About Thornton River LLC

Thank you for visiting Thornton River LLC's web site. Thornton River LLC is a privately owned real estate brokerage operating primarily in Northern Virginia counties of Rappahannock (where we are based), Fauquier, Loudoun, Clarke, Warren, Frederick, Page and Madison counties.

Our interests are diverse, matching the makeup of real estate in the Northern Virginia area. We have experience in buying and selling farms, estates, commercial and residential properties.

Services We Offer

Marketing for Sellers: Our primary focus is on the expeditious marketing of real estate. The combination of traditional real estate brokerage and the auction model allows for a fully transparent process. Unless agreed otherwise, our auctions are hosted on the HiBid platform which allows for online bidding and other features. It is our experience that such a process optimizes market exposure and facilitates the full participation by qualified buyers.

The online auction process removes the mystery which is typical in a multiple bid situation. The buyer knows exactly what it will take to win the property with the published next bid.

Holding a real estate brokerage license enables us to place your property on the Multiple Listing service which is THE vehicle used by buyers to find properties. Many if not most auction firms do not place their auction listings on the multiple listing service which severely limits the exposure their listings enjoy.

Unlike many auction houses, we encourage and facilitate the involvement of real estate agents bringing buyers. We have found that there are many buyers who are unfamiliar with the real estate sales process and especially the auction method. Encouraging them to bring paid representation results in more buyer participation which ultimately results in a higher net to the seller.

Buyer Representation: We offer optimal buyer representation. Like most real estate firms in the US, we have significant experience representing purchasers of real estate. While the real estate business model in recent years has facilitated the process for buyers the National Association of Realtors (NAR) settlement forecasts new challenges in store. There is no substitute for having a local, knowledgable and experienced real estate professional who does not represent the seller in your corner. Going to the listing agent who represents the seller for buyer representation can be an extremely costly decision as many buyers have found. Our presence as a real estate auction firm exposes us to many properties that will be coming on the market prior to their listing even if we don't get the assignment.

Fees for our Services

Traditional listing and Auctions: Listing fees are negotiable between the broker and seller. When sold at auction we hold with the tradition of adding a buyer premium (which covers all commissions) to the winning bid price to calculate the final contract sales price. You will find our suggested buyer premium to be very competitive with other real estate and auction firms. Under traditional marketing following the release of NAR's new guidelines in August, we will most likely separate the seller's side from the buyer's side in pricing our traditional listing services. We are able to give full, competent service for what might be considered discounted fees.

Buyer Representation: When NAR's new guidelines begin, real estate professionals will be required to have a written agreement with buyers which details how the commission is paid and where it comes from. It is our intent (with buyer's permission) to have the buyer representation fees included in any contract offer and included as part of the contract sales price. Buyer agent fees are negotiable between buyer and brokerage. We intend to be fully competitive with other firms who offer buyer representation.

Alex Sharp, Broker

I am Alex Sharp, the owner/broker. Following my graduation from the University of Virginia with a degree in economics, I started out farming apples, hay and cattle in Rappahannock County. Having negotiated many leases and even a lease with purchase option and looking to improve my grasp of real estate I enrolled in a 'principles of real estate' course at Lord Fairfax Community College. I had no idea that this was THE course needed to become a real estate agent!

I took the state exam, passed it, and then put my license with Eileen M Day Realtors which was based at the old Clopton House in Washington VA. At first I was very much a part-time agent and primarily a large scale farmer. In 2003 I made the decision to devote full-time to real estate in this area. I placed my license with Thomas and Talbot Real Estate in Middleburg and worked for Phil Thomas for about 12 years. In 2015, having gotten my broker's license in 2009, I went out on my own. Now I am the principal agent/broker with Thornton River LLC which is a brokerage based in Sperryville.

I have 35 years of experience helping clients buy and sell real estate in the Northern Virginia region. You will find me to be a patient and tenacious negotiator, willing to put the extra effort to make the experience, whether buying or selling, pleasant, interesting and successful.

I look forward to meeting with you and I appreciate the opportunity to win your business.

Alex Sharp