Sam Vail | Realtor

Sam Vail got into real estate over a decade ago after owning a mortgage company and working as a musician. Instantly a success in the Ann Arbor Area market, Sam landed the Rookie of the Year Award at a previous brokerage. “I always knew I had a knack for people, and my love of real estate coupled with my family’s background allowed for perfect chemistry.” The Vails have deep roots in real estate throughout North America dating back to 1640, with developments from Vail, Colorado, to Chicago and the Big Apple.

Sam’s hallmark includes outstanding customer service and adept negotiations. “I’ve been a musician my whole life, and you tend to develop a negotiating power through all the hoops you have to jump through just to get on stage.” Given Sam’s double major in economics and business, along with his years of work with appraisers, Sam shines as a pricing strategist and his listings do not stay on the market long.

His holistic approach to clients means he values “going the extra mile and providing more service than just unlocking the door and writing up a contract. I want to be their guide and resource for all things to do with real estate.”

Sam is a wizard at tracking trends and economics through Coldwell Banker’s cutting edge systems, as well as through systems he researches and seeks out on his own. His team watches trends and fluctuations in real-time, to stay in tune with the markets within the markets, the differences between what’s happening in Ann Arbor versus Ypsilanti or Dexter.

He values team collaboration and places emphasis on expertise and empathy, “not a culture of salesmanship as much as it is a culture of highly developed expertise. Empathy is needed in our relationships with clients: real estate is probably the biggest investment a person makes. We don’t take that lightly.”

Tara Habeck | Realtor

Tara Habeck joined the Sam Vail Group in 2020 and is excited to find an organic fit with a team that works cooperatively, where seasoned realtors coach her natural business acumen and instincts. Most recently, she was a small business owner in Ann Arbor for nearly a decade, and one of the first dozen educators in the country to provide an all-outdoor forest school for early learning, where she became an expert in her field. She was interviewed by the New York York Times and NBC, and appeared in local news outlets including a television appearance on The Green Room.

Fluent in Spanish, she studied in Chile for a year and taught in the public schools in Madrid, Spain. She also lived in Puerto Rico for three years, where she worked for Accion, a major microfinancing lender for small businesses with outreach to women and minorities. As point person for all of Puerto Rico, she met with bank managers to present the program and taught credit seminars to the public, completely in Spanish. She traveled extensively throughout South America, Asia, and spent 6 months studying yoga in India. Tara brings energy and excitement to the team, with her unique business perspective and vast people experience.

Adam Labowitch | Realtor

Adam Labowitch joined the Sam Vail Group in 2020 as a new Realtor, jumped in with both feet, and has been up and running ever since. With over two decades of experience in customer service, “you learn patience, and instant empathy and rapport with clients.” Adam competently advocates for buyers and helps them smoothly navigate through the process of a home purchase.

Adam also worked for years as a full-time musician. He recognizes that the qualities that helped him run a successful music business now serve him well as a Realtor. “I had to be dogged, keep reaching out to book venues, create and keep contacts, and establish rapport with that niche. In realty, not only am I staying on top of being in touch with clients, but I’m always reaching out on their behalf, making sure we are the first ones to see opportunities as they arise while they are still available.”

Though Adam has traveled and lived throughout the country, when he arrived in Ann Arbor twenty years ago he knew immediately that he had found his home. He has worked with several businesses, artists, and musicians in the area, and stays involved with charitable events. He lives with his partner, an orchestra director in the Ann Arbor Public Schools, and three teenage daughters.

Tim Snyder | Realtor

Tim Snyder joined the Sam Vail Group in 2020 and brings with him a decade of experience as a Realtor. To what can otherwise be a tough and overwhelming process for new homebuyers, Tim brings ease, knowledge, excellent customer service, and total dedication to finding the best-match home for his clients. “The look on the buyers’ faces when they see the home that is the best fit for them gives me utter satisfaction and is so rewarding.”

Tim spends the time upfront that first-time buyers need to help them through the hoops from pre-approval to closing, and he puts in the extra effort to locate all possible funds they qualify for. “I make sure they are one-hundred-percent satisfied with the entire process.” In addition, his years of work in home improvement gives him a seasoned eye to evaluate houses from the foundation to the attic, so he can provide valuable feedback to his clients on the homes they view. “I tell my clients, I would never move a buyer into a house that I would not be comfortable moving myself, my kids, or grandkids into.”

Tim coached soccer at various levels for over 25 years, and valued the opportunity to be the kind of example and adult mentor that many of the players needed. Born and raised in Ypsilanti, and having worked in homes throughout the area, Tim knows the inside scoop on neighborhoods within the greater Ann Arbor area.

Margaret Mullins | Team Manager

Margaret Mullins joined the Sam Vail Group in 2020 as Team Manager and wears many hats: she keeps the systems flowing, writes web and marketing content, and provides behind-the-scenes support for the entire team. Her professional experience spans work as a project manager and manuscript editor in academic publishing, to scientific research in a biochemistry lab. She also worked as a trained herbalist in her own practice. “My parents were small business owners and well known in their field. I grew up living next door to my dad’s antiques store and integrated into his business life. My mom kept the books, and I was her ‘junior assistant’ with all the paperwork.

It feels so natural to be part of Sam’s up-and-coming team where he works the old school way that my father did, with building face-to-face relationships, while also using his tech-savviness to evolve the business and marketing side. The entrepreneur in me finds the work engaging, exciting, and creative. With 8 children, my capacity for managing large-scale endeavors has organically grown, where a bustling workspace feels completely comfortable. Sam is building a stellar team, and the people I get to work with are top-notch.”

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