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ABOUT ALTPDX

In 1999, our founders set out to provide an alternative to the status quo in servicing the community’s real-estate needs. They traded in their designer suits for jeans and work boots. Today, and every day, we, your agents, continue to walk in their footsteps. We are not afraid to roll up our sleeves as we shine flashlights into crawl spaces, tromp through the mud to evaluate the exterior of a house, consult with contractors, move staging furniture, research permit history at the city, negotiate contracts, and counsel our clients.

We have decades of combined experience in helping ​you​ buy and sell properties in the Portland area. We are experts in close-in Portland real estate, and we are fluent in each of its unique, colorful neighborhoods. Our can-do work ethic and our unwavering commitment to your satisfaction have,​ for 24 years​, kept our business thriving, and our clients delighted, regardless of ever-changing market conditions.

We are here to put our energy, experience, and integrity to work for you. Give us a call!

Enough about us, tell us about you!

ABOUT ALTPDX

In 1999, our founders set out to provide an alternative to the status quo in servicing the community’s real-estate needs. They traded in their designer suits for jeans and work boots.Today, and every day, we, your agents, continue to walk in their footsteps. We are not afraid to roll up our sleeves as we shine flashlights into crawl spaces, tromp through the mud to evaluate the exterior of a house, consult with contractors, move staging furniture, research permit history at the city, negotiate contracts, and counsel our clients.

We have decades of combined experience in helping ​you​ buy and sell properties in the Portland area. We are experts in close-in Portland real estate, and we are fluent in each of its unique,colorful neighborhoods. Our can-do work ethic and our unwavering commitment to your satisfaction have,​ for 21 years​, kept our business thriving, and our clients delighted, regardless of ever-changing market conditions.

We are here to put our energy, experience, and integrity to work for you. Give us a call!

Enough about us, tell us about you!

OUR CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

To share your experience feel free to contact us or email to info@altpdx.com

“Erica is a real estate wizard! When we set out to buy our first house, we had a long wish list that we knew would be difficult to fulfill, and we were completely naive about the process. At every stage of a 13-month-long search, Erica was amazingly calm, supernaturally patient, and always professional, dependable, insightful, resourceful, responsive, and kind. We appreciated that she was never the least bit pushy, but would offer clear guidance and informed advice when we sought her opinion, which was often. As the hunt continued, we started to get tired of looking, but Erica stayed positive and skillfully helped us dodge some houses that we now realize would not have been right for us. When eventually we did find a fantastic home that met all our needs, Erica navigated us through a competitive bidding situation and complicated closing negotiations with utmost grace, efficiency, and savvy. We know we would not have gotten this house without having had her on our team, and we’re so very grateful. We can’t imagine anyone we’d recommend more wholeheartedly.”

“As experienced home buyers but neophyte Portlanders, we weren’t sure what to expect when we sought out to purchase a house. Frankly, we were surprised at how much more to it there was than simply finding a property we liked. It quickly dawned on us that we had a lot of homework to do to learn the neighborhoods, the market conditions, and all of the unique considerations that came with the territory; with Alan’s area knowledge, experience, and connections, we couldn’t imagine a better study partner! Having an agent to help  with everything from finding the right neighborhood (for us) to strategizing the offer was invaluable, and key to turning the house hunting process into an enjoyable and successful venture. All of Alan’s advice and hard work are truly appreciated and we couldn’t be happier in our new home. Many thanks.”

Wow! To say that Leia Carlton is a Real Estate Goddess might indeed be an understatement!

Leia cheerfully took us on as clients while we were in the process of moving back to Portland from Berkeley, CA. Although she knew we had a house to sell back in Berkeley, she was undaunted and gladly took us out looking at neighborhoods even before we could realistically make an offer on something here. She did this as a way of letting us familiarize ourselves with the options open to us. She NEVER pushed a personal agenda on us but acted as an amazing facilitator and guide–thoroughly answering any question we threw at her along the way.

Flash forward 40-50 house tours and several months, and we’re spending the first night in our new (90-year old) dream home. We feel we got exactly what we wanted at just the right price because Leia was such a patient and knowledgeable agent/broker. When we had questions about schools. She had insightful answers. About the wacky Portland real estate tax code? She had answers to those, too. Where to go for late-night eats? Yep, she was dialed into that, too! She even counseled us on what to look for in windows, insulation, systems and foundation. 

Come closing day, Leia was there as we went to sign the mountains of paperwork required to take ownership of a home these days…not because she was required to be there, but because she wanted to be there in case we had any questions. Such a nice thing to do! 

But probably the best thing about working with Leia is that she’s a really cool lady. She’s fun, pleasant and easy to be around. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to anyone and we’ll definitely call on her again in the future!

“My husband and I were buying a place in Portland while we lived in San Diego; quite a challenge. Leia was great to work with, always extremely pleasant, very patient, and flexible–with me as well as sellers. She knows and loves Portland, too, which is very helpful. I also trusted her completely to check out potential houses when I was unable to fly up on short notice. I have recommended Leia and altpdx to others, and will definitely use Leia if we move again. I miss working with her!”

“My husband and I recently relocated to Portland (from California) and worked with Erica to find our dream house. She was unfailingly pleasant and professional. She honed in on what we were looking for and was a great resource throughout. Her calm, no-pressure approach was just we were looking for. Communication was great during the entire process — from finding the right house through escrow and beyond. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience — thanks!”

“We wanted to take the opportunity to thank Alan Allred for his guidance and hard work representing us in the sale of our properties.”

Three properties in 5 months! And none were available for sale longer than a week! From the time we prepared to list a property to the moment we signed the closing documents, he kept us informed of how the process was proceeding. He made us aware of what we needed to do and what he was doing at all times. Alan built a relationship and we were truly partners.

