We happily obliged when asked to find a condo for someone joining the Knight Cancer Center’s team. Executive relocations can be fun. In addition to finding properties, and evaluating each one, we get to wear our Tour Guide and Portland Concierge hats. She already took the job and knows she wants to live here, but we needed to make sure she knows about the city’s history and proposed new development. Because we’re interested, we also added an overview on geology (the formation of the gorge,) meteorology (seasonal rain and sun,) environment (access to the Willamette,) and scene (best Happy Hour!)
Our tour of 21 condos in 2 days to identify the best candidates was definitely a bit of a whirlwind. To stay organized we made sure she had printed materials for the properties we were touring. We made notes for each condo before we moved on to the next. Room for the piano? Wall space for bookcases and art? Kitchen finishes and appliances up to par? Then we reviewed what we had seen at the end of each day. Our third day was focused – retour the top 3, and review the offer forms, and get her to the airport.
The rest of the work happened with her in Chicago. Making the offer, coordinating the opening of escrow, collecting and reviewing condo docs, inspecting, negotiating repairs – and, of course, making sure the space was ready for her move. Technology definitely made it easier/possible to keep her informed and confident about moving forward, and the key is clear communication. Success! The end result of our frequent conversations and reports meant she is excited about her move, and ready to start the new job!
And check out her new view!
