About Me

So what does the statement -- A Bolder Approach for Buyers and Sellers -- really mean? Since 2004, I've been honing my skills in real estate and carefully choosing my path (assistant, broker, managing broker, and now owner of my own firm). Bolder means I work "by referral" and by going the "by referral" path, I'm able to focus on your goals and needs without worrying about the next transaction. Bolder means when helping you buy or sell, I use all of my life and business experience to create the best outcome for you.

I came to real estate with a varied background which I feel serves my clients (and me) well to help us navigate the process of buying or selling property. 

First and foremost, I'm a homeowner. In my life, I've owned 8 properties (not a huge number, but more than many). I've bought in buyers' markets and sellers' markets -- I've sold in those markets, as well. I've owned condominiums and single family homes. My husband and I bought our current home after 6 unsuccessful bidding wars on other properties -- so I know the pain and disappointment of getting out bid repeatedly. But, I will tell you that every home I have lived in was the right home for me and my loved ones when I owned it. 

Before real estate, I worked in high tech (Microsoft and Digital Equipment Corporation, to name a couple), as a business owner (computer & network equipment sales / software development / web hosting / web site design), retail sales, insurance claims, and a teacher of special needs children. I also sold cars (yeah, I know, cliché) -- Mercedes Benz and BMW (and a few others). That particular experience, though, has come to be immensely useful when negotiating for the buyers and sellers I have worked with. All of this experience, as diverse as it has been, helps me to provide excellence and clarity in all my dealings.

In the State of Washington, I am bound by the rules and regulations imposed on all real estate brokers by the State and the Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS). But, I also choose to be affiliated with the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) and adhere to its Code of Ethics -- not all brokers in this area do.

In 2016, I was awarded NAR’s Green Designation, the only green real estate professional designation recognized by NAR. To achieve this, I was trained in understanding what makes a property green, helping clients evaluate the cost/benefits of resource-efficient features and practices, distinguishing between industry rating and classification systems, listing and marketing green homes and buildings, discussing the financial grants and incentives available to homeowners, and understanding how buyer and seller preferences may be inspired by resource-efficiency.

As of 2024, I have been an Accredited Buyer’s Representatives (ABR®) designee. I took this step because for most homebuyers, purchasing a home is the largest and most complex financial endeavor they may ever undertake. But by choosing a REALTOR® with an ABR® designation, you'll have more confidence in your buying experience as you’ll be working with a broker who goes the extra mile. And an ABR® designation doesn’t just signal a broker’s robust real estate knowledge, but also my best-in-class service as well.

Since 2009, I have been an Accredited Staging Professional. While I don't hold myself out as a professional stager, I AM a professional real estate broker looking for every advantage for my sellers. I’m focused on presenting my seller's property at its best. Using skills and technics I learned via the ASP program, I help sellers declutter and simplify and guide the photographers and videographers to best represent the property. As I always tell my sellers, it’s not about their decorating style. I'm pointing out what might impede buyers from seeing themselves in the property. I've had buyers turn down a home because of bold colors or odd furniture. To see how staging can help, watch this video.

I am proud to be part of the American Warrior Initiative. The objective of this non-profit initiative is to educate, encourage, and inspire us to give back to our military. A key part of their work is to educate real estate brokers -- like me -- to the issues and challenges active duty and former military clients face when purchasing a home. I have been through their "boot camp" and have received the American Warrior Real Estate Professional certification. While this is just a start, I am now better prepared to help those that fought to protect the American Dream, live it.

In 2020, I received the At Home With Diversity® (AHWD) certification from NAR! AHWD is a NAR certification program designed to present a picture of the changing face of the real estate industry. Since 1998, the AHWD program has prepared over 20,000 REALTORS® to work effectively with and within today’s increasingly diverse pool of homebuyers.  The certification program addresses the topics of diversity and fair housing – adding to my understanding and ability to work with buyers and sellers, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, gender and gender identity, sexual orientation, handicaps, familial status, or national origin.

For all of you who have expressed a desire to receive them, I send a personalized quarterly update of what is going on in the market in your neighborhood or a community of interest. If you aren't already receiving this information and would like to, just let me know. 

Each month I send out a newsletter that provides interesting articles and tips -- some related to real estate and some to life. Past examples can be found here.

In the end, if you aren't already a friend, you will likely be by the time you move in to your new home or out of your property. See what others have said about working with me.