Testimonials

John Donovan Properties prides itself on offering a service that stands out from the rest. John Donovan Properties and its counterparts focus on customer relations & satisfaction, use of new media technology, innovation and offering up to date knowledge on the real estate market in Ottawa and its surrounding areas. 

Russell MacKenzie, 2022

6 years ago John Donovan Properties assisted myself and my now fiancé purchase our first home. The entire experience was an absolute pleasure!
Several months ago, we approached John again, this time to sell that same property.
Every aspect from consulting to closing was handled expertly, professionally and with a smile.
We could not be more grateful for all the work John, Marnie, and Danielle put in for us during these two major transactions, and could not recommend their services more!

Vithuran Gowrishankar, 2022

What a great experience this was! John and Marnie helped us search for the better part of two years to find the perfect home.

Due to multiple referrals and a personal relationship with them from our gym, we went with them. It was the best decision we made.

I would highly recommend them both, as we found the exact home we wanted within our expectations, and they sold our home at more than asking in a higher interest rate environment. Thanks again guys!!
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Aakriti, 2022​

We worked with John and Marnie earlier this year to purchase our very first home. They came highly recommended by friends of ours and it was such a pleasure working with them. They have extensive knowledge and experience in the Ottawa real estate market, they do not push or sway your decision and in general make the process very smooth. We appreciated every time they pointed out things about the house that wasn't great and we would have missed it otherwise. They were highly available to talk whenever we needed to clarify things, often multiple times and helped us out from the start till the very end of the house buying process. Marnie and us, we joked when our house purchase was finalized that we would miss looking at the houses together, it was so fun and a learning experience! I would highly recommend John and Marnie as your real estate agents!

Francine, 2020
Une équipe très professionnel qui est a l'écoute de ses clients Nous tenons a vous exprimé nos plus sincères remerciement j’ai particulièrement apprécié votre appuis votre disponibilité et vos conseils Vous avez fait preuve de persévérance pour votre grand soutien et votre grande disponibilité Vous avez grandement contribuer a rendre vos clients très satisfait et un succès a tous point de vue Comme à votre habitude tout ce que vous faites est de très bonne qualité Francine & Gaétan

Carolane, 2020
Super service avec toute l’équipe, 2 achats de maison avec eux et une vente. Je les recommande à tous. Merci à vous tous. On espère ne pas revendre notre belle maison mais si sa vient à, on vous appel !

Rick, 2020
Provided excellent advice and how to improve our home to improve both the speed at which we could sell our home and also to price it to fullest value. Our home sold within 9 days at the full value. He provided us daily information and we were encouraged by his confidence and knowledge!!! John is highly recommended and if your interested in Kite Surfing he is a weath of information!!! An all-around great find!!!!

Pascale, 2020
Unparalleled support during my experiences in buying and selling. I placed my dreams and trust in amazing hands. They went the extra mile and exceeded my expectations in ways I didn’t realize possible. They have great attention to detail, quick at problem solving, and place their clients’ interests as their top priority. Excellent personal and work ethics. Highly recommend this lovely, positive, and excellent team!

Mike, 2020
First off Marnie and John are some of the nicest people you could ever meet. They go above and beyond to make sure your extremely comfortable in high stress situations. Working with them to acquire our first home was exactly what my partner and I needed. They provided a sense of confidence and comfort a first time home owner needs in such a competitive and sometimes overwhelming market. They truly set us up for success! In a market like Ottawa has these days I would highly recommend working with Marnie, John and their team. Good people with good hearts who care. It’s definitely what you need if your thinking about your next big investment!

Nada, 2020
It was such a pleasure working with John and Danielle from John Donovan Properties. They made the process of buying our first rental property a breeze. John and Danielle were incredibly responsive in their communication and attuned to our needs at every step of the way. John walked us through the process of finding the ideal tenant for our new property by setting up viewings, helping with the lease agreement and answering any questions we had along the way. We would whole-heartedly recommend the team at John Donovan Properties to anyone seeking to buy or sell a home - you will be so grateful to have them by your side!

Susan, 2020
Everything was handled to perfection. Would highly recommend John Donovan to anyone else. Just oh so professional yet also caring and friendly. Also very knowledgeable on everything there is to know about area around the sales and buying of property. Great job John, Thanks

Pat, 2020
Great experiences in working with John and Marnie over the past 12 years and the purchasing and selling of multiple homes. I have recommended John and Marnie to my friends who have also had positive experiences with them. If we decide to sell or move again I will use them.

