Ray Chala – Ascent Real Estate

Ray is a GOOD SAMARITAN! He witnessed a hit & run on our 19-​yr-​old son’s parked 2007 Lexus GS350 car during Thanksgiving 2005 holiday. Ray left a note in the car indicating his account of the incident & the license plate of the fleeing car. Investigations took a mere 2 months to find the culprit who flatly denied hitting our son’s car. But with Ray’s recorded statement with the insurance & insistence of the actual event, the other car was found guilty and liable for the damages in my son’s beloved car. You can tell a man from his good deeds. Ray is righteous, respectful of others and has good integrity. Ray is a man you can TRUST.

I had the pleasure of working with Ray as lender on his listing in the North Park area. My buyer had some paperwork snags closing a few days. Ray didn’t panic but was direct in his expectations while managing his seller to ensure the closing completed. Most agents lose their cool over a small delay, hiccup or challenge. As a lender I can assure you that EVERY DEAL has a snag and that Ray’s ability to stay a cool customer was appreciated.

Ray is the BEST!!!
Ray sold my University Heights condo in one day with three offers. He has a great sense for the market and helped me time the sale when things were hot.
He has an easy going manner but at the same time very professional and thorough about everything. He took care of everything and kept me update through out escrow and close.
I highly recommend him to anyone looking to buy or sell.

I interviewed three agents including Ray when I was getting ready to sell my house this summer. I was looking for someone who knew how to get the house ready for market, how to price it and who would advise me every step of the way. Ray exceeded my expectations. My house received multiple offers within two days of the open house for over asking price. It closed within a month. I’m delighted that I was lucky enough to work with Ray and would recommend him wholeheartedly.

When it was time to put our Uni Heights condo on the market this summer (2010), I had only one plan as to who I would call to help sell it.
I had lived there in the neighborhood for seven years, and over that time it was evident from watching for sale signs go up and down that Ray Chala is an experienced and successful real estate agent in that area of town.
My mother and I met and contracted with Ray to sell our place. The unit was on the market for something like 60 days. At every step of the way, and at every decision point, Ray was a knowledagble and confidence-​inspiring partner. Both my Mom and I were able to work with Ray with ease and pleasure — extra-​special kudos go to him for bridging our generation gap.
From my perspective, here are the three best things about Ray:
1.) Fantastic customer-​oriented service.
2.) Excellent business referrals (cleaning service, escrow service, etc.)
3.) Ray is a rock-​solid, savvy negotiator.
I have absolutely no reservations about our choice to work with Ray, how the process of selling our place worked out, or how the final result ended up.
Thank you, Ray!

Basically, Ray sprinkles it with sunshine and makes the world taste good.
He’s personable, service-​oriented and effective. He doesn’t just talk a good game, he plays one. He’s the only one I’d use for real estate in San Diego.

Ray is an outstanding agent. He sold my condo in a down market and closed in 52 days. His market analysis was dead on. The appraisal came in for exactly the price he set. Ray is very professional and has an excellent demeanor. When it comes to business, he has the perfect balance of persuasion and directness that is required when people become emotional. He had to deal with a very particular first-​time buyer, and agent, that really didn’t know what they were doing, kept extending timelines, and slowing the process down. Ray stayed on task, always had our best interest in mind, and got the job done. His references told me to trust his advice, and they were right. I highly recommend Ray, and would gladly be a reference if you would like more specific information. Thanks Ray.

Ray Chala helped me by my first home back in 1998… so, when I went to sell last year… I immediately called Ray. Ray is extremely professional and you can tell that he is well-​liked within his profession, based on responses I would hear from agents who were showing my home to their clients. Ray told me what I needed to do to sell my home and even offered referrals. He definitely goes «above and beyond» with his assistance. Ray sold my home in 22 days! He was equally helpful when my family went to purchase a new home. He is very knowledgeable, honest, and empathetic. Ray provides excellent service and is very accessible. I would definitely refer him to anyone looking to buy or sell their home.

Ray helped me find a condo downtown. He was very patient and willing to work within my constraints (price and location). He was also good at getting things going and making sure I was looking at places regularly. A great person to have working with you.

We placed home for sale 8÷21÷09.
Sold and closed escrow by 9÷24÷09
Ray is extremely knowledgeable and helpful.
He subscribes to Doc-​u-​sign service;Our East Coast partners were able to sign papers electronically. No costly time lost.
His escrow people are around the corner.
Stick with a winner!

I just moved into my own condo downtown and could not have found a better real estate agent. Ryan Johnstone! When I first met him I was skeptical because he’s so young. But it was a wonderful surprise to find out he’s so professional and knowledgeable and helped me through this stressful new experience. I highly recommend him to first-​time buyers! 2011 CORRECTION: Okay this review is for a different agent (Ryan), I don’t personally know Ray but I’m sure he must be a great one too since he also works for Ascent and by his reviews!

Ray Chala of Ascent Real Estate is the best real estate agent for Hillcrest and the surrounding areas (including University Heights, Mission Hills, North Park, and Banker’s Hill). From the get-​go Ray demonstrated tremendous experience and savvy, expertly guiding us through all aspects of selling our home. Prior to even listing the house Ray helped us to get ready for the sale by advising us on ways to make the house more presentable: from «de-​cluttering» inside to painting and yard work outside. He recommended various contractors who were able to get the work done quickly and inexpensively, and Ray took charge of making the arrangements with and supervising the contractors, which made the whole process much easier on us — something we greatly appreciated since we had a 6-​month old baby at the time.
Ray’s superior skill and expertise were invaluable in choosing the right listing price, negotiating with potential buyers, and keeping on top of all aspects of the sale once we were in contract.
In our case we had to relocate to a different city prior to selling the house. Ray took care of the house for us in our absence, regularly stopping by to check on things. He even took care of maintenance issues that came up with the property once we were gone, going way above and beyond what we would have expected from a real estate agent. In our case we can truly say that Ray went not the extra mile, but more like an extra FIVE miles in delivering excellent service and selling our house for a price we are happy with despite these difficult economic times and the down real estate market.

I worked with Ray in the past.
He is a savvy business man who maintains the highest level of decorum in all his dealings. He is an amazing negotiator who does it with style and class. He knows the market and gives excellent advice on making a place more marketable.
In this field of many questionable agents, he really does stand out on top.
Can not recommend him enough.