“HAVING GRANDCHILDREN CHANGES EVERYTHING

Michigan had been home to us for 70 years. It was where we raised our daughters, made life-long friends and enjoyed our community. But once our daughters and their families—who had been living in different states and countries—put down roots in Westport, we didn’t have to think twice about where we wanted to spend our retirement years. Nor did we have to think about who could help us in our home search. We reached out to the KMS Realtor our kids recommended so enthusiastically: Michael Mombello. 

 Michael was endlessly patient with us. We weren’t able to visit the properties in-person, so he walked through all the homes we were interested in, using his phone to show us each room while offering his thoughts on how the house may (or may not) suit our needs. We trusted Michael to know what would work for us and he came through in a big way. We are now happily ensconced in Weston, just 15 minutes from our kids. 

We continue to miss our friends and family in Michigan, but now we can be a part of every holiday and birthday celebration. We cheer at our grandkids’ soccer games, applaud their ballet recitals, and offer a measure of comfort for bruised feelings or a scraped knee whenever needed. Pulling up roots is hard, but it was definitely the right move for us.” - Cary Gersh

We moved to Westport from California after looking at a number of locations around the country (including Idaho, Utah, Austin TX, Nashville TN, Washington DC, North Carolina, and Westchester NY) and so had a lot of experience with real estate agents but very little information about CT or Westport. From the very start of our exploring the area, Karen was extremely helpful in providing information and insights as to Westport and neighboring areas. While we came to like her very much personally, what really stood out to us professionally was that she was never pushing us (even to settle in Westport) and that all her insights on areas and locations were so accurate (that, now that we have lived in the area nearly a year, we can see so much more clearly). Karen helped us both rent a very nice unit when we first arrived and helped us find our permanent home. We feel very fortunate to have been introduced to her by a friend who lives in the area and we will certainly recommend her to anyone interested in Westport or surrounding areas. — David Johnson

Mary Ellen was incredible to work with and helped us find a beautiful home for our family. Mary Ellen was extremely responsive and took us around the different neighborhoods and homes to get a sense of what we were looking for and didn't stop until she found our match. She was a great partner and truly went above and beyond for us and continues to be a great resource and friend to us as we are new to the neighborhood. We highly recommend working with Mary Ellen at the KMS Compass team - you won't be disappointed and she will be your biggest advocate.

- Lauren

Susan Seath was our realtor in Fairfield County Connecticut. She did a fantastic job and helped us with all the detail of the sale. She was personable and friendly at all times and professional when it came to negotiating and the closing.

I highly recommend her. — Caroline Jones Shah

Karen is the consummate professional. She made the sale of our home seamless and it was a pleasure working with her. - Audrey Paul

Mary Ellen and the team at Compass were incredibly professional, knowledgeable, and patient as we navigated the process of listing and selling our house and purchasing our new one. In regards to everything from making our two young kids feel comfortable when we visited prospective houses to clear, prompt communication about showings and open houses to creative and polished marketing campaigns made the whole process as smooth as it could be. Thank you!

- Amanda Parrish Morgan

We met Kim at an Open House in Westport, CT a number of

years ago. Kim was immediately easy to talk to, approachable and made us feel at ease. It was apparent that she was an intelligent professional who knows the real estate market in the greater Westport area. Kim was honest with us and shared the drawbacks of purchasing this home which was not up to flood standards. She has demonstrated this honesty and integrity through out our professional relationship.

She introduced us to a new development and was perceptive enough to know that it might have been a good fit for us. Fortunately, we were outbid on this project, but she kept in touch with us without being overly pushy.

Kim encouraged us to consider Bankside House which was not on our radar. She assisted us in selecting the best unit within our budget and made the deal happen with her excellent negotiations skills.

For the last 2+ years, Kim has been responsible for being the liaison between us and the developers. All correspondence and site visits were arranged by Kim who was extremely accommodating and flexible. The few times that she was not available, her associates at Compass filled in and were equally helpful. No question or issue was too small or insignificant to follow through on. We were able to communicate with Kim who responded promptly and conveyed whatever information we needed. We also feel fortunate to have developed a warm friendship with Kim which was a bonus to us as well.

In summary, Kim is an extremely knowledgeable and capable real estate agent. We feel that clients can trust her to steer them in the appropriate direction and fulfill all the necessary responsibilities needed in the purchase and sale of a home.

We would highly recommend her!

— Anna & Steve White

I want to share my positive real estate experiences with Mary Ellen Gallagher, Realtor on the KMS Team Compass out of Westport CT, who we’ve known for years. Mary Ellen successfully advised us in our 2 recent real estate transactions, selling our family home in Mountainside, NJ and the purchase of a new home in Vero Beach, FL. How did a CT Realtor advise us in NJ & FL? Mary Ellen did this by introducing us to the national Compass network. Her recommendations of both our NJ and FL agents proved to be exceptionally effective. One of the most remarkable aspects of the Compass network is the seamless collaboration and knowledge-sharing among agents. Their attention to detail, knowledge of the local market, and dedication to their clients truly set them apart. Both agents went above and beyond to ensure a smooth and successful selling/buying process, ultimately leading to two outstanding transactions. We are very satisfied customers!

If you’re contemplating a move, anywhere in the US, I highly recommend reaching out to Mary Ellen. She is a very dedicated, knowledgeable, and resourceful agent and will do her best to connect you with the right agent for your needs. We can’t say enough about our positive experiences thanks to Mary Ellen and the Compass network.

- Sarah Pires

Hi David. I want to thank you for making the sale of our longtime home as painless as possible. We especially appreciate that you did not make us go to extraordinary lengths to prepare the house for market. And, of course, we are very grateful that you obtained our asking price for us, even a little more. I am glad that the new owners love the house and I wish them many happy years in their new home which should be filled with good karma after all the good times we enjoyed there.

David, it was great doing business with you. You were always positive and fun. We certainly chose the right realtor to sell our home. Thanks again for everything.— Barbara King

Mary Ellen Gallagher is the best realtor! She was patient with us, very helpful and returned our texts, emails and phone calls promptly. She is friendly but professional and is very honest and not pushy at all. She knows the area well and has very good recommendations for other professional services one might need when buying a new property. You will be very happy if you choose to work with Mary Ellen Gallagher!

- Cynthia

“It was great to work with Michael. He is very knowledgable of the real estate market in Westport/Fairfield area. He made our first home buying process very smooth and enjoyable. We will definitely reach out to him for our future real estate needs.” —Hamed Emami

Mary Ellen was a wonderful partner in helping us find our home. She was patient, conveyed extensive market knowledge and expertise, and has excellent relationships across the ecosystem from other brokers to inspectors to contractors.

- Kristin Steen

Susan was the complete professional in helping us sell the condo. Her guidance, both in terms of preparing the property for sale and helping to set the offering price, was seamless. The condo sold within five days at the asking price. I would thoroughly recommend Susan for anyone looking to sell their home. — HR Engler

“My wife and I couldn't be happier with our experience with Michael Mombello at KMS. He is incredibly knowledgable, trustworthy, and always puts his clients first. Michael also really gets to know his clients and is truly a partner in the home buying journey. As first time homebuyers in one of the most competitive markets in the US, Michael's knowledge of the area and professionalism was what made it possible for us to find a wonderful home. Already have recommended him to friends and family!” —TJ Jann

Kim was an excellent broker and I highly recommend her to any buyer in the Westport area. She knows so much about the town and neighboring communities. She is extremely patient and knowledgeable and also helped us find local contractors to do our home renovation project. She is an amazing resource!

—Dawn Sampere

I cannot say enough good things about Susan. She was recommended to me by a realtor in NY for my home search in the CT Norwalk/Fairfield area. She is very knowledgeable about the area, and has a ton of helpful contacts and resources at her fingertips which made the home purchase very straight forward. More importantly though was Susan as a person. She is thoughtful and reliable, genuine, and I felt she really understood what I was looking for. I’m just sorry we won’t be seeing as much of each other now that my house search is over! — Alison Loewenstein

“Michael is the best, and I would recommend him unreservedly. Not only is he incredibly knowledgeable and connected in the local market, he is strategic, thoughtful, calm, responsive, enthusiastic and a great advocate for his clients. Michael’s limitless patience, and spot on guidance made the entire process a breeze and I am so glad that I had the good fortune to work with him and can now call him my neighbor.” —Dina Nathanson

Susan went above and beyond what was expected to help me find the perfect home. She was extremely accommodating regarding scheduling viewing and making herself available on short notice. I would highly recommend Susan as a real estate agent. She is reliable and knowledgeable. She offered advice and guidance throughout the process of buying the best home for me. — Karen Hagerty

Kim Harizman , a partner with KMS, helped me sell two houses and buy two houses in a 3 year period . Kim did more than support us through the process. She helped connect us to professionals needed on each property and came prepared at each meeting with questions and concerns that we had not thought to ask. While I hope to be done moving, I would use Kim again and highly recommend her.

— Amy Benjamin

We had the most amazing home buying experience working with Karen Scott. As first time home buyers we were nervous but she was there every step of the way to offer guidance and advice. With her expertise of the market and area we were beyond lucky to get to work with her. She is the best!

