Welcome to Meet My Team, a series of get-to-know-you interviews with the high-quality real estate professionals I work with regularly to provide the best possible service to my clients.

Craig is my title representative. I reach out to Craig when I need to order title reports for listings. Craig will review the title so that we can work out any issues that may appear in the report before the listing goes live. Craig also reviews my buyer’s title reports and alerts me to any red flags on the report that may limit their intended use of the property even if his company didn’t issue the title report. This is a very valuable service to buyers.

Craig Ellis has been with CW Title & Escrow for 15 years and has been in the title industry for 25 years. He lives in Bellevue with his wife Catherine of 25 years.

This week, Craig took time out of his busy schedule to tell us a little about his life and career.

Where from originally?
Born and raised in Seattle.

How did you get your start as an account executive?
I was initially a lender and was approached by a title company to join their sales force over 25 years ago. Best career move for me. CW Title is a locally owned company and as employees, we take pride in our company because it’s “our” company. We strive to be the best!

What do you like most about being an account executive?
Developing strong and loyal relationships with clients, and working to help them become successful in their business.

What is the number one question you get asked in your business and how do you answer it?
Q: Why do I need title insurance?
A: Title insurance is your protection in the event that a title error arises after a loan closing. This could, at the very least, mean a variety of legal costs, and, in a worst-case scenario, the loss of your property and the money you’ve put in it.

What do you like about working with Don?
Don is a true professional. He is thorough, knowledgeable, thoughtful, and always has his clients’ best interests at heart.

Tell us about your work in the community.
I’m an avid volunteer. My desire is to help better our communities either with dedicated time or financial assistance.

What motivates you to do this work?
I enjoy helping people. My goal is to provide prompt service and gain the trust of my clients.

What are you passionate about?
Good health and my family.

What are your hobbies?
Spending time with my family and staying active by taking advantage of local mountains, beaches, and sporting events. Anything that encompasses exercise. I enjoy the outdoors!

Tell us about your family:
My wife and I are celebrating 25th anniversary this year. We have a daughter Holly, 23 and a son Mark, 21.

What’s your favorite thing about Seattle?
Summer in Seattle. It’s hard to beat the perfect weather for enjoying the outdoors. Whether I’m running Green Lake, hiking Poo Poo Point to watch the hang gliders, or taking in the many festivals (when not in a pandemic), there is always something fun to do during our summers.

Welcome to “Meet My Team,” a series of get-to-know-you interviews with the high-quality real estate professionals I work with regularly to provide the best possible service to my clients.

Dorothy Driver is a long-time managing broker at Windermere Real Estate Mount Baker where we met. Dorothy and I each have our own separate businesses, but we partner on projects where we think the client will be better served with two sets of eyes. We bounce ideas and strategies off each other which helps us offer thoughtful recommendations to our clients.

This week, Dorothy took time out of her busy schedule to tell us a little about her life and career.

Name: 
Dorothy Driver

Neighborhood:
Upper Rainier Beach

How long have you been in South Seattle? 
I’ve worked here nearly 42 years. My offices have been located from Skyway to Seward Park/Genesee.

Where are you from originally?
I was born in Seattle, raised in Puyallup, then back to Seattle for college and ever after.

What do you like most about being a realtor? 
The relationships I’ve established and maintained with both clients and other colleagues in the industry are the best part of being a realtor.

What do you like about working with Don?
I have been fortunate to collaborate with Don on a number of transactions over the last eight years. I am proud to call him my business partner and can think of no better professional to work with in representing both buyers and sellers.

Don brings a perfect skill set to his real estate business: his construction and electrical contractor background, as well as his experience as a small business owner and corporate manager create a foundation that is golden for working with the constantly changing landscape that is the real estate industry. I am lucky to have him in the center of every project we work on together.

Don is very even-keel. I’ve never seen him rattled. Yet no mistake, he is 100+% passionate about the way he represents his clients. He is reliable, responsible and always available to collaborate when asked. He gives every situation the time, thought and research required to come up with the best strategy/solution for any project. Typically, Don will present more than one alternative way to tackle any issue before putting forth a strategy for moving forward, letting the primary decision-maker choose freely, without pressure. He leads and guides, never pushes. And he’s fair. And funny.

Tell us about your work in the community.
I have been active in both civic and business organizations in the Rainier Valley for over 30 years. I have served as a board member of Rainier Chamber of Commerce, Southeast Seattle Senior Foundation, and presently am a Trustee on the Board of Rainier Beach Community Club. I have been on the Rainier Chamber Foundation Scholarship Selection Committee for about 30 years. I enjoy participating in annual neighborhood clean-up events, and co-produce our Rainier Beach Arts and Crafts Market every December.

What motivates you to do this work?
I like being invested in enhancing the quality of life for everyone in the community. I think it is critical to look out for one another, and love spending time building friendships, and helping the community I live in to be vibrant, strong, and a fun place to live.

What are you passionate about?
Pretty much everything above. I like building community and creating more equity in the delivery of services in southeast Seattle, particularly in education and housing. I am a supporter of the Benefit Law Center, which delivers legal services to low-income, under-served populations in Seattle/King County.

What are your hobbies?
I am lucky to have extended family living within easy driving distances and spend as much time with them as I can. I also love taking road trips, discovering the quirky charms hidden in barely-on-the-map small towns. My newest interest involves horses, and I plan to learn to ride this year.

Tell us about your family:
My immediate family consists of my husband, myself and our two newly acquired kitties.

What’s your favorite thing about South Seattle?
The friendly, small-town atmosphere. We gather as often as we can, at both organized and spontaneous events. We are inclusive and welcoming. We have a wide variety of locally owned small businesses here, as well as artisans, writers, etc. Being connected and mutually supportive are core values, and we are intentional in our efforts to develop opportunities for economic and personal growth for all.

Tell us something about you that not many people know:
I was mistaken for an “incarcerated resident” during my college internship at Seattle Juvenile Justice Center.

What else should we know about you?
I like making homemade ice cream with a hand-crank ice cream maker.