AMY MCKENNA
MANAGING BROKER | REALTOR®
I’m a Seattle real estate broker who -- in addition to working with typical home buyers/sellers -- particularly loves working with first-time buyers and newcomers, with a particular focus on co-buyers looking to own property with friends, relatives, unmarried partners or other non-spouses. To that end, I founded CoHome, a Seattle-based resource for people interested in co-buying, co-owning and co-living, and regularly teach and speak about the practical realities of purchasing property together.
As a full-service broker, I’m the sole pilot — the Captain Kirk, if you will — of your home-buying or home-selling experience. I deliberately keep my client list modest so I can be responsive, available, and personally involved from beginning to end rather than handing clients off to a team.
I’m based at Windermere Ballard and work alongside my business partner, Glenda Fabrizio, whose complementary experience includes vacant land, development and commercial real estate. Over the years, I’ve learned that strong transactions are built not only on negotiation and market knowledge but also on respectful, cooperative relationships with lenders, inspectors, title and escrow professionals, attorneys, contractors and other real estate brokers. A healthy sense of humor doesn't hurt either.
A special interest in co-buying and creative homeownership
Buying property with another person can open doors that might otherwise remain closed — but it can also raise questions that don't come up in a conventional purchase.
While attorneys, lenders, tax professionals and title experts provide the legal and financial advice appropriate to their specialties, I help co-buyers understand the real estate side of the process, anticipate the questions they should be asking, assemble the right professional team and find a property that works for the way they actually plan to live and own.
That might mean:
- Friends buying their first home together
- Siblings purchasing a house or investment property
- Parents helping an adult child become a homeowner
- Unmarried couples buying together
- Co-parents purchasing a home
- Friends or family sharing a second home
- Multi-generational households
- Other creative or non-traditional ownership arrangements
You can find upcoming talks, workshops and co-buying resources at CoHome.Community.
Seattle native, Seattle transplant
I am equal parts Seattle native and transplant. I was born at the University of Washington (to UW students) and had my first job at Pike Place Market. After earning a B.A. in Romance Linguistics at UW, I expanded my horizons, spending 22 years living in New York City, San Diego and Miami while working around the country as a stage and voice actor. (I even played a real estate broker on both television and stage, although those jobs involved considerably fewer inspection reports.)
Living elsewhere gave me a new appreciation for what makes Seattle and Seattleites distinctive. Since returning in 2016 and turning my skills toward real estate, that outsider-insider perspective has been especially useful when helping people relocate to Seattle and figure out where they will genuinely feel at home.
My approach to real estate is curious, practical, and highly personal. I enjoy working with people who are thoughtful, open-minded, and perhaps doing things a little differently from everyone else.
Real estate with a little purpose behind it
Nature conservation, animal welfare, housing equity and community are among the things I care most about, so I donate a portion of every commission I receive to charitable organizations working in those areas.
If you'd like to talk about buying a home in Seattle, buying property with friends or family, co-ownership, Seattle neighborhoods, the real estate market, cohousing, art fairs, Shakespeare, etymology, gardening or, well, gosh … almost anything, I’d be delighted to hear from you.
206.304.2400
McKenna@Windermere.com
If you would like to hear from past clients, visit my Testimonials page, Google reviews or Zillow profile.
CHARITABLE GIVING
Because animal welfare, habitat conservation & the environment are my passion, and housing equity is vital to our communities, a portion of every commission I receive goes to at least one of these charities:
Pasado's Safe Haven
A local sanctuary with comprehensive programs addressing animal welfare including: rescue & rehabilitation; education & advocacy; pet services; and investigating cruelty cases to prevent future occurrences. They also offer tours to the public of their facilities.
The Nature Conservancy (in Washington)
Working in concert with regional, national and global offices of The Nature Conservancy, their mission is to conserve the lands and waters upon which all life depends.
International Anti-Poaching Foundation
Operating in Southern and East Africa, the IAPF focuses on ecosystem preservation through a community-driven conservation program, empowering women from disadvantaged communities to protect, restore and manage networks of wilderness areas.
Homestead Community Land Trust
Homestead CLT preserves and advances access to permanently affordable homeownership as a means to create equitable and inclusive communities. They we have created the largest portfolio of permanently affordable homes in Washington State.
WORKING WITH AMY MCKENNA
KIND WORDS FROM MY LOVELY CLIENTS
"Amy is great! She listens to what your preferences are and even when you are not sure yourself she patiently lets the process unfold until you do. She is very easy to communicate with and quick to return your every call. Also is very knowledgeable about the real estate market and advises you the trends. But most importantly Amy is a good person which makes the work that much better."
"We bought our first home with Amy, and couldn't have been happier with choosing to go with her. She made the whole process easy for us, taking care of things before we even new we needed it. We put in offers on multiple homes, did multiple inspections, multiple viewings so had the chance to work closely with her on finding our perfect home. Could not recommend her more."
"Amy was our agent in the sale of our Seattle home and we knew we were in a competent agent's hands each step of the way. I would highly recommend Amy to anyone looking to buy or sell in the Seattle area market, without hesitation. Your search for an all-around fantastic realtor ends here."
"Amy walked my fiancé and I through the process of buying our first home, and we could not be happier. She has been extremely responsive throughout the process, from looking at homes to negotiating our offers to helping close. We felt like her only clients, even though I am sure she is very busy. Going into the process, we knew very little about buying a home, and were intimidated by the Seattle housing market. Amy made the process painless, quick, and straightforward. Putting in an offer was particularly daunting for me. Amy was able to walk me through all the contingencies and clauses in such a way that I felt as comfortable as one could be in this crazy market. She never pressured me to do anything that I was not comfortable with, and I felt she was a great advocate through the negotiation process. We would use Amy again without any hesitation. "
"Amy helped me sell my home and purchase my current home. She is both professional and tireless, truly knocking herself out for me. The sale: Amy was very strategic about pricing, marketing and timing, such that the eventual purchase price exceeded the list price by a nice margin. The purchase: Amy is very good at finding and using client-friendly digital tools as well, which helped me shop for the new house with her and independently of her. So if I were looking again for a real estate agent, I would want one like her, who is both good and hardworking."
