Colleen Malone | MOXIE REALTY

My wife and I carefully vetted buyer's agents before selecting Colleen of Moxie Realty. There are lots of options throughout Portland, and I recommend doing some comparison shopping. When you do, you'll really see why Colleen is an excellent choice. Even though Colleen's office is small, we selected her because she was by far the most knowledgeable, organized, and focused on personal service than any agents we talked to. She's not a giant operation like some of the others, so Colleen can't accept every client who comes through the door. Colleen does make sure that it's a good fit on both sides before agreeing to work with you, and that means a lot, because it shows you that she's thinking through about how the relationship will work and how to make it productive for both sides. Colleen was willing to show us basically anything we wanted to see, and even threw in other listings that she found that she felt matched us, but also told us when she thought a listing might not fit well and be a waste of our time. We generally went and saw everything anyway, and we confirmed Colleen's instincts over and over again: the ones she suspected were wastes of our time, in fact, were. :) I'm detail-oriented and I had tons of questions. If I do something, I do it fully and make sure every single issue is discussed and explored. Colleen worked well with my nature and was always willing to answer every single silly question that I "just needed to know" -- even going out of her way to make extra phone calls to get answers to what even I admit were minor questions. The real benefits with Colleen became clear after we made offers. The house we ultimately bought had a pretty bad inspection, and Colleen had ready a line of contractors that she knew and trusted to give quick estimates on the work. We then used those estimates as part of the negotiation to gain a much better price, which in turn made it possible for us to buy the property and put in the needed repair work. Since we took possession, I've been going through on Angie's List to verify the various contractors she recommended as I schedule the work, and they are all amazingly well reviewed. This was just yet an additional piece of Colleen's attention to detail and assuring she gets the absolute best for her clients, including among third party contractors that she recommends. Finally, Colleen was incredibly transparent in her operations and never held back with her opinion. As soon as we got a sense we were leaning a certain way, she switched to the "devil's advocate" position and argued the other side. This was invaluable in a high-stress decision making situation like home buying. Her ability to argue both sides of any decision made sure that we got the best advice at every step along the way. I recommend Colleen without reservation. I don't think you can do better for a realtor in the Portland area.

Colleen was the best realtor I have ever worked with. She was the ultimate professional from our first meeting. One of the things that impressed me most when I first met her (because I was also meeting another realtor to find the best fit) was how much homework she did about my house before even meeting me. This was not just what she did while trying to win me over as a client, this was how she conducted business throughout the entire sales process. She was always on top of everything, checking in with me and getting back to me promptly every step of the way. I also really liked the way that she shared her extensive knowledge while always respecting that the ultimate decisions were mine to make. And just to put the icing on the cake, she is a lovely person with a great sense of humor and so much fun to work with. I give her the highest recommendation.

We could not have asked for a more attentive & thorough & communicative agent. Colleen explains all the steps and truly advocates on behalf of her clients throughout the process. She knows all the tricks of the trade, and all the pieces of the puzzle, passing along just enough information to keep her clients well-informed without overwhelming you. We cannot emphasize enough how kind, thoughtful, and effective Colleen is and we've already referred a number of friends to her with great success. I had never sold a house before, and while it's filled with unknowns and potential pitfalls, Colleen makes is as easy as possible and as fun as can be!

It was a good experience from start to finish. I was worried about trying to accomplish so much in a short time - it was 6 weeks from consult to market - but Colleen talked us through all the steps, connected us to contractors, and helped us have confidence in the process. The photographer she used took amazing photos, and our house looked smash. It was 3 long weeks of heavy traffic, but we received a good offer.

Selling this home was an interesting experience. There were three failed sales due to issues with buyers and lending institutions. Colleen worked diligently to overcome those issues and she did. She definitely earned her commission on this one! She felt our frustration but never lost her sense of humor and did a nice job of helping us keep our sense of humor as well. In the end we were happy how things turned out and very satisfied with the deal.

