Stephen Carpenter-Israel launched Buyer’s Edge | BuyersAgent.com in 1991, creating the first real estate firm in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area to represent home buyers exclusively. The idea grew from conversations with his family and friends buying their first homes about the shocking lack of representation for buyers in home buying transactions. He founded the Buyer’s Edge to provide a consumer-oriented approach to home buying, eliminating the implicit conflict of interest when two agents from the same firm represent the buyer and seller in the same transaction.

A licensed broker in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC, Steve has spent the past 33 years in the real estate and construction industries. Before founding Buyer’s Edge, Steve spent ten years working as a project manager in the commercial construction business and then running a small company specializing in shopping center construction and high-end office remodeling. Steve has had his real estate license for 46 years. Born and raised in Washington, DC, Steve grew up in a real estate household where his father was an appraiser. He currently lives in Bethesda, Maryland, with his wife. 

TESTIMONIALS

“Look no further than Steve Israel and Buyer's Edge. We can't recommend them more. We had a very tight timeline and fairly exacting parameters and Steve exceeded all our expectations. Every day I look around my home in gratitude to Steve. It's exactly what we dreamed of and he made it reality.

Before we found our "one," we looked at about four others. Steve was always immediately responsive and ready to meet us for a tour even with short notice, even far away. Once there, we appreciated Steve's expert insights gleaned from years of experience in real estate and a background in construction. We are also grateful for the extensive time Steve dedicated to debriefing each tour and decision point with us.

Steve was our best advocate. Our closing was a "close one" so to speak, and I know it was Steve's deft negotiation and communication skills that got us here: home.

Steve, truly, every day we look around, can't believe we're here, and think, thank you forever, Steve!!!

With gratitude,”

Client: C, M, and A

“Stephen Israel is a consummate professional and his staff is courteous and attentive. We only visited homes that met my criteria. For every home we visited he quickly had a profile on the neighborhood and gave me on-point commentary about the advantages and disadvantages of the home and property relative to my specific needs. I was amazed about how in-depth his real-time observations were. He exceeded my expectations regarding serving my specific needs. He was instrumental in securing and negotiating a home I love; I otherwise wouldn't have found or wouldn't have been able to negotiate the terms of the agreement without him. I can not imagine a more effective and personable buyer's agent in this area and would recommend him to any of my friends or associates that need to find a home”.

Client: Gilles B

"Buyer's Edge and Steve Israel did an incredible job helping us find our first home. Steve or his team were always available for our many tours, and were always educating us during the process. We've referred Steve to many friends, and hope they will soon buy from Buyer's Edge."

Client: A

“Hello Potential Buyer’s Edge clients!

I have known about the Buyer’s Edge for more than 20 years! Why? Because I do a national column on real estate for newspapers across the U.S. and have interviewed Steve Carpenter-Israel many times! The depth of his knowledge has always impressed me. He is truly a very committed consumer advocate with a deep knowledge of real estate markets. So when my son recently decided to purchase a Washington area condo, I turned immediately to Steve to represent him in the search and purchase!

What sets Steve and his colleagues apart from the multitude of agents across the area is that he is totally dedicated to the buyers’ interests. He takes an in-depth interest in the buyers’ priorities and then uses the best technology to search for the available properties in the desired area. Once the buyers have developed a short list of finalist properties, he uses his incisive analytical tools to compare and contrast potential options. This analysis covers both the relative value of the property — compared with comparable sales — and the quality of the structure of the home itself. At the conclusion of this process, the buyers can be certain that they have made the best possible selection and have not overpaid.

In the case of my son, Steve’s work resulted in a very positive outcome. He and his partner are thrilled with the condo they selected in NW Washington and they are certain the price they paid was fair and that the terms of the transaction best served their interests.

In summary, Steve and his colleagues at the Buyer’s Edge are nothing short of brilliant! I have no hesitation to recommend them very highly.”

— Ellen J. Martin - Nationally Syndicated Real Estate and Financial Columnist (by permission)

"The best!  We have already recommended Buyer's Edge to friends and will continue to do so.  It is a top-notch professional outfit, and our agent (Steve) was perfect.  He looked out for our interests; he brought a wealth of practical knowledge about houses and construction and upkeep; he clearly loves his job so we had a lot of fun (which I wasn't expecting); he said the right thing to keep us as calm and sane as possible throughout the process; and he made the entire search effort and bidding process as easy as possible."

Client: A

"We've used Steve Israel at Buyer's Edge twice for home purchases. Very satisfied."

Client: A

"Fantastic! Home buying can be tough, but they made the process fun. Steve is a star. We always felt that we were in good hands and that we could trust his judgment. We liked that Buyer's Edge only represents buyers while also having in depth knowledge of the "seller's" side of things. They were responsive, provided us with everything we needed to know to make an informed decision, and were clear about when we should consider pulling back on conditions etc. Would recommend them in a heartbeat."

Client: A

“Working with the Buyer’s Edge team was a fantastic experience! Steve Israel was extremely knowledgeable regarding the different neighborhoods’ pros and cons and evaluating the value and likely repair, remodel and upkeep potential of each location. He emailed new listings that fit my specifications regularly and quickly responded to my questions or requests to view listings. As a first time home buyer, he helped me understand and feel comfortable with each step of the buying process and he and his staff responded quickly to each of my many questions. I would definitely recommend Buyer’s Edge to anyone looking for a new home”."

Client: C Rodgers

“Stephen Israel is a consummate professional and his staff is courteous and attentive. We only visited homes that met my criteria. For every home we visited he quickly had a profile on the neighborhood and gave me on-point commentary about the advantages and disadvantages of the home and property relative to my specific needs. I was amazed about how in-depth his real-time observations were. He exceeded my expectations regarding serving my specific needs. He was instrumental in securing and negotiating a home I love; I otherwise wouldn’t have found or wouldn’t have been able to negotiate the terms of the agreement without him. I can not imagine a more effective and personable buyer’s agent in this area and would recommend him to any of my friends or associates that need to find a home."

Client: Gilles B

"Steve Carpenter-Israel was recommended to us and after our great experience, we highly recommend him to anyone buying a home in the Metro DC area. We were moving from out of state and needed to find a home quickly. Steve took time to clearly understand the “must-haves” for the house we were looking for. His extensive knowledge of the area helped us narrow down our geographic choices. He then laid out the pros and cons of each of the houses we saw and his extensive knowledge of home construction allowed us to eliminate houses that were not up to standard. Steve found our dream house and we are so grateful to him. In addition, he negotiated such a great price for the house that our neighbors routinely grumble about what a “steal” we got. We recently recommended Steve to a friend who was moving from out of town and he did the same for them – finding an amazing home at an amazing price in less than a week!"

Client: Teri and Tim K.

“Steve is the best -- knowledgeable and responsive with outstanding judgement. Perhaps most important, he puts his clients’ interests first — he could have tried to get us to buy a house that would have meant a greater commission for him, but he could see that it was not right for us and immediately moved on to more appropriate choices. A terrific guy too.”

Client: Neil R.

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