“Marianne recently sold our home in Kirkland and we couldn’t be happier with the end result. We were under contract after just one week for 12% over the asking price! Marianne orchestrated the entire process masterfully and delivered the best outcome we could have imagined.

Marianne is a born salesperson and an expert negotiator. She is incredibly determined and hard-working and a natural at cultivating relationships. Her background in fine art gives her a keen visual eye and excellent taste, which helped inform the renovations we made to the house before putting it on the market. She guided us over an 18-month period as we started actively planning our first move in 23 years. When we were ready to put the house on the market, she kicked into high gear, shaping the overall marketing strategy and handling all the details, from cleaning and staging, to photography and videography, social media and email outreach, and finally to open houses, the offer review, and the negotiations with buyers’ agents. She understood clearly the target demographic for our house and successfully told the story of our home with the right buyers in mind. Her experience and good judgment paid off—we got four amazing offers, all over the asking price. Marianne was able to connect and empathize with the buyers and help them envision how our property could meet their needs and aspirations for their family and ultimately that’s what really made the sale.

We were so fortunate to have her on our side, providing wise counsel and keeping us optimistic and grounded along the way. We highly recommend Marianne.
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“Marianne Francis is a remarkable realtor who stands alone among the greats in the field. There are three elements where she differentiates from other great realtors: (1) Experience/preparation: she anticipates and is aware of every detail. She brings a world of experience to the table, and is able to leverage her network/experience to ensure the right experts are consulted for complex issues. She’s exceptionally professional, detail-oriented, and client-focused. (2) Strategic thinking: she brings a strategic lens to real estate – one with a long-term point of view. In many ways, she is more of a real estate consultant than traditional real estate agent. (3) Ownership: she truly cares about the people and the process. Once committed, she will work tirelessly to ensure the right outcomes. She is always available, seems to work at every hour of the day, and follows through on her commitments. When she says that she will do something, she will get it done. Overall, we couldn’t recommend Marianne enough. An exceptional partner in real estate.”

“When we think about our relationship with Marianne Francis, the word “serendipity” comes to mind. Why? Because we chanced upon her a number of months ago during a very brief home shopping trip to the Northwest. She was doing an open house and we walked in and are thankful that we did so. During that brief encounter Marianne impressed us as knowledgeable, experienced, confident and most capable. When we began to seriously shop for a home in Kirkland, Washington, her name naturally came to mind. We sought her out and she was flat out wonderful to work with. She is highly energetic and knows how to get things done. She advocated for us and took care of the “odds and ends” of our purchase, made more complex by our living out of state. We cannot recommend her more highly. If you want to work with a realtor who gets everything done and done right, Marianne Francis has to be your choice.”

“Marianne helped us in the search for an office condo. She was kind, resourceful, and responsive, exactly what I needed for the search. She was both professional and personal and helped me find a space that was better than what I could have imagined. She was informative and not intrusive and I enjoyed her spontaneity. I would highly recommend her. ”

“As a first-time home buyer with little knowledge on the subject, I reached out to Marianne Francis at the recommendation of a friend. Within two or three email exchanges it became very clear that not only was Marianne a knowledgeable force in her field, but she was also incredibly friendly and kind. As we began to work together, Marianne was an expert guide through the initial phase of learning what was in my budget, and what was important to me in a home. She gave succinct and experienced assessments at each property we visited, listing pros and cons alongside realistic comparisons of what else was available on the market. There were multiple instances where I sent her a property of interest hoping to view it within the next week, and she would call me 20 minutes later to discuss setting up a viewing for the next day. Ultimately, this dedication coupled with her outstanding networking skills communicating with sellers’ agents and inspectors created the opportunity to purchase my home. Marianne’s professionalism and seemingly never-ending optimism turned what began as a stressful and overwhelming project into a wonderful experience. She made me feel like I was a priority during every step of this process, and I have no doubt that she makes every client feel the same. I would not hesitate to recommend Marianne Francis to anyone looking to buy or sell a home.”

