A house is made of walls and beams
A home is built with love and dreams
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Selling a home can be an overwhelming process. I'm committed to providing you the service you deserve from the time you contact me until a transaction closes. I pride myself in being a hard worker, a good communicator and your best interests are always my top priority.
With 20 years of experience helping people buy & sell homes, I’ve navigated different markets: strong, challenging and in between. Over these years I've helped people in all stages of their life and real estate experiences.
I’m a native Oregonian, born and raised in Portland. I graduated with a BSN in Nursing from the University of Portland and worked as a Nurse for over 15 years, both as a floor nurse and a case manager. The assessment and negotiation skills I honed in Nursing has served me well in real estate.
I started my “second” career as a licensed Real Estate Broker at The Hasson Company in 2004. In 2022 The Hasson Company merged with Cascade Sotheby’s creating Cascade Hasson Sotheby’s International. I love working with people and feel privileged to help my clients in typically the largest financial decision of their life. I pride myself in making the process as seamless and stress free as possible, while having some fun along the way.
My husband Mike & I live in NW Portland and have two boys. Matthew graduated from University of Portland and is working in tech sales and Connor is attending Oregon State. We also have a sweet Goldendoodle named Charlie who is everyone's friend. We love spending time together as a family. We are big sports fans and enjoy cheering on our favorite teams, hanging out around the fire pit and making annual trips to Central Oregon & Palm Springs. We also love exploring new cities, making sure we try and catch an MLB game in each one. I enjoy hiking, gardening, decorating, and love exploring what Oregon has to offer.
My Home Selling Process
My first visit to your home:
Get to know you and understand your goals
Tour your home, taking notes of special features/upgrades and other amenities
Go through Pre-Listing Checklist (condition & age of roof, mechanicals, etc…)
Brief overview of how I run my business
Brief overview Cascade Hasson Sotheby’s International Realty
Typically, no pricing opinions on this visit
Our second visit: After doing research on your property and comparing to recent comparable sales of nearby homes and current market conditions, I will present a Comparative Market Report (CMA). We will:
Review the market analysis
Review listing paperwork
Discuss pricing strategies & timing
Complete listing paperwork & disclosures
Based on my tour of your home, I’ll begin the process of helping you prepare your home for sale. This is a VERY important step, you only have ONE first impression. I have plenty of contractors/resources to help you.
Interior:
Declutter/ Donate/ OK to start packing items you don’t use
Replace burned out light bulbs
CO2/ Smoke Detectors: Check dates/ Replace if expired
Interior Paint (touch up or repaint), esp. door jams and baseboards
Professionally clean carpets as needed
Professionally clean home
Remove/ Lock-up items of value (medications, jewelry, and collectables)
Exterior:
Yard Clean Up: Trim/ Clean Beds/ Fresh Barkdust
Clean gutters, have windows washed
Deck or Patio? Clean or power wash as advised.
Freshen up Front Door Area/Porch (touch-up paint, seasonal flowers, doormat)
Professional Staging:
I may suggest a staging consultation. If a home is vacant, it will show much better in photographs and in person if staged with furniture and accessories. Sometimes it’s also beneficial to have a stager fine tune the arrangement of your furniture.
Professional photography:
Always provided by me
Includes high resolution photos, aerial drone shots
Virtual Tours or videography are other available options
Online Presence/ Spreading the Word:
RMLS- available to over 8,000 local agents
IPW- Individual Property Website (specific to your home)
CascadeHassonsir.com, kathykollas.com, Realtor.com, Trulia, Zillow and other sites
Social Media blasts on Facebook & Instagram
Email blasts to Cascade Hasson Sotheby’s Agents and other Top producing agents
Marketing Materials to include:
Post for sale sign in yard, if a condo, signage per association rules
Post directional awareness signs around your neighborhood
Full color Eco-flyer attached to the signpost and full color paper flyers
Professional floor plan sketch to showcase floor plan and verify square footage
Showings/Lockbox:
Showings are typically scheduled online. We will discuss showing times and any special arrangements you need You can expect each showing to last 15-30 minutes A lock box will be placed on the front door or rail for realtors to access key via an individual code. I receive alerts of showings as they happen.
Feedback/Communication:
I’ll gather and share showing feedback from agents who have shown your home. Listing Activity Report – Will be provided for tracking market activity, showings and open houses.
Communication tools include phone, text, and email- whichever you prefer.
Open Houses
Open houses may include a Broker Open & weekend open houses for the public We will discuss open houses- the advantages and risks involved.
What happens when once you get an offer?
We’ll review offer or offers and strategize how to respond
Once you’ve accepted an offer, the timelines begin, your home will become pending and you’ll no longer be showing your home to other prospective buyers.
Escrow is opened at the Title Company- they are neutral party handling the documents required to transfer title and closing.
