Kathryn Madison, Windermere Broker

This is the third time Kathryn and I have worked together and every time the experience could not have been better. Kathryn is the ultimate professional, very savvy when it comes to the Portland market, unrelenting when it comes to negotiation and prompt when it comes to answering my millions of questions. She is kind, patient, funny and ready to be a friend when you most need it. I was living in Corvallis when I sold my house and Kathryn had to do all the work. It felt like it went like a breeze and then I realized it was because Kathryn had done all the work. She definitely went above and beyond what she had to do. And she made me more money than I ever dreamed possible. I can't thank her enough. I only wish she was with me now as I begin the process of looking for a house in an unfamiliar town.

We were very fortunate to have found Kathryn and Lauren to market our home. They worked hard (and worked
us hard too) to get the house ready in a really short time. Every time when we had a question, they were always there to answer and if they didn't know, they made sure to find the answer for us. Kathryn and Lauren kept us informed during the whole process. Thank you Kathryn and Lauren, you are a perfect team!

Kathryn was phenomenal!
What I can tell you about Kathryn and her assistant Lauren (please keep in mind that I understand that it is in their interest to do a good job and be successful so that they get their percentage, however, I have dealt with other realtors and this experience was so much better):
They are incredibly dedicated to making sure that not only do you find the home you are looking for, but that you are well prepared for the offer and the full process all the way through signing/possession. They are very friendly and helpful.  Both made themselves available through a multitude of house visits and used each time to further increase our desires and goals for a new home.  We really felt like our needs were of the utmost importance to them. They searched beyond database by using connections in their professional circles. 
Ultimately, Kathryn found us the house we ended up buying and we would grade that we hit 90% of what we wanted.  I say 90% as I think 100% requires going outside your price range,so given that, we did as best as we possibly could without spending more!
 Kathryn provided us a lot of advice and guidance when crafting an offer and we ended up doing very well.  She really knows where to push on price, credits, and accommodations.  We were happy with the final agreement.  Once we had an agreement, Kathryn, was still heavily involved with helping us ensure everything would go smoothly. We had some questions about land behind the house being protected from building and she took us to the city planning department to meet with planners to ensure we had all the facts.  Beyond that, she helped keep track of key milestones, and kept in constant touch to make sure we were as well. In the end, she joined us for the signing (apparently not that common) and kept tabs to make sure everything recorded.
 I would highly recommend Kathryn to anyone needing a realtor. I would gladly use her again myself.  I am not writing such a glowing review for any other reason than truly being extremely satisfied with her services.  If you decide to use her, you will understand fully.

I love Angie's list!  I picked Kathryn based on her great reviews and she more than lived up to them.   From the first interview,  I knew I was in good hands.  She was extremely helpful in prioritizing what needed to be done to prepare the home for market.  She arranged a meeting with a stager who did a fantastic job of bringing out the mid-century qualities of the house.  She and her assistant, Lauren Marrone were always available to answer any questions that might come up and made every step of the process smooth and predictable. Thanks to their efforts and expertise, we had multiple offers three days after the house hit the market.  I was especially impressed by Kathryn's strategies for handling the offers.  We ended up selling the house for $5,000.00 over our asking price and signed the closing papers less than a month after the listing.  
This was by far the best experience I have ever had buying or selling a home.  I would use Kathryn again in a heartbeat and would not hesitate to recommended her and Lauren to friends.

Kathryn is the consummate pro.  She helped me be strategic in preparing my home for sale, with expert advice about what updating to do (and how) and what things I could economize on. We were able to make the house look great without spending unnecessary money, and the result was a quick sale for more than I thought I could get ? and the new owners got a nicely updated home.
After that experience, of course I contacted Kathryn when it was time for me to purchase a new place.  It turned out to be a very complex process (new construction that was almost finished, but stalled out on the last 5 percent).  Kathryn was on top of every detail and made at least one follow-up call a day, if not more. She visited the property multiple times to birddog progress, and advised us well on how to approach each roadblock in our way.
Thanks to her expertise and diplomatic but firm approach, we ended up with a fantastic result.  Had we been with a less seasoned agent, I'm sure we'd still be contending with open permits and costly delays.

