In October 2012 I was offered a transfer to Northern Virginia with the company I work for, after accepting the position I contacted a college friend who lived in the DC area and asked him for any realtor contacts in the area that he was aware of or experience with. My friend didn't hesitate for a second, he immediately replied you need to call Katrina Schymik at McEnearney Associates. He went on to tell me that she had help him and his wife purchase their home in DC and that she was everything you could ask for in a realtor! So, I took his advice I figured why not give her a call... This turned out to be the best decision I could have made, from the initial phone call until final closing she stayed in close contact with me asking strong questions to ensure the house I bought was exactly what I was looking for. On a tight timeline with a job transfer Katrina made herself available for quick last minute visits to accommodate my hectic travel schedule. After house visits, Katrina would take all of my follow-up questions and would have replies waiting for me the next day. Along with this, when I sent questions about properties Katrina would reply quickly stating either the answer to my question or when she expected to be able to answer (if she needed to contact the sellers agent). This type of customer service is something that I valued very highly in Katrina. Lastly, and most importantly Katrina is an absolute pleasure to be around, she loves what she does and it makes the home buying process an enjoyable one. If you are moving to the area, don't look any further pick up the phone and call Katrina! -Dave McCullough, March 14

The service and personal attention we received from Katrina Schymik was exceptional and somewhat unexpected in the volatile DC metro market. She truly is of the highest calibre, with exceptional knowledge and experience in the DC metro area to include key contacts in the community that helped us in our search for our new home and enabled the expeditious sale of our DC flat. After patiently going through all local market listings and explaining financial details with us, she made sure we got the best offer possible for our previous home and more importantly, the best value purchase for the new one. She brought both deals to a close while remaining intuitively cognizant of our families needs to include our beloved dog! Regardless of whether you are buying or selling, We highly recommend Katrina to help you in this life changing move. We could not have asked for a better Realtor to guide us through the process and we also have gained a true friend and confidant. -Geoff Shank & Kim Vigue, December 7

Katrina has been a wonderful resource, friend, and advocate during our first experience as home buyers. At our initial meeting, Katrina provided us with all the information that we needed to purchase a home, and then, she patiently repeated that information as many times as we needed throughout the process. She also recommended various lenders (the one we chose turned out to be awesome) and was prepared with recommendations for contractors and title companies. Each time we met with Katrina, I was impressed with her punctuality, organization, and attention to detail. Katrina was also incredibly responsive. Both of us are professionals and at times we could only work on our home search after business hours. Katrina never batted an eye and almost always responded to our texts and emails within one or two hours, even late at night or on the weekend. Despite the incredible damage and power outages that the area suffered after intense storms, Katrina went out of her way to contact us and give us updates on her communication status and our house search. At first, we were unclear on what we needed in a home. Katrina helped us narrow our options during each outing until we knew that we had found the perfect house for us. She was a fantastic third eye when we viewed potential homes and was quick to point out any potential problems or important considerations. She often spotted issues that neither of us noticed and then drew upon her wealth of experience to provide us with a clear picture of what we could expect if we chose a particular house. From making our first offer through (and after) closing, Katrina reassured us and provided us with timely notes and reminders for each step we needed to complete. In short, Katrina made would could have been a very stressful experience painless and easy. We enjoyed her company and are incredibly happy with our new home. We would not hesitate to recommend Katrina to anyone, especially first time buyers. -Sarah Parker and Dan Williams, September 14

My husband and I were in the market to purchase a condo in Washington, DC, when my husband accepted a job there. Being from New Jersey, I reached out to my local realtor who recommended Katrina Schymik. From our very first phone conversation, I knew Katrina was a great recommendation. She really listened to our needs, and was immediately able to send me listings via email to review. She was always very professional and efficient, as well as friendly. As we went through the process, our needs changed, and she was very patient with supplying me with new listings to meet my requirements. When the time came to take a trip to DC to see the properties, she had all the print outs organized and we saw 14 properties in two days! We found one that we decided to buy, and she helped us through the whole closing process, even supplying a accordion file for all of our documents. Her helpfulness did not end at closing. We did extensive remodeling, and Katrina was able to recommend wonderful contractors. She made the process of buying a home from out of state easy with her great communication and organizational skills and her extensive knowledge of the real estate industry. I would highly recommend her as a realtor! -Laurie & Chris Winans, September 4

