WEBPAGE 1

Name: Dale Hillard
YRS Known:18 yrs
West USA Realty
Designated Broker

LEADERSHIP

Gail Oleaga has been licensed with West USA since 1998 … and during that time has proven time and time again that she knows real estate…in serving her clients/customers well. She does not have complaints coming into the office, but notes of praise for her caring. She is effective with the complexity of sales, including the infamous “short sales.” She calls and inquires of me, her Designated Broker, of the intricacies related to the law and the details of doing things correctly and ethically. She is respected by her peers and is one of the top producers in our company.

She clearly knows how to market herself --- and that is proved with one simple comment --- she is known (and used this slogan in her real estate promotion) as, “that girl in real estate.” With her quick wit and ready response she handles the business in a relaxed, informal way, but never losing cite of her purpose --- to get the client what they need and want.

She is pleasant, diligent and ready to help with solving the problems for her clients. I would love to have many more agents in our large expanding company with her love of the industry and her skills.

Buyer Review

It is with great privilege that I write to you in recommendation of Gail Oleaga for the Arizona Real Estate Achievement Award. During my time working with Ms. Oleaga, she exhibited extra ordinary dedication, guidance, and leadership.

Looking for a home is one of the most difficult and trying processes I have ever gone through. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and lost in the fold. Do I rent or buy? How do I get a mortgage? What is an ARM? What does this document really mean? My concerns were endless. However, I was fortunate for have an ally, someone to help me through the process. I am so grateful I had Gail Oleaga.

While Ms. Oleaga was my agent, she was steadfast, fought for what I wanted and listened to my concerns. When I wasn’t sure of something, she explained it. When the deal hit some snags, she was instrumental in getting them solved. No doubt, the success of my experience hinged on her shoulders. But I was most impressed with Ms. Oleaga’s work ethic. As her client, she always had my concerns at the top of her list. No doubt, she is what you are looking for.

Name: Andrew D
Yrs Known: 5 Yrs

NAME:DavidM
Realtor/Owner
YRS KNOWN: 2

SHORT SALES COACHING

Gail is a natural leader in the real estate industry. She senses what the industry needs and brings together individuals with subject matter expertise to move things forward.

Her focus recently has been short sales. She has substantial experience in this area and offers her help/knowledge to others in the industry. She set up and administers a Facebook Forum on Short Sales, encouraging others to develop their own expertise in this area. She has been very helpful to me personally on several of the recent short sales that I got approved for my clients.

She is also an Accredited Consultant in Real Estate (ACRE) which demonstrates her forward thinking. She is not limited to just real estate sales. She offers fee based consulting services as well.

COMMUNITY IMPACT

Again, the area where Gail has helped most recently is short sales. She has helped many agents to get short sales approved for their clients and also helped her own clients with short sale approvals.

SIGNIFICANT CAREER MOMENTS

Several months ago, I was working on a short sale for a divorced woman whose ex-husband lived overseas. Several issues came up during the negotiation/closing process where I needed coaching from someone with significant short sale experience. Gail was always available for me and she had answers for every issue that came up. She knew what to say to the bank’s negotiator and closer to keep things moving forward. The result was a closed transaction, a happy seller and a very happy buyer.

Name: Tim F
TITLE: Realtor
Years Known: 7 Years

LEADERSHIP

Gail always takes the lead to find out the latest information on Real Estate issues and share the information with her fellow Realtors.

Most importantly for me, Gail’s guidance on the Short Sale process was instrumental in helping my business grow in the Short Sale arena. When our Short Sale market dramatically increased, Gail was able to contact all the banks and document their processes, contact numbers, and required information, even before the banks themselves came out with their processes.

Gail is a resourceful and is persistent when working her Short Sales and has a high success closing rate with them.

NAME:VeronicaV
TITLE:Realtor
RE/Max
YRS KNOWN: 1

LEADERSHIP

I met Gail Oleaga for the first time in early 2011 as we worked on a short sale transaction together.

She conducted herself in an extremely professional manner as a listing agent representing the best interests of her seller, negotiating with the bank to successfully complete the transaction, and keeping myself informed throughout the transaction. She proved to be extremely knowledgeable as a short sale listing agent. As such, it provided me and the buyer with great confidence that this would be a successful transaction.

