In their words

What it’s like working with Kim

5.0
The finished great room: a wood-plank cathedral ceiling, a full-height stone fireplace and a band of windows onto conifers.
We'd lived in our house in Bridle Trails for 25 years and raised two sons there, but the time had come to sell it and move on.
The Bridle Trails sale
A staged sitting room, pale and bright, with a dark fireplace and built-in shelving.
The house from the lawn: a single-storey Northwest home with a board entry deck, under conifers.

Case study · Bridle Trails

Twenty-five years, six weeks, and nearly $600,000 nobody had counted

After 25 years in their home, the family faced an emotional decision: sell the house where they had raised their two sons…

They knew it was time to move on but walking away from a home filled with memories wasn't simple.

What they needed wasn't just a real estate agent. They needed someone who could understand the weight of the decision, uncover the home's true potential, create a smart path forward, and be patient & understanding that this was a big transition.

That's where Kimberlee Graves came in.

Kimberlee Graves.
Kimberlee Graves · Windermere Real Estate

A hard decision

Kimberlee understood immediately that selling the home wasn't simply a financial transaction. It meant letting go of 25 years of family history.

She started by listening. Then she dug into the numbers. She established a fair, honest as-is valuation based on the current market and the home's existing condition.

Then she asked a bigger question:

What if the home could be worth significantly more with the right improvements?

The living room as it was, stripped to the subfloor.
As-is. The valuation started here.

Finding nearly $600,000 in untapped value

Kimberlee analyzed comparable homes in Bridle Trails at different levels of renovation. The numbers revealed something the family hadn't expected:

The home had potential additional value.

This wasn't a speculative estimate or an optimistic promise. Kim based her recommendation on actual sales of comparable renovated properties in the area.

The opportunity was clear.

The challenge was figuring out how to capture that value without creating unnecessary risk, expense, or stress for the family.

How the number was found

Comparable Bridle Trails sales, sorted by how much work had been done to them. Not an estimate of what the house could be; a record of what houses like it had already sold for.

Turning a quick renovation into a clear plan

Kimberlee connected the family with a contractor specifically suited to the job — one who could handle sale-focused renovations, provide a guaranteed quote, and defer payment until closing.

Together, they developed three renovation scenarios, each with a defined budget and corresponding target sale price.

Instead of asking them to take a leap of faith, Kim gave them choices.

They could see the investment, understand the potential return, and make a decision with confidence.

The finished kitchen, white cabinetry and a staged breakfast chair beside the stair rail.
Three budgets, three target prices. The family picked one.

Six weeks. One shot at the market.

Timing mattered.

Kim knew the home needed to hit the market after school started but before the holiday season. Miss that window, and the property could sit longer, weakening their negotiating position.

That left roughly six weeks to transform the house.

The renovation moved quickly. Remarkably, the contractor finished within a day or two of schedule. Throughout the process, Kimberlee stayed closely involved — monitoring the market, tracking comparable sales, and adjusting the strategy as conditions evolved.

Then came the unexpected challenge.

The window

After school starts, before the holidays. Everything else — contractor, staging, photography, listing date — worked backward from those six weeks.

The dining corner after the renovation, staged with a round table under a window.
Staged and photographed the week the work finished.
The kitchen mid-installation, cabinet carcasses in place under a new skylight.
Six weeks of work, on an aggressive schedule.

The market turned

The house was ready. It was renovated, staged, professionally photographed, and ready to market.

And then the economy shifted.

New tariffs rattled consumer confidence. The housing market began to cool. Nearby homes started sitting on the market.

Suddenly, the timing looked far less certain.

But the preparation paid off.

The same window band during the work, the floor still under protection.

Making the home stand out

Kimberlee didn't sit back and wait for buyers to appear.

She showed the property relentlessly, hosted open houses, and paid close attention to what prospective buyers were saying.

The feedback was encouraging.

Buyers consistently recognized the quality of the renovation. The home stood apart from competing listings because Kim had positioned it carefully.

Just over a week after going on the market, the first offer arrived.

Then came a second.

A fight worth having

Two offers meant the family had options.

Kimberlee didn't simply present the offers and let her clients choose. She went to work.

She negotiated aggressively to improve both price and terms, making sure the family captured as much value as possible from the opportunity they had created.