The direction provided was, without a doubt, beneficial to the selling of our properties. Through the course of the various transactions,Alan led us in a collaboration that made the process culminate in an organized and rapid manner. We would be more than happy to recommend him to any prospective clients.”

“I contacted Amy Reed out of the blue as a resident from out of state looking to relocated in Portland.  I asked her about a specific house that had caught my eye and she answered my query promptly and with a lot of detail, familiarity and was very upbeat and helpful.  Even though it must be hard to have to be ‘on call’ nearly constantly, Amy was always available to answer the millions of questions I had about various properties in the following weeks.

She was always willing to visit homes for me via FaceTime to provide virtual tours and was able to make time when I was able to come into town to tour houses in person. I was impressed by her depth of knowledge about the neighborhoods as well as about a given homes potential and future resale value.  I felt I could really trust her opinion and make sound decisions based on her input.  Though the market was in a chaotic period when I was looking to buy, with houses going for far more than they were listed for, Amy understood the conditions confidently enough to help me make a winning offer on a house that I am very happy to soon be calling ‘home’.  I highly recommend Amy for the amount of hard work she is willing to put in, for her flexibility and responsiveness and for her solid knowledge of the various neighborhoods and trends.  She is kind, patient, positive and a pleasure to work with.”

“It took us an entire year to find our home, and Erica was nothing short of incredibly patient, understanding, and professional. She gave us great advice, explained everything clearly, and as another reviewer said, you do truly feel like you have a personal advocate in your corner throughout the home buying process. I would never use or recommend a different realtor and agency to handle my real estate needs, because this is the best service Portland has to offer. We couldn’t be more pleased that Erica and her agency helped us achieve our home ownership dream.”

“We recently purchased a home and Amy was amazing from start to finish. We would recommend her a million times over.  She is brilliant and hard working.  She never stopped working- even on the weekends.  Thank you and we love our home.  Run don’t walk to these amazing folks.”

“Thank you to Erica Dagle for such an incredible first time house buying experience.  Erica’s patience, understanding and guidance through the many months of searching for a house was fantastic.  She is responsive, very available and flexible, knowledgeable and was very understanding of our endless questions about the home buying process. 

I felt extremely comfortable with Erica as the process of buying a house can be both exciting and exhausting, therefore doing it with such an incredible guide was amazing.”

“I’ve been involved in real estate for over 20 years, so I was prepared for the process of getting my home ready, dealing with negotiations and managing the myriad details associated with selling my home.  What I was surprised by was how straightforward Erica made the process. Her analysis of my home versus competing listings was spot on. She connected me with professionals to help me stage and market my home effectively. When I received an offer (in two days!) she carefully explained my options. When there were challenges, she used her experience to negotiate strongly on my behalf. She was very responsive and kept me informed of developments. My high expectations were exceeded – if you’re looking for a professional, transparent and motivated realtor, I would highly recommend Erica!”

“It took us an entire year to find our home, and Erica was nothing short of incredibly patient, understanding, and professional. She gave us great advice, explained everything clearly, and as another reviewer said, you do truly feel like you have a personal advocate in your corner throughout the home buying process. I would never use or recommend a different realtor and agency to handle my real estate needs, because this is the best service Portland has to offer. We couldn’t be more pleased that Erica and her agency helped us achieve our home ownership dream.”

“My wife and I bought our house with the help of Erica Dagle.  She is the best!  We worked with another realtor before making the switch to work with Erica.  It was the best decision we made during our search (other than buying the house we did!).

Our search was focused on inner SE and Erica knows this area very well.  She was fun to work with, was always available, and super professional.  She also comes with a great support network both in the office (Clinton!!) and outside so when it came to the inspection/closing process she had a resource ready to go for every need.

Bottom line, if you want to find/buy your next house you need to meet with Erica and Portland Alternative Realtors.”

“Jim and I have only the highest praise for Amy Reed. We recently moved to Portland from Minneapolis, MN with virtually no knowledge of the local housing market. As veterans of the home buying process, it was with some trepidation that we began the search for a new Realtor. How wonderful that we managed to find Amy. We commonly refer to her as “Our Realtor Amy, The Best Realtor in the World.”

We can’t imagine how anyone could surpass her pleasant and effective style. We found Amy through a glowing review of her office on Yelp during a visit last fall. Luckily for us, Amy answered her office phone late one Friday afternoon and magically arrived at our hotel to show us houses within no time. Amy’s not only incredibly responsive to her customers’ needs she’s also extremely knowledgeable, highly ethical, punctual and charming. She worked with us over a 6-month period, helping us refine our search until we found the house of our dreams. Along the way, she guided us through multiple showings and 3 accepted offers including complex inspections and countless details. She was a pleasure to work with from start to finish. We couldn’t recommend her more highly. You are very lucky if given the opportunity to be her client!”

“Hi Erica—Michael Tocchini here. Hey, I just wanted to let you know of a conversation I overheard on the airplane down to Oakland a week or two ago which made me smile. (And made me realize what a small town this is all over again!) Anyway, a woman in her mid-late 20’s behind me in the plane was talking about this wonderful experience she’d just had buying her first home and how fantastic the company was. I’m not making this up. She was really gushing over details and energy and all sorts of things you’d like someone to tell you if you were anxious about dealing with buying a house, which I think her seat partner was. Anyway, she finished it all by saying: And aside from the company in general, my realtor in particular, a woman named Erica Dagle, was just fantastic. It just made me smile and think of you and how well you’ve done for yourself. I hope all is good and fun and that you’re still smiling often.”

“Our family of four started our search for a new home this year looking for a modest fixer-upper in Alberta Arts and ended up in a beautiful old farmhouse on a few lovely acres in Estacada. What began innocently as a common search ended up being an uncommon process which was truly transforming for our entire family. And Erica, our Realtor, was right there the entire time patiently guiding and helping through all the homes, neighborhoods and towns we explored while attempting to uncover our heart’s desire. In the end, I am so pleased to say that we are on the other side of this quest and we are all very happy in our new home. This house and property are a perfect fit for us all and something more wonderful than we ever could have imagined when we began.”