Kathryn and her diligence,  planning and working through all the steps actually made a ton of work a pleasant experience.   From prepping the home, advice on minor repairs, knowing vendors that could plan work on short notice to walking through all the offers after the open house.     We had six offers above asking price and the home sold in less than a week to small family and will give them good start in great neighborhood.   We were extremely happy with the effort of Kathryn's management and thrilled with the end result. 

I would highly recommend Kathryn as a relator. She is extremely professional and is not at all pushy with her clients, although she is very persistent and advantageous when it comes to getting the job done. She has been available to clearly answer all of our ignorant questions about first-time home buying and did her research to help us get a leg up when it came to submitting a competitive offer.

I highly recommend Kathryn Madison, if you want peace of mind, and a high return on the sale of your Portland area home.  Kathryn exceeded our family's expectations on every level!  When we hired her, we got a wonderful person, a savvy realtor, and a true professional!

As people go... Kathryn's an easy 11 on a scale of 1-10!

Soon after I met Kathryn I realized she was special.  And I would be enjoying a new friendship.  She was easy to talk to, a keen listener, engaging, passionate, and her focus, always on me, and the needs of my family.  She was consistent, always doing --  what she said she was going to do!!   She was very prompt with set appointments, emails, and phone calls to keep us informed and on-track.  And on being a really nice person, it clearly comes naturally to Kathryn. 

As realtors go... Kathryn was outstanding! 

She is a seasoned and strong negotiator.   We wanted $300K.  She got us $310!!  Kathryn's advice reflected my needs and the needs of my family at every turn, but she also pressed us with important recommendations and strategy.  In particular, her council was indispensable when "staging" Mom's home for pictures.  Kathryn has a real eye for simplicity, flair, and lighting, that really brought out the attributes of Mom's home.  I still cannot believe how stunning the house showed on the internet! 

As professionals go... Kathryn gets an A++!

Mom's home needed work.  As her home was being prepared for sale, Kathryn referred many professionals to us, for inspections, carpet cleaning, drapery repair, a "sewer-scope", and the photographer.  She and Windermere had worked with each in the past.  Not surprisingly, all contractors were highly-rated on Angie's list, and all delivered timely, great service at reasonable rates.

Kathryn sets a high bar for personal performance.  She has a big heart, is opinionated and direct, and to this day, she continues build our trust and confidence.  Even now after the sale of our mom's home, Kathryn continues to check-in and follow-up with us.  

If you need a realtor to deliver outstanding results for you -- Hire Kathryn Madison!  I am sure glad I did!

-Rick Kronewitter

PS Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions, or need more information about our experience working with Kathryn, her crack assistant Lauren Marrone, or Windermere Realty.

I cannot speak more highly of Lauren. She was so good at listening to me and understanding what I was looking for. Both Lauren and Kathryn were incredibly professional and understanding during a very emotional and stressful time. Would absolutely recommend them again and again.

I met Kathryn, through her licensed assistant Lauren Marone, after looking at a home that met my needs and wants, yet exceeded what I could afford.  Nearly 3 weeks later,  I asked Kathryn if she would consider being my agent (as the buyer), and after conferring with the estate she represented, agreed to represent me also.  
    What occurred over the next several days, into a few weeks, was a whirlwind of activity, all new to me, that Kathryn guided me through with a composure, expertise, kindness and supportive grace that laid the ground of trust in her.
    It was also clear she was balancing a role that also addressed meeting the needs of the sellers, and the ethical integrity she displayed added to my appreciation of her.  
     I've since moved in and looking back over my first (and last) home buying experience, I feel deeply fortunate to have had Kathryn as the person who navigated me through the experience.  Her skill, grace and caring is a reflection of the kind of person who makes life's challenges and significant experiences a positive and memorable time.
      I recommend Kathryn to anyone wishing to have an honest, respectful, skilled ally who's knowledge, expertise and presence provide a deep form of support in finding the right home.
     
Sincerely,
Anita Derry 

Overall, it was astoundingly easy to sell my first house with the guidance from Kathryn and her assistant Lauren. They are responsive and professional.  Kathryn knows how to present the house to get buyers covet it! I cannot imagine anybody selling their house on their own and if you are selling your house, contact Kathryn. I  received multiple offers for my house within the day it went on market and sold it over asking price. 