- Maggie Walsh

Karen Hagen handled every aspect of creating a personalized search for our family. She is tireless, flexible, and kind. When we arrived to the finish line, her capacity to close a deal was seamless. We are truly impressed by her dexterity and comprehensive efforts and hope to be her friend for life. What a blessing! — Hye Na Lucy

I can't imagine a realtor being more of a partner or helping us more than Mary Ellen Gallagher. She helped us sell our house in Westport and buy a house in Weston in 2013, and when we needed to sell our Weston house in 2022, we didn't hesitate to work with Mary Ellen again. She makes a stressful process easier by being so customer focused, knowledgeable, experienced, calm and responsive, especially in the negotiation process. It's hard to think of how we would have navigated these transactions without her support and advocacy. Her customer service is above and beyond - she even came to our house to feed our cats when we were out of town during the open houses. Whether you are buying or selling, Mary Ellen gives realistic, sound advice based on her deep knowledge of the market and real estate law and guidelines. Throughout these three transactions, Mary Ellen became more than a realtor - she became a friend. I cannot recommend Mary Ellen highly enough if you are buying or selling a house in Fairfield County.

- Amy Richards

We met Kim at an Open House in Westport, CT a number of years ago. Kim was immediately easy to talk to, approachable and made us feel at ease. It was apparent that she was an intelligent professional who knows the real estate market in the greater Westport area. Kim was honest with us and shared the drawbacks of purchasing this home which was not up to flood standards. She has demonstrated this honesty and integrity through out our professional relationship.

She introduced us to a new development and was perceptive enough to know that it might have been a good fit for us. Fortunately, we were outbid on this project, but she kept in touch with us without being overly pushy.

Kim encouraged us to consider Bankside House which was not on our radar. She assisted us in selecting the best unit within our budget and made the deal happen with her excellent negotiations skills.

For the last 2+ years, Kim has been responsible for being the liaison between us and the developers. All correspondence and site visits were arranged by Kim who was extremely accommodating and flexible. The few times that she was not available, her associates at Compass filled in and were equally helpful. No question or issue was too small or insignificant to follow through on. We were able to communicate with Kim who responded promptly and conveyed whatever information we needed. We also feel fortunate to have developed a warm friendship with Kim which was a bonus to us as well.

In summary, Kim is an extremely knowledgeable and capable real estate agent. We feel that clients can trust her to steer them in the appropriate direction and fulfill all the necessary responsibilities needed in the purchase and sale of a home.

We would highly recommend her!

— Anna & Steve White

My experience with Susan Seath and Compass in 2023 was amazing, unbelievably helpful. Due to personal challenges, I was able to navigate the sale of my home and purchase of another with Susan guiding me throughout the entire process. She has been a friend for over 25 years which wrapped the entire journey with professionalism, humor, kindness, compassion, patience and finally, success. Thank you Susan! — Jeanette Druks

Dear Kim –

Nancy and I both believe that you did an excellent job shepherding us through the, what turned out to be an extended process of buying our ideal home for this next stage of our lives. As you know, our interest started very early when only construction fencing surrounded the property. Back in early 2021 on our walks on Wilton Road, we wondered what would be built here and how much the units would cost. Those questions were answered certainly to our satisfaction when the brochures becameavailable. Our early meetings with you provided confidence that the quality of the finished product would be outstanding, even though at that time, everything was still in the “architects drawings” phase.

As you know, it did not take much convincing that this was where we wanted to live, but you did make our final decision an easy one. While the time between contract signing (June 30, 2021) and occupancy (October 11, 2023) was “somewhat” longer than anticipated, you did keep us informed of its progress and the labor and supply chain issues. Weather, I remember, also played a part, but these were all things that were out of everyone’s control. You helped us decide on some of the finishing touches and were also available whenever we wanted to visit the site to check on progress. Overall, we believe that you handled our purchase of our unit very well. We cannot think of what could or should have been done differently.

We have been living here now for nearly 3 months, and while we have been working through some of the minor kinks that all new construction experiences, we could not be happier. Thank you for your part in making this happen.

—Nancy and David Tillson

Susan Seath is a pure professional who knows how to handle the highs and lows of selling your home. While she understands your attachments, she is also very honest on what will and will not appeal to buyers. She walked us through the process and was there before, during and after. If you want results, call Susan!— Terri Clevenger

Our experience with Kim, as the realtor representing Bankside House, was wonderful. She was forthright, patient, and flexible in meeting our needs. It was a pleasure working with her.

—Jill Gordon & Jim Simon

Susan did a fantastic job helping us prep and sell our house. She was professional, responsive and very easy to work with. She made what can be a difficult process, smooth and pleasant. We highly recommend Susan! — Marjory Klotz

I would give Heather ten stars if I could. I was so dreading working with a real estate agent when selling our home last year, but choosing Heather was the best decision we ever made. Besides just being a very nice person, Heather never missed a beat when it came to getting our home ready for sale, producing the sales material, scheduling showings, keeping us up to date on details, and responding quickly to our messages and phone calls. She is an awesome real estate agent! If I hadn't moved away, I would have loved to have Heather as a friend.

- Easton Home Seller

Mary Ellen was a professional in every way possible. She made what is usually a challenging project for most go smoothly from start to finish. When hiccups did arise (no fault of hers) She handled and solved these with ease and professionalism. Mary Ellen takes the workload off the seller and buyer and handles everything with ease. Highly recommend Mary-Ellen if you are selling or buying your home.

- Tom McCann

Susan is an extraordinary real estate agent who I unreservedly recommend to others. She has a spot on feel for the market and is adept at managing the all the details of the entire process. She also has a great feel for the emotional side of the transaction (we raised all of our kids in our home of 26 years, so that was a bit of a tearful experience). Her ethical and professional standards are quite high. You could not find a better partner to guide you through a real estate transaction in Weston. — John Clevenger

Wow! Where do I begin in sharing what an unbelievable experience I’ve had working with Karen Scott as my listing agent? From the start, Karen was on point coaching me on the staging and photography (including overhead drone shots and dramatic “twilight” shots) to showcase my home in an incredible multipage booklet and online MLS listing.

Karen efficiently hosted a successful open house for both realtors and buyers resulting in over 50 brokers attending and an over-list-price offer within 5 days of the house being on market. She also helped negotiate inspection items quickly to get us to a closing date while keeping on positive terms with our buyers.

Karen is a wonderfully fun, hard-working, killer-dressing and get-it-done businesswoman! I have really enjoyed working her and highly recommend her to anyone on the buying or selling side. - Lisa DesMarteau

Selling a home is extremely challenging, but choosing Mary Ellen Gallagher at Compass made everything easier. Her knowledge and professionalism were outstanding, along with her immediate response communication and never feeling like we had asked a dumb question which was very reassuring. We truly believe our very quick and successful house sale was largely based on following Mary Ellen’s excellent advice and we could not have been happier having her as our delightful realtor

- Emma Birch

Michael,

Thank you for being such an amazing (therapist, decorator, designer, coach, financial advisor) Realtor!! Not only did you help us get our house ready to sell - and then sold it in one day - we really loved working with you. You are the best! Thank you, thank you, thank you. Best wishes – James and Marcia Segelstein

Total professional! There was no-one else I would have listed my home with because I knew Kim would handle the deal from start to finish with the experience and steady hand we needed when we were asked to relocate to the UK quickly for work.

— Lisa Farrell

Karen Hagen at Compass is, by far, the best realtor I have worked with. A consummate professional, Karen not only delivers results, she is a pleasure to work with. Her experience and skill ensured that the entire process of selling my house ran smoothly.

With an eye for what buyers are looking for, her excellent guidance on staging set me up for success. She was always on top of things, from pre-listing readiness, to listing, showing, and sealing the deal. The result of her diligence and expertise: Karen sold my house within days of listing and above asking price. I highly recommend Karen Hagen — Connie Olsen

We cannot say enough positive things about our experience working with Mary Ellen. As first-time home buyers, we were so appreciative of Mary Ellen’s wealth of knowledge and expertise. She helped us to navigate a very difficult and competitive market in Westport with the utmost professionalism and dedication. She was always extremely communicative and patient, and we appreciated and relied upon her honest and straight forward feedback. She guided us through every step of the process, and always went above and beyond to support us. She also helped to make house hunting with a toddler feel like a breeze! Our three-year-old son always looked forward to seeing Mary Ellen, and she always went out of her way to engage with him and make him laugh.

Mary Ellen is extremely knowledgeable and connected within the local community. She shared countless invaluable resources and recommendations with us. After our offer was accepted, she helped us to put together an all-star team. Everyone she recommended was absolutely top notch- all seasoned professionals known as some of the best in the area, including our attorney, mortgage provider, home inspector, septic inspector, and even a locksmith to change the locks post move-in. She coordinated and guided us through every step of the closing process, seemingly effortlessly. This included completing multiple inspections in a very tight timeframe that didn’t seem feasible, but she leveraged her contacts and helped us get it done in just a few days. Every time someone asked us who we were working with, when we said Mary Ellen, it was always clear that they knew of her, and she was well respected in the area as one of the best.

We could not have imagined working with anyone else to buy our first home, and feel incredibly lucky to not only know Mary Ellen as a realtor, but as a friend as well. She will be the first call we make if we ever find ourselves in the real estate market again!