“We just completed our fourth home sale, the first in Portland, with Erica Dagle and it has been the best experience by far. She is dedicated, conscientious, and business savvy. She really knows her stuff and has great connections with other professionals in the city. 

She is patient, helping you feel very comfortable with the home buying process; giving great support and advice. You really feel like you have an advocate in your new town. 

We fully recommend her without hesitation. She is great!”

“Leia Carlton was my realtor winter-spring of 2014, when I was looking for a house in Portland. After three months of looking, I found a wonderful house and with Leia’s coaching, tendered an offer that was accepted. Leia helped me through the entire process, from checking out possibilities on the web to actual viewing, and after the offer had been accepted, through the various inspections. She was tireless and cheerful throughout the entire process, and a joy to work with.

Leia is smart, incredibly knowledgable about inspections and what problems to look for, energetic, and fun to work with. I have already recommended her to several of my friends, and wouldn’t hesitate to work with her again. She is a true pleasure to know.”

“Erica was truly such a pleasure to work with! She seamlessly guided my husband and I through the terrifying (to us newbies!) process of buying our first home back in 2009 and then selling our home this past month. When we finally came to terms with the fact that we were going to leave our beloved Portland, we knew immediately that we wanted to work with Erica again to have her help us sell our home. What drew us to Erica initially was her calm, yet direct demeanor, which remained true during both the buying and selling process. As we came to find out, selling a house, at least for us, was a much more emotional (and stressful) process than our experience buying a house (at least in 2009!).

Erica is incredibly well-versed and knowledgeable about market trends in close-in Portland areas. Her advice on what things to focus on before putting our house on the market, and what things not to worry about, was really spot on. Since we were moving out of the area due to a job, we didn’t have the luxury of time on our side. Erica encouraged us to move out of our house before putting it on the market and even offered to stage it herself! She did a phenomenal job. She truly went above and beyond when it came to obtaining repair bids, watering plants, relaying information in a timely fashion, walking us through negotiations, etc. I wholeheartedly recommend Erica to anyone looking for a down to earth, smart and easy to work with Realtor!”

“We have worked with Erica to buy two homes and to sell one and have had great experiences. We relied on her to guide us through the myriad tasks and paperwork needed for these huge transactions and we felt very safe in her hands. She was respectful of our opinions and supported our decisions. When listing our house, she provided very good advice for staging and what to fix versus what might not be worth the effort, and lent us some staging pieces. In addition to being a good businesswoman she is also a fun person to be around. We have no reservations in giving her a high recommendation.”

“We were very happy with Portland Alternative Realtor’s Erica Dagle, who helped us find our first home. She was dedicated, taking us around to houses that were sometimes above our price range but that we wanted to see, anyway.  She would often call us to alert us of houses that she thought might go quickly and that we should see ASAP.  But most of all, she was a rock. Buying your first house is scary. We had a small road bump, where we found another house that we thought we liked better (after we’d already had the first one inspected).

Erica was calm and patient with us–she took us to see this other house, telling us that she didn’t want us to have any regrets.  Meanwhile, she also gave us her expert opinion: that this 2nd house was unfairly priced (too low). We ended up not making an offer on it and it turns out Erica was right: there was a bidding war and it sold for far more than we could’ve afforded.  We stuck with the first house we made an offer on and we are so glad we did!  We couldn’t be happier with it. 

All of this is to illustrate that Erica is not only wise in the ways of the Portland housing market, but she also works for YOU. She’s also fun to hang out with!  (Which is important, because you spend a lot of time driving around and looking at houses with your realtor!”

“Derrick and I received the keys to our perfect first home on October 25th, all thanks to Erica Dagle of Portland Alternative Realtors!  Here’s our story…

We moved to Portland earlier this year from California because it’s such a cool and affordable city!  We knew we wanted to buy, but did not expect it to be so soon.

This summer I submitted our info to our credit union to see if we qualified for any type of mortgage.  We were hoping to purchase a condo.  To our surprise we were pre-approved for more than expected.  I now recommend people apply for pre-approval even if you don’t think you will qualify… you may be pleasantly surprised like we were.

Hence began the process of hawk-eyeing listings on Redfin, as they are the most user friendly app in my opinion.  We met a Redfin agent Memorial Day weekend, and from that point on were touring homes and condos left and right for the next 2 months.  Redfin touring agents are very nice, but we did not like the first realtor whom we were assigned to, so they gave us another.  With Redfin, you only meet your realtor once and then random agents take you around when you schedule  showings.  Very convenient if you’re just dabbling the market.

After a couple months of  active searching and disappointments, we decided to try a traditional realtor who could dedicate more time to us and answer my myriads of questions.  I took to Yelp and found Portland Alternative Realtors.  I liked the reviews, and the fact that their office is just a few blocks from our apartment.  I read all the profiles and decided that Erica was the one.  Aside from her gleaming and friendly online photo, I liked the fact that she has vast personal experience in home buying, is licensed as a broker, is a co-owner of the business, and loves cats!

I met with Erica mid-summer at her office.  The office is very charming, a PDX style house right on SE Belmont.  Very non-traditional.  Erica was friendly and bubbly.  I told her that I have lots of free time during the day but no car, so she happily agreed to be my chauffeur.  We were sold on Erica, and the hunt began.

We saw place after place, and Erica would always accommodate me even on short notice.  She has a very pleasant demeanor, not only with clients but also with other agents both live and over the phone.  Rapport was easily established, as Erica works quickly and efficiently, as do I.  Emails, texts, and phone calls were answered immediately or within a very short period- just the way I like it!

