Carrie Dorn brings something extra to the client experience that buyers and sellers are not likely to find anywhere else: the skills she gained from appraising homes for 30 years.
Dorn, a licensed real estate broker with Compass, switched careers six years ago but never actually gave up appraising properties. She does it part time while working full time at guiding buyers and sellers through the transaction process.
“Appraisal experience lends itself to real estate knowledge,” she says. It has also made her a pricing expert, a big benefit for clients, even more so now in this precarious seller’s market where multiple bidding wars involve dozens of eager and enthusiastic buyers. “My clients rely on my expertise in pricing a listing, writing offers for buyers and especially negotiating,” Dorn says. “My appraisal experience assists my credibility, and many agents in my market respect it.”
Dorn has appraised more than 10,000 properties in DuPage County alone, from complex properties to appraisals for estate and tax appeals. Her valuation skills, coupled with her expansive knowledge of the marketplace, help her determine the best possible price for both buyers and sellers so as to garner the greatest return on their investments. Plus, she knows her west suburban and Fox Valley territory well; she grew up in St. Charles and has lived in Wheaton for the past 25 years.
Approachable and a good listener, Dorn loves being immersed in all things real estate, including as an investor. She specializes in expert witness testimony, horse properties, divorce listings, first-time buyers, empty nesters/downsizers and investors. “Clients like my knowledge of the process, my knowledge of the market and my customer service,” she says. “I’m always available for questions.”
Dorn’s talents reach beyond the closing table. An expert in equestrian dressage, she is the proud owner of a horse and takes part in dressage shows. She recently competed in the Great American/United States Dressage Federation Regional Dressage Championships and qualified for Nationals.