First, Colleen provided us with real-time updates for all newly listed properties, price changes, and what went pending in the zip codes we wanted. This was very helpful, since the best properties attract attention (and offers) within 24 hours of being listed or reduced in price. Anytime Colleen saw a listing that matched our more specific criteria, she personally let me know about it right away. As soon as I expressed interest in the 4-plex, Colleen didn't waste any time setting the wheels in motion. We submitted an offer contingent upon interior inspection, which we were able to perform within a couple of business days. Colleen walked us through and pointed out potential problem areas, as well as positive things the property offered. Colleen took into account my own concerns about which issues I felt comfortable addressing. Ultimately, we proposed a fair counter-offer based on what we saw happening inside the units. Although our counter was declined, I was very happy with the results. If the seller had accepted our deal, it would have been a good one (I think for both sides). As it is, I'm relieved Colleen provided some much-needed expertise, so that I didn't get caught up in what might have been an overwhelming situation as a first-time landlord. Plus, resolving the negotiations early on freed us up to look at other investment properties. In the end, we found the right property for us.

Colleen has been absolutely fantastic to work with, going above and beyond several times throughout the process of finding and buying our first home. We were searching for a home in Portland while still living in a different state, so flying in for a weekend to look at as many homes as possible in a short period of time could have been a real headache, but Colleen was extremely flexible and went out of her way to accommodate our schedule. She was also easy to catch over email and phone and was always responsive to our questions and concerns. As first-time buyers we had lots of each, but she never made us feel dumb or silly. We also appreciated her honesty about her areas of "expertise". At first we weren't sure where exactly in Portland we wanted to be, and she was up front about which areas she didn't know well and may not have been able to guide us best. We did end up focusing in on close-in SE where she specialized and we could tell she definitely knew the area well. We came to her with a list of home we thought we'd be interested in and after looking through some of them and giving her our notes she was able to find us others that she thought we'd like and met our criteria. In fact, the home we ended up buying was one she found herself! I think that speaks for itself in terms of how well she listens to clients and is able to find something that meets their needs and desires. If we?re ever looking for a new house in Portland, we?ll definitely be calling Colleen.

The process went very smoothly. We did a fair bit of online looking at homes and ultimately only visited a few. Colleen was quick to respond to our requests for information and gave us a lot of good advice on the homes we visited. When it was time to make an offer for the home we purchased she showed her mettle by being a strong advocate, and negotiator, for us. We believe that this home buying event was a win/win for everyone involved. We are very pleased with Colleen and will be utilizing her services as we prepare our old home to be sold.

We first contacted Colleen concerning representing us on the sale of our home based upon her outstanding reviews and ratings on Angie's List. She quickly returned our call and after discussing our home (very large home on acreage outside Oregon City), she told us that this is not her area of expertise. She suggested that it would be in our best interest to find a realtor that specializes in country homes on acreage. We were so impressed with her honesty that when our home sold and we were ready to find a new home, Collen was the first realtor we contacted! Colleen worked diligently to help us find the home that fit some of our very specific requests - close to our grandchildren, one level, lots of light, 3-4 bedrooms, room for a large garden, room for a shop and privacy....Over a 4 month period, Colleen patiently helped us preview, reject and make offers on several homes. She always provided us with a professional, non-emotional critique of a home and encouraged us to not "settle" but persevere until we found the right home. In the end, her advice led us to the purchase of a home that is a perfect fit for us. We thought that Colleen's help during the search process was outstanding but she stepped it up several notches (not sure how that is possible) during the purchase process. She was on top of every part of the purchase and gently procured several concessions from the seller. Her tireless work ethic and gentle honesty is a rare find in a realtor and we feel so lucky to have worked with Colleen. We will highly recommend Colleen to any and all people looking for assistance in selling their current home and/or purchasing their new home. You will be working with one of the BEST!

Colleen was extremely thorough, and worked with us to understand exactly what we were looking for in a house. The entire process went smoothly, thanks in large part to her diligence and understanding of the entire house-buying process.