In July she showed us a short sale, and our application was approved!  Short sales are long and boring but Erica was patient and helpful throughout the process.  We went to the house several times and were in constant contact.  As closing approached, she came with me to meet with various contractors so we could get quotes on future work to be done.  When the inspection came around in September, the house had too much major damage so we dropped it like a sack of bad apples.
I was disappointed, yet relieved to be rid of a place that would require so much work.  Erica never complained or argued, even though she had spent so much time and effort pursuing this property for us.  She remained optimistic and pleasant.

Just two weeks later we found our perfect gem.   Erica counseled us on how to submit the offer, and even in this seller’s market we were able to get the home for slightly less than ticket price.  Everything went so smoothly and easily, thanks to her work.  Erica arranged all the inspections with her reputable contacts.  She even arranged for a chimney technician and foundation technician to come out and give us free quotes so that we could negotiate repairs.  Much to everyone’s delight, the sellers agreed to do all the repairs on our list.  This being on top of the fact that the home was in excellent condition (unlike the short sale that fortunately and literally fell through)

The loan process was a breeze thanks to Erica referring us to Aaron of Capital M Lending.  Aaron is her loan officer counterpart in professionalism, friendliness, and competence.  We felt safe and secure with this dynamic duo on our side.   More on him later in a separate review.

Thanks to her hard work and constant follow-up with the seller, we were able to close on schedule despite last minute hurdles and hoops.  We received the keys to the perfect starter home.  Erica continued to answer residual questions and concerns I had even after closing.

Although our hopes and expectations were high and our budget limited, we were still able to get exactly what we wanted:  a move-in ready Portland style home in the Inner SE!

We are currently getting improvements and additions for the home, and excitedly await our December 14th move-in.   I full heartedly recommend Erica and could go on saying more positive things about her if only Yelp allowed me more than 5,000 characters.  I look froward to working with her again when we’re ready to buy our second home!

Thanks Erica!”

“My husband and I worked with Leia Carlton as our listing agent and she was absolutely top notch.  Working under a time constraint to pull together a 1031 exchange, she moved things quickly and effectively along.  She had the proper contacts and knew the ins and outs each step of the way.  We couldn’t have done it without her – thank you, Leia!  We wouldn’t hesitate for a moment to refer her to anyone looking to buy or sell a house.”

“We’ve been so impressed with Leia and with the approach that Portland’s Alternative Realtors takes to customer service. We never realized that we could expect to be treated this way by our realtors. Honest! It’s been a revelation.”

“My wife and I purchased our home with Leia in 2012. Before choosing Portland Alternative Realtors, we had interviewed two other agents at two larger firms in Portland. In those interviews, while it was clear we would receive professional and courteous service, it was also clear that the agents did not quite get the types of homes and neighborhoods we were interested in.

Leia was the last agent we interviewed and the difference was clear. She immediately understood the style of home we were after and what we wanted and needed out of the home buying experience. After patiently and professionally showing us 10-12 homes over a 4-5 month period, we found our dream home in May 2012. Leia had singled out the house in an email to us the first day it was listed and we viewed and made an offer that same day. Despite many other offers, Leia provided excellent advice and spent her Friday evening drafting the offer for us and the following day the seller’s accepted our offer.

Once the offer was accepted, Leia and Portland Alternative Realtor’s worth shined even brighter. They were complete professionals with home inspectors and communications with the sellers’ agent and she expertly handled two somewhat major fixes that needed to be made after the inspection was complete. Since then, Leia has been an excellent resource for insurance agents, renovation services, and other needs.

I would recommend Leia, her team, and Portland Alternative Realtors to anyone looking to buy a home in the city proper. You will be blown away by their warmth, professionalism, and results.”

“I was a complete stranger when I moved to Portland after 23 years in Europe. This is a wonderful city, but it was imperative that I find a home, and quickly, too.

Some phenomenally good luck lead me to Leia Carlton of Portland’s Alternative Realtors. I’ve never worked with an American real estate person before and suspect that my experience was sort of atypical. For me it was like going shopping with an extremely knowledgeable friend who was also willing to offer some very subtle guidance. Within one meeting we had each other’s measure: this was a woman I could trust, one who understood what I was looking for even though I hadn’t been here long enough to have a very clear idea of my own. With Leia’s help I found the perfect place in only four month’s time. She guided me though the bewildering process of purchasing my new home. And now here I am – happy as it’s possible to be!”

“As first time home buyers, we didn’t know what we were really getting ourselves into. We met with several realtors before we got started – one was too mellow, one was too aggressive. Luckily, friends recommended Leia Carlton at Portland Alternative Realtors. She was a great balance of a calming demeanor with a keen eye for when to fight hard in our corner.

Leia was amazing – she put us at ease, clearly understood what we were looking for, worked with our schedule, and helped us negotiate for a great house. Her recommendations throughout the bid process helped calm our nerves, and lo and behold, we got the house! I can’t imagine the experience with anybody else.

We’ve already sent several clients her way, all of whom have been equally impressed. Can’t recommend Leia highly enough!”

“Leia Carlton was my realtor winter-spring of 2014, when I was looking for a house in Portland. After three months of looking, I found a wonderful house and with Leia’s coaching, tendered an offer that was accepted. Leia helped me through the entire process, from checking out possibilities on the web to actual viewing, and after the offer had been accepted, through the various inspections. She was tireless and cheerful throughout the entire process, and a joy to work with.

Leia is smart, incredibly knowledgable about inspections and what problems to look for, energetic, and fun to work with. I have already recommended her to several of my friends, and wouldn’t hesitate to work with her again. She is a true pleasure to know.”

“My husband and I were buying a place in Portland while we lived in San Diego; quite a challenge. Leia was great to work with, always extremely pleasant, very patient, and flexible–with me as well as sellers. She knows and loves Portland, too, which is very helpful. I also trusted her completely to check out potential houses when I was unable to fly up on short notice. I have recommended Leia and altpdx to others, and will definitely use Leia if we move again. I miss working with her!”