Buyer performs inspections, that day you’ll need to vacate your home for approximately 3-4 hrs. Some issues any may require bids- any repairs or credit for repairs are negotiated
If buyer is financing they will need to have an Appraisal. You’ll want your property in show ready condition the day of. I will meet the appraiser to provide additional details and comparable sales to support the sales price. Once appraisal comes back (typically 3-5 days) and if acceptable it’s onward towards closing.
You’ll want to contact your utilities and give them the day of closing to take your name off the account
You’ll sign documents at the Title company within a week of closing. Closing is the day the deed is recorded, and title is transferred to new owner. Depending on negotiations you would be moved out of the house by then. You may have negotiated a rent back, if so, then that day will be when you need to be out.
You should leave your home cleaned and yard tidy for the buyers. You did it! Time to Celebrate!!
What my clients are saying.....
“Kathy did an excellent job selling our house. She gave helpful advice on what we should do to get the house ready for sale and had a Rolodex of quality and reasonably priced contractors to help get the work done well and quickly. She was friendly and easy to work with as we walked through the listing, bid receiving and home inspection process - which is always a little nerve racking We were really happy with the process and feel good we got the best deal we could have gotten for our house, thanks to her efforts!” ~
Molly
“Kathy helped me sell my home this past month, she was extremely knowledgeable, patient and helpful, but what I appreciated most was the time she took getting to know me and what mattered most to me through the process. It was my first time selling a property and Kathy coached me through it, referred me to reliable resources, and helped negotiate a great deal on my house. I couldn't be any happier and recommend Kathy enough. 10/10 would recommend!” ~ Connor
“Although I've known Kathy and her family for many years, I had never worked closely with her in a professional capacity. I carefully weighed the idea of working with someone I knew, which had the potential for disappointment if that person didn't meet my expectations. In this particular instance, I was choosing a broker to help with the sale of my aging parents' home, so there was a very personal element to the process as well. In the end, I chose to work with Kathy based upon the type of person that I knew her to be. She quickly earned my "professional" respect based upon her responsiveness and follow-through. When I had questions, she quickly found answers. When I needed a sounding board for ideas, she listened and gave relevant and wise counsel She provided excellent service, helping with contacts to quickly complete the "pre-sale process" such as house and window cleaning, staging, etc., and took much of the worry and headache off of my shoulders by offering to take care of the many details involved in the transaction. While I'm very pleased that the house ultimately sold quickly, I also couldn't be more pleased with the way Kathy performed her job; she met and exceeded all of my expectations. I unequivocally recommend Kathy Kollas!” ~
Steve
What my clients are saying.....
“We couldn't have done it without our realtor. Kathy set us on the path to a successful sale. She arranged for the beautiful staging and guided us as to the best way to maximize our property's value. She did such a great job that we sold within 5 days. Her pricing was spot on and her familiarity with the neighborhood was invaluable. We definitely recommend Kathy Kollas for your real estate needs.” ~ Jolene
“My husband and I agonized over which realtor we should choose to sell our home that we had lived in for over 29 years and we are so delighted that we chose Kathy, who was recommended to me by my mother's attorney. She was terrific. Not only did she have expert local knowledge of our area, but she was also up to date with all the new realities of selling a home. She was a real marketing pro! She helped us get our home ready by getting us the resources to help us stage the property and then get it photographed so that it looked amazing! We probably had at least 20 families come to view our home the first couple of days it was on the Market -- I am sure that the way the home was presented online was key to this response. Kathy was also hugely helpful when we had to sort through multiple offers on our property. As the sale progressed through the process, home inspection, appraisal, and so on, Kathy was always there and on top of things. This was immensely helpful to me as I am a real worrier. Our sale went smoothly and came off without a hitch! Kathy met and far exceeded all of our requirements. She was terrific!!!” ~
Tom & Deb
“Kathy made the entire process of selling our home seamless. From first contact to closing she provided timely communication and expert advice. The Portland market is distinct and having her knowledge and experience working with us was important in navigating the process. She provided all the relevant up to date market data that allowed us to make informed decisions She was very willing to talk through all the scenarios that played into our decisions. With a game plan mapped out she assisted us with all the local professionals, from staging to service providers her network is extensive. We received multiple offers and she presented them all in a easy to navigate spreadsheet so we could easily compare the offers. Kathy is outstanding at negotiations and always kept us current on all communication. This entire transaction was handled while we were out of the country; not a small task Her level of professionalism was apparent at every turn and she provided customer care which was above and beyond. ~ Anita & Tom
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my experience and approach.
I look forward to building a relationship with you and becoming your trusted real estate broker, one that you can rely on and refer to your family and friends.
Kathy Kollas I 503.866.2068 I kathy.kollas@cascadehassonsir.com
Cooper Mountain Vista Hills
West Haven
West Haven
Neskowin
West Haven
West Haven
Bonny Slope
Gearhart
Skyline
WestHaven
Eastmoreland
Neskowin
Bonny Slope
Forest Heights
Forest Grove
Scappoose
Raleigh Hills
Cedar Hills
Clairemont
Cedar Hills
Alameda
Vista Hills
Lake Oswego
Lake Oswego