- Rebecca Ross

Heather is an incredibly dedicated, patient, and resourceful agent who is not seeking a deal, but rather, a long-term client relationship. She will invest time and energy into understanding client needs; provide guidance at all stages to inform her clients yet never interfere in their decision-making process; and will see a client through beginning to end, no matter how long it takes for the client to make a decision. Heather has a great eye for detail, is well-versed in home construction, and listens to client needs and wants. She aligns client tastes, understands client personalities, and keeps clients focused on the goal. We worked with Heather as first-time buyers established in our careers who were looking for a fairly new construction with curb appeal and higher-end finishes to serve as our starter home. We couldn't be happier with the home we found, and Heather was critical to maintaining our sanity and facilitating the stressful home-buying process during a pandemic. We have, and will continue to, recommend Heather as a highly competent professional who provides personalized attention and genuine care to each aspect of the client experience.

- Cheshire Home Buyer

We sold our house in Weston with KMS Team. Michael was the lead agent, but we felt like the whole crew was there to support us through the entire process. Caring, proactive and, most of all, professional. Michael and the team handled every detail, and it was clear that they were always on our side. They did an amazing job, got it sold smoothly, painlessly, and in record time! Whether buying or selling, get Michael in your corner; you'll be thrilled! — Leo Brereton

We worked with Karen at KMS and cannot say enough positive things about her. We went through a LOT of difficult scenarios as part of our home buying process and Karen handled everything like a true pro and got us the deal that was best for us. You are in GREAT hands with her — Daniel Klug

Susan is an exceptional realtor with expertise in the market's geographic area. She is professional, attentive and understanding. Selling our home after 20 years brought lots of emotions and Susan was patient, trustworthy and supportive through the entire process. You are in great hands when working with Susan!! — Weston Home Seller

Mary Ellen at KMS Compass in Westport was phenomenal with navigating a historically challenging (buyer) real estate market. We were remote buyers from out of state, and Mary Ellen provided exceptional detail and context of Westport and the surrounding areas, while conducting numerous virtual home tours for us to view homes while not immediately being in the area. We found a lovely home in Westport and Mary Ellen was exceedingly attentive, patient and gracious throughout the process from start to finish. - Peter Caruso

Laurie at Compass is a phenomenal realtor. She worked with me in a very difficult market to find the perfect home. Her extensive experience and easy-going personality made the home-buying process enjoyable and not stressful at all. Her knowledge of Fairfield and the surrounding communities is second to none, and her negotiating skills helped secure a very favorable result. If you are looking for a home in Fairfield or the surrounding communities, Laurie and the Compass team should be your choice.

— Christopher Seusing

Kim is an incredible agent. As first time homebuyers, my husband and I were pretty clueless. We had an idea of what we wanted, but were also constantly changing our minds. Kim seemed to really get us from the start and point us in the right direction. She is extremely knowledgeable, and on our long, protracted search, I noticed she knew A LOT more than most of the other agents showing the homes.

When we first embarked on this process, we didn’t fully understand or appreciate the value that a real estate agent could add. After working with Kim, we realized how valuable an extraordinary agent can be. She knows what questions to ask at showings, many things we would have never have thought of. She was also extremely honest - we were getting a little desperate toward the end of our search, but Kim would be straight with us if she felt the home wasn't right for our needs. She never tried to convince us to get something that wouldn't work. It truly felt like a team approach.

When we finally found our dream home, Kim's guidance was invaluable. We had to give a best and final offer on a very competitive home. Kim did the research and gave us her honest opinion, including much appreciated hard numbers, and never tried to push us over our limits. And we got the house over 10 other offers! Beyond actually obtaining our home, Kim was integral throughout the closing process, giving us her input and advice during inspection, navigating the mortgage and legal components, and even helping us find a mover!

Personality wise, Kim is so lovely and nice to be around. She is extremely approachable and easy to work with. If you are looking for a home in the Weston/Westport/Wilton/Fairfield area, I can't imagine an agent in the area better than Kim.

Thanks for helping us find our dream home Kim!

— Ashley Knight-Greenfield and Teddy Wolfson

Karen was able to cut through the clutter and over-bidding in this market to secure my wife and I our first home, in Norwalk, in just a few weeks! She was amazing at working with us and finding what we were looking for in our price range, without being pushy to try to get our bids up to where we wouldn't be comfortable. Highly recommend!

— Justin Schwartz

Kim Harizman is the consummate professional; knowledgeable, prepared and sincere. From beginning to end, and every step along the way, she was responsive and creative in addressing issues and answering questions. Kim sold our house and found us the perfect solution for an older couple downsizing. We consider ourselves fortunate to have worked with Kim and would recommend her without reservation. — Avonne Seideman

We worked with Mary Ellen to purchase a home in New Canaan while living in Seattle. Remotely navigating such a complex process could have been a nightmare—but Mary Ellen made it impressively smooth. Her responsiveness and expert knowledge put us at ease from the start. We were making a long-distance move to an unfamiliar town, so we needed a real estate agent who really knew the area and could help us make sense of the current market. Mary Ellen never hesitated to give her honest opinion, steering us away from properties that weren’t a good investment. When we ultimately found our dream home, she visited it straight away and gave us a thorough virtual tour to give us confidence in our decision. At every step of the way, we knew Mary Ellen was in our corner looking out for our best interests. Her technical knowledge during the home inspection helped us ask the right questions, and when she advised us to hire an independent septic inspector, the results ended up saving us a massive headache that would have revealed itself years down the road. I knew she had a phenomenal reputation, but after working with her personally, I can attest that Mary Ellen is a world-class realtor. I’ll be working with her for as long as she’s in the business.

— Taylor Rosenbauer

David Weber has represented us for over 20-years. He has helped us buy and sell homes 5-times. He has always been truly professional and, importantly, insightful, forthcoming and honest.

He has also become a true friend.

Most recently, knowing of Robin's health situation, he took the bull by the horns.

He knew me so well that he very gently led me by the hand and helped me sell our home that we loved so much. He made the process totally painless. Put no pressure on me. Always took my schedule and needs into account.

His knowledge of the local markets is deep and he knew that the timing was right.

Of course, he was, once again, correct. The house was sold, at our price, very quickly. No muss, no fuss. He helped me through the closing process as well. Always reassuring that it was going to be fine and not to worry.

His connections with local vendors is encyclopedic. He has a way of coming up with the right person for the job, ranging from legal and accounting to craftsmen and junk haulers and movers.

We've probably now bought and sold our last home. If that changes, he will be our first call. We can, unhesitatingly, recommend David for all real estate issues. He really knows what he is doing. And, you might even make a new friend.

- Robert & Robin Elson

I honestly don't think we could have gotten our house if it wasn't for Karen Scott. We bought it during the hectic post pandemic market, when houses were flying off the market within days. When our house came on the market, we had a feeling that it was the right one for us. So we called Karen and she immediately arranged for us to be the first ones to see the house. Following Karen's advice, we promptly prepared our offer and by the end of that day our offer got accepted, even though the house had an open house scheduled for the next day (with showing times booked back to back). We were so grateful! Thank you Karen for helping us find and buy our house! Karen didn't just help us secure our house, but she also helped us learn about the area, renovations, community and lots of other things. We looked at houses for several months prior to buying, and Karen was eager to share her knowledge with us, helping us learn the ins and outs. She also helped make our two young kids feel comfortable through the process - one time when we drove from NYC to look at a house, Karen surprised our kids with various snacks and two packs of cards. Karen is very experienced in her field, and her knowledge is priceless! — Michaela Akers

I met Lisa Holler at an when I just started looking to buy our first place. I absolutely had no idea or experience about how buying an apt works. Lisa hand held me from the beginning. She was responsive and did all the research on every single apt that I was interested. If I have to say one thing that was special about my experience, Lisa never tried to encourage us placing a bid on places that did not meet our standards. She knew what we are looking and made sure we get a place that we love. I felt comfortable going around with her with no pressure. She taught me so many things about the market, rules and laws. She and her team were very resourceful and their recommendations for loan officer, inspection and other things made our buying experience extremely easy and fast. At the end, we bought our first place that we absolutely love. I recommend Lisa to my family and friends.

N.L. - Buyer, Park Slope

We used Heather for our townhouse in Fairfield and couldn't be much happier. From day one she was in charge of everything from rearranging, staging and make the house ready to sell. Much to our surprise we got an offer in 2 days. Once we had accepted the offer she was still there for us and not moving on to next house like we had experienced previous realtors would do. Heather was in touch and helped us negotiating and finding resources like painters, handy man, attorneys so we were just sitting back, relaxing and enjoyed the process all the way to closing.

We can recommend Heather 100% and she will not disappoint.

- Asa Anden, Fairfield

My husband and I were introduced to Mary Ellen to help us relocate our family from Brooklyn to Westport. We lived in Brooklyn for 10 years and took a huge leap of faith leaving the city and moving to a new town we knew nothing about. Mary Ellen was instrumental in helping us navigate the buying process in a competitive market! With her experience and knowledge, she was able to tell us a lot about a home, its’ value, condition, the school district, neighborhood, and the block. Living an hour and a half away, we leaned on Mary Ellen’s expertise to help us decide whether or not a home was right for us. She helped us avoid many 3hr round trips with two toddlers and for that we are very thankful!! Mary Ellen was extremely responsive, easy to communicate with, she was fun, and always honest. In this business, you want to trust who you’re working with and we truly felt Mary Ellen put our family first. After we signed the contract the buying process went smoothly. It was a testament to her strong communication skills, project management, and experience. We are so happy in our new home and are very thankful for Mary Ellen’s guidance and continued support. We are forever grateful!!

