Ben did a fantastic job helping us find our home. It took no time at all for us to trust his insight and area knowledge. Every house we were showed, he pointed out the good and the bad, and throughout the process we felt he was concerned with protecting our best interest more than he making a sale. As far as responsiveness goes - we were never constrained by his schedule and it was not uncommon to schedule a house visit the same day we had interest in it. 2023
Ben was a pleasure to work with, he went above and beyond when it came to helping me find my home. He continued going above and beyond even after the purchase making sure i was aware of good companies to work with in the area and even kept an eye on my house when i was away for a few weeks 2022
Hiring Ben to sell my home was an excellent choice. Ben is a master at his craft and is knowledgeable in this space. He brings a positive attitude, professionalism, and responsiveness. Throughout our time working together Ben never missed a phone call, email, or text message! Ben is the best realtor I've worked with! 2022
We were so appreciative of Ben's expertise throughout the entire home buying process. As first time homebuyers who were relocating from over 3 hours away we heavily relied on Ben's local knowledge, transparency, honest opinions and his YouTube video tours were extremely helpful with us being so far away. We absolutely love our new home in Duluth! We highly recommend Ben for any of your real estate needs. 2022
We were so fortunate to find Ben when we began our search for a home in the Duluth area. We were out-of-state buyers and knew little about the area other than we really liked it. Ben's patience and expertise went far beyond what we had ever experienced with realtors when buying and selling real estate in the past. We were all over the map as far as what we wanted initially, with Ben's guidance we were able to hone in on what we really wanted and ultimately closed on a lovely house on a lake! Ben's HONESTY and KNOWLEDGE of potential pitfalls of other homes we had viewed kept us from making a poor choice. Ben went above and beyond anything we could have ever hoped for in a realtor. We are truly grateful to Ben and cannot overstate how much we appreciate his hard work for us!! We look forward to working with Ben again! 2022
If you are reading this review, you are on the right track! I wish we would have found Ben Funke earlier in our house buying process! His knowledge of the area and the current market trends were professional and as spot on as one could get. We looked at four houses with Ben and decided on our first choice. He felt extremely confident in our offer and he was correct! We were under contract within a week and were lucky enough to be able to close within a month, on top of that our house appraised higher than our offer! He went above and beyond, he also recommended home inspectors and home owners insurance agents. He was truly looking out for us. We highly recommend Ben for finding that dream home you have in mind! You will not regret! 2021
Best real estate agent in the TwinPorts area hands-down. I will be recommending him to anyone looking to sell or purchase property as I know they would be in capable hands. Thank you for helping us get the home of our dreams! 2021
Ben is an infinitely patient, personable, ethical, and responsive human being. He approaches real estate with boots-on-the-ground experience and an academic understanding of the subject. Over the year that we worked together, he showed us over 25 houses before we found "the one." He is not afraid to weigh in with an opinion when asked, always keeping his clients' goals in mind. He is smart and funny.
I was not a particularly easy client to work with. I didn't know the area and had lots of questions. I relied heavily upon him to give me the much-needed context about the Duluth community. He is possessed by a deeply curious mind and if he doesn't know the answer to a question, he says so and then goes the extra mile to find out.
The added bonus is that I now have a valuable resource in the community and know that I can call him to pick his brain for ideas or feedback on occasion.
Ben Funke came highly recommended by an acquaintance and I never hesitate to pay that forward. If you want an informed, hard-working, results-driven realtor, Ben is your workhorse.
Ben is a knowledgeable and professional realtor that helps find the right fit for his clients. His availability for showings and questions throughout the whole buying process was amazing. Ben was always willing to go to any house we wanted to see, even if we had doubts about the property. We found our perfect house, and the process was seamless. If you are looking for the right house, Ben will surely help you find it! 2020
My spouse and I interviewed a few agents in the area to sell our home and purchase a new one. Ben stood out from the crowd because of what we saw as an unbiased, data-driven approach to home pricing and offer evaluation. Not only did he provide this, but he also provided a consistently energetic, intellectual, respectful, and patient tour of over 20 homes in about a month. He shared his wisdom and experience to help us dial in what we wanted and avoid what we didn't. We ultimately decided not to purchase, at no fault of Ben's, as our plans changed.