When my company moved me to Washington, I reached out to Katrina Schymik at the suggestion of a friend. I’ve moved many times, but she is absolutely the most competent, organized and service-oriented agent that I have had the pleasure to work with. Every aspect, from helping me find a home to navigating the negotiation and preparing for the settlement and move-in were expertly done. I was kept very informed and well-coached. She also served as a strong advocate for me, resolving some issues from the inspection and in preparation for the settlement that were difficult for me to do remotely. The tone was set from the very beginning when I first contacted her. She researched and understood my needs, and made sure I saw a wide variety of homes that met my criteria. I found my home on the first day, successfully negotiated in under week and settled and moved in soon thereafter. -Paul Pomerantz, August 31

Katrina Schymik has made our home-buying process easy and worry-free - we highly recommend her to anyone buying a home. Katrina was patient, thorough, knowledgeable, organized and highly communicative throughout the entire process. Katrina conveyed all information so that we could make an informed decision without regret. We have dealt with pushy realtors in the past, and Katrina is not one of them! I also loved her organization skills! On the second day of meeting with me, Katrina gave me a file folder (with all tabs filled out) so that we could place all of our housing-related documents in one place. Katrina also prepared us for what to expect during the entire process. As I mentioned, her communication is stellar. Katrina is an amazing person and a wonderful realtor. We are happy we were referred to her and will definitely employ her in the future. -Ali and Kris Smith, June 25

We had the pleasure in the fall/winter of 2011 of both buying our new home and selling our apartment with Katrina's sure-footed help. She is organized, creative, attentive and truly went the extra mile to ensure our home purchase went smoothly and stayed on schedule, throughout the inevitable hiccups and ups and downs. When we came to sticking points in the process, she was there with answers and helped us work through them as smoothly as possible. When we sold our apartment, Katrina worked with us closely on price point and especially marketing, providing great advice and working hard through open houses, conventional and unconventional advertising and word of mouth. She also was indispensable as we worked through the process with our buyer. When both the purchase and the sale were complete, we agreed that we really couldn't have done it without her, and that it really couldn't have gone much better than it did with her advice and assistance. We were more than satisfied with the support and service she provided, and wouldn't (and don't) hesitate to recommend her to anyone looking for a top-notch agent. -Dan Rosen & Lynn McConaughey, January 30

Before hiring Katrina, my house sat on the market without even a contract offer for four months. Once I hired Katrina to represent me the level of service and market sophistication I received was far superior to any other buyers or listing agents I have worked with in the past – a total of nine agents from previous real estate transactions. Katrina single-handedly helped increase the selling price of my house by $85,000. Without her guidance and expertise in the real estate market I would not have realized this gain. Not only did she help me navigate market risks and opportunities, but as I was an out-of-state owner, she also acted as the hands-on leader coordinating projects at my house to bring it to market, and staging the house with furniture. Her personal dedication, superior market knowledge, and the skills demonstrated as my listing agent added more value than can be accounted for by the $85K increased sales price. Katrina’s project management expertise and fact driven market data were the primary factors for why my house went under contract in 37 days. She very clearly understood the “needs” of the segment of buyers in North Arlington for the price range of my house. As such, we developed a very clear business driven strategy to satisfy those buyer’s needs. Her ability to understand the larger market, then to segment, and further understand the needs of those buyers is what makes Katrina a special Agent. This is the difference between Katrina and the nine previous agents I have worked with in the past. She understands the importance of and how to drive “value” in a real estate transaction and is dogged in the execution of and success of achieving that value. -Jason Apelquist, January 23

When we decided to look for our first new home together as a married couple, Katrina's services were recommended to us by a family member. From the initial meeting Katrina impressed us with her professionalism, organization, knowledge of the local real estate market, ability to answer our questions, and compatibility with our personalities. During our search for the perfect home, Katrina was always available with listings and suggestions no matter how many times we changed our minds about what we wanted in a home and neighborhood! She was early to every meeting and made herself available to accommodate our busy schedules. During all phases of the home buying process Katrina was prepared and knowledgeable, listened to our thoughts and concerns, and we always had faith things were going to be done right and on-time. We would absolutely recommend Katrina to both new and seasoned home buyers looking in the MD/DC/VA area. -Stephanie and Greg Burlin , June 1

My husband and I would highly recommend using Katrina Schymik as your realtor, particularly in the DC area. She was the consummate professional, always responsive in a timely manner, kind, helpful and very personable. Not only did she give us excellent advice regarding the sale of our house and preparing it to go on the market, she took the time to explain things to us thoroughly and in plain speak. We moved out of the house, and out of the area, before the house went on the market and Katrina dutifully checked on the house for us. We knew the house and our family was in good hands. I would recommend Katrina without hesitation! -Katie Moreau, November 9