1. Initial consultation: Kathryn presented herself as a very professional real-estate agent. It was assuring to note that she had excellent record of home sales, equipped with necessary tools and knowledge to represent me as a seller. She disclosed up front the expected cost of preparing the house for sale.
2. Seller agent contract meeting: She brought in with her assistant Lauren and we went through the contract. I was all the more assured that it is a team that will be helping me selling the house, not just herself.
3. Initial house walk-through and logging tasks list: We made an appointment to hose walk-through to go over the repair list to prepare house on market. I was again pleasantly surprised to see she brought a team of experts to do walk-through. We were already planning to stage the house, instead of exposing my belongings to any potential buyers. She brought in the stagers and her assistant followed along. They discussed staging ideas and went over the repair list. The discussion is thoroughly based on what the buyers look for in making purchasing decision.
4. Pre-inspection and staging process: Kathryn referred the reputable contractors for pre-inspection and clean-up, repair. Half way before house going on market, I had to move out of the state. By that time, I was fully trusting Kathryn and Lauren, and they did not disappoint me ensuring all the necessary work is done properly and house is staged properly. 
5. Choosing price: Kathryn did a research not just my neighborhood but extended region where potential buyers would look and presented me with a proper range for me to choose. 
6. On Market (... for less than a day): Our house is sold within the day we went on market, had multiple offers all on or over asking price.
7. Closing: We chose the best possible offer and onto the buyer inspection period. Since we had done pre-inspection and everything was disclosed on contract, there was no surprise in inspection results and the inspection negotiation went overall smoothly. Once the buyer had false alarm for suspected gas leak and Kathryn responded professionally. She called in the gas company and furnace company to make sure that they are indeed false alarm.

It went wonderfully. Kathryn and Lauren are really more like family than realtors. They were great teachers and talked me down when panic set in. They gave great recommendations for good contractors to help repair the home. They represented my interests ably throughout the process. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Kathryn to anyone selling or attempting to buy a home.

I could not ask for a better experience selling my home.  I let Kathryn take over the staging of my house as I know she has her finger on the pulse of what the market is looking for.  The transaction itself was seamless and completed in a very timely manner.  I highly recommend Kathryn if you are buying or selling your home.

I have never worked with a more professional broker than Kathryn Madison. Others get the listing and then sit back and hope the home sells itself. Kathryn was engaged in my sale from the first day when she told me exactly what I needed to do to get it ready. Once it was ready, she orchestrated a frenzy of activity resulting in 10 excellent offers, several of which were well over asking. She then used her expertise to weed through them and help me select a buyer who would be committed through the process. Her persistant follow-up achieved a close in 30 days even though the buyer was obtaining FHA financing and had much less experienced representation. I wouldn't hesitate to utilize Kathryn's talents and expertise on my next transactions. .