During the home selling process, he provided clear, thoughtful guidance to prepare and price our home for a quick sale at full asking price. His kind, prompt, and professional handling of the entire sale process eased our tensions up until the end and even afterwards.
We chose to work with Ben for his data-driven approach and dedication to high-level customer service, but it was his integrity and excellent communication skills that made our experience working with him truly worthy of a five-star review.
Without hesitation, we'd recommend choosing Ben for your real estate needs. 2021
Ben was always available, 7 days a week. He worked tirelessly to help us achieve our goals. Hes kind but does not shy away from being honest.... he was always working for our best interest. He was accommodating to our requests. We definitely recommend reaching out to Ben if you want to buy or sell your home.
Ben represented us in the sale of our home. He was super thorough, timely, and had the relationships with the other agents and bankers that were needed to get a complicated sale closed. I would highly recommend him! 2020
Cannot say enough good things about Ben. He is personable, knowledgeable on the market and area, and truly helped us find the right home for us! I'll certainly be working with him again in the future when the time comes to move again. 2020
Ben is a fantastic realtor and I cannot say enough good things about him! We started our real estate journey with Ben when we were selling our home. When it came to selling our home, Ben knew everything he needed to about the market to list our house for the best price and also made the best decisions to help our house look as appealing as possible (i.e., got professional pictures taken to make the home look the best it could)! We ended our journey with finally finding our dream home after looking at 32+ other houses! Ben was more than patient, responsive, and available during our house search. He would drop whatever he needed to be able to show us houses when they came up and helped us make sure all offers we put in were competitive and appealing to the sellers. He is available for questions or discussions any time, is persistent with banks and other realtors to ensure all things are being completed in a timely manner and correctly, and always has your best interest in mind. I would recommend Ben as a realtor to anyone time and time again! 2020
I cannot say enough good about Ben. He is an absolutely fantastic Realtor, and gave 110% throughout the entire process of scheduling showings, responding quickly to calls, emails, and texts, and arranging everything with professionalism and deep knowledge of the business. His attitude, expertise, and flexibility are unparalleled. I used to work in Real Estate myself, on the IT administration side of things, and in all that time I never met or worked with anyone of Ben's caliber. He is truly a cut above the rest -- you are lucky if you, as a buyer, get to work with him. I wish I could give six stars. 2020
Ben is by far the best agent I've ever worked with! His service was outstanding in every way. The things that most set him apart from other agents are his honesty and his long-term view of his clients' best interest. Some agents do the bare minimum to make a sale, but Ben is different - he goes above and beyond to give his buyers information and insight into the market so they can make a smart purchase. There is nobody I would trust more than Ben to help me navigate the process of buying a house. 2020
My husband and I contacted Ben when we moved to Duluth. He made the first-time home buying process a breeze, gaining our trust quickly. We saw many homes with Ben and he was honest if he felt a home would be too much for us to take on - he's invested in helping his clients find the right fit for them. When it came time to sell our home, he was the only agent we wanted to work with. Ben is incredibly kind, honest, patient, knowledgeable, and personable. It's not just about business and $$$ to him, he's committed to serving his clients - but he will also help you get the best deal. I can't say enough great things about Ben - you should give him a call if you're in the market for buying and/or selling a home! He's truly the best in the industry. 2020
From the first time I talked with him until closing, Ben was helpful, patient, and a perfect guide throughout the entire process. He helped me find a wonderful home and I couldn't be more happy. I would recommend him to anyone looking for a home in this area! 2020
I would highly recommend Ben to anyone looking to buy or sell a house. He was available at all hours of the days and weekends and was always willing to explain what was going on in the house selling process. It always seemed like he had our best interest in mind. He went above and beyond what you would normally expect from a realtor. Including setting up appointments with plumbers and electricians after inspections and checking on the house while we were out of town. He made a stressful process seem manageable. If you need a realtor call Ben! 2020
Very thankful that we found and went with Ben as our Realtor, he was always there when we needed him no matter what it was. He does not stop working for his clients, even after the closing process is complete Ben is still helping and giving his assistance. Ben never held back on anything when it came to the homes, of they were bad he will let you know his thoughts along with doing the research on the homes you are looking at. We cant say enough great things about Ben Funke, he should be in the top of everyones list as an Agent whether its buying or selling. 2020
When our local realtors gave us little hope that our home would sell for what it was worth (high value home in a rural area), Ben partnered with Mary Rufledt from Elite Realty in Eau Claire, WI and they were was confident they could sell it. When Ben and Mary arrived at our home, they immediately made us feel hopeful. In less than 3 weeks our home sold!!! Ben gave us the most personal experience, guided us every step of the way and celebrated with us when we sold our home! Due to his expertise we were able to make our dream to move closer to our children and grandchild a reality!! Thank you Ben!!
