Moving You Forward…

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Calgary is an amazing city built on an ethos of hard work, a pioneering spirit and a desire to succeed.

Hi, I'm Karen. When it comes to Real Estate, you need an honest, hard-working, qualified, professional agent who will provide you with the best possible advice. I believe in a collaborative approach and in providing you with all the benefits of my knowledge and experience so that you can make intelligent decisions. As a result, I am proud of the fact that most of my business comes from referrals and repeat clients.

It all started here.

It all started here: during 15 years of living and working in China, I purchased an apartment in the downtown area of Beijing. It was my very first real estate purchase ever! I had to navigate much of the buying and 5 years later, the selling aspects myself, in a language that I was not bilingual in, and a culture that I was still trying to figure out!

It was an interesting and at times frustrating experience. For instance, when I bought the unit, it was COMPLETELY blank/stark - concrete walls and floors, bare windows and wiring for electricity. I was shocked, no one told me, but that was the way brand new apartments were purchased in China. We had to do ALL the interior ourselves (my new husband and I), it was a lot of work, but it paid off as we ended up with a custom finished apartment overlooking the city.

A bigger problem was, because of the builder cutting corners on the condo, our entire building was not insulated properly, and our unit had mold growing below many of the windows. [ without an agent we didn’t know / have a condition…] We had to fight directly with the developer who had plans to run away and not be responsible, which is what happened. We had to individually hire a contractor and pay for the repair ourselves. What a headache! And a bit scary watching the mold grow day by day until we got it fixed.

View from my apartment.

View from my apartment.

When I arrived back in Canada and decided to become a REALTOR®, I remembered my own experience in China and realized that this was a way for me to genuinely help people who are new to Canada, unfamiliar with the language and culture, to purchase their first or next property. Not only is it an enormous decision for Canadians, but also for new arrivals. I knew that no one would feel un-represented with me! I get it! As a local Calgarian, who has lived and purchased real estate overseas I bring a high level of empathy, compassion and expertise to my business and clients here in Calgary.

Because of my background I am also happy to provide:

  • Intercultural/Cross-cultural Training and Consulting

  • Relocation & Destination Service Consulting

 
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On a personal note: You won’t be surprised that I am fluent in Mandarin Chinese, but it might surprise you that I have authored a book called “Taking on China: How I freed my husband from jail - A Memoir by Karen Patterson (2020)”

 
 

Dwell in Possibility

Emily Dickinson

 
 

What are your real estate needs/goals?

Buying

Selling

Investing

 WHO IS KAREN?

 

Karen Patterson has more than seven years of experience as a successful destination service consultant assisting families and individuals find the right corporate rental fit, having worked in Beijing, China and in Calgary, Canada. She has partnered with a diverse range of people with varying relocation and home-finding needs. Although her skill set is international, Karen is a born and raised Calgarian with strong roots in the community. She prides herself on her ability to truly listen to her clients, determine their exact needs and present them with opportunities that will exceed their expectations.

Using her experience, knowledge and education in cross cultural communications, Karen strives to bridge any 'culture gap' that may exist in her real estate transactions in Calgary. She brings to her real estate career a proven, entrepreneurial mindset that is practiced and successful in establishing goals, evaluating risk, and unlocking the value of relationships. Other than English, Karen is fluent in Mandarin Chinese. 

Believing in her real estate career as a lifelong learning opportunity, Karen truly feels that knowledge is not only power, but adds real value to any real estate transaction. 

She has studied for and met the criteria for the following real estate designations:

  • Accredited Buyer Representative®

  • Certified Staging Professional 'Elite Agent'®

  • Certified Condominium Specialist®

  • Seller Representative Specialist®

  • Certified Negotiation Expert®

  • Selling Heritage Homes 101

  • Seniors Real Estate Specialist®

 
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♡  Kind Words ♡

Testimonials

“Excellent to deal with. Very professional and very thorough. Would highly recommend!”

—Enzo F.

“Karen has assisted me with several properties now. Simply put, if she wasn't good at what she does I wouldn't keep using her. She is highly recommended, has high integrity, and is always learning and improving. A true professional.”

—Kyle Cheveldayoff

“Our family had the pleasure of Karen helping us find a new house in the greater Calgary area. Karen was invested in us finding the right house and provided great insight into the Calgary market and the ins and outs of the Calgary real estate business. Personable, professional and caring, she is a wonderful realtor and we miss our Saturday and Sunday afternoons shopping for houses with her. Highly recommended. Thank you, Karen, for all your help.”

—Gareth and Aimee Igloliorte

“Karen is a really nice and professional realtor. She is very kind to communicate with and assisted me in finding houses very efficiently which meet my ideal house criteria. Also, it is nice of her to let me calm down in a hot and crazy market as she don't want me to overpay. Highly recommended!”

—Zhang Jintao

“Karen is a professional and hard-working realtor. She helped make the sale of my home a positive experience. I would definitely recommend her services if you are wanting to sell your home.”

—Renette Kurz

“As first-time home buyers we found ourselves agonizing over every specific. Karen went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed to find the right place. If you want a realtor who is detail-oriented, client-focused and a joy to work with, please look no further.”

