Andrea Langen always knew she wanted to be a real-estate agent. As early as the third grade, she wrote “realtor” on a homework assignment when asked what she wanted to do when she grew up. Her mother worked in the business in both Portland and Seattle, and little Andrea thought it was the most glamorous job in the world. Her mom got to go into houses! Andrea always knew she’d follow her mother one day. She just wasn’t sure how or when.
Before getting her license, she worked as a general contractor for a couple of years and spent a great deal of time installing tile in kitchens and bathrooms. After her first child was born in 2004, she knew it was time to leave physical labor behind and pursue her childhood dream.
Her clients are lucky she took this detour. Andrea sees things through her general contractor’s eyes that are invisible to most homebuyers and sharing what she knows is part of her job. She can accurately assess what it will take to make a home great, and it’s sometimes more than her clients expect if they’re buying a “fixer.” She warns them of hazards and makes sure they don’t take on a bigger project than they can handle. Far better to make clients happy than to make a quick sale. She and her clients are on the same team, after all.
She helps people find and sell homes in all price ranges; unlike some realtors, she would never turn away a first-time buyer. She loves helping young homebuyers build wealth. Some can’t quite believe that they’ll be able to move up from a starter home after a while. Turning a modest $10,000 into $150,000 of equity over a couple of years makes her feel like a magician.
As a Portland native, Andrea knows the city, its suburbs, and its outlying counties better than almost anyone else in the business. She wouldn’t dream of living anywhere else and will happily help you find your next home in the area.
