Fran Brown

Fran Brown
Managing Broker
Berkshire Hathaway
360-901-3726
www.901fran.com

How long have you worked in Real Estate?
Started as an assistant in 1985, got my license in 1986, and have been full time since 1987.

What is your specialty?
Honesty, trustyworthiness and exceptional customer service. I love thinking outside the box and figuring out how to make each home that I market special to just the right buyer.

What is one tip you have for someone looking to buy or sell a home?
Get trustworthy, experienced help. A license is relatively easy to get, but actual knowledge takes experience. Assume nothing, ask questions, know what you are signing – you’d be amazed at how many people, agents included, haven’t thoroughly read the documents and do not know what is in them.

What is the most unusual thing you’ve encountered while working in Real Estate?
Aside from walking into a quartered elk hanging from a tree one night when I was headed into a rural home, I would say that if there is one thing I have learned in the last three decades, it is that there is nothing “unusual” in real estate.

What is the most challenging/gratifying aspect of what you do?  
Most gratifying is having the adult children of past clients call me to assist them with their real estate needs—a good reputation through the generations. Sometimes, it can be a challenge when people read things on the internet or get that isn’t going to get the results they seek, but so far, I have almost always found a way to bring a good plan together that accomplishes the goal and keeps my clients happy.

What do you enjoy doing when you are not working? Hobbies, volunteering, family, fun?
Most of my down time, I spend with my husband, John, just tinkering around the house. He is my best friend and we have been married over 30 years. A common weekend for us includes morning coffee, yard and house work and the obligatory trip to Costco and Chuck’s after church on Sunday. We love laughing and hanging out with our friends, and we make it a point to go hang out with our kids who are now all in their 20’s and live in different states. Spin classes keep my energy up and my stress level down. I enjoy long walks and bike rides with my husband and dogs. I really like eating and am truly grateful that my husband is a fabulous cook. He makes the most amazing blueberry scones!

What do you like about living in this area?
Everything! I know SW Washington like the back of my hand and like the back roads. I know some of my clients will laugh when they read this because they have driven on so many of those back roads with me wondering where we were going. We are all so blessed to live in such a beautiful part of the country. As much as our area has grown, SW Washington still enjoys a lot of the good qualities of a small town. There are a lot of really good people. They look you in the eye and say hi and go out of their way to lend a hand. There are churches and coffee shops all over the place and you can be literally be out of cell range or on a farm within a few miles. It is also nice to have the amenities of bigger cities like cutting edge hospitals and major employers.

Anything else you would like our readers to know about you and your company?
I have a great team, small but mighty! They deserve a tremendous amount of credit. My buyer’s agent, Phil Phillips (no, not the singer) is energetic and always ready to help clients find and purchase the perfect house, and our assistant, Zoe Murillo, is the epitome of organization and detail. We have contractors we trust, and they go out of their way to take care of our clients’ needs. I am blessed to work at Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Northwest Real Estate! I know the name’s a mouthful, but the people are inspiring. I have worked under the leadership of Bert Waugh since 1997. It has always been about giving back to the community. He started Transitional Youth in 1991 to help the homeless youth get off the streets. Back then, the company was called Stan Wiley, then it merged and became Prudential Northwest Properties and now, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services Northwest Real Estate is #6 nationwide among the Berkshire Hathaway real estate companies.