As first time homebuyers, we didn’t really know what to expect and were a bit apprehensive about the whole process of buying a house – what to look for, how and when to get a loan, what to expect during the close. At our first meeting, Katrina patiently walked us through the entire process, laid out all the steps clearly and gave us a great idea what to expect. Throughout our entire search she responded quickly to our questions, and made sure we weren’t forgetting any questions that we should have been asking. We knew what we were looking for, but we never expected to find it in our price range and in the neighborhood we wanted. But thanks to Katrina's dedication, guidance, knowledge of the area, and help in seeing the potential of a property - we did! We were very happy to have worked with Katrina, and everyone else involved in our purchase – from the inspector, to the lender, to the settlement attorney - had nothing but high praise for her as well. She knows her stuff, she is extremely organized, and she made buying our first home a wonderful experience. We would happily work with Katrina again and would recommend her to our friends and family. -David and Noel Durman , May 5

I couldn’t possibly say enough good things about Katrina Schymik as a Realtor. She was recommended to me after I had a very bad experience with another local Realtor, and initially I came to her with a lot of embedded mistrust and disillusionment about the local real estate scene. Almost immediately, she showed me how a professional real estate agent really performs! She is extremely competent, highly experienced, and has a basic friendliness and caring personality that made me trust her. I guess the highest recommendation I could give her is that I have now referred her to several friends and they all have had great experiences with her too! She made the sales process almost painless, and was sure to keep in touch with me at every step of the way, explaining what was happening, and what issues and concerns were on the horizon. Even the agent I used in Ft. Lauderdale in buying a new house there got to know her through this sale and purchase process, and said he was highly impressed with her and would keep her information handy for clients of his moving to the DC area. A final note that shows a bit about Katrina’s way of doing business – she has kept in touch with me after the sale, checking on the process of my re-location to another state and has made me feel that our transaction was more than just a business deal and that she really cares about her clients. -Dennis Hartzell, April 20

We would definitely recommend Katrina Schymik to our friends. She helped us purchase our first home, and walked us carefully through the process. We had many questions along the way, and Katrina was always informative and patient, quickly answering all of our queries. Katrina is very knowledgeable in the Washington, D.C. market, and we strongly valued her insights. Plus, Katrina is a full service agent: she has assisted us with several questions about being homeowners after we moved in! Thank you, Katrina! -Joe & Alicia Gersen , March 14

Katrina was absolutely wonderful to work with and made our first home-buying experience quite enjoyable. We approached Katrina after we became unsatisfied with our original agent. Katrina thus had to work with a very tight timeline but she found exactly what we wanted. We felt very comfortable entrusting her with all the nitty-gritty details. Katrina provided professional and honest advice and we relied on her expertise every step in the process. She has also been very responsive, promptly and patiently addressing every one of our questions. After the purchase, Katrina provided very helpful recommendations regarding contractors for improvements and repairs to our new home, all of whom have been outstanding. We have already recommended her to our friends and colleagues and will continue to do so. -Tanya Lau & Charles Fischette, September 26

We felt very lucky to have you on our side throughout the roller coaster which has been our search for a new home. You are simply a terrific real estate agent! You are hard working, knowledgeable, tough, honest, dedicated, professional and just a delight to work with. We appreciate all of your time, dedication to us and how quickly and thoroughly you work. We would highly recommend you to anyone needing to buy or sell a home. In an era in which it feels like customer service and accountability are so much less today than they once were, it is great to know that the art form is not dead yet and at least a few people out there still care about doing it right. Thank you for everything and hope we get a chance to catch up once we are settled in our new place. -Justin Connor and Mohamad Olabi, September 7

Katrina Schymik is the most professional real estate agent I have ever worked with in the five home purchases I have made over the last 12 years. This was especially critical as I searched for homes while living in a foreign country. She made the most of my time over a weekend. She gave excellent advice, worked strategically during the offer process; and made sure every detail was taken care of with the documentation, offer and negotiation. She is a true advocate for her client, while still providing realistic expectations. No detail is too small for her. Katrina's ability to respond, organize and communicate on sometimes complicated or frustrating issues made all the difference. I refer to her as the Goddess of Real Estate! -Amy Fanning, August 26

A lot people say they are looking for the perfect home but we really were - with no pressing need to move we turned to Katrina to help us find our next home. Katrina's level of commitment and dedication was unwavering until we found just the right house. As one can imagine, we met hundreds of real estate agents during the course of our search and Katrina stood out above them all. Her knowledge, professionalism and guidance were extraordinary. There's not a day that goes by that my husband and I say we wouldn't know what we would have done without Katrina - she is truly one of kind. -The Knisleys, June 4