“Thank you Leia, we are popping the champagne! We can’t thank you enough for all of your expert support. It is nice to have worked with someone so competent and trustworthy”

“Leia Carlton of Portland’s Alternative Realtors is a fantastic real estate broker. Leia helped my wife and I purchase a Portland property in 2005 and sell that same property in 2010. In both instances Leia brought her intelligence, compassion, creativity, and know how to the mix. She actually went above and beyond the typical broker. As clients living out-of-state, Leia became our local eyes and ears, scoping out desirable properties and then conferring with us daily about strong candidates. When it came time to sell, Leia not only helped us to find and coordinate painters and other contractors but she also helped to choose paint colors for the home and brought in a professional stager to stage the house. I think probably the greatest compliment I can give Leia is that my wife and I trust her fully. We trust the integrity that she brings to the process, her knowledge of the business, and the ease of partnership that she creates throughout. We’re grateful that we found Leia and would certainly work with her again.”

“You hard work was much appreciated. Being my first home sale, I have a bad feeling that future home sales won’t go nearly as well, you both made it so smooth. I think I’ve been spoiled, thanks to your hard work. Thank you Leia + Erica.”

“Leia Carlton worked as my seller’s broker for two properties last winter and managed to get both of them sold in an exceptionally difficult market (it was the start of the economic crisis at the time!) Both of the sales were extremely challenging for myriad reasons, and she kept on top of each and every detail (right down to making sure the buyer’s broker was doing their part in one difficult instance) Not only that, but one of the sales had to be completed while I was in New York, and this was something she took care of with ease.

As you can tell, my respect for Leia as a broker is tremendous: She is keenly aware of the market and has an uncanny ability to set the selling price at a point that balances desirability to both buyer and seller. She’s flexible, communicates clearly, and is incredibly human. We have kept in contact regarding a number of other potential transactions since then, and I consider her a real asset!

Portland’s Alternative Realtors is deeply rooted in the SE community. The brokerage she works for is by far the most organized and professional residential brokerage I have ever worked with.”

“We wanted to thank you for all of your time and expertise throughout our search. It was kind of like having a good friend – who happened to know all the ins & outs of home buying – be our partner through it. We truly loved working with you and look forward to doing so again!”

“Leia Carlton was fantastic to work with when we relocated and had to sell our home. She did more homework then any of the other agents we interviewed and readily adapted her approach to what we told her we wanted. She gave us great advice for doing what we could to increase our home’s value without resorting to cheesy “flip it” tricks. She was a very good negotiator, and totally on top of market values in our specific neighborhood. She kept us updated once we were out of state, and went above and beyond the call of duty to make a stressful occasion not so bad. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to any of our friends.”

“As first-time buyers, my partner and I entered the world of real estate needing guidance and support through every step. Leia ushered us through the process with skill and grace, advising us honestly and realistically. Her knowledge of the process and connections in the community allowed our transaction to be executed efficiently and easily. I can still hardly believe that our experience of looking for a house, making an offer, appropriate inspections, and closing on our home all took 6 weeks! I feel blessed and would recommend Leia Carlton as a buying agent to anyone seeking a smooth experience!”

“Thanks for your hard work, dedication, and being such a wonderfully upbeat and positive person to work with. Paths definitely cross for a reason and we are fortunate to have met you. For making our house-selling process as smooth as one could only dream of…”

“I truly appreciated Leia’s efforts to get my house sold. She exceeded my expectations in all respects, and I’ll certainly refer people to her in the future!”

“Mary Sue was my realtor in the winter of 2014.  She is the reason I own my dream home.  I didn’t really know how to “buy” a house, and I feel so lucky that I had Mary Sue’s professional advice, emotional coaching, and experiential knowledge.  She was also patient, and organized.  Like really organized.  People say that its sooo stressful to buy a house, this was not my experience.  Mary Sue basically took care of everything. She had the best recommendations for contractors, and inspectors.  She scheduled the appointments and made all the necessary follow-ups.  I just had to sign my name.”

“It was an absolute joy to work with Mary Sue. We could not ask for a friendlier, more patient, more professional or real person.  She helped us sell our old house and buy our new one, all within a month.  With all the stress and worry that accompany this process, she made it extremely easy for all of us. We have worked with a few realtors before and there are absolutely no comparison with the service we received from Mary Sue and Portland’s Alternative Realtors. We will definitely recommend Portland’s Alternative Realtors when and where ever we can.”

“Mary Sue Denninghoff was my realtor extraordinaire!   This was my first home-buying experience and she was just fantastic throughout the whole process.  She really knows the area, knew what I was looking for, and helped me find it!  I cannot thank her enough for everything she did.  Couldn’t have done it without you Mary Sue!  I would recommend her and PAR without hesitation.”

“We feel so fortunate to have met Mary Sue.  She was such a great asset for us as buyers in a competitive market – a trusted advisor, a persistent advocate, a friend. She helped us through several offers and made what was otherwise an extremely stressful process much more palatable.”

“Mary Sue is the best realtor I’ve ever worked with.  She helped us buy a home and then sell our other home, and she was completely on top of every little aspect of both processes, including making appointments with inspectors and other people for quotes, looking up or making calls about permit and property information with the city, and keeping us well informed of how things were progressing.  And she has a great personality and good sense of humor to boot! Mary Sue was readily available if we needed to talk to her.  We frequently took one or all three of our kids to look at houses with us and Mary Sue was always welcoming, kind, and patient with them, even of our seven-year-old daughter’s many questions!  We would definitely go back to Mary Sue in the future if we need a realtor in the Portland area again.”