In the end, the sale landed almost exactly where Kimberlee and the contractor had projected it would two months earlier — before anyone knew the market would soften.

The result wasn't luck.

It was the combination of thoughtful analysis, disciplined planning, smart renovation, precise positioning, and relentless execution.

And perhaps most importantly, it was a process built around the people behind the transaction.

The result

  • 25years of memories.
  • Onecarefully considered decision.
  • $600kNearly $600,000 in additional value uncovered.
  • 6A strategic renovation completed in six weeks.
  • 2Two offers in a cooling market.
  • ProjectedAnd a final sale price that nearly matched the original projection.

For this family, Kimberlee didn't just help them sell a house.

She helped them let go with confidence that they had made the most of what they had built.

In their words

I'm currently planning on buying a lot and building a house and Kim is the only agent I would consider working with - she's amazing!
ShawnSeller · Bridle Trails

The Bridle Trails house, start to finish

  • The kitchen mid-installation: cabinet carcasses in place under a new skylight, plywood counters, the floor still under protection.
    Before
  • The finished kitchen, white cabinetry and a staged breakfast chair beside the stair rail.
    After
  • The staged dining room under a lantern pendant, the finished kitchen and its island beyond.
    Staged
  • The finished great room: a wood-plank cathedral ceiling, a full-height stone fireplace and a band of windows onto conifers.
    Sold

Kind words

Leave Kim a review

  • Extremely organized and knowledgeable.

    She made the process very easy for me. She was also able to answer a ton of questions. Most important is soon as I contacted her. She worked with the rental agent to get access to the condo even before I had chosen her as my agent. She did her research and was ready to give me excellent information on listing and price.

    Gabrielle M

  • I highly recommend Kimberlee!

    Throughout the entire process, she was incredibly patient, professional, and always had our best interests in mind. Her deep knowledge of the neighborhood was invaluable in helping us find the right home. Kimberlee made the experience smooth and stress-free, and we couldn't be happier with the outcome!

    Deepthi K.

  • Kimberlee was extremely knowledgeable and proactive.

    The staging of my condo was beautiful and showed my condo in its best light. She kept me apprised of all necessary steps as well as how the open houses went, offer specifics and any considerations that should be made. She did a fantastic job. I cannot recommend her enough.

    Lisa H

Read more reviews

  • Kimberlee was amazing through the whole process and have us the sweetest gift at closing!

    Laura K

  • We are very grateful to have worked with Kim on the sale of our house.

    She is professional and very knowledgeable. We were shown many opportunities on how to best sell our house. We had a special need to receive the earnest money quickly, but close the sale and move out months later. She found a buyer willing to meet our needs and worked the sale. Communication was timely and questions were answered quickly. Thank Kim and the Windermere team.

    Zac C

  • Her knowledge about what will sell a house so what needed to be fixed/improved to sell.

    Where to spend the time on improvements to get the best price. Her advice was valuable. Also willing to do as many open houses as needed to get our house sold.

    Lauri P

  • very responsive, compassion and concern regarding our priorities for this sale combined with professional market knowledge and excellent negotiation

    Mary C

  • We had a fantastic experience working with Kimberlee!

    From start to finish, she was approachable, calm, and incredibly professional. Thanks to her guidance and expertise, we were able to close on a house quickly. She was a consistent and clear communicator, always available to answer any questions we had—big or small. Her patience and responsiveness made the entire process smooth and stress-free. We're so grateful to have had her by our side during this journey and would recommend her to anyone looking to buy a home.

    Jose and Kelly

  • Kimberlee did an outstanding job in selling my home including helping to identify the fixes that were needed in my home, helping to get those resolved and then staging the home beautifully and sophisticatedly. She had beautiful pictures taken of my property for the online listing, including fantastic pictures of the view of the beach and Puget Sound from my property. This generated immediate interest in my home. In addition, she was on top of all of the documents that needed to be signed, held well attended Open Houses and understood the area I lived in and the other comparable properties on the market. My home sold in less than 2 weeks with an over asking price and Kimberlee guided me through the multiple offers to ensure that I was able to get the best price with the best buyer. I cannot recommend her enough. She is a compassionate, knowledgeable, and reliable realtor that will be honest with you regarding your offers and next steps, and she will make your property sell towards your best interest financially. For buyers, I can say definitively that she will help you to find the best property for you based on any of the factors that are important to you (be it price, location, school systems, etc.). I had recommended her to a close friend who was very particular in their wants and price range. With perserverance, she was able to find my friend her dream home. You will be in great hands with her to guide you through the buying process and to finding that property that is right for you. You will do well to have Kimberlee as either your buyer or seller real estate agent.

    beachjewelbox

  • Kim is the best!