— Aimee Kenline

What a great experience! Throughout the whole process of selling our home, David has been a tremendous resource. We followed all the advice he gave to us and it paid off with a fast sale well over asking price. We highly recommend David and the KMS team

— Rick Goldenberg

Mary Ellen was a pleasure to work with! She helped us make an informed decision about the home we purchased and was a great negotiator. Couldn't have done it without her. Highly recommend!

—Lauren Turle

Kim helped us purchase a very special property on the Bermuda Lagoon. Although we weren't officially 'looking', Kim knew that we were entertaining the idea of moving close to the water. She kept us in mind for close to a year until the situation was right for us.

The transaction was a full of complications, but Kim was unwavering in her dedication and calmly and smoothly negotiated all of the pitfalls that arose. Few brokers would have been able to navigate the situation with an outcome of satisfied parties and good feelings on both sides. Kim is a consummate professional with access to extensive contacts including attorneys, soil scientists, sea wall inspectors, architects, and builders to name a few. Kim continues to help us even today - a year after the sale was completed. We are grateful to Kim for finding our dream home, and know that it never would have happened without her.

We worked with Michael Mombello who was wonderful! He was so helpful, and made every step of the process easier (and fun). I would definitely recommend him to anyone else looking for a home in the area. Thank you Michael! — Elizabeth Schwartz

I had the fortune and pleasure of working with Mary Ellen Gallagher at KMS/COMPASS. Having purchased and sold several homes prior to meeting Mary Ellen, I must say this was the most seamless process ever. Mary Ellen took care of everything from beginning to end. She was incredibly professional, always on time, detail oriented, brutally honest when I needed her to be, and had an amazing wealth of knowledge about the local market, trends, home maintenance, future home valuation, contractors, etc. Mary Ellen truly took time to understand my needs and found the perfect home for us. There is no question why she is so well respected in our community as a top real estate agent. I will be referring all my family, friends, and colleagues to her in the future.

— Steven Choi

Susan was a joy to work with. She intimately knows the market and has good relationships with local real estate agents. She had great instincts for when to list and at which price. Along the way, she helped to coordinate workmen and went above the call of duty with trouble-shooting issues with the house in an honest and ethical way. Susan is kind, compassionate, and fair. She also did a wonderful job with staging and photographing the home. It was a pleasure to work with her.

— Jonathan Stokes, Weston

Change is good. Thank you to Mary Ellen Gallagher and the entire team at KMS Compass for helping us both sell a home AND buy a condo in 2021. Her advice on the sell side was invaluable--how to stage, price, market our home and then close the deal after multiple offers. On the buy side, Mary Ellen's focus and tenacity helped us secure a condo in record time and win the day in a very competitive bidding environment. Mary Ellen has the personality, experience, judgement, commercial instincts, and financial acumen to distinguish herself from the crowd. We knew we were in extremely capable hands with Mary Ellen and the entire KMS Compass team--can't imagine working with anyone else!

— Maryann Muller

I am so thankful we chose to work with David. He is incredibly knowledgeable about the area and local real estate, and made the entire process so enjoyable. He gave us game-changer tips and ideas that got us our dream house! As if his ability to find and get you your dream house weren't enough, his execution after the offer was accepted — Danielle Flom

We'd been considering a move out of NYC for over 5yrs. It was not an easy decision. Which town, which neighborhood, which house. We worked with more than 10 brokers in 3 different towns over this time. We only genuinely disliked one of them, but all but one of the rest, despite being perfectly lovely, followed the same playbook - take our specs and show us a bunch of houses we can afford but won't like, then one we'll love but is way over budget. Rinse & repeat. It was disheartening, frustrating. Laurie Morris was the exception.

We met Laurie (the M in KMS) through an old friend. Like all the rest, she asked what we wanted. But it was immediately clear that she, unlike all the rest, was actually listening, hearing the important points about location, environment, price. When we went out with her the first time 18mos ago (Oct-'19)we saw 5 or 6 houses and, if I'm honest, I'd have lived in any one of them - they fit perfectly within the descriptions we'd provided. But we weren't ready.

We continued our search in Greenwich, Darien (with other brokers), but I'd hear from Laurie from time to time...but only - and this is important - only when a new listing that fit our criteria came online...and within moments of it doing so. One of these caught our eye and we jumped, and so did Laurie - ensuring that we got early, exclusive access, lining up high-quality inspectors, lawyers, and contractors so we could make an informed decision quickly, comfortably. She patiently, deftly held our hands while we navigated the process, making one of life's most stress-inducing experiences feel quite natural, easy.

Our offer was accepted May 12. We closed June 29. And with the help of an army of contractors that Laurie helped us source and schedule, we moved in July 18. With 3 children. In the middle of a global pandemic.

— Ben Sarly

We loved working with Mary Ellen Gallagher at KMS Compass. She was the first person we contacted in Westport based on other testimonials we’d read and she absolutely lived up to her reputation in helping us navigate a crazy hot market (early 2022). She introduced us to all the neighborhoods and amenities of the town to help us understand how various locations stacked up against one another. Every time a new listing in our budget came available, she would proactively send us her perspective and highlight pros and cons for us to consider – often things that were not visible in listing photos and only a Westport pro would know (traffic patterns, property history, neighborhood information, etc.). She seemed to intuit what we cared about and what we were ultimately able to compromise on and steered us in the right direction throughout the process. She was super flexible and patient about the fact that we often had our 4 year old along with us, and was able to arrange last-minute showings as new listings came up – we were driving from two hours away and expecting a new baby during this process, so plans were always changing. Perhaps most importantly, Mary Ellen found a way to be candid with us about what she thought was a good/not good idea as we went through the process while still helping us see a range of options. We also felt that her positive relationship with the seller’s agent helped the negotiation and purchase process go very smoothly and all our questions were answered almost immediately throughout the closing period. We are so excited about our new house and have already recommended Mary Ellen to friends looking in the area. — Matthew Johnson

We had an incredible experience working with Kim. She was intelligent, thorough, knowledgeable, and extremely responsive as we were first looking for homes. She is a sharp and keen observer both of the market and the homes themselves, as well as what you need and want as a buyer. She was so helpful (and honest) in thinking through every pro and con and helping us find and secure our dream property. Throughout the purchase process she was on it every step of the way. Her recommendations for all the various vendors were fabulous -- she knows good people because she is good people. What can normally be a very difficult process was remarkably smooth with Kim. We are so happy with our home and our purchase experience. I could not recommend her more highly! - Olivia Milch

We listed our house with Karen Hagen in the very busy Weston market in Spring 2021. She was clearly the right choice for us from pricing our house to marketing strategies to choosing the right offer. As we prepared our house for sale, Karen provided various resources and staging ideas. She was professional, knowledgeable and always available. Karen has a personable, patient, low key approach that was reassuring and eased the stress of selling our house. She always made us feel that our sale was front and center for her.

Karen Hagen is a wonderful agent and we have engaged her again in helping us find our new home.

My husband and I were very fortunate to work with Karen Scott from the KMS Team when we searching for our first home in Westport, during a very hot market (2021). Karen has a deep knowledge of the market/area and from the first time we met her, we felt like we had known Karen for years. Karen was with us every step of the way, through multiple offers and was a constant positive voice letting us know we would eventually find our dream home. Karen was correct and we successfully purchased our home in a multiple bid situation - which we would not have gotten without Karen's expertise and guidance! Karen has continued to stay in touch and provide us with multiple local recommendations and vendors as we get settled in our home. We highly recommend Karen if you are looking to sell or purchase a home in the Westport area! — Julie Apfel

Susan expertly navigated the process of both our sale and purchase with excellent results. Our sale was painless, handled with care and grace.

On the purchase side, Susan was, as always, efficient and available for any questions or concerns. I always refer Susan to friends and acquaintances with the truth, which is, you will never find anyone who works harder to meet her clients' needs. She's simply the best! — Elise Major

First- I would definitely recommend Mary Ellen Gallagher and the KMS team to represent anyone looking to sell or buy a home. You will receive honest, confident, thoughtful and calming representations. Expectations will be set and exceeded. For a home seller, you will be blown away by how your property will be projected and advertised across all media channels. Further, you will be more than satisfied with the value you will get and the speed of the transaction. I could go on-and-on but trust me, look no further than Mary Ellen for representation - can't imagine anyone better!

— Gary Guiser

Karen is a class act with a wealth of knowledge. She was very attentive to our family’s needs and went above and beyond every step of the way when buying our summer home in Westport, CT. Her expertise in the housing market is not something everyone has. She is truly one of the most impressive real estate agents I have ever met. Thank you Karen we love/loved working with you!. — Allison Cornell

As a first time home buyer, I can’t imagine going through the process without Karen Hagen.

She was able to secure a private viewing of the house on the first day that it was on the market. From there, her expertise and experience in negotiating really showed. She was immensely helpful with the closing process as she provided great third party resources (inspectors, mortgage brokers, attorneys…) and always made herself available to us at all times.

Karen has even been in contact with us after our move in. She has gone above and beyond by helping us get acclimated to the area and providing local resources for repairs, painting, landscaping, etc.

