Common Questions

I limit how many clients I take on. Not because I'm precious about it, just because this work requires actual attention.

I don't wait for buyers to send me listings. I find them. And when we're walking through homes together I'm paying attention to where you slow down, what you keep coming back to, when your energy shifts. You'll tell me what you want. Your body language tells me what you need.

With sellers, I start by asking two things: what did you love about this place, and what were its pain points? The answers shape everything.

I've spent years obsessing over consumer psychology, which means I think about why people make decisions the way they do, and I bring that into every deal. Portland has a dozen micro-markets and they don't all play by the same rules. I know which ones I'm working in.

Both. First time buyers, seasoned buyers, and sellers. On the buying side, I'm not just unlocking doors. I'm learning how you think, what lights you up, and what you can and can’t actually live with. That takes time and attention, which is why I keep my client list small. On the selling side, I want to know your home the way you know it. What worked, what didn't, what you'll miss. That history informs everything from how I price it to how I present it. A lot of my clients end up working with me on both sides because by the time we're done with one deal, I get you. How you make decisions, what matters to you, what doesn't. Starting over with someone new and explaining all of that again just doesn't make much sense.

As a buyer's agent, I charge a percentage of the transaction. That's typically covered by the seller as part of the deal. If the seller won't cover it, that responsibility falls to the buyer. By law, all Realtors are required to have a signed contract with their buyers before showing properties, and I walk you through every part of it, including my fee and what happens if a seller chooses not to pay it. On the sell side, my commission is a percentage of the sale price as well, and we discuss it before you sign anything. No surprise fees, ever. On either side I’m paid when the transaction is completed (closes). I believe in being straight with people from the start, and that includes how I make my money.

I work throughout Portland and the surrounding metro area. I've lived in Portland since 1999, so at this point I'm basically a walking encyclopedia of this city, how it's changed, which pockets are up and coming, which ones people overlook, and why certain blocks feel different from the one right next to them. That kind of local knowledge isn't something you can Google. Every neighborhood has its own personality and its own market, and I know how to read both. Have I mentioned that my family has bought and sold 4 homes and we have lived all over the city? What I love most about Portland is every part of the city has its own unique charm.