For Robyn Kimura Hsu and Rachel Schindler, making the move from the Golden State to the Pacific Northwest was destined. We catch up with the top-producing team at Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty to learn about their market, savvy clients and why experience matters.

The Pacific Northwest has lured Californian’s for decades, but King County’s pulling power has never been stronger as out-of-state buyers seek a more comfortable pace of life in today’s ever flexible and changing world. Seattle and its surrounding enclaves of Mercer Island, Kirkland and Bellevue are especially in high demand. Given the unique nature of the pandemic, savvy buyers are looking for environments that easily accommodate the need to work and learn from home, often translating to searches for homes with views, waterfront and land. No one knows this better than Robyn Kimura Hsu and Rachel Schindler, of The Robyn & Rachel Group, one of the top-producing agent teams with Realogics Sotheby’s International Realty, known for leveraging their extensive network and connections to help their clients find the “unicorn” homes of their dreams.

Both Robyn and Rachel are California transplants with roots in San Diego, Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades and the SF Bay Area, so they know first-hand what the move is like for out-of-state buyers, specifically those hailing from the Golden State. Today, Robyn lives in Mercer Island and Rachel lives in Bellevue. “We love helping clients experience the Pacific Northwest for the first time and we are uniquely positioned to give realistic assessments of our region in comparison with California. The benefit of our moves is that we increased our knowledge about various communities and maintain our comprehensive understanding of the markets in both Seattle and the Eastside to help our relocation clients to quickly understand the uniqueness of our area. Our main focus is on Mercer Island, Bellevue, Kirkland, around Lake Sammamish and Redmond, and of course we still love our original home—Seattle.”

4421 Forest Avenue Southeast

Sold for $6,400,000

Since partnering together in 2011, Robyn and Rachel have had record years together, citing their complete trust in their partnership as the foundation for their success, and most importantly, their clients’ success. Their work ethic is rooted in a slogan synonymous with their brand, Experience Matters™. The recipe for success is working – this year alone the team is set to close over $80 million in sales. “We handle over 60 transactions a year and work almost exclusively with referrals. We are also well-known as trusted agents who can successfully take over a listing that has been sitting on the market, manage necessary tweaks, and ultimately get the home sold.”

“We love helping our clients find the unicorn home of their dreams.”

“The market in the Pacific Northwest and especially in King County is very fast-paced. Most homes, if priced and presented well, will sell in multiple offers or even before a review date is scheduled. Knowing how to navigate these intense situations is essential. We empower our clients to make these important decisions because we have thoroughly educated them on the market and expectations. We also tour extensively so that we can be confident in our local market knowledge.”

2154 94th Avenue Northeast

Sold for $4,180,000

One of the main shifts happening in their market has come in the form of population size and density. Robyn and Rachel stress the importance of exploring the unique neighborhoods that make up the region when working with buyers, noting: “Each area has its own personality and fit. Proximity to work used to be a major driver of where buyers searched and how the markets were increasing, but that has become less important as many workers, particularly within the thriving tech industry, have gone remote.”

“Right now, we are in a very unique period. Our market has grown exponentially due to relocation from other states and countries as well as the growth of our tech markets. Couple that with the political environment and COVID-19 and there are some substantial shifts taking place. Many urban families are relocating to the suburbs or the islands to gain space and schooling options. The trends are for home offices, backyard cottages and more room to work/school from home.”

“Clients trust us because we always speak our truth.”

The waterfront is also becoming one of the most competitive areas for buyers. The team has now helped with multiple off-market sales and have been able to get buyers in early to properties both on Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish. “Recently, we were able to help our clients buy their first home on Mercer Island beating out 21 other offers, and we have helped our clients sell their homes at record prices so they can retire and relax.”

View from 7464 East Mercer Way

$6,750,000

“They always tell you in real estate to keep your clients in mind. Every year we seem to be able to bring together a buyer and seller who might not have met otherwise. These transactions have a lot of meaning to us because they show our commitment to thinking outside the box. This special skill is especially helpful when there is little to no inventory and more buyers than sellers. We love putting the right people together to make dreams come true.”

If you’re considering that dream, The Robyn & Rachel Group have some solid advice: If you’re moving from California, make sure you are working with local specialists who understand where you are coming from and can offer insights into the personalities of the PNW. “The market and process of purchasing is different than in California and we want to make sure prospective buyers are fully protected and have a team that is looking out for their best longer-term interests. Our unique set of experiences—both having relocated from the Bay Area and as a top producing team here in the PNW, gives referral and relocation clients from the Bay Area a knowledge base and level of trust that is unparalleled.” Simply put: their experience matters.

Robyn Kimura Hsu
206.295.2247
Robyn@RobynandRachel.com

Rachel Schindler
206.250.5622
Rachel@RobynandRachel.com

RobynandRachel.com