About Me & Hiring A Real Estate Broker

Hi! My name is Milan Cole and I became a real estate broker so that I could help my family buy and sell their personal and investment properties. After helping them buy and sell a few millions dollars in real estate, I decided that I would make real estate and development my full time occupation.

Prior to becoming a real estate broker, I had the good fortune to work in my family's construction business, where I learned the intricacies of the homebuilding process. I've also worked as an Internet technology consultant, helping numerous companies to improve their web presence. These experiences have been invaluable in preparing me to help my real estate clients because they have given me a thorough understanding of home construction as well as the ability to utilize the latest technology in the service of helping my clients achieve their real estate goals.

My academic background includes a B.A. in Liberal Arts from the New School University in New York, New York and additional studies in real estate and construction management. However, my informal education is daily and ongoing.

These are some of the qualties that I think you should be looking for when hiring a real estate broker:

Honest: I'm not afraid to tell you that housing prices went down last month, or if a house needs so much work that you might as well tear it down.
Knowledgable: I hold real estate licenses in 3 states - Oregon, Washington, and California and have sold millions of dollars of property. I'm also a licensed general contractor in Oregon and have built homes from the foundation up.
Affordable: There are many ways that you can save money in a real estate transaction, the most important of which is how you handle the negotiations for the price of the property. I have helped clients save hundreds of thousands of dollars through effective negotiations. I am also happy to discuss reduced commission rates for sellers in OR, WA, and CA, as well as commission rebates for WA and CA buyers. Unfortunately, it is currently illegal to provide a commission rebate to Oregon home buyers.
Experienced: I started my real estate career with Prudential real estate in San Diego, California and subsequently started my own company in my hometown of Ojai, California. After moving to Portland, I joined Oregon First and Skyline Properties, which are the largest independent (non-franchise) brokers in the state of Oregon and Washington.
Tech-Savvy: I will provide you with the best tools available to buy or sell a home, such as map based searches, electronic real estate forms, wide angle digital photography and panoramic virtual tours.
Eco-Friendly: I am familiar with green building techniques and I make environmentally conscious lifestlye choices such as recycling extensively, driving a small car, and being vegetarian. I also make donations of time and money to non-profit organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Rails for Trails, Friends of the River, Deer Park Monastery, Animal Acres, the Wilderness Education Project, Outward Bound and others.