    Frequent, concise communication and so friendly and patient!! She looked out for my interests and kept my must haves in mind. 100% would recommend her!

    Amy B.

  • Kimberlee was attentive and diligent.

    She listened to the things that were important to me and was constantly looking for opportunities to get me the best possible result.

    Liz H

  • I wish there were more people like Kimberlee.

    Not only is she hard working, thorough and determined but she does everything from the heart and with a smile. I feel SO lucky to know and have worked with her. Highly Recommend!

    Lindsay A.

  • From day one, Kimberlee brought a level of transparency and genuine care that immediately put us at ease. She took the time to truly listen and quickly understood exactly what we needed. She came in with a clear plan, stayed ahead of every milestone, and made sure nothing fell through the cracks.

    What sets Kimberlee apart is her incredible network. She leveraged her professional connections to get things done efficiently and seamlessly, saving us time and headaches we didn't even know to anticipate. She was persistent in always advocating fiercely for us, but never pushy or overwhelming.

    The entire process was smooth and stress-free, and that's a direct reflection of her expertise and dedication. She was our voice, our advocate, and our guide every step of the way.

    We would recommend Kimberlee in a heartbeat to anyone navigating the selling or buying of their home. If you want someone who is professional, resourceful, and genuinely invested in your outcome, look no further. She is the real deal.

    Padmini V.

The staged living room, open to the kitchen, with sliding doors and a window onto the lake.

Case study · An inherited condo

From a family loss to a full-price sale in five weeks

When Gabrielle's parents died, she and her siblings inherited the family condo — a sale they had always known was coming, and one that carried more weight than an ordinary transaction.

There were tenants living in the unit, family members with strong opinions about how to handle it, and real hesitation about handing something this personal to just anyone.

She considered routing the sale through an attorney rather than an agent at all, in case the tenants wanted to buy the unit themselves.

Then she called Kimberlee Graves.

The condominium building seen from the shoreline at dusk, its windows lit and the water in the foreground.
The condo the family inherited.

Chosen on effort, not just experience

Gabrielle asked a leasing agent she trusted for recommendations, got three names, and called all three.

Two came back with market statistics. Only one got in the car.

Kimberlee went out to the property, met the tenants and understood the space the same day Gabrielle first called — before there was any guarantee she would get the listing.

That preparation, with nothing promised in return, settled it before anything was signed.

The kitchen island under a steel extractor hood, the dining corner and living room beyond it.
Market-ready five days after the tenants moved out.

Five days to list

Once the tenants moved out, the work started the next morning.

Kimberlee had contractors in the following day, a stager the day after that, and the condo market-ready within five days.

Every decision still sat with Gabrielle. For each repair Kimberlee set out the problem, the recommendation and the exact cost, then left her to choose whether to go ahead — nothing done without a green light.

Holding the line on price

When family members pushed for a higher list price, Kimberlee knew the market was shifting and that comparable properties were sitting longer than their owners had hoped.

She set out what she was seeing and what over-pricing would risk, and left the decision with the family.

They settled on a slightly higher number than she had recommended.

The condo sold at full asking price.

A round dining table and four chairs under a globe pendant, framed by a window onto open water.
Staged the day after the contractors finished.

The outcome

  • 5days from a vacant unit to market-ready.
  • 5weeks from listing to closing.
  • FullSold at full asking price.

The condo was listed in June and closed in July.

Five weeks, from a unit with tenants in it to a signed sale.

In Gabrielle's words

She just handled it… I would recommend her a thousand times over to anybody that asks.
Gabrielle MSeller · An inherited condo

A process built around the people behind the transaction.

Kimberlee Graves · Windermere Real Estate

Where yours starts

Tell Kim what you are navigating

Whether it is a house full of twenty-five years or a first offer you are nervous about, the first step is the same: one conversation, no obligation, and an honest read on where you stand.

Start a conversation

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