Karen is a very genuine person whose goal is to help make buying a home a great experience, which she did! — Brian Droesch

Kim Harizman is excellent at what she does, she worked tirelessly with us to find our home in an especially challenging market. It’s obvious that she loves what she does and knows the town of Westport like the back of her hand. She helped us understand the various neighborhoods and what they offered, this was incredibly helpful moving from out of state. We can’t recommend her enough, she’s also lovely to be with and made house hunting for hours on end a joy. You’ll never work with another agent again after you’ve worked with Kim, she’s either landed your forever home or will be the first call you make when the next time to look comes around. - Katie Chandler

Susan Seath was a pleasure to work with and a total pro who steered us to making all the right decisions during our home sale. Highly recommend her and the company's services. — Chris F

Karen was referred to us by friends, and she was invaluable in helping us purchase our home in a very hot market. She knows Westport inside out and was an absolute pleasure to work with. Her confident and calm demeanor was incredibly reassuring, and she was extremely responsive and present for us throughout the whole process. Whenever we hit a road bump, Karen would immediately have a creative solution to the problem to keep everything moving forward. She really cares about her clients and getting them into the house that is right for them, and even after moving she has continued to be helpful in making recommendations and providing referrals. I would highly recommend working with her, our experience could not have been any better. — Hannah Redman

In January 2021, we decided to sell our home in Westport and relocate south. We wanted to take advantage of the strong sellers’ market in Fairfield county. It was critical that we get things organized to take advantage of the spring selling season. We were very impressed when we met Mary Ellen. Her demeanor was very professional, and we were particularly impressed with her analytical approach. Real estate transactions can be a highly emotional endeavor; we wanted an agent who would guide us on a steady, rational path. Additionally, the digital marketing prowess of the Compass Group was a strong selling point. Upon engaging with Mary Ellen, we developed a strong game plan for the sale. Mary Ellen was able to source staging, painting, and other contractors for us. We leveraged her extensive experience to figure out the best "bang for the buck" for our sale process. We listed our home in late March and had an incredible amount of interest. Mary Ellen managed an intensive 4 day showing blitz, we had 41 showings and received 15 offers. We accepted an offer significantly over our asking price. Mary Ellen priced our home perfectly. Mary Ellen provided us with steady, rational guidance throughout the settlement process. If you are considering selling your home, we highly recommend you have a conversation with Mary Ellen before you decide on an agent.

— Glen L

Finding and purchasing the right new home in a hyperactive seller’s market is a stressful challenge at best. Karen Hagen was the essential key facilitator as the process progressed from screening and visiting potential houses, through the formulation of an effective “best and final” bid once we found the right one, to helping us through the purchase and sales agreements and home inspection, to, finally and most impressively, her tireless efforts to assist us after the sale identifying local contractors to get started with the work of transition. Karen was much more than the consummate professional, immediately available and cheerfully responsive to our concerns 24-7. We consistently sensed her personal commitment to us that we find the right home for the right price. She is a true gem, as anyone, buyer or seller, fortunate enough to work with her will immediately appreciate.

— Daniel C, Westport

Every bit of Susan's advice on timing, staging, price-setting was spot on. I can think of no higher compliment than she is an absolute pro who you can trust and who you want in your corner; I directly credit her for a smooth selling process and receiving the offers (yes multiple) for which we hoped.

And she is not too bad at the emotional hand holding either!

– Weston Home Seller

Karen helped us sell our house in Westport with a closing that occurred on April 30th of this year. My wife and are convinced that we got the best service possible from anyone practicing in the field in this real estate market at this point in time. Her knowledge of the market was holistic and encyclopedic. She had her finger on the pulse of how negotiations of home sales were playing out at the time, and was therefor in an excellent position to coach us regarding both pricing and negotiating strategy. Her relationships with the third parties with whom one deals in property sales, including lawyers, tradesmen, surveyors et al brought a world of value to the process. Finally, Karen is a really personable individual, and what you see is what you get. I would recommend Karen to anyone planning to either buy or sell a home in this neck of the woods without reservation.

— Ira Ginsburg

Karen was the perfect choice for our house hunt in Fairfield County. She went above and beyond. She was an absolute pleasure to work with and made the purchasing of our new home in a very competitive environment (peak COVID, in a NYC suburb) an enjoyable experience. She was incredibly knowledgeable about the market and very patient with us at every step of the way, constantly reassuring us that we should wait for the right house and it will eventually come to the market. The house we ended up purchasing she was able to tell us it was coming to the market weeks before it did, giving us a competitive edge against other bidders. Based on her advice we ended up getting our house in a multi-offer situation (without having to go above the asking price). Karen's professionalism, expertise and excellent interpersonal skills makes her an amazing agent for anyone attempting to purchase or sell a home in Westport or the surrounding area. — Matthew K.

Mary Ellen was great to work with. She made what should have been an arduous task a fairly easy one. She thoroughly explained the differences between the three towns we were looking at, took the time to get to know us and our style, listened carefully to our needs and timeline. She knew how to keep us above the fray in what has become an extremely competitive market in Fairfield county. I would highly recommend working with Mary Ellen in your next search.

Vera Melkonian

We are so appreciative for Karen’s amazing insights and good counsel on our recent home sale. She is meticulous, focused and, more importantly, fun to work with. We were a tad apprehensive opening our home to potential buyers during COVID and Karen took great pains to ease any concerns. And, she helped us maximize the value of a very unique antique home. Highly recommended. A+++++

— Gil Ditkoff

The biggest challenge for a realtor is selling the home of another realtor who expects perfection. Susan surpassed my expectations ten-fold from start to finish. Four days of showings, 50 appointments, multiple offers. I highly recommend her to anyone who expects gold-star service. — Kathy Jones

David was understanding and responsive. He was very reliable. He helped us sell our house where others failed, and helped a lot throughout the closing process. — Irine Gibilisco

An EXCEPTIONAL professional realtor that makes a difference.

I have been involved in real estate for over 40 years, and have dealt with many brokers, but I have never met one so INCREDIBLY DEDICATED TO SUCCESS AND CLIENT SATISFACTION as Karen Hagen. We were so fortunate to have her represent us as Sellers of a Conneticuit home, especially as we were out-of-state and needed someone local to help us overcome obstacles.

Karen's advice on pricing and her team's photography and virtual staging of our home brought in tremendous traffic. We received multiple offers within the first day. Then to get to closing, she really shined.

Karen and her team were EXCEPTIONALLY PRO-ACTIVE; she arranged middle -of-the-night snow removal, hired a handyman to meet a few of the buyer's requests, and even contacted the township to clear up open permits. Whenever an issue arose, Karen jumped right in without hesitation. Her goal was to help us get to the finish line and have a smooth closing.

We are so appreciative of Karen's for EXCELLENT REPRESENTATION throughout the process and HIGHLY RECOMMEND her as a real estate professional.

— Diane D

Mary Ellen Gallagher is a star - she helped us find our dream home in Westport, and I'm confident that she will find the right home for you. To say Mary Ellen is a professional is an understatement, and she is truly good at what she does. Mary Ellen is warm, kind, and understanding - but also tough when she advocates for you, and doesn't sugar coat the tough news. Mary Ellen is responsive and wonderful to talk to...I can go on and on, but in short, I cannot recommend her more highly - she's amazing!

Todd Suchotliff

We worked with Kim and her team on the sale of a home and she was excellent in every way. Professional. Communicative. HONEST. Focused. Determined. Completely on top of her game. And, she's just a lovely person which in many ways, makes all the difference. Our transaction was particularly difficult Kim really helped navigate the situation-- both logistically and emotionally. We cannot recommend her more highly. — Stacy Bass

Do not hesitate to call on Susan Seath for support in the sale of your home! She's an expert. We went a year+ with non-stop aggravations with an agent and little progress with the sale of our home. A close friend of my husband recommended Susan for handling properties down in Fairfield County; Westport/Weston area and we gave her a ring. The quality of presentation, the photographs of our home, the style and feedback she provided and the recommendations were all spot on. She understands the area, the people and what's happening! Don't hesitate to call her for a consultation on the sale of your home. She will guide you towards success.

— Brooke Valenti

We asked David Weber to be our selling broker for our house in Westport after he concluded a very difficult sale of my father in law's house also in Westport. David launched right into it and got action going. He knew the market and more important knew the process when it came down to a short sale. What he didn't know (rare) he knew whom to ask and get the answer. He was professional, courteous, transparent and a pleasure to work with. When I told him that my only regret was that I couldn't use him to find a house for us in LA, he came back with a trusted name in the Compass office here. Knowledge, Expertise and Personality. What more is there? — Robert Monaco

Working with Mary Ellen was amazing. Moving from NYC this was our first home and we needed someone that was going to coach us through this process. Mary Ellen listened and understood what we wanted and helped make it happen. She was an excellent resource, advising on the town, the market and the houses. When challenges arose, and they always will, Mary Ellen went the extra mile to work things out. I don’t think we would have found our home without her.

Dennis O’Connell

Success in a difficult market! Karen took me under her wing and made sure I found the home that was a great value and I loved! Professional, compassionate, and her attention to detail sets her apart and the KMS Partners at Compass! She is local and knows the area exceptionally well. I was so fortunate to have her find my forever home for me!

— Maira J

If you are looking to buy or sell a home in Westport, CT look no further than MaryEllen Gallagher. In working with Mary Ellen my Wife and I found her to be the consummate professional. Honest, intelligent and knows her business. Most important to my Wife and I was she was always available to answer our questions and help us through the process. Buying or selling a home during a pandemic is not easy for either the buyer, seller or agent.Mary Ellen guided us the entire way and made the transaction a seamless one. We strongly recommend MaryEllen Gallagher...