Not too surprisingly, we found Colleen Malone on Angie's List. From the moment we contacted her, she was extremely engaged. She took the time to meet us when we went to Portland for the first time on a purely speculative visit. We weren't entirely sure what to expect. Colleen introduced us to the Portland area, showed us what to look out for, and which areas had the types of amenities were looking for - e.g. proximity to public transportation lines and relatively low crime rates. When the serious house hunting began, she kept fine tuning her perception of what our housing needs were, in terms of the price, the number of bedrooms, 1- versus 2-car garage, etc. We could tell that she was getting because the houses she told us about were much closer to what we had envisioned. After the final offer was made and accepted, Colleen and her assistant provided us with excellent recommendations for local service providers for inspecting and repairing, and they kept on top of the pre-sale inspection and appraisal. Their energy and conscientiousness throughout the process were incredible.

My wife and twin 2 y/o girls moved to Portland a year ago and were renting a condo in the Alphabet District just north of Pearl. The timing became right for us to consider purchasing a home, so we looked at the top folks on Angie's list, and went with Colleen. While the reviews here sealed the deal, Colleen's website and my first email exchange with her sold us. Colleen describes herself as being somewhere between Nancy Drew and Don Draper. And combined with the name of her business, Moxie Realty, we knew we were in good hands. During the roller coaster process of searching, finding, bidding, negotiating, and thumb-twiddling before close, Colleen was a constant source of good humor, pragmatism, trusted advice, and cheerleading. I can't recommend Colleen highly enough. When we need real estate services, or if our friends need a realtor, we're going with Colleen.

I'm not sure if we were extremely lucky or what, but the whole process really couldn't have gone smoother. From our initial meet with Colleen to when we popped the bubbly (she even brought non-alcoholic cider for my pregnant wife!) after getting the keys to our new place, there was little to no stress. For an anxious couple like us, purchasing a new home (while pregnant with our first child) could have been a grey-hair producing event. I credit Colleen's superb communication. At every turn Colleen kept us informed, we never had to ask for something twice, and honestly, really never had to ask for anything. She's pro-active and so on top of things. One particular aspect that really impressed me was her knowledge of technical home issues. While viewing a house she could point out the goods and bads, as any agent would. The difference for me though is she had the technical know-how to explain to us why something was good or bad. Finally, and most importantly, we felt as though Colleen really wanted to find the best place at the best deal for us. Again, this is something that buyers should expect from every agent, or that we should expect from any person that provides a service. It's not always the case though. Once we chose the place we wanted she worked very hard seeing the deal through and even getting a few "extras" from the seller in ways of repairs. We were very happy that Colleen worked as hard as she did for us (going so far as to stay in contact with us while she was out on a planned vacation). We'd happily recommend Colleen to anyone who was needing an agent.

Colleen had been my agent when I bought the house, and there was no question of using anyone else. What sets Colleen apart is that she cares about doing the right thing for her clients, which seems to be a rare thing among realtors. About a year ago I contacted Colleen about selling my home. She told me that she would have no problem selling my house but that it was not a good market and if I didn't have to sell I should try and wait. She suggested some minor repairs/staging that would help with the sale. When I contacted her again this year the market had improved dramatically. We listed the house, had multiple offers, and it was in escrow 2 days later. During the escrow process Colleen always kept me informed of any developments and answered any questions I had immediately. I felt completely comfortable with all of her advice. When I was having panic attacks that the inspection would reveal something awful like a leaky roof she informed me that she had already had a roofing company give a free estimate on any needed repairs so there wouldn't be any surprises. She thinks of everything! Her knowledge of real estate is impressive and having someone I could trust during the process made a huge difference. I cannot recommend Moxie Realty highly enough!

I couldn't be happier with how the sale of my home went. I believe I got the best price possible, considering the current market. Colleen is very knowledgable and very easy to work with. I highly recommend her to anyone wanting to buy or sell a home.

