Alison Derse

Alison is an absolute gem and a wealth of knowledge. My husband and I worked with her trying to buy our first home in Portland earlier this year. She’s incredibly responsive and not only offers her valuable (and non-pushy) insight, but immediately goes on the hunt to get all necessary information about a property. Having a realtor that both guided us and gave incredibly valuable advice is/was priceless. My husband and I didn’t get to purchase a home with her due to the shutdown for Covid and how it changed our lives, but I can’t recommend her enough to anyone looking for a home. We were so lucky to have accidentally been linked up with her, amazing person to work with. We will always be thankful for the experience.

— Virginia B.

I could not ask for a more professional, caring and talented realtor to guide to represent my family's first home purchase. Alison was always one step ahead and patiently worked with all stakeholders to reach positive outcomes at every step of the process. It's my pleasure to write this review and I highly recommend Alison.

— K. S.

It would be impossible to describe all the ways in which Alison rocks! She is responsive and attentive to her clients, but that is table stakes. She was patient and compassionate through our 1+ year home search and was a huge source of positivity for the whole process. On the buying side - you couldn't find a better agent. She is constantly thinking up creative ways (that are almost never financial) to make sure her clients have the most attractive offer. As a seller's agent, she was our rock through a stressful and emotional process. She gave incredible advice from getting the house ready for sale, to listing, and at every step of the escrow process. Alison - we cannot thank you enough for all that you did for us and we couldn't be happier to have you by our side for all these big life moments!

— Max G.

We were moving to Portland from NYC and before we even arrived Alison was so helpful in explaining the different neighborhoods, helping us navigate our priorities and making us feel comfortable. As a first-time homebuyer, we had a lot of questions and Alison was there every step of the way making sure we understood our options. She ended up helping us get an incredible home in Laurelhurst within 1 month of arriving - more than we could have ever dreamed of! Would absolutely recommend Alison if you’re looking for a knowledgeable, compassionate and thoughtful realtor!

— Abigail S.

Alison is my go-to referral agent when sending folks from the SF Bay Area. Her background in sales makes her a savvy negotiator, and her playful spirit make her a joy to work with! She's proven to be a powerhouse of knowledge for all things real estate including renovations, landscaping, and evaluating an investment property's performance. Grateful for her as a resource.

— Danny Y.

I had an amazing experience working with Alison. Being a first-time home buyer she helped me at every step of the way. She is a hard worker, meeting me at all times of the week/weekend, and never too busy to pick up my call. I would highly recommend her and appreciate how much she worked for me along with negotiating when it got down to the wire.

— Kyra D.

I knew IMMEDIATELY that I was in great hands when Alison and I started working together. She is incredibly professional, attentive, kind, and insanely knowledgeable about Portland and the current market. Alison listened intently when we established parameters - I had my heart set on living close-in in Portland, despite a meager budget. Alison searched high and low, we looked at comps together, and ultimately landed on my dream home between the Laurelhurst and Hollywood neighborhoods. I would never have gotten this house if it weren't for Alison's intel, research, and drive. Alison came to my rescue at multiple stages during closing as well. She negotiated directly with the Seller on my behalf to ensure I got a fair deal on repair costs. She was truly available day and night - I felt like I was her only client/priority, despite knowing this was far from the case. When the house needed repairs, Alison gathered 2-3 vendor bids per issue so I had a good sense of what needed to be done. I did not have to lift a finger. I cannot recommend Alison enough. She is someone you want in your corner, as your advocate, and someone you want as your friend.

We had an extremely successful real estate transaction with Alison. She is personable, knowledgeable, diligent and went beyond our expectations in finding us a home. Great with the details.

— Todd C.

Alison is awesome! We would highly recommend her for anyone looking for a realtor in the Portland area. Her knowledge of the market was invaluable in crafting a creative offer that could get the job done in a super competitive environment. Her enthusiasm and positive attitude not only made it a pleasure to work with her, but were also crucial to keeping us optimistic and focused in this crazy market! We couldn’t be happier with the home we ended up purchasing and would work with Alison again in a heartbeat.

— Elizabeth B.