“Robbie Ratkai is an effective and very dedicated realtor. He worked hard to find us a home which fit our lifestyle and budget. Robbie knows the Portland market and made efficient use of our time. He also set the stage for an enjoyable journey because he possesses a unique sense of humor and one needs stress relievers during a home search. But Robbie is all business when it comes to negotiations and follow through. If you want an honest, caring, focused and knowledgeable realtor, look to Robbie Ratkai. He won’t disappoint!”

“I just found a great house in SE (with everything I wanted) and got it for a good price!   I’d almost given up hope, but then I found Robbie. 

If you’re looking for a Realtor  you should definitely give Robbie Ratkai a call.   He’s honest, professional, smart, well-informed, patient, kind, and fun!  (And I didn’t just toss those adjectives out there.  I thought about Robbie’s most impressive qualities, and then listed them in order of how important they were to me recently, while I was looking for a home.) 

I felt good about Robbie from the beginning, and now I can look back and see why:   he actually has your back, & he always goes the extra mile.  He knows his stuff and works hard.  He’ll steer you away from the duds (and the nightmares) even though they might mean more $ in his pocket.  He actually wants to HELP his clients find a quality home for a reasonable price.   From the initial meeting, through the home tours,  negotiations with sellers, and even the loan process, he’ll be in your court.  

And if that’s not enough, he’s well-connected in the community and can introduce you to other professionals who will be just as awesome as he is, like his inspector (Bill Owens), sewer scope guy (Ted Mc Bee),  loan officer (Aaron Nawrocki), escrow co (Stewart Title) ., …   AND his phenomenal general contractor, Brian Bachelor, who is (as I type) making all kinds of magic happen in my new little place.    

Best of luck in your search. Portland Alternative Inc., Realtors will make it easier.  I promise. ”

(I found Robbie via internet reviews.)

“I interviewed several realtors but none stood out more then Robbie Ratkai. From the moment we sat down he listened to what I was looking for, digested the information and was able to offer ideas and solutions for what I wanted.

Throughout the process, and it was a loooong process, he was incredibly patient. I’m a very diligent and thorough buyer – the type that probably researches too much and creates multiple spreadsheets to track everything right down to the where a nail is located in the drywall – and Robbie never once flinched at any of this. He came prepared to every house we looked at, recognized faults in places I wouldn’t have even looked and found issues in locations that I thought looked sound.

To throw him another curve ball, we spent months working on a short-sale and he provided regular updates and was a great liaison in my attempted negotiations with the bank.

Overall, Robbie was a great resource through everything, made himself available to work around my hours and had incredible industry knowledge which helped lead me  through my first home buying experience.”

“We worked with Robbie Ratkai and he was absolutely fantastic. Very patient and well-informed. He was a great sport about entertaining our 2 year old (who was crazy about him!) to free us up to look around. Robbie has a perfect combination of a great sense of humor and big-picture insight: he was totally honest about houses we saw and would identify potential drawbacks to consider that I never would have thought of – even things that might not present for several years. I never felt rushed to make decisions or like he was trying to make a sale. It was more like we had a very knowledgeable and witty friend with us to look at possible homes and walk us through the process.

Once we had an accepted bid Robbie expedited making things happen and really simplified the process for us. It was very easy. He lined up a great inspector who we really liked and a sewer scoper. He was out of town for our final walk – through but he was easily in touch and arranged for his co-workers to meet us instead and he even called internationally while he was on vacation to make sure we had gotten the keys and were settling in OK. 5 gold stars.”

“We truly appreciate the work you did to help sell our property.  The entire process felt so easy from start to finish and then some! Thanks for always coming up with suggestions and solutions to fit our situation…you did a lot of extra footwork since we don’t live in town, and we never felt like there was a need to be there because you seemed to be one step ahead in getting things done (for example, arranging to get the keys and set up the staging so quickly, communicating with us promptly throughout the process, and arranging for the closing paperwork to be done in our home).  Your recommendations for listing price, negotiations and timing were well thought out and reasonable, but we also appreciate that you listened to our ideas.  Thank you for taking the time to sell our house…it was a pleasure working with you!”

“We recently closed on our new home and Amy Reed was our agent.  I can’t say enough about Amy’s attentiveness, tenacity, and attention to detail – she was never too busy to help us at every step, and really made us feel like important clients.  I will sing Amy‘s praises from the mountain tops for as long as I live in Oregon!”

“The whole team was amazing and made both my search and first house adjustment as smooth as possible. Being a first-time homeowner, I had countless questions and worries, but Robbie answered them fully in real time, virtually whatever time of day. With hurdles discovered by our first potential mortgage broker, Robbie quickly found us another broker and pushed him along to match our rather tight time frame. From first contact through inspections and even now, a few months later, he has been honest and diligent and ready to help in all ways.”

“I had an exceptional experience with Robbie Ratkai and Portland Alternative Realtors. Robbie listed my home in April 2011 as I was going through a divorce. It was a fragile time for my family, and Robbie was excellent through the entire process. His communication was tremendous, and his understanding of my family’s difficult time made selling my home much easier. Robbie’s experience was obvious. He was meticulous with detail, and he knew exactly what we had to do to get our house sold. Robbie came highly recommended to me, and I would recommend Robbie to anyone looking to buy or sell their home.”

“Robyn helped me buy my first condo. I was so nervous to make my first big investment and she made it so simple. Robyn listened to me and guided me through all the steps to become a homeowner. She showed me tons of properties and always weighed the pros and cons with me. She was attentive to my needs and made me feel like I was her only client. I would definitely recommend Robyn to anyone looking to buy a home. She is professional and goes above and beyond to make sure your experience is stellar.”

“It was certainly my lucky day when I found you! Your knowledge of multiple areas, products, the markets therein, your techno expertise, flexibility in answering requests, wonderful resources, tireless and complete follow-up; these are you, Robbie and how I appreciate you! You are very prompt and professional.”