Mr. Funke was a complete professional during the entire process of selling our home. He was on top of everything that was needed and made sure I was getting things signed quickly by utilizing the e-sign process. He was a great negotiator and helped us get a wonderful price. If I'm ever in the market in the future I'll definitely be reaching out to him again. 2019
Ben would be our first pick to work with for buying another home and we were thankful to have the opportunity to work with him! He allowed us to work at our own pace with no pressure, provided insightful knowledge for our situation (moving from Wisconsin and buying in Minnesota), and we felt he was looking out for our best interests throughout the entire process. Ben was able to connect us with the resources that we needed for the transaction since we're from out of state and didn't know the area. We appreciated his approach, consistent follow-up through the process, and guidance on what tasks needed to be completed when. We're thankful for our new home and were delighted with the service we received from Ben! 2019
I would recommend Ben to anyone! He was extremely helpful through the process of buying our first home. He was there if we had a question whether it was day or night. Ben is soo personable and youll always be laughing when you are around him! He is so knowledgeable about everything! We are so glad we used him as our realtor! 2019
Ben helped me find the perfect home! He was always extremely responsive and caring about my needs. He knows what he is doing and is professional as well as down to earth and never pushy with his sales. Thank you so much Ben we love our new home!! 2019
Ben was awesome to work with. He was confident when negotiating and responsive when I had questions or concerns. Ben is professional yet has the people skills I would expect an experienced realtor to possess. Very happy I chose to work with Ben! 2019
As a first time home buyer, I was leery of working with realtors in general, but Ben was helpful answering all my questions and helping me learn about the buying/selling real estate process. He was never pushy and always conducted business professionally. I always felt like he was there to help me find what I was really looking for and help me learn along the way! Thank you for a great first time home buying experience, Ben!! 2019
Ben was such a great realtor for my fianc and I. He responds to calls, texts, and questions efficiently and thoroughly. As first time homebuyers, and on a tight budget, Ben treated us like multimillion dollar buyers (something we did not see in other realtors). Our appraisal came in low (which essentially would have killed our deal), and Ben assured us not to worry and that he would rebuttal the claims. He worked hard for us and his help ended up getting us the house we love. Highly recommended. Thanks for everything. 2019
Ben was extremely knowledgeable and informative throughout the entire process. He helped me buy my first home so I was going in knowing little about the whole process. He was flexible and available for all showings that worked around my schedule. I never felt like there was a stupid question or any pressure put on me. I would highly recommend Ben when searching for a home, whether it's your first or tenth! 2019
Ben was such a wonderful person to work with and answered any questions we had on selling our home! So easy and knowledgeable to work with! Wouldnt have worked with anyone else!! Best realtor we have ever used hands down! 2019
We hired Ben to sell our house! Throughout the process his communication and knowledge were impressive! Ben always answered the phone when we called and demonstrated impressive patience when we were often confused and stressed! I highly recommend Ben as your buying or listing agent! We will be lifelong friends and look forward to utilizing Bens skill set in any future transactions buying or selling homes! 2018
Ben Funke is the second realtor we worked with to sell this home. We werent pleased with our previous realtors accessibility and work ethic, and are glad we switched to Ben.