Subsequent to the transaction, she freely offered her short sale expertise to me. Although many will offer their help, it is usually lip service. That was not the case with Gail. She has unselfishly been a great source of knowledge and help to me on some of my transactions.

That speak volumes for the kind of person she is in wanting to help others in our industry and to ensure the public gets the best care possible.

Gail would be an excellent candidate for this Lifetime Achievement Realtor Award.

NAME:Susan M
TITLE:Admin/Legal Assistant
YRS KNOWN: 6

FORCLOSURE PREVENTION

“That Girl” is amazing! Gail was our Realtor, she is very professional and personable, she is a wonderful person and human being!.

Gail did an outstanding job for my husband and I. We decided to go with Gail through a short sale. Our bank told us we did not qualify for a Loan Mod. After hiring Gail to do the Short Sale, she decided to look into it further, and discovered we were able to qualify for the loan modification after all and keep our home. (We truly wanted the loan modification).

We were so happy with the outcome. Gail is a very hard worker and dedicated, great with communication and follow through. If we ever need to buy or sell, we would not hesitate to call Gail Oleaga @ WUSA Realty.

NAME:Carol & Dan
TITLE:Seller
YRS KNOWN: 2

Short Sale

We met Gail Oleaga about two years ago and I credit her with saving our short sale because of her determination.

The buyers and their realtor did not seem to get the message that the deadline set by the bank for closing the sale was firm. Gail was unable to move the buyers realtor, so she was on the phone at least six times every day with the bank's representative. She was so gracious with the people from the financial institutions, even though they were asking for outrageous items and were impossible to deal with.

Because of her patience and good will they were willing to work with her. They ended up granting extensions. I know without Gail's rapport with the people involved and her spending all day for at least six days negotiating ended up giving us a short sale on our house rather than a foreclosure.

NAME:Dave & Jill
TITLE:Buyer
YRS KNOWN: 1

Buyer - Leadership

My wife and I have had the pleasure of knowing Gail since last summer when we entered the real estate market in Arizona from our home in Chicago. Our initial attempt to purchase a home in the Phoenix area was unsuccessful due to what we felt was a lack of understanding on our agent’s behalf. The breakdown in communication and the agent’s failure to understand our commitment to purchasing property in the area led us to search for another agent.

Thanks in large part to a very catchy business logo we selected Gail to represent us. Purchasing a home from out of state can be tricky, but Gail made us feel as if we were neighbors. She prides herself in customer satisfaction and maintaining an open line of communication. She took us step by step through the process and was always available for questions and concerns regarding our purchase.

We feel very confident that Gail will always have our best interest in mind, now and in the future. She is very worthy of this prestigious award.

SIGNIFICANT CAREER MOMENTS

The real estate transaction handled by Gail was our first purchase of a second home. Because of our out of state residency, the entire transaction was completed sight unseen. This takes an unusual amount of trust between the buyer and the agent.

From our initial contact with Gail to the completion of the purchase, Gail was everything you would hope a real estate agent would be-professional, personal, loyal, and dedicated to serving our needs. Gail did such a wonderful job of educating us with the process involved as well as providing us with many various options in regards to purchasing a new home. Her expertise in the business allowed us to bid on a property with confidence, resulting in us being awarded the property.

Once we obtained the home, Gail’s work was far from complete. She assisted in finding experienced contractors who made the necessary repairs to the property as well as serving as our manager for our new renters. There can be no doubt that without Gail’s expertise and guidance we would not be owners of our second home.

Our relationship with Gail goes beyond business; we consider her to be a good friend as well.

NAME:Brittney & Ashley
TITLE:Buyer
YRS KNOWN: 10

FIRST TIME HOME BUYER - LEADERSHIP

My partner and I are first time home buyers and had no clue where to start and how the whole process worked. Gail proved to us not only does she know real estate inside and out but she is able to exhibit leadership at the same time. She basically "held our hands" the whole time and went about and beyond the call of duty.

Our house search was not an easy one, considering the market but Gail did not let that affect our search. Gail remained optimistic, positive and ensured us DAILY that we would find the right house, at the right price and we would be happy at the end of it all.

We feel that we can call on Gail at anytime and she will be there to answer any and all questions. Gail is the perfect candidate for this award, not only because of her character but for her honestly, communication skills and hard working attitude.

