Kurt Swanson
An effective real estate agent is strong in service, knowledge, and communication. Strength in these areas, when combined with attuned listening, helps the agent meet the customer's felt and unfelt needs well.
It is Kurt's excellence in these areas; an attentiveness to spoken and unspoken factors; the use of current technology; and lifelong roots in the community that give him a competitive edge in Bellingham and Whatcom County real estate.
Service
Kurt works equally with sellers and buyers. With local clients as well as those from outside Whatcom County, he has expertise in working with those familiar and unfamiliar with the area.
Service is the key to Kurt's real estate business. Because it is so vitally important, he overdelivers on service. Kurt wants his clients to consider him their Realtor for life—much like people do a family doctor. This happens only if he strongly emphasizes service.
Knowledge
Kurt has an industry knowledge that keeps him on the cutting edge. Because he has lived in Bellingham all his life, he is very connected to the community; Kurt has an extensive referral network of other professionals in Bellingham and Whatcom County. He stays knowledgeable by reviewing the market's new listings every morning online, noting which ones might be of interest to his customers.
Designated as a Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), Kurt has undergone extensive professional training in residential transactions. Only 5% of all Realtors® are designated CRS. This specialized knowledge, coupled with Kurt's experience closing over 500 transactions, gives him an extra edge on the Bellingham and Whatcom County real estate market.
He also embraces technology in providing superior service. Kurt uses a notebook computer in his daily online searches, and is committed to being on the cutting edge of technology with such tools as a digital camera, using them in every way possible to provide knowledgeable service.
Communication
Kurt is very accessible and keeps in constant communication through his cell phone. For his buyer clients, he promptly communicates which listings might be of interest to them. For those listing, he actively markets their property through appropriate avenues, mass mailings to potential buyers, and networks with other Realtors. All of these factors contribute to Kurt's reputation for top-notch service.
Kurt's History in Real Estate and Whatcom County
Kurt was born and raised in Bellingham and has essentially lived here all his life. He worked through high school for his father, who was a residential builder, before attending Western Washington University. Following university, he worked 10 years for Coca Cola in Bellingham, with about half of those years in sales, interacting with clients all over the county. He began working in real estate in 1990 with Arnason Inc., and joined Windermere in 1998.
His qualifications and accomplishments include:
Voted "Realtor of the Quarter" for 3rd quarter (2002)
Voted "Best Realtor" by Bellingham Business Journal Readers (1999)
1997 Triple Crown Award Winner (Top Lister, Seller, & Total Volume)
Salesperson of the Year (1991, 93-6), Arnason Inc.
Certified Residential Specialist (C.R.S.) designation (1995)
Co-Listing Leader of the Year (1995), Arnason Inc.
Graduate Realtor Institute (G.R.I.) designation (1994)
Realtor of the Fourth Quarter, Whatcom County Association of Realtors (1993)
Realtor of the Third Quarter, Whatcom County Association of Realtors (1992)
Co-Sales Leader of the Year, Arnason Inc. (1992)
Listing Leader of the Year, Arnason Inc. (1991)
Rookie of the Year Nominee—Whatcom County Association of Realtors (1990)
Kurt has traveled to other places but loves the Whatcom County area; it is a great place to raise a family, he points out. His own family of four children ranges in age from 5 years to 18 years. There are plenty of areas to explore and a variety of outdoor activities available, including hiking and climbing in the mountains, fishing, and boating. There are also a number of good schools and very few traffic problems in this mid-size community.
Kurt, who enjoys outdoor activities such as mountain biking, softball, boating, golf, and skiing, has relocated four times in the last six years, so he is familiar with the moving process from the inside.