Funke was proactive, hardworking, and professional. He produced an eye catching listing with incredible photography that he hired out with a local professional, made sound recommendations for getting our home viewings, and ultimately, helped produce multiple offers.
He was infinitely patient and an excellent resource to us, when our buyer had issue after issue making it to closing. My husband and I were impressed that Ben answered the phone every time we called (which was sometimes frequent when things were stressful during this particular unpredictable sale), and responded within minutes to text messages. He kept us in the loop, and worked to educate us on what was happening during the complicated process of selling our home. We happened to have a doozy of a sale, but Bens part in the process was nothing but helpful and instructive all along the way. Thats powerful.
I recommend Ben Funke to our friends, and recommend him to you too! Hes exactly what we needed in a realtor hardworking, excellent communicator, skilled and experienced, and infinitely patient throughout the process. 2018
When buying or selling a home there is a lot going on all at once which can be overwhelming and a little confusing at times. Ben Funke helped in every which way possible from the big steps of finding a buyer, review the purchase agreement, talking through the details of the sale, but were Ben really put in the work was with the little things down the line that pertained to the details of the paperwork, negotiations, and getting the deal done with myself in mind. His knowledge of what is going on in and around the Twin Ports area is unmatched an advantage when it came to purchasing and selling my home. Ben was always available and made time no matter what the hour. I would recommend Ben to anyone looking to buy or sell a home in Duluth without hesitation. Thank you Ben for all your hard work and dedication to help me through this process! 2018
Ben is knowledgeable, responsive, and easy to work with. He respected our budget and promptly set up showings that worked with our schedules. We truly appreciate the work he put into our home purchase! 2018
Ben is an amazing real estate agent. My husband and I have worked closely with him over the past several months buying and selling a home. He works tirelessly for his clients, is accessible, available, quickly responds to texts, emails and phone calls. He is so easy going and pleasant to work with. His knowledge of real estate, as well as business and finance, is impressive. He was extremely skillful in guiding us through the home buying and selling process. He is not just a great agent but a great person. It took no time at all to figure out that he cares more about people and getting good results for them than making money or sealing a deal. He was honest about properties and was sure to point out the positives as well as the negatives. We never felt pressured to buy a home (and we visited many). I would highly recommend him and would never consider using anyone else.
We recently bought our first home and Ben exceeded our expectations. We looked at many homes and he made sure to help find the right one for us. Not only is Ben knowledgable but he also personable. He took the time to get to know us and learn what features were important to us in our first home. He was available anytime we needed him; whether it was to answer a question or show us a home last minute. We would recommend Ben to anyone looking to purchase or sell a home. 2018
here are not many industries existing where choosing the most premium product/offering will not run up a giant price tag, but choosing a realtor falls into this category. Ben is of the upmost quality in service, knowledge, friendliness, and loyalty to his clients. My wife and I were first-time homebuyers in a intimidating market, and working with Ben left us with the home of our dreams with minimal stress. There's no reason to work with anyone else, seriously. 2018
Ben is the greatest! Extremely knowledgeable on the local markets and incredibly helpful. I was looking to purchase my first home as quickly as possible, and could not have asked for a better experience. I would recommend him to anyone and everyone! 2018
The first time I met Ben for a home showing I was having trouble finding him. This was until I looked down the road to see him helping strangers push a woman's car out of a snow bank. This is a good example that demonstrates the helpfulness you get with Ben. He made the homebuying process easy with his market knowledge and quick responses. 2018
Ben has been great to work with. He helped me with both buying and selling my house and I'll definitely use him again in the future when the time comes to buy and sell again. He knows the market and the area and is always ahead of the curve. 2018
What a great experience we had buying our first home as a married couple thanks to Ben. He was extremely helpful, honest, & kind throughout the entire process. My husband & I would both recommend him to anyone & everyone buying or selling a home. 2018