Kathryn Madison is a true pro. From the initial value analysis on the home we sold, to the final negotiations and closing details on the house we bought, she exercised incredible strategic skill, attention to detail, empathy, compassion, thoughtful guidance, and - probably most importantly in our process, a discerning eye and keen ability to keep us "on brief" in terms of what we were looking for in a new home. We have purchased three homes in the past (San Francisco, Portland and Texas) and Kathryn was by far the most competent, effective and pleasant agent we've had the pleasure to work with. This was also our first time navigating the sale process, which felt daunting at first: it was critical that we had someone who could make us feel confident that we were in the best hands possible; Kathryn did all of that and more. 
1. Sale process: Kathryn's expertise and knowledge of the market was a key factor in the success of our sale process. We sold our SE home in 6 days and received 8 offers. Final sale price was 108% of asking. She helped us understand how to prepare the house, wisely counseled us to stage it, and then provided an army of responsive, highly professional vendors to help with the preparations. The house was so beautiful it was nearly unrecognizable to me as we went to market. The professional photography that she arranged and beautiful website that was put together underlined the "wow" factor we were after. More than 50 people toured the home in the first 3 days it was on the market and the pile of agent cards on the kitchen counter helped prospective buyers understand the competition they'd be facing. The deal closed in a timely manner with nary a speed bump along the way. Her soft "people" skills were key in keeping all parties calm, level-headed and pointed in the right direction. I truly believe her ability to establish and nurture genuine relationships is critical to a smooth real estate transaction. Her guidance as we navigated the onslaught of offers helped us cull through the many variables to land the right buyer for a house that was very special to us, at a price that gave us maximum value for this important investment. 
2. Home search process: I gave Kathryn a tight and challenging set of parameters when we set out to begin our search. I wanted a home with architectural interest, a feeling of extreme privacy, and with incredible re-sale potential (we are still young in our careers and I wanted to keep our options open in case we were to be relocated in future). The hunt took longer than I'd hoped, because finding all three of those things in one home is easier said than done. There were many moments when my partner and I were ready to compromise, desperate to be out of the flux that we were living. Kathryn "un-sold" far more houses than she sold, ultimately talking me out of several houses that would have been extremely unwise from an investment perspective. When I strayed, she gently steered me back to my original parameters, assuring me that the right house would find us and the wait would pay off. 
3.  Making offers: We had offers rejected on two homes before we finally landed our dream location. In one case, we came in very far under asking, because the extensive comp research Kathryn did revealed that the home was clearly overpriced relative to the market. We worked together to settle on a price that seemed both wise and fair. That offer was not accepted, but in the long run that was for the better as it prevented us from over-paying on a house that would have taken years to catch back up with the market. In another case, we came in ultra-aggressively on a home that drew lots of competition. Our offer was 2nd in a line of 8, all of which were well over asking. Ultimately, we opted out of the bidding war, agreeing collectively that chasing the offer war would again lead to a price that was priced far too high above market to make a wise investment. 
4. Landing "the one": We looked at nearly 35 homes with Kathryn (have I mentioned her patience yet?) so by the time we walked into "the one", we knew it immediately. With K's guidance, we put together an offer that was almost impossible to turn down, including a clause that demand the seller accept is 24 hours head of the timeframe that they had set out for reviewing offers. Using multiple strategies, including a strong offer over asking, offering extra time for the seller to live in the house after the deal closed should she need it, and waiving the appraisal contingency (which we all felt comfortable with after a thorough review of over 20 comps), helped get us over the top on a property that was incredibly hot. Our offer was accepted the day after the house went on the market. 
5. Navigating the closing: From inspection to dealing with the loan approval process, Kathryn went above and beyond. After inspection (which she of course attended), she single-handedly arranged and handled all relevant contractor bids necessary to negotiate our repair credit. As the appraisal was critical to the success of the deal, she worked hand in hand with the selling agent to pull a stack of comps that presented a fairly irrefutable argument for value. The appraisal came in and the deal closed, again, without a single speed bump along the way.
6. Responsiveness and availability: Kathryn was impressively responsive throughout the entire three month process, always available at the drop of a hat via text or phone call. When a house hit the market that we thought might be the one, we almost always were able to see it within hours of it hitting the market. We looked at many of the "maybe" houses 2 or 3 times. We went out on weekends, weeknights, in the middle of workdays and sometimes, early mornings. 
7. Aesthetic acuity and emotional intelligence: Kathryn has a keen ability to understand personal style and identify homes that line up. It was refreshing to know that we had a realtor who really "got us" and was able to apply that successfully to the search process. She took time to learn our personal tastes, understand our key drivers, dig into our personalities and fully digest the psychology underneath the actual words that we said to her. 
8. Fun! Going through the selling and buying process is stressful. And your realtor becomes a little like a short-term spouse. You have to be able to do the serious work together and you need someone who is amazing at their work, but you also have to spend a h*** of a lot of time with them, so you better enjoy it! Kathryn has a wonderful personality, lovely sense of humor, and impressive ability to create and exude calm in times of tension and stress. Every step of this process, however challenging, was also fun. The importance of this cannot be understated! Throughout the process we developed a wonderful friendship and, when we found ourselves moving into our new house on Thanksgiving day, with our entire kitchen buried in boxes, she even invited us to her home for an amazing and relaxing Thanksgiving meal. 
Would I work with Kathryn again? Absolutely in a heart beat.
Would I recommend her to friends and family? Without doubt.
Would I have her over for dinner and drinks? Count on it. 
I can't recommend Kathryn Madison enough. Her knowledge of the market, the process, the business, the players, and the emotional/psychological side of real estate make her the total package. 

