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Reimagining Real Estate

Theo Adamstein

Born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa, Theo has been a Washington DC resident since 1982 and a US citizen since 1987. Before starting a real estate career, Theo co-owned one of the leading DC-area architecture firms for over 25 years. His architecture, design, and construction experience, as well as his passion for photography, graphics and exhibition design, offers a tremendous breadth of experience that led to a successful transition into real estate.

Theo's extensive knowledge of design, renovation and new construction gives him a tremendous advantage when working with real estate clients. He offers personal attention and smart advice, with a designer's eye and a builder’s sensibility. Theo offers assistance to home sellers by advising on potential modifications and improvements to a property that may produce a greater financial return when presented for sale. In working with buyers, he will search for special properties and will identify which offerings may perfectly suit the stylistic and programmatic needs of his clients. Theo's extensive business experience, negotiating skills, enthusiasm, and local knowledge has resulted in offering a well-rounded service to his clients.

A graduate of Cooper Union School of Architecture in New York, Theo worked on a wide range of projects over the years, winning many awards for his firm’s designs. His work ranged from high-end residential to commercial and hospitality design.

Theo has two sons, Nicholas and Alexander, both Maret graduates. Nicholas is completing his last year of medical school at Columbia University and Alexander is working as an architect at a DC-based firm. Theo has served on numerous Washington arts boards, including the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Washington Ballet, Washington Project for the Arts, The Studio Theatre’s Real Estate Committee and is active in the local community. He is a passionate golfer, photographer and avid skier.

Theo is licensed in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia and holds the following designations: CIPS - Certified International Property Specialist, SRS – Seller Representative Specialist, ABR – Accredited Buyer’s Representative.

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Client Testimonials

Words can’t express my gratitude to Theo Adamstein for helping me move into the next chapter of my life. Theo is not just any realtor, he is a multi-talented business man, architect, and visual designer. A rare combination in the world of real estate. I interviewed five real estate agents to sell my home of 25 years and deciding to work withTheo was the best choice I made. After reviewing neighborhood comparables, he made highly creative decisions that ultimately resulted in a significant increase in the sales price of my home, well beyond what I had expected. His seamless approach to getting my house on the market and selling strategy, is truly impressive. Because of his extended network, my house never had to go on the market – we didn’t even have one open house! Definitely trust Theo to make the right decisions for you during a typically stressful time. He is the consummate businessman, and a true gentleman.

-Victoria C.R.

Theo Adamstein is a rare breed of real estate agent; it was our great pleasure to work with him and get to know him. If you need a realtor, we urge you to sign Theo Adamstein.Theo is honest and works hard for his clients. He does extensive research, so he understands the complexities and nuances of the market. Theo is charming, and eloquent and worldly — and funny, a quality that especially helped us when we were feeling anxious about selling our contemporary house in Chevy Chase. He’s candid – Theo is open to hearing and adopting his client’s ideas and, just as important, he’s also not afraid to tell clients when he disagrees with them and why. We doubt there are more than a handful of realtors (are there any?) who are also acclaimed architects, as Theo is. He’s also a talented photographer and designer. This unusual combination of skills gives Theo the ability to “get” what’s special about a property and know how to package and market it, from designing brochures and editing the artwork to pricing and timing the campaign

-Daniel and Barbara Z.R.

After a year of struggle to successfully market our Washington DC home, we enlisted the help of Theo Adamstein to sell our house. After one meeting and a brief run through the home, he said he would be able to sell the house in 60 days or less. He beat that prediction and met every one of our financial expectations. Theo understood how to advertise the house on-line with amazing photography and descriptions. His digital piece was dynamic and compelling and generated tremendous traffic at open houses. Theo’s architecture background also allowed him to creatively stage our home appealing to today’s luxury home buyer. From start to finish, Theo was a superb agent and knowledgeable guide – so much so that we also worked with him to purchase a new condo, which we moved into after the sale of our house. We recommend Theo to any future home seller or buyer with great confidence and gratitude.

-Marina and Dan E.

Theo used the creative skills that he has developed over many years as a successful architect, designer and as a marketing expert of the highest caliber, to successfully sell our Middleburg home. With the TTR Sotheby’s international Realty team he created superb visual presentations, graphics, and photography (including dramatic aerial drone images); internet contacts aimed at his own private client base; and other creative social media marketing approaches that resulted in a successful sale. His handling of the contract negotiations with an extremely knowledgeable buyer was done with the greatest skill, attention to detail, and efficiency. The rather intricate process was monitored by him on a daily basis in order to bring the transaction to a smooth closing, which was appreciated by both the buyer and the seller”. Theo Adamstein is a great asset to TTR Sotheby’s and I would recommend him to any prospective client of the firm.

-Errol A.