As first time home buyers, our confidence was increased tremendously with Katrina in our corner. In the beginning, she patiently walked us through the whole process step-by-step. Once we got started, she made sure we had the information and counsel we needed to make the best decision. The real proof: we won a contract on a house that had been on the market for less than a week and received nearly 15 bids. As we were moving in, we ran into the listing agent who was taking down the signs. The agent told us Katrina was the reason we won the house. Needless to say, we're recommending her to all of home-buying friends. -Adam Godet and Jennifer Hilfiker, March 22

I had a wonderful experience working with Katrina. She paid attention to what I wanted, and added many useful insights to put me in the right direction. She asked, or made sure I asked, the right questions, and was with me every step of the process, making sure it all ran smoothly. Her excellent organizational skills meant that we were able to cover a great deal of territory in a relatively short time without me feeling rushed or pressured. I doubt I'd have wound up with the property that I did--and that I'm very happy with--without her. I'd work with her again in an instant, and would recommend her to anyone. -C.I. Williams, April 2

Katrina Schymik is an excellent realtor, with a dynamic personality and positive attitude and a pleasure to work with. She was vigilant about the market conditions and enabled me to make an informed decision about pricing my apartment. As I have already relocated out-of-state, I relied on her entirely to oversee the contractor that prepared my apartment for sale. She was also a great help in getting the closing done under a tight time schedule. Thanks to her efforts, closing was completed in less than two months from the initial listing of my apartment. -Selina Shum , October 4

We are writing to express our heartfelt gratitude to Katrina for being such a tremendous real estate agent. Without her help and expertise, we would not be the proud owners of our first home that is literally beyond our dreams. Deciding to work with Katrina in the search and purchase of our first home became an easy decision soon after we were referred to her from trusted friends. From that first meeting, she presented herself with great confidence, competence and unwavering knowledge of the DC/MD/VA market. Weeks into our search for a perfect home, Katrina remained steadfast as ever. She was personally invested to ensure that we found the right home and maintained her patience and diligence despite our varying preferences. Throughout our work together, Katrina was generous with her time – by making countless impromptu trips to show us multiple properties and always being available at late hours to answer our questions. We were always assured multiple emails from Katrina on a daily basis to keep us informed of the process and email queries were responded to in a matter of minutes. From beginning to end Katrina managed the search and purchase process impeccably, professionally and efficiently – including all the hand holding that comes with this being our first home. It is hard to imagine this experience without Katrina on our side. -April Stanley Njari and Njari Gitonga , September 16

Although not first-time home buyers, our experience has shown that each home search has its own unique set of challenges. Katrina helped us meet those challenges head on. From minute one she hit the ground running (even while we were still out of state) - emailing listings to match our wish list, patiently revising her searches (when we couldn't decide on our wishes), and making herself available around our schedules for house tours. Her candid feedback, spot-on insight, and organized approach were crucial and much appreciated. Once we had decided on our home, she guided us through the offer process, kept everyone on schedule, and knew when to use humor to defuse unpleasant situations. We would recommend Katrina without hesitation. -The Wards, August 16

My wife and I contacted Katrina regarding the purchase of an residential investment property. Katrina immediately guided us through the process to identify, research, purchase, finance and close in a truly professional manner. She anticipated issues, and offered practical and helpful advice, and brought in other parties (finance) to make the entire process run like clockwork. I would recommend her to my friends and family! -Andrew and Elisabeth Roud, January 7

Katrina is everything that you want in a Realtor; knowledgeable, patient, thorough and always looking out for your best interest as a client. She was the perfect person for us to work with and we were amazed at how organized she was. Totally professional. Perhaps the most telling part of the experience is that we've recommended her to several of our friends and she has helped them all find homes to buy! -Ryan Smith and Karen Fligger, January 7

Katrina is organized and enthusiastic and she made the home buying process a breeze. Before we started looking she walked us through the entire process and made sure we understood what to expect. So, when it came to actually looking at houses we knew what the next step was and could move quickly when we found the right place, which we did! We looked at a lot of places in a short amount of time, and Katrina’s enthusiasm and diligence made the whole process run smoothly. We even left on vacation for 2 weeks during closing and had no worries that we were set with Katrina! We felt she genuinely cared about helping us both find the right place and secure the best contract possible. She has a great knowledge of the local market and her recommendations for financing and other vendors were superb. We recommend her to all of our friends, especially first time buyers! -Kate & Isaac Kelley, September 19