I interviewed several realtors when I was ready to downsize from a larger ranch home a couple of years ago.  At first I didn't think there could be much difference in realtors, even though I've bought and sold homes in the past.  I'm so glad I took the step to speak with several people, and was really blown away by Kathryn's professionalism, her enthusiasm for my home, and her ability to read and address me exactly as I needed to be "handled."  This made me exceptionally comfortable, and I knew she would bring this same set of skills to handling all aspects of helping me sell my home.
She helped me prepare the home for sale, providing excellent referrals to contractors and other vendors where needed, and held my hand through the whole process, helping keep me from feeling overwhelmed.  Her market savvy and experience ensured not only that the home sold quickly (we had the luxury of choosing from several offers over asking price within 2 days), but that all aspects of the listing and closing processes were attended to appropriately, quickly, professionally and with a personal touch. 
Several months later when I was ready to purchase a smaller home, I again called on Kathryn's help.  Again, her experience, market savvy, and willingness to go the extra mile resulted in a stellar experience.  It took a while for me to find a home in my price range that I was comfortable with.  When I did, we wrote an offer that was among 11 offers made in the first 48 hours.  Even though our offer was not the highest, it was accepted because Kathryn took the time and effort to find out what was important to this particular buyer so our offer would be the most appealing by addressing those needs.  There were some unexpected items on inspection, and Kathryn helped walk me through options, again providing great referrals where needed, and walking through the entire process in close communication to ensure everything was done as needed, on time, and to great conclusion.  
Kathryn goes the extra mile to make sure things are done correctly without ever seeming hurried or fussy.  Her professionalism 
and the quality of her preparation and follow-through are exceptional, and really set her service apart.
I can't speak highly enough of Kathryn.  She has redefined for me what it means to be a true professional.  She clearly loves what she does, and brings all her strengths to her work.  We've kept in touch since working together, and I anticipate keeping in contact for years to come.  
If you want to be really pleasantly surprised, do yourself the favor of working with her!

Kathryn exceeded our expectations during the entire shopping and purchasing experience. She helped us find our home and we are very happy and enjoying the home Kathryn helped us find. As part of the negotiating and closing process, Kathryn?s role was critical and her professionalism came through. She was timely on her conveying of information as part of brokering the deal as our representative. She was able to help us line up contractors for the inspections and estimating of items found in the inspection reports. As the sellers were looking to close in a very short window, the timing, organization and coordination needed to be spot on. Kathryn managed us and the process fantastically. She was very considerate and went above and beyond to help make the negotiation period and close period
as smooth and painless as   possible. Kathryn was a true professional and I would recommend her services to our family and friends, and would use her again if the  need ever arose.

In regards to our listing:

She advised us on how to prepare our home for sale and also connected us with a great staging company and contractors to get a few projects done. Kathryn is very skilled at envisioning a property at it's best and helping coordinate the process of dialing it in so everything looks dynamite on listing date.

We had a challenging house to sell.  It was a 50's ranch that was very well maintained and in a nice neighborhood but it had some quirks so we knew it would require a different buyer than your average couple or family.  Through the process, she advised us very well on what updates we could make that would provide the most positive impact on prospective buyers. Her advice paid off...we sold the house 2 days after listing!  She was an excellent negotiator and advocate on our behalf through the inspection period when repair issues arose.

In regards to our buying process:

We searched for an entire year for our new home and Kathryn was ENDLESSLY patient with us and all the homes we wanted to see.  We had quite a long list of constraints and she was really good at helping us weed through properties online and narrowing down which ones were worth touring. Kathryn is on the ball ALL the time.  If we were interested in seeing a property she would make it happen that day if necessary. She even tolerated touring 6 homes in one day, in our car with us and our kids! She always goes above and beyond and seeks the very best for her clients.  She provided immense advice and help when inspection issues arose in the purchase of our new home as well.  She had very clear and confident direction for us when we needed it most.