“Marianne Francis is a rockstar agent! She just helped me purchase my first home in a very competitive market. When life took a strange turn I knew I had to buy a house quickly. I had known Marianne as a caring, inviting and generous neighbor before I knew her as a professional. When it came time to buy a home on short notice, I knew I didn’t need to look around. Marianne was my first choice. Throughout the process she made me feel like I was her priority. We were an active team - sharing listings, doing viewings, narrowing the field and making offers. She immediately connected me with a highly capable mortgage team and when I had questions on inspections, home renovations, etc., Marianne provided me with the appropriate resources. She was ethical in her conduct and respectful of my needs and constraints. She motivated me to stretch my thinking but never beyond my comfort level. She was an astute listener and in short order could articulate my needs better than I could. I knew I could trust her to help me make the right decisions. In moments of doubt, she was an able counselor, a paperwork pro and to win this offer she was like a hawk on prey. Her colleagues recognized her as the agent who goes “above and beyond”. I could not agree more. Marianne has gone above and beyond and given me guidance through life challenges. Having her by my side, as I navigated the most expensive decision of my life, felt easy versus stressful. Browsing homes with her felt like going out with a very knowledgeable friend. Deliberating offers was a carefully considered exchange. A relatively quick close was a rapid fire drill and she kept me on track. She never drops the ball and will always take your call. Her extensive professional network is an added bonus that you will only realize when you work with her. If you want to win your dream property take Marianne with you! She is the most hardworking, honest and business savvy real estate broker ever! I would work with her again in a heartbeat and it is my honor to recommend her to other home sellers and buyers!”

“It is my honor to share with others the amazing privilege I had to work with a woman as warm, principled, and professional as Marianne. I can speak to her technical competence but that was a given; I would rather talk about her humanity. The sale of my property was complicated by a dramatic turn of life circumstances. Marianne intuitively understood the that our work together represented the many changes that life was bringing my way and our partnership did not begin or end with the transaction. Rather, it began with our connection. Renowned speaker and social work researcher Brené Brown defines connection as “the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued” and when they can “give and receive without judgment.” All through the process I felt that Marianne held our work sacred. No challenge was unsurmountable and no task too small. She simply rolled up her sleeves, put on her gloves, and loved me up. As the intensity of our work together came to a close, I realized that what I was left with was an indelible impression and reminder that there is good in this world. ”

“My wife and I recently engaged Marianne Francis to sell our penthouse condominium in Bremerton, Washington. We could not be happier with the results. Marianne assisted us as a buyers broker when we moved to Bremerton. She was professional and efficient and we knew if we ever sold that we’d want to use her services again. Marianne truly knows how to handle details that make it easy for sellers and we were pleased with a very good offer that came close to setting a record for the downtown waterfront marketplace in one week. Marianne did a fabulous job preparing our home with excellent photographs and marketing and created a very inviting listing. She exemplifies what an ideal realtor should be. ”

“When we came to sell our cabin in the woods, we chose Realogics Sotheby’s because of its broad marketing reach, national and international. We knew it was going to be a challenge when it came to marketing since our home was deemed to be a ‘unicorn’ property when compared to other homes. Marianne did a fantastic job of developing, executing and sustaining a comprehensive marketing plan. She worked very hard to utilize all marketing tools. The pictures and videos of our house were remarkable and we were more than pleased. The task of marketing became all the more difficult with the arrival of the COVID-19, which took away the tool of open houses. Throughout all this Marianne labored on admirably. Marianne was with us each step of the way from the original ‘bail out’ of the home in preparation of putting it on the market, with suggestions on repairs and staging, and through the final negotiations of the sale. It was a long and difficult process but Marianne was with us doing a great job. Thank you Marianne!”

“Having been in the real estate industry for over 40 years and developed, built, and transacted over $3.5B worth of property, it is critically important that we work with the best brokers. Marianne Francis is of that caliber and has represented my companies on both buying and selling of properties, worked new construction, prospected neighborhoods, and in short, done whatever is necessary to help us in our transactions. She is a great listener, a quick study, highly responsible and responsive, and above all, spends whatever time is necessary to lead to a successful transaction. I have seen her take on incredibly tough assignments and have a successful transaction where most other brokers would have stayed away from the property. I will continue to use Marianne on our upcoming projects as I can depend on her for all of the necessary skills she brings to the deal and I would highly recommend her to anyone in the market to buy or sell a property, no matter how big or small or difficult. She truly is ‘best of class’.”