Ben was absolutely fantastic. He both sold my old house and found my new one. Due to his connections he was able to get me into the perfect house at the perfect price before it even came on the market. Ben works hard for his clients and I highly recommend him. 2017
Ben is awesome! Ben was always accessible to us and got back to us quickly. He was knowledgeable about the whole process; able to answer any and all questions we had. Hey worked quickly to communicate with the sellers agent whenever we had questions for them. all of which made the home buying process stress-free and fun! We felt like we were in good hands with Ben! Thanks Ben!!! 2017
Ben is the best realtor I have worked with! He responded quickly to all my requests for showings and worked around my schedule. He was knowledgeable of the neighborhoods I was interested in and could speak to the pros and cons of all the houses we viewed. I never felt pressured to increase my price point to find a quality home, as I have with other realtors. Ben was professional and patient during our search. When negotiations started, he was prompt in replies to move the process along quickly. I appreciate his honesty and integrity and plan to go through Ben for all of my future real estate needs. 2017
Ben was great to work with. This was our first home purchase so we had a lot of questions at every phase and he was able to answer all of our questions. He also never made us feel dumb when we asked simple questions. He was responsive, whether via email, text or phone call, at all times of the day. He was helpful at every home we walked through (good knowledge of potential concerns with the home and the home value) and stayed positive no matter how many homes we looked at. He really made our home buying experience easy. 2017
I recently bought my first home with the help of Ben! Ben, is friendly, knowledgeable, responsive and really listens to what it is you are looking for. He went above and beyond more than once during my home buying process. 2017
Ben is a great real estate agent and I wouldn't use anyone else. I moved to Duluth from a couple hours away and Ben made the process easy and stress free. He was even able to FaceTime some homes to alleviate making the couple hour drive to look at a house, which was so much more convenient! Ben explained the market in detail for Duluth and we saw a lot of houses. I didn't know exactly what I wanted since it would be my first time purchasing a home. Ben never pressured me into a house. He always listened and talked through options. He made it comfortable to purchase a home and was always quick to respond to any questions. I ended up putting multiple offers on different homes. Ben never pressured me to go up over my comfort level. There were just a lot of buyers at my purchase price range and I was outbid. He navigated me through to a home I'm happy and excited to live in and he even got me a significant discount in the negotiation process. Ben is the best! 2017
Ben is great at what he does. He is kind, attentive, and proactive. He knows the market well, and understands how the real estate industry works (and there are a lot of realtors out there that don't!). He doesn't make an offer that looks good; he makes an offer that is smart. Ben answered my phone calls and texts immediately, and never left me wondering what was going on. He also hones in on what you are looking for and helps you to get what you want as opposed to what he thinks you should have... I cannot recommend him highly enough. 2017
If you're looking for an honest, down to earth realtor who loves what they do, look no further. We chose to work with Ben after reading countless reviews for realtors in the Twin Ports and we couldn't be happier with our decision. n nThrough all of the ~30 homes we toured, there was never a time we felt overwhelmed or pressured into making an offer. As first time home buyers, Ben always had great advice and insight to share at every home we saw. n nBen's hard work landed us a wonderful house at a great price, which is not an easy feat in a seller's market. He was always willing to put in the extra time and effort to make things happen. When the time comes to sell, there is no doubt we will give Ben a call! 2017
Ben is a true professional. His knowledge of the housing market helped us list our house at the correct price. As a result, we received a full price offer in 72 hours! He has excellent communication skills and is always available to answer questions. We were working with a relocation company and Ben's expertise helped make that process go smoothly. Ben goes above and beyond for his clients. We consider him part of our family. I would highly recommend Ben for any real estate needs in the Duluth area. 2017
Ben was extremely helpful with the sale of our house. He was quick to respond to any questions that we had. Ben is hardworking and dedicated to his clients. 2017