We absolutely loved working with Alison and highly recommend her! My husband and I met Alison at an Open House as we were dipping our toes into the possibility of buying a home, right before COVID. We had NO idea what the process was like, where we wanted to live, what we could afford etc. but Alison immediately made herself an invaluable resource to us as we browsed for homes online until we were ready to go to viewings in person (with masks). Her warmth, professionalism and attentive listening skills made her an easy choice for a realtor-Alison truly took time to get to know us and to understand our needs better than we did! As the search heated up, Alison proved to be one of the most reliable, hardest working individuals I've ever met, always available to communicate across text, phone calls, emails, she never let us down even if we had a small question or wanted more information from a property we were interested in. She also has access to a list of DAILY HOT INVENTORY HOMES she put us on the list for, so my husband and I could see new Portland homes before everyone else. Scheduling listing walkthroughs with her was a breeze as she always made time for us-her white glove attitude made us feel like her only and most valued clients (but she definitely had way more!) When we found the perfect home, Alison came with us to do a second walkthrough the same day and immediately helped us create an offer strategy. She led the charge in writing our first offer and making it so good-our FIRST offer was accepted right away!! She didn't stop there-she hooked us up with inspectors, auditors, vendor quotes and then started on negotiations, while helping us with banking and money transfer questions. We cannot stress enough how much we leaned on Alison and her expertise, and how incredibly grateful we are that we did. She made buying a home smoother than we could have ever imagined. We now consider Alison a friend, and we whole-heartedly recommend her to anyone looking for an exceptional journey into becoming homeowners.

— Kalong W.

Having purchased 2 homes in the past, our experience with Alison was by far the best. She promptly took care of much more than we ever expected. It speaks highly of her that all parties involved happily completed a smooth, transparent and efficient sale and transfer of property. Alison, you are the best!

— Todd & Margaret C.

I can't recommend Alison Derse enough. She had extreme knowledge of the Portland market and the process of selling my home. She offered me all the information I needed in order to make the process seamless, including detailed timelines and schedules of all the steps involved. She was always on top of all my questions and offered advice throughout the process. You'll be lucky to have her in your corner.

— Taryn W.

Alison was kind, accessible, and knew every detail of our transaction. We purchased a home for sale by owner, and Alison facilitated all the technical work as a neutral agent and fiduciary. We'd highly recommend her to buyers/sellers in any capacity.

— Daniel W.

I have never had an easier nor more pleasant real estate experience! Alison knew just what to do with my unusual sale. She did her homework, found answers to my questions and found the way to make the sale pleasant for both me and the buyer who represented themselves. She is friendly, knowledgeable, and confident in her negotiations. I would not hesitate to call on her again for real estate in Portland and the surrounding area. Thank you, Alison!

— Cindy S.

Alison did an amazing job selling my house in Portland. Her expertise in social media and the internet adds a whole new dimension to being a broker. She showed patience and kindness in dealing with an older generation, an old school person, who knows nothing of those things. My house sold in FIVE DAYS! I am very excited and happy! She did an amazing job, it’s still sinking in! Thank you, Alison!

— Jan G.

We wanted to buy our first investment property. Alison stepped up, took time to understand our needs, and looked relentlessly for the right property. We collaborated throughout the project and found the perfect property. Alison masterfully negotiated the deal by helping the sellers understand the realities of their property. We closed on time and under budget.

— Justin L.

Alison was instrumental in our purchase of our first investment property - a duplex in the Williams/Boise neighborhood of Portland. She is great at building rapport with other agents and will stop at nothing to help her clients find the info they need (pulling permit records, calling city offices, talking with other brokers or investors, etc) to make the right call about whether a property fits their real estate needs. She comes from a strong business and marketing background and it shows in how she approaches being a broker. She was is a great partner throughout the whole process and a joy to spend so much time with. I highly recommend her.

— Cori L.

Words really cannot express how much of a wonderful experience we had working with Alison. My partner and I ended up buying our dream home. We initially met Alison via Skype while we were working in Zambia. My partner and I both work in international education and wanted to put our roots in Portland where we first met, by buying our first home. Alison was there for us throughout the entire process. As first time home buyers, Alison met our needs in the best ways possible. Professional, dedicated, personable, transparent and passionate are just a few words that capture Alison’s amazing personality. Alison is extremely knowledgeable of real estate in Portland and we trusted her expertise 100%. She puts her heart and soul into helping people look for a home, as if she was looking for her own home. We highly recommend her to anyone looking to buy a home in Portland. We’re going to miss working with her and we hope to stay in touch!

— Angela I.