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| REALTOR |
Windermere Real Estate/Northwest, Inc.
2636 NW Market Street
Seattle, WA 98107
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| Why her. |
| I’ll tell you why. She’s all about the work, and it helps that she loves people! You and Darlene will quickly find some common ground. Once she knows you, she knows how to go to work for you, helping you scale up, scale down, or just get started on your first real estate adventure. (Oh—by the way, it’s pronounced [so-ZEE-no]. It’s Portuguese, and she got it from her husband.) [ ] In her words: “Whatever stage of the real estate game you’re in, and whichever side of the transaction you’re on, I can help you. It’s a big moment for you, and it’s my job—and my pleasure—to make it happen.” |
| Who she is. |
| Some folks are right-brained, creative types; some folks are left-brained number heads. I don’t know how it happened, but Darlene is both. The right-brained part went and got a degree in Residential Design from the Art Institute of Seattle. The left-brained part owned and ran an accounting/bookkeeping business for seven years. [ ] Darlene’s a small-town Washington girl with roots in Tenino (near Olympia). Her mom’s a gardener and a farmer. Her dad has his own metal shop. (He did all the steel work at Cabela’s, in Lacey.) Darlene got her own buckskin quarterhorse when she was eight, and her mom made her prove she could ride bareback before she would buy Darlene a saddle. [ ] Interviewer: “What was your horse’s name?” [ ] Darlene: [Pauses, then laughs] “Buck. Okay, my life has changed a lot!” [ ] Darlene and her husband Ed make Ballard their home. They bought their house in 2001, right before the Majestic Bay Theater opened. In her words: “Ed and I started seeing all the shops, good restaurants—we were sold. And all our friends were saying, ‘You can get more house someplace else! Why Ballard?’—but we wanted to be here, within walking distance of the downtown, and we can feel the change in it. Ballard’s like a small-town destination, and I have it here in my backyard! It’s just going to get better.” |
| What It’s About. |
| Darlene is a negotiator. In her words: “In my family, I am known as ‘The Hammer.’ This is because I never give up on a negotiation. My family members take me along when they want to buy cars and stuff.” After Hurricane Katrina hit, the Red Cross emailed its members that they needed volunteers. Darlene turned up in New Orleans. She spent three weeks there—the last one, in charge. She’s been a leader in a national emergency; she was once a competitive trail rider and barrel-racer; she rides a motorcycle to relax, and she can cipher in her head. In dealing, she cuts straight to the essentials. Real estate’s the only place where all these things make sense at the same time. She’ll crunch your numbers; she’ll stage your home; she’ll advise you on design; she’ll negotiate a great deal. And, because it’s fun for her, it should be fun for you, too. |
| What Other People Say. |
| “When I first met Darlene, I was impressed with her energy and intelligence. She quickly grasped the significance of green building in the marketplace and sought to get educated on the topic. But what really set Darlene apart is that when she realized how much understanding sustainable lifestyle choices benefited homebuyers, she went out of her way to facilitate education for her peers. After reaching out to my firm to offer green building seminars, Darlene coordinated a program of more than a dozen sessions. Thanks to her efforts and enthusiasm, over 100 realtors gained a better understanding of green buildings and how their characteristics benefit home buyers.” –Michelle Rosenberger, a Partner in ArchEcology, a green building consulting firm [ ] “Darlene’s the most upbeat person you will ever meet. One more beat, and she’d be off the planet.” –Ed Sozinho. |
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