“Marianne was our broker when we purchased new construction during COVID. Beyond COVID, there were endless issues with construction, completion and quality control. Marianne helped us navigate eight challenging months and was available to assist us with each obstacle. Marianne’s experience and professionalism were exceptional and her support never diminished. Thanks Marianne!”

“Marianne is a true gift! We were referred to her by our Son and Daughter- in-Law who sold and bought homes with Marianne earlier this year. They spoke very highly of Marianne and we were excited to work with her. She exceeded every single expectation we had. She helped us transform our home into a beautiful gem in preparation to sell. She engaged a team of professionals to clean the interior and exterior, as well as stage our home. It looked fabulous and it sold well above list price, with multiple offers. We truly believe that outcome was due to Marianne’s unwavering commitment to ensure all details were covered in advance of listing. Marianne even personally selected flowers for our patio in order to complete the look. She is the most professional, caring and kind hearted person we have had the pleasure of working with. We would highly recommend her to anyone, and have already referred her to family and friends! Thank you so much, Marianne!”

“In our recent experience with Marianne, we discovered the true value of having a dedicated and exceptional realtor. When our 75-year-old father began experiencing health issues and could no longer maintain his independence, it became clear that he needed to move closer to us in Massachusetts. A friend introduced us to Marianne, who proved to be the perfect realtor to guide us through this complex process. Marianne went above and beyond to handle the immense task of relocating our father from Edmonds, after spending nearly 20 years in Seattle.

With her deep industry knowledge and outstanding communication, she not only organized the move but also prepared his condo and sold it for an impressive $65k above asking. She took time to explain her recommendations – how certain actions would generate broader buyer interest and higher bids, and why specific negotiation strategies were likely to work. Throughout the entire process, Marianne prioritized our father’s comfort and well-being, making the transition as smooth as possible. We feel incredibly fortunate to have worked with Marianne and wholeheartedly recommend her as the best realtor in the industry.”

“After living in Kirkland for over 20 years, I asked Marianne to help me look for a new property that would keep me close to downtown but also give me the privacy I was looking for. In just five days, we went from touring three great properties she recommended to offer acceptance! She knew exactly what I wanted and understood the market so it was a very efficient process. I put in a competitive offer that I would have lost had it not been for Marianne’s stellar advice on how to package the offer given current market conditions. I highly recommend working with Marianne if you are considering your next real estate investment.”

“Perusing the real estate market and purchasing a new home in normal times can be challenging for anyone, even with a seasoned realtor. Doing so during the COVID-19 pandemic presents additional challenges and, to my surprise, unexpected rewards.

I’d been considering looking for a new condo in Seattle for some years. Yet, with a busy career and a million other things of higher priority, the arduous dive into the real estate market never seemed to rise to the top of my ‘to do’. Never, that is, until meeting Marianne Francis at a social gathering and having a casual conversation about the impact of the pandemic on real estate in our region. It was mid-July and condominiums were just beginning to allow socially distanced and masked realtors and their clients access after months of shutdown. It was actually an opportune time, Marianne offered, to take a look at new construction which is exactly what I was interested in.

Within days, off we went, to tour several available properties. I quickly realized the depth of knowledge Marianne has about the condo market and, more importantly, how well she listens to understand what her clients are (and are not) looking for in a residence. Her background in sculpture and the arts gave me confidence that she understood my aesthetic desires as well as my budget, timeline, and home office requirements.

Over a series of meetings during which we previewed major new construction and some previously owned luxury condominiums I acquired an all-inclusive sense of the options available to me. Offhandedly, I said we needed a spreadsheet to keep track of and compare features of each property. Marianne replied, “Oh, I’ll do that for you.” And in short order I had a comprehensive list of prices, square footage, design ‘pros and cons’, building amenities, and neighborhood features. This made it easy to rank which were my favorites and from there what was the best choice for me.