Gail is a true winner!

NAME:Michael S
TITLE:Registered Nurse
YRS KNOWN: 3

FIRST TIME HOME BUYER - LEADERSHIP

I am very picky buyer with what I would say unique taste. The great thing about what Gail did was she was able to first find my preference on what my ideal home was and only show me the listings that had those features without trying to sell me what she thought a good home was.

She took the time to make sure that she would be pleased with the transaction herself if she were in my shoes before she approached me with any terms of contract. She went above and beyond in helping me feel comfortable getting into my first home.

NAME:Cynthia D
TITLE:Realtor
YRS KNOWN: 7

SIGNIFICANT MOMENTS

I first met Gail when she was passing by my home that had a "For Sale by Owner" sign in the front yard. Gail stopped and talked to me regarding the advantages and risks of having and not having a real estate agent represent us.

Gail was so knowledgeable, energetic and convincing, that we decided to list our home with her. Since that day, Gail has sold two houses for us personally and has completed several transactions with friends of ours that we have referred to her. Gail has such excellent marketing skills, that she even convinced me to get my own real estate license, so I did.

NAME:Dean L
TITLE:Family
YRS KNOWN: 59

COMPLETELY TRUSTED

Gail has been my family’s real estate agent for over 10 years. She has always been professional, dependable and extremely knowledgeable.

Most recently she helped my two daughters’ find their dream homes. She spent countless hours taking them around to as many homes as they wanted to see to make sure they were completely happy with the homes they finally decided to buy.

Gail always goes the extra mile to make sure buying process goes smoothly. She is always upbeat, tireless and a pleasure to work with.

Gail is the only agent I would trust completely with helping my family.

NAME:Cathy I
TITLE: Seller & Buyer
YRS KNOWN: 7

SIGNIFICANT CAREER MOMENTS

Gail has worked on the sale of my house which was quite a feat. I was trying to sell my house in the turn of the economy and Gail worked hard offering suggestions as to improvements, marketing and never stopped even though it almost seemed like it would never happen. She also offered assistance to the buyer as they were from out of town and did not know the area.

She went out of her way to help them feel welcome in their new town and they greatly appreciated the extra efforts she made. Gail was also invaluable in helping me purchase my new home. She worked hard with the development to understand all of the requirements of the HOA and all of the requirements for myself. She did not let a stone go unturned and the realtor selling the house even commented that she was looking out for my best interest and really was an asset to me as most realtors are only there to purchase a house and move on.

Gail is well liked by all she meets as she maintains a upbeat personality and has a strong work ethic which is invaluable to all she works with. I think Gail is a prime candidate for this award and I feel that she cares about the clients success and puts that above and beyond all other aspects of the sale.

NAME:Roxanne K
TITLE: Seller
YRS KNOWN: 4

COMMITMENT

I was fortunate enough to find Gail Oleaga when looking for a realtor. She not only sold my home in one of the worst markets, but, was most helpful in the process.

I felt so comfortable with her that I referred a neighbor to her and she was, also, able to sell their home during that time. When I moved to Kansas I gave her name to our Kansas realtor and he contacted her and she sold a home in Arizona for him.

She is a remarkable person, who always has time and answers!

NAME:John K
TITLE: VP Assoc Broker
YRS KNOWN: 10

LEADERSHIP

Gail has knowledge in short sales and has demonstrated her ability to coach other agents in how to help the seller through a short sale

COMMUNITY IMPACT

With Gail’s knowledge of the short sale market, and her coaching of other agents, she has helped numerous homeowners avoid foreclosure and successfully sell their homes via a short sale

SIGNIFICANT CAREER MOMENTS

Gail demonstrated patience and compassion on a transaction last year with very difficult clients, husband and wife who each tried to make the other party look bad. Gail kept her cool and dealt with these difficult people and by doing so, the deal closed.

NAME:John F
TITLE: Pharmacy
YRS KNOWN: 20

LEADERSHIP

Gail exhibits wonderful leadership skills by virtue of the many endeavors she has been involved with. From notable charitable organizations (MDA), to the Owner of a successful Auto Brokerage in 2005. Gail has lead many programs to fruition; however the one program that shines the brightest for Gail is the Postal Santa’s program for underprivileged children and senior citizens in the late 1980,s. Gail lead a small army of several hundred volunteers from the US Postal System to gather and deliver thousands of gifts and toys to children throughout the Valley of the Sun during the Christmas Holidays.

