadn’t thought of, gave a discourse on the state of the market, the impact of covid, high interest rates and low inventory on the ability to get deals done. This helped us clarify the target areas, style of house and pricing for the sale of the condo. Responsiveness: Richard set us up with a software program that searched out listings in our preferred areas, preferred price range and comparable listings for our consideration and helped in setting a target price for the sale of the condo. This worked well in getting into both sides of the local market and shaped our thinking. We asked for and got showings of places of interest to us and showed our condo several times to prospective buyers. We received 3 offers, with initial conditions. One removed conditions and became the firm deal. Responsiveness: The word Team is appropriate for the Susan Forrest group. There was always someone to get answers from and explain the significance and value of things like building inspection, legal process, reading strata documents and organizing insurance, movers, closing terms and conditions. A lot of this work is done by email and by phone calls and messages. Document signing by online software like DocuSign helped speed up the process. Professional and helpful at all times, Richard and team members were good to work with. Benefits: Richard is a hands-on agent; he took us through several homes. He is willing to get down into crawl spaces, into garage and sheds and knows what to look for in heating and air conditioning, structural strengths and weaknesses and has an extensive business background in other parts of Canada. These are helpful traits for us in making the best choice in the current market circumstances. Negotiations: Richard handled the discussions with other realtors very well. Financial negotiations can require a measure of diplomacy that helps to get to a mutually beneficial outcome. Richards previous business background is very helpful here. He kept discussions focused and avoided confrontational situations. With his guidance, we were able to adapt to get an agreement and move on toward a close. The Future: We have not closed yet at the time of writing. Based on our experience so far, we are in good position to do so. We would engage Richard and The Susan Forrest team again in the future as our circumstances evolve. Thanks to Richard and all at Team Susan Forrest.

When we decided to sell our home that we have lived in for over 30 years, Susan Forrests name immediately popped into my head. I went to school with both Susan and Richard, Ive always had very fond memories of them both. It was a little, actually a lot, nerve racking for me as I had little to no experience in selling. As soon as I saw Susan she put me at ease. Shes an amazing wonderful warm person, so down to earth, that I immediately felt that I definitely have the right person helping us!!! As far as the Team, absolutely wonderful people so nice to know there are still some wonderful caring people out there. I would HIGHLY recommend Team Susan Forrest!!

Team Susan Forrest exceeded our expectations to the moon and beyond! What a crazy, stressful time selling and buying a home can be. Incredibly, Susan was able to duplicate an offer on our home when our first offer collapsed within 12 hours. We were then able to still buy the home of our dreams due to her skilled action and cannot be more grateful. Her consistent, calm, caring manner and expertise, supported us through all the trials and tribulations of buying and selling. Her team of capable,kind,realtors and staff made the whole process seamless. We highly recommend Team Susan Forrest, Gratefully, John and Teresa Sandiford

Jody Moore was such a pleasure in helping and working with me to find a home. She has easy availability, she is detailed, and I felt she was definitely representing my best interests in all aspects. I would very much recommend. Thank you Jody!

We had the pleasure of working with Team Forrest - Richard and Susan to sell our Mom's place. Both Richard and Susan made the whole experience understandable, easy to follow, and a very pleasant experience. Their entire team took very good care of us and worked tirelessly to sell my Mom's place. In spite of some set backs with her place, they were able to adapt and promote her place such that it sold successfully within four months. We appreciated their team approach and their friendly personable relationship with us throughout the entire process. I would highly recommend Team Forrest for any of your realtor needs - they take very good care of you and make the entire journey pleasant and hassle-free.

Having been a Realtor for 25 years, I knew what kind of Realtor I would like to work with. We met Richard Plowens at an open house. He was professional, laid back, and knowledgeable. We met with him later to discuss what we were looking for in a home, and he made suggestions of areas that may fit the bill. We looked at properties with him, and found the one we wanted. In his absence, his associate Leah, eagerly provided us with market comparables, and showed us alternate properties so we would have an idea of value. She then submitted our offer to purchase, and was prompt in providing us with the required documents. Upon his return, Richard followed up with us, and has since recommended several service providers in the area. I would use Richard and Leah again, and would recommend them to anyone looking to buy, or sell a home!

Treena Amitage is fantastic. She is personable, knowledgeable, and has a great sense of humour. We rented for over a year while Treena showed us countless listings from small strata units to million dollar homes. Not once did we feel like we should make up our minds and get on with it. With Treena, the process of narrowing down what we really wanted was fun. By the end, we felt like friends. When it came to the transaction, however, she was completely professional, dotting every i and crossing the t's twice. I whole heartedly recommend her.

Many thanks to Richard Plowens for the sale of my parents house. Richard and staff have all been very personable and professional. Thanks a million! What a Great Team!