Hire the agent you can be honest with
Most agent bios look the same. Same headshot, same smile, same promise to “work tirelessly for you.”
I look different from that bio. I’m covered in tattoos, my style leans dark & alternative, yet I’m a bubbly blonde woman, which tends to scramble first impressions. I’ve stopped trying to sand that down.
Here’s why. Buying or selling a home means sharing real information: your budget, your timeline, your fears, the thing you’re nervous to say out loud. People only share that with someone they feel at ease around. In my experience, that ease comes faster from honesty than from polish.
Before real estate, I worked as a life and health coach, ran a private training gym, and spent years behind a craft cocktail bar. All three taught me the same lesson. Meet people where they are, listen first, and don’t perform.
That’s what I mean by convivial. It isn’t being everyone’s best friend. It’s making the conversation easy so the hard decisions get clearer.
What that looks like in a real transaction
I explain the data in plain language and let you decide
I flag a house’s quirks and risks before you fall for it
I say the uncomfortable thing about price, kindly and early
You can change your mind, ask the “dumb” question, or tell me the budget is scarier than you thought
Why it matters in Flagstaff
Our market asks a lot of buyers and sellers. With median home prices hovering around the $800K mark and sellers still struggling to sell for what they want to, decisions get made under pressure, with real money on the line. The agent beside you should be someone you can level with, not someone you feel you have to impress.
Think about it this way. You are hiring someone to stand next to you in a negotiation. Their style doesn’t have to match yours. Their honesty has to be something you can count on, and you should be able to feel that early.
So if you’re meeting agents, pay attention to how the first conversation feels. Do you relax or tighten up? Do they sound like a person? Trust that read.
If you want to talk through buying or selling in Northern Arizona, reach out through my website. Bring the dog, the Pinterest board, and the budget worries. I’ll bring the data and the honesty.