—Trish Penner and Dave Chernenkoff

“As our agent, Karen is really on our side. We searched for (and ended up purchasing) a property in Calgary where we are not familiar with. Karen has made the entire process a smooth sailing for us. She educated us with the neighborhoods in Calgary with all of their strengths/weaknesses. She provided sound advices whenever we found properties of our interest. In short, she did all of the heavy lifting for us from end-to-end. We highly recommend Karen to move you forward for all your property needs”

—Justiono Putro and Fransisca Prasbuti

"Thanks again for all of your time and efforts in helping me find my new home. You stood by me through the highs and lows, and when I found my dream home, you dropped everything on your BIRTHDAY for me to see it and help get this deal done. I was so appreciative of that - signs of a GREAT realtor, and I will be sure to pass your name onto anyone that is looking to purchase. I really couldn't have done it without you :-)"

—Lisa Gaumont

"Our first contact with a real estate agent was with Mrs. Karen Patterson, who did really professional work. She helped us a lot to make a better decision to buy our first new house. She delivered a high level of service, transparency, and knowledge...From our first search to our home closing, she gave us personalized attention while we were outside of Canada. She was always replying to our emails quickly even during weekends. She also attended the home inspection process, too...Karen, we would like to thank you for being so honest to work with us for your time, assistance, hard work and help in buying our new house...We highly recommend Karen for your real estate needs."

—Mostafa & Rim Atir

“Karen Patterson helped us through every step of the process. She pointed out areas of importance regarding selling our houses which we had not considered. Our request was to sell both houses together (they were next to one another) which added an extra demand on our part which Karen handled very well. There were negotiations between buyers which Karen helped us through the process, she handled it very professionally including helping with finding a real estate lawyer and a company to clean up the yards of both properties to enhance the sale.”

—Jan & Robert LeBlond

“I purchased my current home in 2018 with Karen Patterson's help. She was very patient and respectful of the way I process decisions and provided professional and realistic advice for my real estate goal. She listened to my wants and needs, provided me with all information needed to make my decisions, and represented me in a professional manner during purchase negotiations. Karen truly listens to try and understand her clients. Any realtor can provide you with comparable market data but if you're looking for a realtor who puts their client's best interest ahead of their commission, I recommend Karen Patterson. Karen is honest and a true professional who genuinely cares about her clients.”

—Rachel Malahay

"Karen was absolutely awesome in helping us find our new home. From the very beginning, she demonstrated deep knowledge on the local market, a high commitment in making me and my wife deeply informed about the opportunities coming out from the listings system and a total alignment with our goals. The words we'd use to describe her job would be professionalism, openness to discuss, availability/punctuality (she was never late in any single showing) and client focus. We totally recommend her and would absolutely contact her again in any further transaction we might have.”

—Marcelo Paulo Chenko & Loreley Zavattiero

"Karen is a very considerate agent with integrity in managing all aspects of a real estate transaction. Her willingness to work diligently, attention to details and quick responses are the greatest attributes we see as unique to her among all other agents we dealt with through years. Our selling in 2019 was during a tough time of the local market. But by adopting an approach of forming a seller-agent team, we were able to share ideas frankly and freely, and to brainstorm on how to get to the destination sooner and better. The positive result of a successful selling was reached very quickly. We are very happy about Karen and her way of conducting business."

—Hui Zhang & Heather Ping

"We were very happy to work with Karen on the purchase of our new home and the sale of our previous one. Karen is an experienced professional and is very easy to communicate with. The negotiation of our purchase was difficult, but Karen guided us through with wisdom and excellent advice. The end result far exceeded our expectations. On the sale of our house, Karen set up a great marketing plan, including a smart digital platform, which resulted in a very short-listing period in a generally soft market. Karen knows her business well and provided excellent advice on showcasing the home to best effect. We highly recommend Karen for both buying and selling. Thanks again for your time and assistance on the transactions."

—Stuart & Lisa Kampel

"Karen is a star in the real estate world. I was so very lucky to have her on my team through selling a home and buying a condo. She walked me through the process of buying a condo with patience and humor. Karen answered my many questions respectfully. She explained the market to me and kept well-informed about what was happening in the neighborhood I was selling in as well as buying in. She helped me find my perfect new home, and it was apparent she had my best interest in mind. I highly recommend Karen because she is both genuine and professional."

—Christina Musa

"Karen helped our little family to find a new home in 2019. Working with her was stress-free and fun. Meeting Karen during the viewings was like seeing a good old friend. If you are looking for caring, reliable agent who respects your needs, who knows the market, who is patient and always ready to help then Karen is the ONE. Thank you, Karen, we wish you many successful years to come!"

—David & Lenka Carruth

"Karen was my realtor on the sale of my home at Harvest Hills. It took less than 30 days from the listing to the agreed upon price and about 7 weeks in total from the listing to the closing of the house. Photos used were very professional. Karen added some of her own items to make the house feel more homey and was also very good in letting me know about the visits and the stats weekly. All in all, Karen was very professional and easy to work with. I had interviewed two other realtors and looking back did not regret in choosing Karen."

—Ely Donque

"We selected Karen as our agent after speaking with a number of agents. The main reason for our decision to work with her was because she understood our situation and was “tuned in” to what we were looking for. During our time working together she helped us fine tune our selection process as she learned more about our needs. The houses she selected for us were invariably in line with our overall requirements. There was never a sense of pressure that we had to make a decision; we believe she had our best interests at heart. When we ultimately settled on the home, we wanted to purchase Karen was a great help in the negotiations. Based on our experience we heartily recommend Karen Patterson as a professional and caring real estate agent."

—Wes & Pat Bluhm

“Karen was great. She was always available, works very hard. I've dealt with several agents in the past, all unsuccessful. Karen worked more efficient and sold my property in a cold market. Highly recommended to all.”

—Tommy Zhang