We chose Colleen to help us buy a house in Portland. We had a tight schedule and needed to find the right house during a 4 day visit to the city. In the weeks before our visit, Colleen was very responsive by e-mail and phone. She answered every question, gave us advice on neighborhoods that met our criteria,saw to it that we had the new listings for those neighborhoods every day, and helped us to position ourselves to make a successful offer on a house. When we came to town, she took great care of us, educated us about the city, and the neighborhoods, and showed us how to find and purchase a great home. She helped us through the negotiations and we ended up with the perfect house in a great location. After we left Portland for home, Colleen personally took care of all the inspections and appraisals helping us to make the critical decisions while handling all of the busywork and hassle. She took care of every detail right through the closing and provided expert advice and counsel whenever things got tricky. We never had any worries because Colleen was so knowledgeable, ethical, responsive, and on top of every detail. Buying a house in Portland can be difficult, but Colleen and Moxie Realty were awesome!

I believe the foregoing captures the essence of my husband and my experience. I had to make an effort not to be overly effusive about Colleen and Moxie as I did not want to seem over enthusiastic and thus insincere. The truth is, however, that I consider Colleen a dedicated professional who knows her business and does not hesitate to "tell it like it is" ... she is, quite simply, a "one of a kind" and worth every penny she earns in commissions. Beverly Norris Joy and L. Jason Joy

Moxie Realty helped us find our "dream home" this summer, in an area that has been in very high demand (despite real estate trends) - and within two months, we had found it. Colleen was very down-to-earth and open, and as first time buyers, we felt we could trust her to walk us through our first purchase step-by-step. The search: Our ideal area was an area that is in incredibly high demand, especially for our price range. Colleen was open with us from the start about the demand, and cautioned us that it might take a while to find our dream home (in a climate of bidding wars and multiple offers). But she was completely on board with us, and within two meetings (and maybe 10-15 homes?) she had our style and preferences nailed. She was also very knowledgable about old homes, and taught us a lot more about construction during that period than we had known going into making the decision to purchase an older home. The offer: When our home came up about two weeks later, she helped us prepare an offer with the keen knowledge about the timing of the listing - and our first offer was accepted. Negotiations/Closing: As part of our initial offer, we had offered a shorter inspection period, and Colleen's follow-through during our inspection period was incredible: after our initial home inspection a few things came up, and in **four days** we had six contractors/specialized inspectors come and look at/measure various aspects of the house (which she had suggested and/or we had requested). Going into negotiations we had plenty of information about the house, and felt very comfortable purchasing. She was very communicative at all stages of the process with everyone, and worked well with our mortgage broker, etc. during closing. With Colleen, I felt the fun in home buying, which more than offset the stress of being a first-time home buyer. Thanks!

In selling our home, Colleen did an incredible job with the marketing, navigated a challenging bidding war, and helped us to secure a fabulous sale that allowed us to rent our home back for over six months while looking for our next house. She was especially helpful during the inspection period of the sale, scheduling and meeting contractors at the house when we were not able to do so. Our search for a new house was difficult and long, due to there being very little on the market that met our needs. Over the span of many months, Colleen remained attentive, responsive, patient, and wise. At times when we were desperate and tempted to make an offer on a house that did not meet our dream criteria, she tactfully advised caution and helped us avoid more than one disaster. She also humored us when needed, and patiently showed us homes that she knew we were not likely to make an offer on. When we finally found THE home, Colleen was, again, a total superstar. We jokingly called her our "real estate ninja" because of her daft ability to massage deals in our favor and help us maintain our calm. I cannot say enough good things about our work with Colleen. I only hope Moxie will still be around in 30 years when we are ready to downsize.