“Amy Reed is the best! We came to town for a long weekend, not expecting to leave having an offer accepted.  It was unusually quick even by her standards. The bottom line is that we were first time home buyers and generally not well informed and she was so patient with us! She made us feel like we were her only clients, which I knew we were not. This is the best trait of a realtor. She gave us great guidance along the way. She also did not pass judgment on the fact that we were another CA couple looking to buy a house in PDX..which I know is not the most popular right now. I highly recommend her and from what I’ve heard, the entire office is great.”

“Robbie Ratkai was our realtor and was nothing short of awesome throughout the entire home buying process. After finding a house to move forward on, he made negotiating, dealing with multiple inspections, fixes to the house, etc. as simple as it could be. As with any home purchase, there were issues that arose at times, but he never stressed and simply took care of them to make sure we stayed on track for closing. Would highly recommend his services.”

“Robyn worked with my husband and I tirelessly until we found just the right house to meet all of our criteria.  She never hesitated to show us as many houses as we desired to see.  Her positive attitude helped with every aspect of our house buying experience.  If we should ever move, Robyn will be our first call.”

“Dear Owners—I want to write and thank you for the great service we received from your colleague Robbie Ratkai. I just bought my first house and Robbie was an excellent mentor through the process. He was thorough in helping me understand the many steps in becoming a homeowner, he viewed multiple houses with my sister as I was overseas during the purchase process and he provided endless insight into home construction and repair. Robbie was always available for my questions and had several great contacts for us throughout the several months he worked with us. He helped us stay within our limited budget and yet we found a great house that was move-in ready.

Since I was purchasing this home while living in Kenya, Robbie went the extra mile to help me feel comfortable with every decision. He also went even further to close the deal by Christmas (we got the keys on the 23rd of December!) and ensure we were safely in our home upon arrival in Portland. Robbie would be my first recommendation for anyone buying in Portland. I hope that you will make every effort to ensure that Robbie is recognized by his colleagues and future clients as a star performer. He can sort you out whether you are in Portland, or not, and can make a purchase happen regardless of snowstorms and holidays. Thank you for such excellent service!

Kind regards“

“I have to tell you that we sent e-mails to several agents that were recommended to us, and you seem by far to be the best choice for us! We were truly impressed with your organization, your direct answers to our questions, and your personality overall! Have I told you lately that you rock? I think you are by far the most helpful person I have met in a long time. Just thought you should know how much I appreciate you Robbie and all you do for us!”

 My husband and I would like to share our recent experience with Robyn Hartmeyer. We found Robyn was: A Listener, always open to questions, flexible, great at protecting earnest money, personable 100% of the time, but also genuine, educated on the entire buying process or willing to learn, a note-taker of costly repairs for potential homes

Beyond that, you want to know that your broker can handle both good and bad situations that inevitably arise.  We felt that she did this with proficiently by knowing how to navigate the balancing act of going between two sides.  It can get frustrating just trying to enter the housing market at this time for first time home buyers, but as you look at houses it becomes more clear what is reasonable for your price range.  You worry that you will be asked to compromise what you really want instead of looking at more houses, but we never felt that we were asked to compromise.  We obviously liked her and were glad we got to work with her.  Above all her clients get treated like a person by someone who’s really nice.

Thanks to your team“

“I was searching in a very competitive price bracket and neighborhood, and it was pretty frustrating. But Robbie Ratkai was super patient as we visited 40+ houses, filed four unsuccessful offers, and finally landed a place. He’s a goofy, papaya- and tequilla-loving guy, but he’s a welcome change. And when it comes time to negotiate, a second Robbie emerges, and he’s all business… he helped beat the seller into mowing their freaking lawn and never missed a cue or backed away from a confrontation. Really someone you want to have on your side!”

“It is with pleasure and gratitude that I share comments on my experience with Robyn Hartmeyer in the listing and sale of my home. While I have bought and sold several houses, I have never before encountered such a level of excellence.

The experience at each phase of the sales effort was superior, such as innovative efforts in developing prospects, useful insights on pre-listing renovations/staging, effective showings and proactive facilitation during the sale negotiations/due diligence. All of these tasks, whether business-related or interpersonal, were accomplished with a noticeable degree of competence, humility, integrity and grace.

I am very happy to give Robyn my highest recommendation for anyone desiring to sell their property or buy one. Her in depth knowledge and the numerous professional and personal contacts places her in an enviable position from where she can take advantage of opportunities for her clients which other realtors can only dream about. This alone sets her apart from all her fellow realtors in the Portland Metro area.”

“I can’t say enough good things about Amy. We sent an email inquiry to her group requesting a meeting to go over what we are looking for and a month and a half later, we were moving into our new home. She provided a bunch of options for us and always made herself available for showings.  Any questions or concerns we had about anything were addressed immediately. She was always upbeat and made the entire home buying process a breeze. You can tell she loves what she does. I’d recommend her to anyone.”

“Erica has helped me purchase two houses and sell one house.  I was so thankful to have her by my side!  She is an expert on the Portland housing market and knows the process of buying and selling property inside and out.  She was always available to answer questions, and always seemed to be two steps ahead of the process.  She is very professional and has connections to high quality inspectors and contractors.  Her advice was always solid.  I have referred Erica and Portland Alternative Realtors to many friends and co-workers.  We all agree – Erica is the best!  She will always be my go-to person anytime I need a realtor.”

“Robyn Hartmeyer did a great job under difficult circumstances.  Helping sell a house brought on by the ugly sad process called divorce is a challenge that most would have stumbled through awkwardly.  Robyn remained collected, upbeat and kept it simple.  Throw in the fact that no one wanted the place for a stink of a long time was tough for Robyn & and I.  She did not falter.  Robyn helped guide me through and kept my confidence up.  Something that I and others greatly need during the process of a house sale and a divorce. In a nutshell Robyn did an awesome job and I am very grateful.”

