Katherine Johnston

Kate helped us sell our property during a chaotic time in the market. She helped with recommendations for vendors to fix it up and prepare for sale as well as difficult decisions like when to drop the price and how much in order to get the most attention in a competitive area. We definitely got a great value from Kate and she set realistic expectations as the market changed and never pressured us to compromise. She also was amazing at explaining the process and each document we had to review she walked us through each one page by page.

Kate did an incredible job on the sale of our house - we had a contingent purchase offer accepted and had 5 days to get our current home listed for sale. Kate had so much knowledge and experience that helped us get top dollar on our sale - staging ideas, vendors from landscaping to photography, and market pricing data. We had 4 offers within 3 days and sold for over 105% of list price. She even helped us negotiate a rent back so we could prepare comfortably for our move. Kate is so great to work with, a great communicator, and highly intelligent and experienced. She's a great choice if you're thinking about buying or selling a home.

We've bought/sold 3 different homes and Kate is hands down the best agent we've ever worked with. For our most recent purchase, she helped us structure our offer to be competitive at a fair price for a home 26 days on market despite including a sale contingency clause. We were able to move without double payments, stress, or a short term living arrangement. She is so knowledgeable and has a connection for any service you could ever want. She is a wonderful agent and person and I'd highly recommend her to anyone looking to buy or sell!

I was fortunate to be introduced to Kate Johnston at Key Realty through a trusted referral, and I couldn’t have asked for a better partner. Kate was my agent for both selling my home and the purchase of a new home. She made the entire process seamless. One of the things I appreciated most was how there was never any pressure. Kate had answers to all my questions and provided experienced advice. She was a great source of trusted people and she referred me to: a wonderful contractor/painter, handyman, and locksmith. Kate was always one step ahead of things and extremely thoughtful. She came by on move-in day with a basket of essentials for the home and brought us some food and drinks. All along the way Kate added personal touches that made the transition smooth and enjoyable. I would most highly recommend Kate to anyone looking to buy or sell a home. You will be in the best possible hands!

Buying a home is supposed to be this chaotic mix of anxiety, hope, and the faint smell of fresh paint covering god-knows-what. Most realtors thrive on that chaos. They’ll smile, nod, and then nudge you into buying the “perfect” house because, hey, the faster you sign, the faster they cash their commission check. But Kate isn’t one of those realtors. Thank god. She’s the rare kind of professional who understands that your life savings, your family’s future, and your sanity are on the line. She doesn’t just sell you a home — she walks you through every angle, every inspection report (yes, even the stuff not written in there), and every hidden quirk of the market that most buyers would never notice. That’s experience. And it shows. She was patient — absurdly patient. She never pushed us. Instead, she actually listened to what we needed. Imagine that: a realtor who listens more than she talks. Crazy, right? Her market analysis was sharp, her guidance steady, and when the odds of the market tried to bully us into compromises, she was the one who quietly said, “Nope, we’re not falling for that.” In a world of shortcuts, she played the long game — ethical, thorough, and always on our side. And here’s the kicker: within a month and a half, she didn’t just help us buy a house — she helped us land both a home and an investment. That’s not luck. That’s someone who knows what the hell they’re doing. But here’s the thing: her role didn’t stop at closing. She’s been a constant support, armed with an incredible network of contractors, plumbers, garden wizards — you name it. She checks in on us regularly, making sure we’re settled and supported. That kind of care goes beyond business. It’s the start of a relationship for a lifetime. So if you want a realtor who’s just in it for the sale, keep looking. But if you want someone who’ll protect your interests like they were her own, someone who’ll fight quietly but relentlessly for the right outcome, then you already found her.

I recently sold my small condo in Kirkland and Kate gave it the same care and attention that I would have expected for a home with a much higher purchase price. There was some unrelated HOA drama that resulted in me needing to pull the property off the market for a few weeks, and Kate stuck with me and guided me through the process. She was so supportive and gave me peace of mind that everything would work out eventually! The whole time, she was looking out for my condo, taking care of little details and making sure it was presentable and ready for each showing. I had total confidence that everything was good to go. Once I had an offer, there was more unanticipated weirdness with the buyer’s financing and Kate was an amazing advocate for me and kept a watchful eye on the closing process. She was highly communicative and explained everything in layman’s terms, checking in frequently so I knew where we were in the process. There were a lot of unexpected complications with this sale but Kate was an amazing partner and advocate every step of the way!