Souhaira, 2020
It was great working with you as a highly professional and a friendly Real Estate Advisor. the neighbourhood is safe and quiet. I enjoy going for walks in the little forest at the side of my house. Best wishes, Souhaira Raydan

Emily, 2020
Marnie and John worked with us to find our perfect home in a very competitive housing market. We were beyond impressed with their professionalism, knowledge and flexible scheduling. As first time home buyers we were nervous about making 'the wrong decision'. Marnie and John gave us helpful information during every home walk through and when the perfect home came on the market we knew exactly what we were looking at and what made it so special. They were patient with us and supportive of us every step of the way. I highly recommend Marnie, John and Danielle without reservation. If we ever decide to sell/purchase a home again, we know exactly who we will be calling.

Kelly, 2020
We had a wonderful experience working with John on the purchase of our new home and sale of previous property this spring. John really made the process of buying a home easy, and provided us with excellent advice throughout the process. Despite the unusual real estate market and low inventory due to COVID-19, with John's expertise we were able to get our new home at a great price, and sell the old one at much higher than we expected! Bidding wars aren't fun so we were very happy to be successful on only the second house we put in an offer on. John and his team are very knowledgeable, prompt to reply, and always friendly!

Norman, 2020
John and Marnie are consummate professionals, but more important, they are professionals with heart.

I got to know John first while I was still practicing law. He was quite new to the game, and I believe we were on "opposite" sides of a transaction. It became obvious to both of us very quickly that we had very compatible styles and beliefs, that the client came first, and it's always better to find ways to make things work than to show off how smart you are at creating problems.

When Marnie joined his team, it was clear that she was made of the same stuff, highly energetic, creative, compassionate, caring yet very practical.

When I was practicing real estate conveyancing law I dealt with many of Ottawa's best realtors, and include many of them as friends. John and Marnie remain stellar examples of everything that great professionals should be.

Pete & Jen, 2020
John Donovan is an outstanding realtor. He knows the city and the market well and genuinely has his clients best interest at heart. At no point did we ever feel pressure from John. He met with us in face-to-face on multiple occasions to review the current state of the market and potential houses we might be interested in. John is a realtor you can trust who will make sure that you get the best possible value for your house without sacrificing your desires. Cheers John!

Pascal, 2020
John, Marnie and Danielle are our heroes!! They worked so hard to sell our condo and get us our dream home, especially during these crazy times. I would recommend them to everyone who's looking for professional service. What we appreciate most about the team is their lack of ego (compared to several real estate agents...) and really down-to-earth attitude. Very courteous and friendly. 6/5 stars!

Shawn & Sharron , 2020
Thank you John & Marnie Donovan for your exceptional expertise guiding us through our first experience of buying & selling our home.
We first met John in December 2019 to discuss our spring plans to buy & sell. We knew it was going to be a challenging transaction, because there was only one neighbourhood we wanted to buy in, and our house is a hard sell in our eyes. Along came spring with an added stress factor, Covid-19.
John & Marnie steered us through a sellers’ market to buy our new home without getting into a bidding war. Perfect new home in our desired neighbourhood. Johns’ marketing strategy to sell our home got us a fantastic firm offer. We got to experience what it would feel like to win a lottery. All through a pandemic, keeping all parties involved safe along with learning new technology, John was always positive, and kept us calm.
We would highly recommend John & Marnie for your real estate wishes. They will make it happen.
Shawn & Sharron

Jordain, 2020
My husband and I happened upon Marnie and John purely by chance. We came to the city with 1 week to find and buy a house and were fantastically unprepared. We did not know for sure if we wanted to rent or buy, had no idea what neighbourhoods to consider or amenities we wanted nearby.

(A family friend had referred us a new realtor who sent us every single listing within our price range, ignoring what we were actually looking for in a home. It was overwhelming and unproductive, so we ended our relationship.)

Later that day, we ran into Marnie and John in an open house. We were struck by how easy it was to talk to them; Marnie actually listened to what we were looking for and only sent us listings that met that criteria. Through the process, she got to know us and was able to provide recommendations based off of where we wanted to end up. Being brand new to the city, that was invaluable.

Marnie's easy-going demeanour made the process effortless. We were fully confident in her abilities, which took off so much of the stress associated with purchasing a new home. As we were in a different city following the initial tours, she advocated for us every step of the way.

We would highly recommend Marnie and John to anyone looking to buy or sell their property.

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Andrew and Sue, 2019
John and Marnie Donovan worked with my wife Sue and I to find our new home as we started retirement and entered a different stage of our lives. Moving from Chelsea, QC, into the city is a radical change in lifestyle and John and Marnie were up for the challenge. They met with us a couple of times to quickly understand our situation and what we were looking for (though we didn't really know what we wanted at the time!). With John, we built a criteria list that enabled us to logically look at properties that 'fit' within our scope.They prepared us for what the market has to offer and what neighbourhoods in Ottawa come closest to our criteria. 