“Just bought our first house with the help of Mary Sue Denninghoff, and it couldn’t have been a better experience.  She was there for us from start to finish.  She met us at all hours (nights and weekends) to help us see all the houses we wanted to see.  She scheduled inspections, took care of repairs, and frankly, took charge when the seller’s agent was a bit less than on top of his game.

Even in a crazy seller’s market, Mary Sue helped us feel calm about the whole process, and with her guidance we ended up with a house we love at a price we can afford.  Could not recommend her or Portland Alternative Realtors more highly.  The one time throughout the whole process that Mary Sue wasn’t able to make it to an appointment, Sebastian filled in and was incredibly helpful as well.  The office staff was professional and friendly.  Do yourself a favor, use Mary Sue and PAR.”

“Through both our first-ever home purchase and first-ever home sale, Mary Sue was more like family than realtor. She worked diligently and patiently to find us the right fit in a very competitive market, and helped our home show its best when we decided to move on. Although we were bundles of nerves both times, Mary Sue was reassuring, calm and confident that we’d find the right path, and both times–thanks to her guidance–we did.  Mary Sue is savvy beyond her years, and the extra time she put into our purchase and sale made us feel like we were her only clients. We’ll obviously be using her for our next home purchase in Portland.”

“Overall, we were happily surprised that within two months of working with you, we closed on our first home and we are forever thankful for your help throughout the process.  As first-time home buyers, we were initially very nervous and apprehensive.  Thanks to your knowledge, experience, and guidance, we felt much more confident that we were making the right decisions, and are now happily settled in our new home.”

“I had heard that Leia is an exceptionally able realtor, knowledgeable about real estate in my area.  Yes to that!  She went beyond the duties of her job to advise me about home improvements.  She listened attentively to my questions and thoughtfully considered each of my own ideas as well as coming up with her own.  We left no stone unturned as we toured my house and looked at my garden.  She has such an experienced eye and was willing to envision each option in the context of my finances, life stage and many potential improvements  Leia’s work was professional and then some–it was creative and generous, Thank you.”

“This being the first time I was purchasing a house for myself and moving out of my home state, I started looking for a house in Portland a year before I had even sold my out of state residence. Amy Reed met with me, and gave me the information I needed to prepare for my search. One year later, when I was ready to buy, Amy remembered me was able to accommodate my long distance house search needs. She was willing to spend two very long days taking my partner and I to view houses, knowing that we could only be in Portland a couple of days. She pointed out possible repairs needed for the properties we viewed, and reviewed the pros and cons of each property. When we put an offer on a house, she walked us through the process, scheduled all the contingency period inspections (and negotiated a longer contingency period), and even stayed at the property through the inspections. When the first house we bid on didn’t pan out, Amy helped me by previewing the houses for sale I liked, which houses I found with the MLS listings she emailed me. When she viewed a house that she knew met our requirements, she used FaceTime to show it to me (worked great!) and encouraged me to see it in person when I made an offer. Once again, she made sure all the contingency period inspections were completed and guided us through the process of purchasing the house. I cannot say how much I appreciate the time, effort and hand holding Amy put into our home buying experience. I really felt she was working for my partner and my best interests. I highly recommend her.”

“My husband and I were looking to buy our first home in Portland. While still living in San Francisco. Needless to say we were pretty apprehensive about the entire process. However, our amazing realtor, Emma Frazier, made it very easy for us! We saw about 40 houses over the course of one long weekend, which meant we spent a lot of hours “trapped” in the car together, driving all across Portland. Emma was great. She understood what we were looking for and kept our moods high, even when we were starting to give up…  When we finally found the house of our dreams, Emma took care of everything! Dealing with inspections, getting bids, negotiating with the seller, and keeping us updated every step of the way. If you’re looking for a realtor in Portland, Emma is your agent!”

“When we chose to purchase a home in Portland while still living in San Francisco, we knew that our choice of realtors was going to be a key component in determining whether the experience would be smooth or a huge source of stress.

Colleen Glaab was our realtor, and she made the purchasing process a breeze.  We viewed many, many homes over 2 weekend trips, with Colleen giving us the local perspective and feedback on properties and different neighborhoods.

Colleen handled so many of the details for us, including negotiations with the seller, setting up and meeting with inspectors, and Facetimed/texted/emails/called us throughout the process.  We now have a home that we love, but the next time we buy, we would definitely work with Colleen again!”

“My wife and I found our experience with Emma Frazier from Portland Alternative Realtors to be top notch. We were first time home-buyers and a little intimidated by the process, but she made us comfortable with things from the start. She was also very flexible and able to roll with things when we wanted to buy a house very quickly in our search process, she was available basically at all times during the middle of the Thanksgiving/Christmas season (we closed 12/23) and gave us great advice on staying competitive for a house we really wanted that had multiple offers despite only being on the market a few days, and it seemed like she went out of her way to make the seller aware of our seriousness and promote our interests. Her advice and advocacy for us paid off as our offer was accepted. She was extremely thorough in the escrow/repairs/negotiation process and very consistent with communication even as we settled things amidst holiday travels. Would definitely recommend Emma/Portland Alternative to friends, so no hesitation spreading the word on yelp! We recommend Portland Alternative realtors and Emma Frazier very highly if you are in the market for a home in Portland!”

“We used Portland Alternative Realtors for the second time just recently. After attempting to work with two other realtors – friend of a friend, we decided to go back to our previous agent. He wasn’t available and referred us to Colleen Glaab. Honestly, we were reluctant at first to work with a young agent. She quickly proved her value and helped us refocus to buy a house in a neighborhood we were less familiar with. 

Colleen was terrific and worked hard to help us find a house, get in contract, and close the deal. She consistently exceeded our expectations and we wholeheartedly recommend working with her. Thanks Colleen!”