Bob Goldstein

Karen is the consummate professional : extremely knowledgeable about the market, insightful & adept at managing the sales preparation process, sensitive to her clients' needs, skilled at the art of negotiations, always adding excellent perspective & guidance, diligent on researching a home's history and a master at managing all the details that arise up to and after the closing. In addition to Karen's incredible professionalism, as a client, you gain the the assistance and expertise of the great KMS team. They are simply the best in town !

Our experience with KMS could not have been any better. My husband and I had been searching for a home for several months. Through selling our home in NYC, Covid markups, and fluctuating inventory, we felt like there was absolutely no hope for us. We had been working with a completely different real estate firm/agent in CT and it was a disaster. It's no exaggeration when we I say we were really going to throw-in the towel and give up. We decided to give it one more try and we asked a couple friends who recently moved to CT who they used. A trusted friend immediately recommended Michael M at KMS so we thought there would be no harm in reaching out. Right away Michael was extremely personable, ACTUALLY LISTENED, asked questions to learn more about what we were looking for, and got started right away with finding some good options for us to look at. I tend to be a perfectionist and usually only operate when I'm in total control. After the experience with Michael I realize that the need for control was because I haven't had many past opportunities to work with someone I fully trusted. Michael effortlessly gained our trust from his organization/preparedness for viewings, thoughtful suggestions, things to notice/pay attention to, and extra advice for the big move. He never taunted us with homes that were out of our price range and he was very knowledgable about neighbors and towns. Not to mention he has great taste so he was fun to bounce ideas off of when it came to furnishings and paint colors. I never felt like I was wasting his time or that he would much rather be doing something else. He always had patience and I never felt like I was asking a "stupid" question. Buying a home is stressful. Moving to a new area can be daunting. Personally, the experience with Michael couldn't have been better. And as an added bonus, I believe he would be just as valuable and amazing to sell my home. Although he did such a great job we don't plan on leaving any time soon, it's extremely comforting to know that if/when that time ever comes we have just the person to call. — Joshua Hunold

After having lived in our home for 24 years, getting it decluttered and ready to sell was a daunting prospect! Karen helped us every step of the way, giving great advice on what was needed to make our home the most marketable in our town (which she knew well), while steering us away from unnecessary upgrades where we were unlikely to get a return on our investment. She provided some good referrals for work that needed to be done as well. When we were finally ready to list, she recommended an excellent stager and sent a professional team who photographed the home beautifully, inside and out. We could hardly believe it was the same house! The first weekend she set up 16 showings, and was relentless in getting our house seen by the most potential buyers until we went to contract. Karen did all the negotiations as well, and kept in constant communication with us (nights and weekends too!) when there were urgent matters to handle. We were more than pleased with the experience, as well as the end result. You will be too! — Valerie Austyn

We had the pleasure of working with Mary Ellen Gallagher to purchase our new home. She is professional, honest, respectful, personable, and extremely knowledgable about the market. We appreciate her insight, guidance, and transparency, through the whole process. This was our first time buying a home so we were very nervous and stressed, but Mary Ellen helped us navigate this process so seamlessly, helping to alleviate our stress and anxiety. If there was a contact that we needed (ie lawyer, house inspector etc..), she provided them, and her recommendations were solid. Buying a house is a HUGE decision, you want someone who is knowledgeable about the market, someone who knows the area extremely well, someone who is well connected to contacts you need and those you didn't know you need. You need someone who is on their game and on your side. This is how we feel about Mary Ellen and honestly, we cannot recommend her enough! — Vez Suchotliff

We interviewed a number of agents before putting our house on the market. From our first conversation on we knew Laurie was the right choice. She had total knowledge of the market, comps, and set our expectations properly. She was there to help us stage and made constructive suggestions on what we could do to make our house more desirable. When it was time to show she made sure the buyers knew all the perks our house had to offer and was truly our advocate. We sold our house within two weeks and could not have done it without her. We highly recommend Laurie and the entire KMS group. — Paul Joseph

Karen [Hagen] helped us to find our home in Weston, CT while we were living in California during the pandemic. Her knowledge of the market, responsiveness, professionalism and kindness made this a stellar experience for our family. We were first-time home buyers and Karen guided us every step of the way and truly listened to what we were seeking in a home. Because of this, we trusted Karen to view homes on our behalf and sought out her expert point of view on several properties we considered along the way. Karen consistently went the extra mile for our family...and still does! She checks in on us and makes sure we are settling into our new home. I highly recommend Karen and would work with her again in an instant! — Megan Ricard

Michel Mombello was an excellent agent. He was able to secure our full asking price which was significantly higher than many other agents had suggested we should list for. He was patient, extremely knowledgeable and tenacious. I would highly recommend him! — Gary Rubinoff

Karen Hagen impressed me throughout the entire selling process. She was extremely well-prepared for our first meeting and impressed me with her knowledge of the market. Every step of the way I felt she brought something special to the process from identifying actions I could take to prepare the house for sale, finding contractors who were able to work quickly and inexpensively, handling the staging without me and even taking a building inspector on a virtual tour of the basement. Through the entire time we worked together she was patient, cheerful and always responded quickly to any of my calls. Two days after my house went on the market I had seven offers. Who can argue with success!

Having just completed a long and arduous journey, also known as selling a home in a depressed housing market in Fairfield County Connecticut, I can say without hesitation that my real estate agent made a tremendous difference in guiding me through the process! Mary Ellen Gallagher of KMS partners in Westport, CT was extremely professional, trustworthy, available, and an absolute pleasure to deal with. Despite getting numerous emails/texts/phone calls from me over the four months we worked together, she was always upbeat and I could always rely on her opinions. Unquestionably and without reservations, I would recommend Mary Ellen to anyone thinking about buying or selling a home in Fairfield County! — Neil Cohen

I have worked with David Weber on the marketing and sales of two properties in Weston. His advice was spot on. When I listened to his advice we had plenty of showings and ultimately sales. When I tried to second guess him it turned out that I was out of touch with the market. He and his team are excellent professionals: thoughtful, knowledgeable, communicative, respectful and successful. I highly recommend him. — Roger Reger

My wife and I closed on our 1st house in July. As our broker Laurie Morris was awesome to work with. She was knowledgeable about the process and responsive to all of our new home buying questions. She helped us negotiate our offer and kept the closing process on schedule! Thanks Laurie! — Michael Walker

I was thrilled to have Karen Hagen as my Realtor when selling my home. Karen always responded very quickly to every email, text and phone call. She gave me sage advice, and I received a solid offer after just one showing. Compass put together a beautiful marketing package too. Karen works VERY hard for her clients. My deal involved tense, challenging negotiations. Karen helped guide both parties to a palatable finish line. You won’t go wrong with Karen Hagen and Compass as your Realtor. — Allison Wysota

KMS Partners could not have been better for us. Selling a home in Greenfield Hill is difficult these days, and our agent, Michael Mombello, was knowledgeable in terms of regional pricing history and very effective at marketing the property. He was also very good at preparing our home for sale. I am not sure we would have attracted the attention we did without his valuable input regarding staging our house. So, thank you Michael, and thank you KMS Partners! My wife and I highly recommend Michael Mombello. — Stephen Staunton

This was my family’s first home purchase and MaryEllen Gallagher was an amazing agent for us. She respected our budget and was transparent and honest every step of the way. She pre-screened a bunch of houses, over several weekends, with me on Facetime and on her own to help minimize our exposure during COVID and save us time. She’s professional, responsive, knowledgeable and a truly fantastic person to work with. We absolutely love our home in Redding! — Wendy Hare

Susan is an agent who works tirelessly to close deals for her clients. She provides timely feedback on home showings. She is committed to her clients and she is an extraordinary real estate agent. If you are looking to buy or sale a home in Weston, Westport or the surrounding area, then give Susan a call. — Lydia Barron

David served as our agent to purchase a new home in Weston, CT (to where we recently moved from NYC). I would highly recommend working with David for a number of reasons. For one, David was very devoted to meeting our needs -- he listened to us explain what was important to us and he focused his search for us on finding opportunities that felt right for us. David is also incredibly knowledgeable -- he is a long-time resident of Weston and well connected to many important members of and service providers within the community and readily shared his contacts and expertise with us. In addition, he just has a great style -- he is a laid back guy and it never felt like he was pushing us to do anything we didn't think was right throughout the process - he was just there to help us achieve our goals. Thank you David for all of your help finding and getting us our dream home!

I have purchased 2 properties with Karen Hagen as my realtor. She truly is a text book professional in the industry and gets things done the right way, every time. I highly recommend Karen and her team! — Cody Benedetto

We highly recommend Michael. Not only is extremely genuine he truly cares about his clients. Michael helped us find our home during the heart of the pandemic and mass exit of the city. We appreciated his extensive knowledge of the market and surrounding area, making our house hunt search purposeful and effective during an extremely stressful time. He found us a house that checked all of our boxes and we felt he truly understood what we were looking for for our next home. Michael was always available and extremely responsive. We would highly recommend him to anyone looking in the area! — Hillary Budds

Mary Ellen Gallagher was our buyers' agent as we navigated purchasing our first home during a very competitive market. She was a fantastic advocate, unfailingly responsive, and provided invaluable insights into the local area and top-notch contractor/vendor recommendations. We cannot recommend her highly enough (and we already have to several friends!) for her efficiency, good humor, and guidance that got us into the home of our dreams. — Jessie Wright

We relocated from out of state and had to get really smart about Fairfield County really quickly. Susan was a patient and knowledgeable guide, touring us around five different towns, really listening to our needs, and calibrating the homes we toured based on our feedback. After three trips (and four very long days) in Fairfield County, we found our dream neighborhood and a terrific house. Susan negotiated well for us and supported us through every step of the process. She even had terrific references and recommendations for painters, landscapers, and a wonderful designer to make our house our perfect home. We can’t recommend Susan highly enough.

