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This year’s Nester is the forever home of our The Realtor Rolodex: a special section spotlighting eight of Portland’s top real estate professionals. We know most of what goes into making a home is finding the right place. We also know finding the right people for the place you used to call home can be tough. Both are relatively stressful endeavors; but you don’t have to go either alone. Choose any of the enthusiastic folks featured below and rest assured that you’re in good hands.
Opens in new windowJenn Valencia
Licensed Oregon & Washington Broker
Think Real Estate
Turning your house dreams into home sweet home.
Jenn Valencia is a proud Portland transplant from Los Angeles who fell in love with the charming neighborhoods and Old Portland homes in 2015. She is grateful to have planted roots here and proud to call Portland home! Real estate has always been a passion of Jenn’s and she has made it her mission to help folks who considered buying a home to be a pipe dream. As your realtor, Jenn is committed to helping you stay focused on what your main goals are without compromising the majority of your house wish list, and will work hard to negotiate on your behalf. Whether you’re buying or selling a home in Portland/Vancouver, Jenn can help you create a space you love and help you get your start in building generational wealth through real estate!
jennvalenciarealtor.com / jvalenciapnw@gmail.com / @jennvalencia_pnw / (424) 285-4846
Opens in new windowLydia Hallay
Oregon Principal Broker
Ello Realty
Voted Best Realtor in Portland by Readers of the Willamette Week.
Loving a house is the easy part. Lydia will help you see the whole picture: the light, the layout, the garden, the original details, and where your money will make the biggest difference. Whether buying or selling, you’ll get candid advice, strong negotiation, and a steady hand that won’t lose sight of the life you’re building. Because making a good move involves more than just the house.
linktr.ee/lydiahallay / lydia@ello.homes / @lydiahallay / (503) 807-0156
Opens in new windowMel Marzahl
Oregon Broker
Buy or sell, think Mel.
As a Pacific Northwest local, Mel is passionate about helping clients build wealth and improve their quality of life through homeownership and real estate investing. After a decade in operations and client service for creative companies, she channels her knack for logistics, attention to detail, and love of people and problem-solving toward real estate. Mel specializes in guiding first-time buyers, clients buying and selling simultaneously, and downsizers. With strong negotiation skills and a commitment to exceptional service, she listens closely to your goals and advocates for your interests with honesty and integrity. Outside of real estate, Mel enjoys being in nature, restoring older homes, creating art, and spending time with her family, dog, garden, and flock of chickens. Mel would be honored to help you with your next move!
thinkmel.com / hello@thinkmel.com / @mel_marzahl / (503) 443-5382
Opens in new windowChandra Ashford and Monica Silvestri
Licensed Principal Broker and Licensed Broker
Portland House Hunters
Helping you buy (or sell) a home for your dog (or cat…or kid…or plant babies).
We’re your fairy housemothers here to make all your real estate dreams come true! A team of two with a deep love for historic and vintage homes, we specialize in guiding everyone from first-time home buyers to relocators through the process with clarity, confidence, and a little magic. We’re here to transform your experience so you can focus on the fun stuff!
theportlandhousehunters.com / chandraashfordrealtor@gmail.com / @theportlandhousehunters / (503) 933-6538
Opens in new windowSuzie Mayes
Realtor
Helping you navigate life’s biggest transitions with confidence.
Suzie has called the Pacific Northwest home since 2002, and has spent more than a decade helping clients navigate the Portland and Vancouver real estate markets with confidence. With hundreds of homes sold throughout the Portland and Vancouver metro areas, she brings local experience, market perspective, and a calm, straightforward approach to every transaction. Whether you’re buying or selling, her job is to make the process clearer, less overwhelming, and more strategic. For buyers, she focuses on what matters most to them — lifestyle, layout, commute, neighborhood feel, and long-term plans — narrowing the search to homes that truly fit. For sellers, she offers honest advice, thoughtful preparation guidance, and a pricing strategy based on real market data, neighborhood trends, comparable sales, and buyer behavior. Her approach is guided by communication, integrity, and advocacy.
suziemayes.com / hello@suziemayes.com / @suziemayesrealtor / (503) 953-6424
Opens in new windowYascha Noonberg
Principal Broker, Living Room Realty
Expert negotiation. Zero drama.
After 13 years and 850-plus Portland transactions — everything from a $100,000 condo to a $6 million estate — Yascha Noonberg has seen every way a deal can go sideways, and built a reputation for making sure yours doesn’t. Principal broker, pricing strategist, and quite possibly Portland’s only steel-drum-playing Realtor, Yascha knows that drama belongs onstage, not in your home sale.
yaschagroup.com / yascha@livingroomre.com / @yascha / (503) 810-6312
Opens in new windowScott Edelman & Scott ‘Gunner’ Friesen
Owners/Partners
Sold by Scott at Think Real Estate
Turning your dreams of home into reality.
Meet the Scotts: Scott Edelman is an award-winning Realtor who’s been helping clients across the Portland metro area and Southwest Washington since 2021. With a hunger for knowledge and a genuine desire to empower homeowners, Scott is uniquely adept at both offer and listing strategies. Scott ‘Gunner’ Friesen left the nonprofit world and became a partner in the business in 2023. Gunner is a seasoned pro when it comes to meeting clients where they are at, listening to their needs, and helping turn dreams into realities.
Sold by Scott provides nothing less than exceptional service. Employing the latest technology, the Scotts are efficient and transparent with everything they do throughout the home buying and selling process. When you trust them with your residential real estate needs, you aren’t just a client, you’re part of the Sold by Scott family. They will ensure your experience and your new home are just what you’ve envisioned!
Scott Edelman: scotte@soldxscott.com / @soldbyscottpdx / (415) 481-2962
Scott “Gunner” Friesen: scottf@soldxscott.com / @getitgunner / (415) 961-0281
Opens in new windowEllen Payne
Oregon Realtor
Passionate about Portland, humans, and the places they call home.
Real estate is a big deal, and Ellen makes sure you have someone in your corner who knows what they’re doing, genuinely cares, and helps you feel confident every step of the way. She knows this city, loves what she does, and takes her job as an advocate very seriously. Ellen takes the time to really listen and understand what matters to you, your family, and the life you’re building.
ellenpayne.com / ellenpaynerealtor@gmail.com / @ellenaroundtown / (828) 329-6589