Kathryn is a fabulous realtor, an ultimate professional - polished, dynamic, charismatic, and savvy, yet approachable, kind, honest, and very easy to work with!

Kathryn is a TRUE gem!

Exceptionally well done!  Kathryn ventures far beyond a Realtor role.  Her knowledge of the market, targeting the sale for the right buyer, timeliness, straight forward communication, knowing how to prepare and stage the property, all brought us a terrific outcome.  
Kathryn, as a result of her high standards,  has been able to also connect with high standard service providers that helped in the preparation and repairs needed to assure a solid sale.  I strongly recommend this Realtor to a buyer or a seller.

Despite the lack of true comparables for my very small but nice house, Kathryn came up with a good price -- much higher than I'd expected -- and guided me to prepare the house and have it staged so it would stand out and sell quickly and well. Her photos of it were great. The house sold in a day for more than the asking price. She was extremely helpful and hard-working throughout the whole process, and the sale went very smoothly. Altogether, her skills and service are superlative, and it was a pleasure to deal with her. I've sold a number of houses over the years, and Kathryn is simply in a class of her own.

Kathryn Madison was recommended to us by a friend and we were wise to listen.  Kathryn's  professionalism, market experience and attention to every detail was invaluable to us prior to the listing and upon selling our home.  She walked us through every step, providing trusted counsel and great resources.   We sold our home within days of it's listing and closing went smoothly.    It was a pleasure to work with her. 

The sale of the house went quickly and without any surprises. Kathryn provided me sound advise and she was in contact with me throughout the transaction. I was out of town toward the end of the sale. During this time Kathryn went out of her way to handle several items that needed prompt attention. The house needed an inspection and  few repairs. Kathryn put me in contact with businesses to do the work. All work was done quite satisfactorily. I am extremely pleased with all the work that Kathryn did for me.

I'd been waiting until some improvement in the market to list my home for sale, and had been dreading what I knew would be a lot of work to clean things up and prepare for the sale.  I knew I'd need someone who could keep me on task and provide good references for qualified and effective contractors to bring a number of small details into line for this listing.  I interviewed several realtors, not really expecting to find much difference, but I was so glad that I took this extra step, and though I spoke with a couple people I liked, I was unexpectedly impressed with Kathryn's confidence, directness, and the comfort she has with her business which easily translated into my comfort working with her.  
Kathryn was amazing.  After just a few minutes with her I could tell she knew how to read and relate to all kinds of people, and that this would benefit me during all stages of the preparation, listing and sale of my home.  She brings genuine friendliness, professionalism and impressive business acumen.  Kathryn's ability to see the potential of my home was what impressed me most.  She brought that vision and the right help to transform it.  I appreciated her approach of doing the work up front to allow for a quick and effective listing.  This philosophy matched my own - I loved my home, and though I was ready to move on I wanted to leave it in good shape and to provide a good home for the next owners.
Throughout our couple of months working together I continued to be impressed with her knowledge, savvy, genuineness, experience, personability, and professionalism.  She said early on that she endeavored to earn my esteem and her keep.  She did both and exceeded my expectations in so many ways.  I never expected to be able to say I really loved working with a realtor, but I found all of my interactions with Kathryn to be good and useful.  She knows her business, she loves what she does, and she never once stressed me out.
My house listed on a Friday.  The following Monday we sat down to consider three offers, the lowest of which was full asking price.  I should be so lucky as to have any future real estate transactions go as smoothly and successfully.  I'm convinced that the preparations Kathryn guided me to make increased my selling price significantly and allowed me to sell my beloved home easily, quickly, and in all good conscience.

Brilliant.  Kathryn's professionalism and knowledge of the local Portland
real estate market far exceeded our expectations from start to finish.  My
husband and I will contact her again for our real estate needs without
hesitation!

It was a great experience.  Kathryn is an amazing realtor.  She is sharp and yet not pushy.  She was very proactive about selling my house.  I was a little overwhelmed, but that didn't seem to bother Kathryn.  She just kept me focused and told me what to do, basically, and I did it. She is a real pro and a lovely person.  She guided me through the sale, inspection, escrow and quick closing of my house and now is helping me purchase another house.