Trust Built One Showing at a Time

Sometimes, the biggest compliment you can get as an agent is not “you found me a home”—it’s “I trust you.”

A couple of years ago, I met a buyer who had been quietly searching the Portland real estate market for nearly a year. She had worked with another agent before but felt pressured to move faster than she was ready for. By the time she called me, she was cautious, almost guarded. “I’m not in a rush,” she said. “And I don’t want to be pushed.”

So we started slowly. A showing here, a walk-through there. Sometimes we’d go two weeks without seeing anything new. I’d still check in—no agenda, just making sure she knew I was still in her corner. We talked about the neighborhoods she loved (Sellwood, Laurelhurst, and a soft spot for St. Johns), the houses she grew up in, even the color of kitchen cabinets she couldn’t stand.

Month after month, we kept showing up. No pressure. No gimmicks. And then, one rainy Saturday, we walked into a craftsman in Sellwood with original woodwork and a wraparound porch. She didn’t say a word until we got to the kitchen. She just smiled and said, “This feels like home.”

We wrote the offer that night.

That experience reminded me that in Portland real estate, trust isn’t earned by rushing someone to a decision—it’s earned by proving, over and over, that you’re here for their timing, not yours.

Clients choose us because we don’t just help them buy or sell—we help them feel confident in the process. And that starts by simply showing up.

Want to talk real estate—or just swap stories? Reach out anytime.