We recently purchased our first home thanks to Ben and his knowledge, hard work, and negotiation skills. Being a first time homebuyer, we had so many questions along the way and Ben would always respond almost immediately with extremely helpful information (even if it was late at night, weekends, or the many different times throughout the day when questions would pop into our heads). Ben is extremely knowledgeable about Duluth and the surrounding areas making it easy to find the perfect home at the right price. One of my favorite things that he did for us is when he would show us a home he would be sure to talk about the positives/negatives for future sale when we do decide to move in the future. He was quick to point out issues that could potentially be problems for us or during the inspection, etc. Ben also has a lot of connections for finding the right inspector, loan officer, and insurance provider which really helped as there are so many new things all being thrown at you at once and sometimes can be difficult to sort through on your own. We are absolutely in love with our home and are so thankful for Ben and all of his hard work and time that he put into making this possible and as stress free as it was. We would highly recommend Ben to anyone who is looking to buy or sell their home in or around the Duluth area, I promise you will NOT be disappointed! 2017
As a first-time home buyer with ABSOLUTELY no idea what I was doing, Ben was the perfect choice for a realtor. Before we even began the search, he met up with me to go over what house-hunting would consist of, what we would do once we found the perfect house, and more. He was insanely helpful in answering ALL of mine and my husband's questions--even the ones we texted to him at 11 p.m. And then when we (very unexpectedly) found the perfect house, he was a huge asset in us actually getting the house - he had the right connections to help move everything along quickly and smoothly. I literally can not recommend Ben enough to any and everybody hoping to buy a home in Duluth. 2017
Ben was extremely helpful throughout the whole process. The market has been competitive and houses are selling fast so it was nice that he was able to show us what we wanted to see at a moments notice. Benny helped us find an great lender and the entire house buying process was extremely smooth. Would highly recommend. 2017
Ben is simply great to work with. He is on top of the transaction and there for you even after the sale. It was refreshing to work with a realtor that actually provides you service. I would use Ben again in the future and highly recommend him as a agent. 2016
Our family really enjoyed working with Ben. He is genuine, honest and trustworthy. He was timely in his communication and made us feel like he had our best interest in mind. He did a fantastic job entertaining our 2 year old so that we could look at the homes. Patrick, our son still asks a few times a week where his friend Ben is. He truly is great to work with and we found a home that is a perfect fit for our family! 2016
Could not have found a better person in the industry. He is fantastic to work with. I would highly recommend giving Ben a call if you are looking to by a home. Very easy to communicate with and willing to go the extra mile to get you through the home buying experience. It was my first home purchase and I will be going back to Ben when I sell and move on to another home! He made the process simple and easy in a time that can be stressful. Thank you Ben!! 2016
My family relocated to Minnesota from out of state. Ben went above and beyond helping us to get the best deal on the best house in the best location. He is a trust worthy, pleasant and patient person and never put pressure on us or showed us a house that was out of our desired price range. His connections to the community and research also saved us from getting into a house that would have been a bad situation. We had a lot of problems with our lender and Ben took the extra time to help navigate us through the entire home buying process and even helped us to put pressure on our non responsive lender. Ben responded to our texts, phone calls and emails almost immediately which was so important since we were out of state. I would recommend Ben to anyone who is looking for a good home buying experience. 2016
Ben is by far the most genuine, personable, and knowledgeable realtor I've worked with. His depth of knowledge and unique processes led to a quick sale of my home. His responsiveness combined with a solid understanding of (and excitement for) the housing industry helped my family into the home of our dreams. Thanks, Ben! 2016
KJ - Transplant to Duluth, a buyer from Duluth, MN
I'm thankful for Ben Funke. Ben represented my wife and I as first time buyers and we are now homeowners. Without Ben, I'm not sure if we would have succeeded in the market as we did. nI can be a difficult person to work with and Ben always maintained a positive attitude. He took the time to educate us and was patient. Ben went above and beyond. He made me feel like a valued client instead of just another commission. nI would recommend Ben to anyone and I would seek him to represent me in future real estate purchases. 2016
Ben was great to work with! He knew what he was doing and was responsive to any and all questions I had. He had a great attitude and was accommodating. I much recommend him! 2016