COMMUNITY IMPACT

Gail is an avid animal lover and expresses this passion by being a volunteer for the SPCA. On many occasions in the mid morning hours the phone will ring from the (MCSO) Sheriff’s Office and you wake thinking “Sherriff, what’s wrong”. “Ms Oleaga,” the voice would say on the other end… “We have a report of an injured bird in South Phoenix… Can you go and assist”? Gail has volunteered for animals her whole life… in fact four of the five animals Gail now owns are animals Gail has saved and brought into her care. Not only animals but our fellow man as well. On many occasions during the holiday’s Gail will take a complete stranger and bring them into her home for Thanksgiving or Christmas Dinner.

SIGNIFICANT CAREER MOMENTS

Gail has a go too it …. & get it done, attitude. I take pride in sharing with you the true grit and fortitude of a truly strong and benevolent individual. Having suffered from a business scam that rocked the very foundation of her thriving 13 year business, Gail constantly looked to excel above and beyond the trauma. Gail made tremendous strides to succeed despite her personal adversity. Gail rose above and generated innovative ideas and enhancements in ways of doing business to reinvent herself despite the catastrophe that do not just allow her to get by day to day, but to eventually benefit others in the process of her achievements.

PHILANTHROPIC

Synonyms: altruistic, beneficent, benevolent, do-good, good, humanitarian, charitable … “Wow” - this is what all of us should strive to be more like each day if we could…

Coming to the realization this is not a learned behavior but a gift that one is born with, I often am humbled by knowing someone like Gail. To be kind to others at all times while having to deal with the everyday turmoil in life that people go through, Gail makes it look easy , why, because it come to her naturally… she has a pure heart, thinking of others before herself.

Gail has an instinctive desire and almost second nature to assist and help as many individuals as possible without expecting anything in return. Knowing Gail for over 19 years, I can attest that she is one of the best people I can say I am proud to know.

NAME:Burt S
TITLE: Buyer
YRS KNOWN: 5

LEADERSHIP

Gail has proven in many ways to be driven by integrity and sincere respect towards her clients. She has demonstrated true honesty and is a principle centered and focused lady. if there is a concern or problem that confronts the client she does not give excuses but rather answers to dedicated research and perseverance.

COMMUNITY IMPACT

Gail has not only volunteered her time to various organization for educational input but has also assisted banks, title companies and other realtors with issues they have with other contracts, or other business issues that she as knowledge in. Gail believes that by assisting others in any way she can will help the industry bound back from a terrible low for the past 5 plus years.

SIGNIFICANT CAREER MOMENTS

Not being continuously involved with Gail’s every day to day efforts in this category the thing I can say is, Gail has researched various educational seminars and educational classes to further provided her with the extreme knowledge of the real state market and industry trends. Gail has gathered numerous resources of information to help provide her clients with the best representation as a, what I call an Executive Realtor Professional.

NAME:Faith W
TITLE: Volunteer
YRS KNOWN: 33

LEADERSHIP

I worked with Gail at the USPS in the 1980’s. Gail realized a need and organized Postal Santa’s. She went into action speaking asking fellow letter carriers to assist, contacting shelters that needed the services and collecting needed items. The program was a success; everyone involved looked to Gail for organization, she kept each person on task, fulfilling her commitment.

Gail Oleaga’s actions had an impact on the community. Gail has worked greatly with short sales in these troubled economic times. Discussing with individuals their options, making sure they understand the consequences of certain actions. Gail worked on spreading information to the public in forums like face book as to options to avoid the real problems of filing for bankruptcy. She tries to help people understand they may have better options.

In the 28 years I have known Gail she has many such moments. Personally the first day I met Gail I knew we would be life time friends. She is thoughtful, considerate, kind and is always thinking of others. At a time when I was having troubles with my son, she listened and offered sound advice, ideas I would never had thought of. She helped me explore many different options by helping me see things in a new way. I have witnessed Gail doing this for many people in areas of real estate, life problems, and at times of loss.