When all was said and done and the purchase and sale agreement accepted, I had a moment of disbelief realizing I’d been able to acquire a new home in the middle of a global pandemic and amidst important social and political changes affecting all of us. I am absolutely certain that being able to do so was in large part related to Marianne’s professionalism, tenacity, competence, and steady hand in thinking through all of the many details involved in making an important life decision.”

“It is difficult to properly describe our experience in working with Marianne Francis, only because there are so many positive things to say! Having said that, the closest we can get would be “Marianne is extraordinary.” She is so proud to be a real estate agent, and she cares deeply about her clients, as well as her firm, Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty. She is the consummate professional, and is ethical and honest to the core. Equally important, she follows through on every single commitment she makes. She is incredibly smart and responsive (at all hours of the day and night) and is always willing to ask questions and perform background research to ensure that all details are in order. In addition, Marianne has the perfect amount of humor to share, just when she senses that you need a smile. As we all know, buying and selling real estate is a deeply personal, emotional and draining experience. Having a true partner in the process makes the experience so much more rewarding. Marianne was our partner at every step of the way. As two working professionals, Marianne often times offered to help us with aspects of our life that were completely out of the scope of our home sale and/or subsequent purchase. The fact that she tried to make our life easier meant more to us than she will ever know. Our only regret is that we have not won the lottery, and will not be able to buy and sell a dozen more homes with Marianne. Thank you, Marianne, for being beside us during the largest transaction of our life! We cannot wait for the next real estate adventure with you!”

“We could not speak more highly of Marianne. She is fabulous! Not only is Marianne one of the most loving and caring souls, she provides beyond expected quality in her profession. Marianne was all-in as we explored home purchases—she showed up ready to jump in every time we needed her, even on very short notice. She pays excellent attention to detail and helped us see the best and worst in several homes, giving us honest feedback. Our home purchase was made smoother than we ever imagined because we had Marianne on our side. Honestly, we could not speak more highly of her. Marianne’s character, devotion and expertise in her work do not disappoint.”

“Marianne was a wonderful, energetic real estate partner who helped me look for the home I really wanted in the neighborhood I preferred. She is a delightful person, whose efforts did not stop for a moment, guiding me throughout the process of buying and even providing further tips after closing. She is professional, serious and honest, and I would work with her again in a heartbeat.”

“Marianne has a particular gift for seeing the potential in spaces, for seeing what is possible and for creating interior and exterior spaces that are light-years improved from the original. She is that rare combination of energy and verve and vivacity, coupled with discretion and diplomacy. I could not recommend her more highly.”

“Like poet Marge Piercy, “The people I love the best jump into work head first without dallying in the shallows and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight.” Piercy’s words so perfectly describe why I love Marianne. In the nearly 10 years I have worked with her on the board of Cornish College, Marianne has taken on immense challenges with joyful confidence, immense skill, unwavering determination and inspiring passion. During my term as chair of the board, I was blessed to be able to turn to her to lead efforts to address seemingly intractable issues, knowing she would never give up, never accept less than success and always make everyone proud to have been a part of her team. An amazing blend of artist and business person, Marianne brings warm compassion, creative intellect and unflinching honesty to every difficult deliberation and thorny problem. I’ve never seen her lose her devotion to the ultimate mission or waver from her basic values of graciousness, integrity, goodwill and good humor, no matter how charged the environment. In every way, Marianne makes us all better at our joint purpose.”

“Marianne Francis handled our extremely difficult sale with consummate intelligence and efficiency. Never mind that the final document was 37 pages long, nor that during the difficult negotiations everything tried to fall apart - Marianne never flinched in crisis mode, and held buyer, seller and client together often through sheer force of will. If you want a real estate broker who is battle tested and has that ineffable sense of grace under pressure, Marianne Francis is a force to be reckoned with. Her ethics are impeccable and her word ethic speaks volumes. My wife and I couldn’t recommend her more highly - in fact, we already have and our friends report similar results. If this sounds like hyperbole feel free to contact us anytime - we will be happy to back this recommendation with facts and figures.”