With all this in mind, John and Marnie enabled us to review listings that they pre-identified for us so that we could focus a little more on what resonated with us in our new retired lifestyle. We provided feedback to them and this allowed them to further refine the type of home we were looking for. When we identified something of interest, John arranged a visit and again, this allowed us to see what was 'out there' and to provide John with more feedback. After just a few visits, we found a place that really interested us. We visited this place a couple of times and then worked on a strategy with John for making an offer to the sellers. This last phase worked out so well that we bought our new home!

Thank you John and Marnie for helping us through this significant change in our lives...we truly appreciate your knowledge, experience, empathy and understanding. We highly recommend John Donovan Properties!

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David, 2019
On a scale from 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest my experience with John Donovan Properties has been a 12. Marnie and Danielle have been nothing but exceptional and professional in the service they provided. They both went above and beyond to find a home for my wife and I. Danielle in particular was very supportive and empathetic. If any of my work colleagues or friends are searching for a home, I will recommend John Donovan Properties! Keep up the good work!

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Mark,2017
I've had the pleasure of working with Danielle and John during the purchase of my first home in Ottawa in September 2017. From the very onset of our engagement, the team was professional, personable and very easy to deal with. Their attitude is positive and this reflects in their dealings; I always felt valued, respected and never rushed- something not all agents share. Even though some obstacles were thrown my way, the duo did not give up and pressed on. And now thanks to them, I have a place to call home. I would not hesitate to recommend Danielle and John to others local or from out of town. 

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Tracy and Chris,2017
Big thank you to Marnie Donovan, John Donovan and Danielle Laflamme for all their hard work on the sale and purchase of our homes. This team rocks! Marnie was the buyers agent. When I witnessed how she went to bat for her client, we knew our next purchase and sale would be with this team!

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Rose,2016
We just want to thank Danielle for all the hard work she put in to help us find our first home. It has been an amazing journey, and we are very blessed and thankful for the whole painless process. She made it very pleasant, not to mention the rest of the team for their hand in it as well. A BIG THANK YOU from the Isaac family. 

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Kaitlyn and Russell,2016
Russell and I would like to thank Danielle and yourself for escorting us through this journey of confusion and paperwork! We could not have asked for a better team and we could not be more appreciative for all you have done! Thank you very much!

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Barbara, 2014
I relocated to Ottawa from Winnipeg in June 2014. John Donovan Properties was recommended to me by a coworker in Winnipeg, as my move was part of the federal government relocation program. When I came to Ottawa on my first house hunting trip, I met Marnie and we instantly hit it off! Marnie is a true people person, who worked very hard to meet my needs in purchasing a new home. I was more than impressed with her service and professionalism. She took into consideration all my wishes in the type of home I was looking for. Ultimately when my house came for sale she immediately contacted me for a viewing. The decision was made simple thanks to Marnie and I love the house and the neighbourhood! I would HIGHLY recommend Marnie Donovan to represent anyone through the real estate process. 

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Nancy, 2014
I by chance met Marnie and it turned out to be one of the most pleasant experiences in my life! As a first time home buyer, I had no idea where to start. Marnie made everything effortless. Her guidance, knowledge of the market, patience and support throughout the entire process will forever by remembered by a family and myself. Marnie never hesitated to tell me the truth in order to ensure I found the perfect home. On more than one occasion, she told me, "this isn't the place for you, let's keep looking." Her commitment to her clients is really amazing. She wants to find a home that you will be proud to own. I would highly recommend Marnie's service to anyone looking to purchase or sell a home. She's that awesome!

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Jacqueline, 2013
Danielle Laflamme was my agent for the recent purchase of a condo in Ottawa. I have purchased properties before but this was my first one in Ontario. I got very lucky when I found Danielle as an agent. She was wonderful to work with during the entire process and even touched base with me after I moved into my new property to make sure that everything was going well. She is by far the most dedicated agent I have ever worked with and would work with her again in a heartbeat. I have a tendency to buy, renovate and sell properties every two years and have already asked her to pencil me in for the fall of 2015. 

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Dianna, 2013
Thank you once again, to the both of you for the passion and challenge you undertook to sell my home. I have worked with real estate agents in my past years and none compared to your team of efforts. You were very thorough in all aspects of your service provided and I did appreciate your time underhand and in keeping me so well informed along the way of this venture. With so much gratitude, Dianna.