The Gruska Abella Team - Livingston, New Jersey

Alison C.

Tom and Barbara are truly exceptional! I couldn’t have asked for a better team to help me with my first home purchase. Not only did they provide invaluable insights into the housing market, they were kind, patient, very thoughtful when identifying homes that fit my needs, and went above and beyond in every way possible.

I’m incredibly grateful for all of their help and guidance throughout the entire home-buying journey, which continued well beyond closing. Their recommendations for contractors, local services, and more have also played a significant role in helping me settle into my new home as quickly as possible.

If you’re looking to buy a home (or sell), look no further! Barbara is also an experienced home stager, with a keen sense of style, and extensive knowledge of the latest design trends. I highly recommend Tom and Barbara to help you find the home of your dreams!

Thomas C.

It has been a pleasure working with Tom and Barbara, who have proven themselves as exceptional real estate professionals during our recent home purchase. They form a knowledgeable and caring team, are always readily available, and have expertly helped us through every step of the process with a great deal of patience.
Furthermore, they recommended a great lawyer, inspectors, and various other reliable professionals, which greatly contributed to the smooth and stress-free experience of our home-buying process. They addressed all our inquiries and offered invaluable recommendations along the way. We highly recommend them for all your real estate needs.

Jonathan L. (. V. L.

I've worked with a dozen real estate agents over the years on both the buy and sell side and I've never encountered agents even close to Barbara Gruska and Tom Abella's level. Three things about them stand out.

(1) Knowledge. Their granular level of detailed understanding about the local market is stunning. They do all the homework. But at the same time, they know that they aren't oracles. They are never afraid to say, "We don't know."

(2) Professionalism. No game playing with them. No trying to sweeten the pot or overpromise just so that they can sign the client. This is going to sound crazy to anyone who has ever dealt with real estate agents, but: Barbara and Tom care first and foremost about *your* well-being. They want you to get the best result and they treat their own upside as secondary. In every transaction I've had before, I had the sense that my agent was barely on my side. Not Barbara and Tom: They were 100% focused on getting us the best outcome for our family.

(3) Aggressiveness. I don't mean this in a shark-tank way. I just mean that they were relentless in looking out for us. They never stopped looking for more information, asking more questions. I've been to the house-buying rodeo before and am a very active client. Yet Barbara and Tom were on top of every listing, every question, before I got there, even.

Everyone who's going to make a transaction in real estate should have an agent like them. They are the best the profession has to offer and they will deliver deep value for you.

Joseph T.

Barbara and Tom are the highest levels of professionals who leverage their many years of experience to ensure a seamless and transparent transaction. As a seller, they have represented me and put my home in the best position to sell for the most amount of money. As a buyer, their open communication and tenacity brought ease to what can be a stressful experience. Barbara and Tom made my priorities their own priorities. I would highly recommend them to anyone who is considering any real estate transaction.

J B.

Barbara and Tom helped my wife and I find our first home and we had a great experience. We looked at multiple homes, reviewed comps, and eventually we were eventually able to successfully win a bid for a home we really wanted. Barbara and Tom were very helpful and thoughtful through the process, and my wife and I were always able to get in touch with them whenever we had any questions. They were also invaluable in helping us find a good home inspector as well as other experts to help us with our housing needs. We intend to use them again whenever the time arises.

Eric G.

We love working with Tom and Barbara. This is our 2nd go round with them as our agents. Together, they know everything! We first used them in 2017 as buyers from the city moving to the 'burbs in essex county. This time, we leveraged their expertise to buy a new house and sell our house. Even with some work to do, they sold our house in 4 days! Their team are professional stagers and they do it themselves, no 3rd party company.

You can go to either Tom or Barbara for advice based on the situation; they are your advocate! Furthermore, in an environment where agents can be pushy, slimy, obviously not working in your interests, Tom and Barbara are professional, patient and tough when they need to be.

We would use them again and are happy to recommend them. Just ask us!

Tony D.

I wish to wholeheartedly to recommend Barbara and Tom to others who are looking to sell their homes based on my experience with the sale of my home. Barbara staged my house beautifully, the OH was handled seamlessly, and after the first accepted offer broke up under inspection issues, they where able to get me a second offer promptly and higher than the first one. They and I together handled a plethora of details in getting final issues resolved and I was more than happy with the outcome. If you want realtors who stand by you, are personal, prompt and give excellent professional advice… use Barbara Gruska and Tom Abella.
Tony DeVita – February, 2021.

ross B.

Excellent real estate agents. Very responsive to client needs and proactive with how they managed all sales of the sale/transaction. Definitely recommend.