“Marianne Francis is, without a doubt the most professional, detail oriented real estate broker with whom I have had the opportunity to work.
Knowing my desire in the next year or so to sell my home and downsize, she would occasionally call to let me know of a particularly interesting property - urging me to make myself aware of what exists within my parameters but never pushing me to make a move.
I very unexpectedly fell in love with my new dream home recently – on my way to a four-day business meeting in Chicago. In the space of four days (and in my absence) Marianne successfully brokered that deal, arranged for my home to go on the market within a week and obtained private financing for a loan to allow me to make an all cash offer in the event that my home could not close first! (Thankfully this was not necessary but her efforts reduced my anxiety level immensely!)
When I returned home 4 days later she had already completed ¾ of the staging for my home and managed to have my rather extensive gardens beautifully detailed!
When my home sold the following week and I was in Europe, Marianne forwarded the purchase and sale agreement for me to remote sign, and conscientiously checked my home each evening until my return to verify that it was secure.
I have never seen her calm, professional demeanor falter during the most challenging of negotiations. I received a precise list of relevant issues to be dealt with and documents to review daily and she made full use of the incomparable marketing assets of Realogics Sotheby’s to sell my home.
I have been impressed with both Marianne and the entire Realogics operation each step of the way. The beautiful photography of my home and quality of brochures, broad exposure of my property in the marketplace and tasteful signing in front of my home helped it to sell within a week.
I recommend Marianne without reservation as a truly motivated and professional agent to assist in the sale or purchase of real estate. She made one of the most challenging endeavors a pleasure!”

“My wife Diane and I recently purchased a condominium in Bremerton, Washington. Marianne helped us negotiate a deal that would not have happened without her incredible support and guidance. Between the short time frame and requirements from our lender, we were concerned that the offer we made might expire before we could reach closure. Marianne helped us obtain the documents that were necessary and provided background on the condominium that were crucial for us to move ahead with the transaction. Additionally, she supplied us with a list of resources that were tremendously helpful in getting us settled into our new home. We were, in short, extremely pleased with Marianne’s ability as an agent. We highly recommend her, without reservation, to anyone looking for an outstanding real estate agent.”

“Marianne made every step of selling our condo easy, persevering through an unexpected market slump. She hustled to sell the property, relentlessly holding open houses every weekend and employing inventive marketing tactics to reach new prospects. Marianne is professional, easy to talk to, and you can count on her to always have the inside scoop on the Seattle real estate market. We were proud to have her represent us.”

“Marianne helped us with the purchase of our new home. She was exceedingly helpful and knowledgeable; she went out of her way to help. Marianne jumped on any issues and worked hard to resolve them. We do not live locally, so could not be at the house for inspections, but she was there for the inspections and called us so we could talk to the inspectors about their work and ask any questions we had. She was very helpful. Over all she did a great job in helping us and reducing stress.”

“We met Marianne by chance and she turned out to be the best real estate agent we could have hoped for! Trying to find and buy a home for the first time can be a daunting process, but Marianne provided the expert guidance we needed with utmost patience and attention to detail and within a month, soundly landed us right in the heart of fabulous Kirkland. We remain not only deeply appreciative of her enthusiasm and dedication but also truly inspired by her kind, generous spirit and passion for everything in life. Thanks again Marianne!”

“Marianne was professional, astute and tenacious in bringing the purchase of my new condominium to completion — and in only a few short weeks! In addition to her skills in real estate, Marianne has a unique eye for matching clients with properties that are the perfect fit to their vision and needs. It is a joy to be in my new home, back to the amazing Northwest after 35 years away. I’m thrilled with the outcome of this process.”

“It was a total summer breeze working with Marianne. We met at an open house and were instantly impressed by her deep domain expertise of Seattle real estate - from the nuances of each neighborhood to the market fluctuations. Within a few weeks, we found our dream home and had only two days to submit an offer. Marianne deftly compiled everything needed to deliver a strong offer and calmed our first-time buyer nerves. She goes above-and-beyond with thoughtful, personal touches throughout the buying process and is our go-to resource for new home owner questions. Thanks for everything Marianne!”