– Fairfield Home Buyer

I highly recommend Laurie Morris of KMS Partners. She demonstrated professionalism and dedication throughout the entire process. She took time to listen to my needs, get to know exactly what I was looking for, and help me refine my search. Laurie was efficient and effective; she did a wonderful job setting up visits to different properties. She was responsive and listened to my feedback. Communication was ongoing, and she made sure to keep me in the loop. During the negotiation and eventual closing, she used her expertise to help me through the process and advocate for my needs. It was a pleasure to work with Laurie. — NH

Lisa was a pleasure to work with. She went above and beyond in every way. She is highly engaged, knowledgeable, and determined to do right by her clients and achieve a successful outcome. I felt completely comfortable and confident in her hands, start to finish.

M.C. – Seller, Prospect Heights

Mary Ellen is very knowledgeable in Fairfield County real estate. We met at an open house and immediately connected. We are beyond fortunate to have worked with her. She’s honest, reliable and well connected in the community. She has a recommendation and contact person for everything you may need in this process and even those things you didn’t know you needed! She knows the market well and helped to navigate both the sale of our prior home and purchase of our new home. During difficult/stressful times we appreciate her dedication with the process and coordination with all the parties involved to create a smooth transaction and a pleasant experience. She coordinated between multiple realtors, lawyers and inspectors with ease and we really felt her support. She is the glue that made it all possible helping make the purchase of our dream home a reality. We highly recommend Mary Ellen! — Jane Khorosh

Michael Mombello was more than 5 stars for us. He was patient, friendly, focused and was quick to assess and address our wants and needs in our next home. Throughout our search and purchase process, we found him to be 100% behind us during the twists and turns of an important, and sometimes stressful process. If you are looking to buy or sell a home in the the Fairfield, Southport, Westport CT area, we strongly recommend Michael and KMS — John Monahan

Laurie was great to work with! She was helpful in getting my house ready to list and very supportive during the process. Laurie not only sold my house quickly but took the time to find me a new home!— Sandra Lee Harrigan

Michael was a joy to work with! He has a calm, reassuring demeanor, but is also tenacious and will work hard to get you the best deal. He listed my house as well as found me a wonderful new home - great on both. — Patty Lewis

Susan represented us for the sale of our house in Weston and she was terrific. The sale was a complicated corporate relocation and she ably navigated the complexities of the three-way sale. It was further complicated by the pandemic and the disruptions it caused to the market. At all times, she was a terrific partner, keeping us informed and guiding us on strategy. We would use her again and recommend her to others without hesitation. — Jeffrey Eglash

We sold our home in Wilton with Karen's help and expertise being a critical component of the sale. She was professional, supportive, and as the inevitable hiccups came, she guided us through them with her knowledge and sensitivity. Her reading of the market was spot on and she made the process go smoothly. — M. Siegel

Heather was one of the best real estate agents I have ever dealt with. She is informative, responsive and just a down right great person who cares about people and her profession. I would highly recommend Heather!

- Kim Smith, Fairfield

Michael Mombello is the best and came highly recommended to us by a friend. He has lived in Westport with his family for over 30 years so he is very knowledgeable about Westport/Fairfield County. We were looking for a home in Westport for our family of four and had a checklist of requirements and he was extremely patient with us during our search process. Michael never pushed us into a neighborhood or price range that we weren’t comfortable with. He is a genuinely nice, caring and honest person and we completely trust him. After our first meeting, he knew what we were looking for and what our style was. We appreciated his honesty and guidance throughout the home search and purchasing process. We can’t thank him enough for helping us find the perfect house in the perfect location for our family. — Kit & Victor Loo

David is the best. He was genuinely caring, attentive, and responsive throughout the entire home buying process. Additionally, he was very knowledgeable about the area and the market in general. I highly recommend him. — Fred Masotta

Mary Ellen is an invaluable agent to work with. We were beyond fortunate to have had worked with her. She helped us navigate the home purchase process and made it so seamless for us. She is extremely professional, always responsive, very dedicated, very knowledgable about the market and the Westport area. Another great thing about Mary Ellen is that she will provide you with all the information and resource you need to make an informed decision. Aside from all this, she is easy to talk to and very personable. We highly, highly recommend Mary Ellen!

David has been very kind and friendly and is well aware of the local market. We used KMS as seller agent and David know what it takes to sell a house. Highly recommend. — Sumanth Amarchinta

Karen was great at only showing us the houses that fit our criteria. She was very knowledgable about local neighborhoods and pro's and con's of each particular situation. Gave us excellent advice on bidding and negotiating. We couldn't be happier with her service or our new house. — Rich C

Kim is professional and efficient on house sale. She helped us through the complicated procedure with a short period of time. Very glad we hired her and it was a pleasure working with her!

Karen was with us every step of the way in a long process to buy our dream empty nester home. We had a very difficult purchase and she negotiated everything for us and we always felt she had our utmost interest. We can not recommend her enough! Her knowledge of the local market, her negotiating experience and her ability to always keep us on a level playing field, makes her and outstanding agent in this market!

As first-time home buyers we were very fortunate to have partnered with Michael Mombello. Michael was extremely knowledgable, supportive and patient throughout the process. He quickly understood our priorities, showed us meaningful options and was transparent about pros and cons of every property. Michael was very responsive and found the right balance between guiding us in the buying process and giving us the time and space we needed to make decisions. We would highly recommend Michael to anyone looking to buy their dream house (first-time buyer or not). — The Inetts

Mary Ellen helped us navigate the complex purchase of our first home in a community that was new to us during an incredibly competitive and changing market. She was always available for every question, extremely proactive, and most valuably, provided an endless supply of local recommendations for any service we needed -- attorneys, inspectors, chimney specialists, plumbers -- the list continues! We closed in mid-July and have already recommended her to several friends and colleagues as an outstanding buyers' agent.

Karen was a key player in helping us transition from 25 happy years in Weston to our second home in Westport. She sold our Weston home in 24 hours and helped us identify a unique spot at Compo where we built a new home for our mature family. Karen works quickly, efficiently and is VERY responsive to her clients. We were always impressed with her communication with the other brokers with whom she seems to have very good relationships. This is very important in getting appointments, viewings, and in negotiating deals in a timely fashion. We never felt that we were missing any potential opportunity in the process, and we smoothly moved through two transactions and two moves thanks to Karen's professionalism, hard work and superior knowledge of the local market. -Liz and Jeff Silverman

We cannot say enough great things about David. He made the entire process of buying a home an enjoyable one. He has great knowledge of the area. I would 10/10 recommend David to anyone buying or selling a home in Fairfield County!! — Rebecca Schwartz

Laurie was great to work with. Her knowledge of Weston, responsiveness, and honesty made the home buying process easy. We are beyond excited about our new home! Thanks Laurie

Last fall, we started thinking about selling our house. We selected Mary Ellen to represent us at the recommendation of a good friend. Mary Ellen suggested that we have the external photos taken during the fall foliage, which was a brilliant move. We dragged our feet for a few months, and finally decided to get the house ready for sale in February. Mary Ellen referred us to an excellent staging company, Show to Sell Homes, who recommended several changes to make the interior more appealing to today's buyers. We took advantage of the Compass' Concierge Program, where they give you a loan for the costs of staging, which is repaid out of the proceeds when you sell your home. We listed the house days before COVID-19 broke out in Westport. Nonetheless, the gorgeous pictures taken by Compass generated a lot of online interest and we did showings by appointment using PPE. We sold the house at 98% of asking within 4 weeks. We would highly recommend Mary Ellen for her good advice about pricing and positioning, her friendly and professional manner, and the depth, expertise, and technology of Compass. — Leslie Seidman

Heather was wonderful to work with! She was very helpful with finding the right property for us, negotiated very well, and went above and beyond with helping us get the right people to work with before, during and after our purchase. I can’t say enough positive things about her!

- c. Dirwin, Trumbull

I've known David for many years. He has served as my agent for a purchase several years ago and most recently for the sale of same property. He has a wealth of knowledge, is courteous and is professionally nimble (especially helpful in the current Fairfield market). In short, he's on top of things. He's also great to work with, is in tune with his clients' needs / particular situations and looks out for their interests - on both buy and sell sides. Very highly recommended. — Anthony S.