we had a very unusual situation from the get-go with our immediate neighbors wanting to buy our rental house. our initial intention in contacting colleen was to collaborate with a professional regarding our situation and potentially get "comps" for our home in order to achieve a selling price, either FSBO or potentially with a realtor's help and representation. colleen was immensely invaluable to us from our first meeting. she openly explained all of our options; the pros and the cons; gave recommendations on legal representation (should we choose to sell the home ourselves) and even offered for us to follow up with any questions should we decide to go solo. she was amazingly generous with her time/professional knowledge and extremely accommodating without any pressure what-so-ever to work with her or sign a contract. prior to our decision to hire her as our realtor, she provided the comps that we needed and despite her other clients, was always available to us + quick to reply. we kept her in the know as we waded through the decision process and ultimately (but happily) signed a contract after the neighbors eventually flaked out...... once we decided to list, we had a whole new hurdle to jump through - showing a tenant-occupied home. colleen was equally sensitive and respectful of our tenants' privacy, and came to the table with a variety of options for us all. after presenting to my tenants, we then collectively agreed upon a couple of different approaches at showing it. one of which involved colleen being the point of contact for my tenants, which i was completely comfortable with.... as were they. during our three months in rmls, we had many interested and 2 offers. there's too much detail to report on each of the offers and why they didn't actualize, but colleen was superb throughout and always going to great length to secure the offer. eventually, we had to pull our listing from rmls and re-rent it, but our greatest success came in discovering colleen! when the time comes to list again, there is no question as to who we will call. the level of professionalism and graciousness that colleen demonstrated was unparalleled and i will continue to refer her to anyone looking to sell or buy a home. thank you colleen!!

Colleen proved herself to be very competent and professional from the start. When we first met with her to assess our house and the prospects for putting it on the market, it was clear she had a lot of knowledge about our neighborhood and the general market at the time. She is down to earth and easy going. Anybody that is looking for an agent to help them sell their house or to help buy a house should seriously consider giving Colleen a call. You will not be disappointed!

Colleen was very personable and appeared to be professional. However, after our initial discussions (the next day), she informed us that she had limited time resources and would not be able to work on selling our house for several more months because of an excessive workload. Considering her knowledge of the amount of time required for marketing a home, she would have surely knew this information prior to our first meeting and could give us a pass before we wasted our time. The impression (and this is my opinion and has some speculation) I ultimately had was that she was only interested in work that could a) turn a fast profit and b) would not act as a time drag. Fortunately we found an excellent agent who made selling the house a pleasant experience.

There should be a four star rating available to adequately grade the services Coleen provides. We needed to be away from Portland and were anxious about the many complications that can arise in real estate transactions. We needed to find someone we could trust explicitly and we did. We found Colleen on Angies List. She had an impressive sales record that was not restricted to one geographic area of the Tri-County region, nor did she specialize in one type of property. With the name of Moxie Realty, she appeared to be a generalist with an attitude. Our first meeting was for lunch at wharfside. She proved to be articulate, knowledgeable and open to participation if we wished. We connected instantly. After a site visit of our condo, she suggested some reasonable prep work which she facilitated. She also suggested a price that was advertised and distributed. Six weeks went by with lookers from her network of independent realtors, but no offers. She suggested a reduction with which we agreed and traffic increased, but no offers. Finally we received a low ball offer that Colleen said we could reject it out of hand, or offer an as-is bottom line response. That turned the haggler into a buyer and we went on to close in less than 30 days. Because we were out of town during most of the sale, Colleen kept in touch by email and cell phone. She used an on-line signature service which precluded the inconvenience of faxes, notaries, etc. Her technician contacts were able to make minor repairs to meet county code requirements without our involvement. If you are looking for extraordianary real estate service, professional acumen, sound advice and respect for your own wishes, call Coleen. Like us, you'll be smugly pleased with your choice.

Colleen was reliable with returning my call, was very articulate on the phone in assessing our needs for getting local home comperables, and was prompt in putting a report together for us. I would highly recommend her as a realtor.

We interviewed several agents from Angie's list to help sell our home. We immediately knew Colleen was the right fit for us - she has a very down-to-earth personality and a no-nonsense attitude. We felt she was very upfront and honest about her role in marketing our home and her availability. We never felt she was ever trying tell us what we wanted to hear just for the sake of making us happy. She gave us very good, easy, inexpensive suggestions on getting our house ready to sell. She worked very h****** our sale and made herself very available to help coordinate contractors to make repairs necessary to close the deal. We received an offer 14 days after putting the sign up and closed about 1 month after that. There was a flurry of activity from start to finish but Colleen truly made the entire process painless. We used a different realtor years ago when we bought our home and we always felt like he was more like a used car salesman than a trusted person we would use for future real estate transactions. Colleen - we will use for life! We have referred her to friends and have already had some close friends use her, love her and purchase a home with her help.