Our experience with Susan was flawless. She handled each exchange with our buyers with the correct amount of push back and told us those items which needed to be repaired on our end. She was calm, decisive and always available for counsel. We felt well represented in a market that was in total favor of the buyer. Susan is experienced and is incredibly professional. She got the job done! — Kelly Copeland

Mary Ellen is a true professional: smart, friendly, experienced, responsive, hard-working, unflappable, unfailingly honest, diligent, savvy, and willing to go the extra mile - whatever it takes. Here are examples: the photographer was at our house in December to take pics for the website. It was a beautiful day, so she wanted to include pics of the porch with all of the furniture with cushions. She made 20 trips up and down the stairs to put all the cushions on the furniture for the pics and then returned them once the pics were done. thus, above and beyond the call on the small things. On the other extreme, she provide excellent advice (both business and psychological) when our buyer tried to renegotiate our contract due to Covid so that we did not lose any time or money. — Julie Knuff

Where do I begin writing my compliments for Karen Hagen! We were very fortunate to have worked with her on buying our home and then renting it.. Karen helped us every step of the way, always willing to work with our schedule, always with a smile, very patient, and all while being the ultimate consumate proffesional...Thankyou Karen, it was truly an honor working with you!. — Helen Andrikos

David Weber was the listing agent on the home we purchased in 2006, and David kept in touch with me over the years. When it was time to sell my house, I went back to David as I wanted him to be the listing agent given his knowledge of the house as well as the market. David was very helpful navigating thru a difficult market and did a good job negotiating a fast close as well as helping with lots of items and details that were necessary to sell the house. Would definitely recommend David to anyone looking to buy or sell their home. — David Mac Williams

We found Laurie Morris to be very professional and understanding as we went through the process to sell our Weston home. She helped us prepare for the listings and started a marketing campaign that brought buyers to view our home. We received feedback on all visitors and her transparency/feedback was a key to us selling our home. Laurie understood the Weston market and marketed her Open Houses that she help almost weekly. Laurie worked with us and helped us understand what is necessary to sell a home in this current market. We were extremely comfortable with her and would highly recommend anyone who is sell or buying in the Westport/Weston area to contact her. Laurie's experience and knowledge of these areas were critical to her attracting the right buyers and showing our homes benefits and features. Without her knowledge and Sales and Marketing process for our home we would not have been as successful in a short time as we were. Laurie is a professional realtor and once you speak with her you will see the difference. — R. Benvenuto

Michael Mombello is an extraordinary agent who successfully managed the sale of our antique home from start ( determination of listing price, timing of listing, staging the property), marketing ( open houses, marketing brochures, seeking potential buyers) through closing ( negotiating the final price, coordinating the closing professionals). His knowledge of the current market and buyers coupled with his extensive professional experience with real estate made us confident we were getting the right advice throughout the process. Utterly professional, appropriately, aggressive, highly disciplined and always available to address issues timely and with good advice. — The Fagans

Karen Hagen and Compass brought a wealth of knowledge to the purchase of a property. After identifying several properties Karen Hagen was able to provide us with insight as to which property would best fit our needs. From the initial viewing until the closing we had an experienced partner with Karen Hagen through the process. — Frank Turechek

David helped us sell our house quickly (offer within 60 days). He did an amazing job helping us prepare for sale - at his didactic urging, we ended up removing a number of pieces of furniture to highlight the brightness and airiness of of our home. He arranged for fantastic photographs, and stayed in constant touch with us. David also took great care in helping us price our home -- and we heeded the advice carefully. David was incredibly generous with his time -- we were living in two different states, and relied on David to make sure that the house was in fine condition while we were absent during the listing period. I would highly recommend David and his team at KMS Partners - they delivered and exceeded our expectations.

We worked with Karen to purchase our home as well as sell it, and she is simply the best. Karen is responsive, thorough and caring! We would recommend her to anyone who is looking to buy or sell their home!

This was an significant decision for us both financially and emotionally but Lisa was there every step of the way which made things much easier. Her and her partner came out, performed a thorough assessment of our space and we worked together to put together a strategy that worked for us. It’s clear Lisa is an expert not when it comes to NY real estate but apartment staging, photography, marketing and all the other aspects that make the difference between a successful sale where all parties are happy and one that leaves you with regrets. The proof, us, was in the results. We had 10+ offers on our condo in 10 days and we eventually sold our space 10% above asking. Lisa is thoughtful, smart and responsive and we cannot recommend her enough.

M.D. – Seller, Greenpoint

Kim helped us sell and purchase a home in Westport. She is a pleasure to work with and is responsive, knowledgeable, and patient. I would highly recommend her to anyone buying or selling a home in the area. — Andy

Having known David for over 20 of the 27 years we’ve lived in Weston, when it came time to list our home for sale, there was no question about who our Agent would be. There are so many reasons and factors in considering a realtor. For us, dealing with the often bittersweet emotions involved in selling and then moving became the primary reason we selected and retained David for the 12 months it took to sell our home. Besides representing our interests with utmost integrity and absolute commitment, David became more than a friend...he became a coach and mentor guiding us expertly through an uncertain, ambiguous and sometimes frustrating process. For his unwavering dedication, honesty and authentic representation, we will always be grateful for having David by our side, and we give him our highest endorsement. — John B.

Notice the consistency across the reviews for Susan - no surprise. She is outstanding and her reputation is so good because she’s terrific and because she’s terrific every time. A close friend and lawyer with significant real estate experience encouraged us to use Sue as we sold a home in Weston - he was so right. It was a pleasure working with Sue. She advised us well on every dimension. Thanks very much Sue. — Barbara Rosiello

My family (first time home buyers) chose Mary Ellen to represent us in our search for a home in Westport, CT. Mary Ellen very promptly showed us a number of listings, and then helped us through a complicated short-sale transaction. Throughout the process, Mary Ellen was unfailingly professional, efficient, and honest. When we needed assistance with the inspection and legal matters, she provided resources that were perfect for our desire to be informed and get the deal done. We highly recommend her to others in search of an agent.

Karen should be your go-to broker if you are looking to buy in the Westport area. Her market knowledge, experience, and relationships in the area were indispensable in our home buying process. We were looking in Westport for over 2 years and would not have landed our dream house without Karen’s effort and guidance. During our search she was always one step ahead by identifying homes before they hit the market and arranging for us to get “first look” walk-thru tours. From our initial meeting with Karen we felt an immediate connection and a sense that she knew the exact type of home we were looking to buy. When we weren’t viewing homes, Karen regularly sent us updates on the Westport market and key transactions comps. When we finally found our home she skillfully managed the negotiation and transaction details ensuring a smooth and easy process. Even after the purchase, Karen has advised us on schools, community events, and connected us with neighbors whose children have similar ages to our own — she does everything possible to make sure you feel welcomed in the Westport community. Karen is no doubt the most professional and well-informed broker in the area — she quickly became our most trusted advisor and a wonderful friend too. We highly recommend Karen Scott if you are looking to buy a home.

If you’re looking for an agent who is aggressive and sleazy, David is not for you. If you’re looking for someone kind and personable, David is spot on. David was outstanding when it came to dealing with unforeseen problems. As issues arose, David was quick to find the appropriate contractors and orchestrate the repair processes from beginning to end. David is a long time Weston resident who is deeply involved in the town, knows it inside and out and truly loves it. We recommend him highly! — Abby M.

Michael Mombello was our broker, and he was fantastic! He has an incredible eye for staging your house, and he has a depth of knowledge on the market. He also stays calm when things can get heated, and he gives savvy advice. I highly recommend Michael! — Meg Staunton

I listed my home in Weston for sale in March 2018 but wasn't satisfied with the marketing or traffic generated by the initial broker. When that listing was about to expire I researched which firms had the most success in Weston and came across Susan's name and background at KMS Partners. During our first meeting Susan was very direct and honest about where the market was and where I should consider pricing the house. She also retained someone to stage the home and made suggestions about improvements that would make the home more marketable. Once the improvements were done she listed it for sale and scheduled a series of public and private open houses. The market for real estate in Weston and Wilton was very challenging, but we had offers in December and went to contract in early January. Susan is a consummate professional. She knows the market and gives honest advice. The contract negotiations were a bit stressful and Susan stood up well to the pressure. She is the kind of agent you want working for you. I recommend her without reservation. — Rick Lyall

As first-time home buyers, my fiancé and I were completely overwhelmed with the process of buying a home – we didn’t even know where to begin! But we knew we could trust Mary Ellen to steer us in the right direction. From the beginning, Mary Ellen was proactive and consistently hard working to ensure that we found the perfect home for us. She listened to what we wanted/needed in a home while also sharing her own expertise and knowledge. She was beyond patient, went above and beyond, and always made her herself available. Her patience, dedication and commitment were unparalleled and unwavering throughout this process. Without Mary Ellen, we would not be in the home that we love today and we recommend her with highest regard to anyone in search of their perfect home. — M. Thares

David has a keen sense of the local market and did a terrific job in pricing our property to get it sold. He was very responsive, always available for phone calls, text messages and emails. It only took 3 months for the house to sell and it was listed at the worst possible time of the year. I give credit to David for his great advice in his realistic and honest evaluation of the house relative to the current market. — FF

Karen is an extraordinary broker. She knows Westport inside and out and never makes you feel pressured to make a decision you're not ready for. We spent the better part of a year looking (with very specific and fairly narrow parameters) and we never felt as though we couldn't have taken twice as long and lost her attention. It's also 100% true to say that we, literally, never would have found the house we did without her. The house I'm writing this review from at this very moment was never on the market. She ran into some colleagues of hers at her office, caught wind of a house she thought could be perfect from same, and had us in there within a day or so. When our initial offer didn't get it done, she supported us without question when we held firm on it. Later, when we began negotiating a bit more freely and locked in a deal, she remained a passionate advocate on our behalf, ensuring that we got not only the best deal we could, but also were treated with respect and fairness by the outgoing owners. I would recommend Karen to anyone looking for a home in Westport and enjoy knowing her to this day. — Fred Klein