Buying a home is one of the most important investment purchases that most people will ever make. Navigating the ins and outs of buying or selling a home can sometimes be overwhelming- especially for first-time home buyers.

"I remember how it was when I bought my first home- I was clueless," Katrina Griggs recalls with a hearty laugh. "All I knew was that I had received  some keys and a house payment. My agent was wonderful. She did a fantastic job and got me everything I wanted, but I wish I'd asked more questions about the process."

Now a Realtor® herself at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Towne Realty in Great Bridge, Katrina is dedicated to educating her clients and easing their burdens. "When it comes to my clients, I am all in!" she declares. "I'm here to find them a home that they'll love with the least stress possible."

Katrina, a distinguished Realtor® licensed in Virginia and North Carolina, is an Accredited Buyer's Representative, a Seller's Representative Specialist, a Military Relocation Professional, a Real Estate Institute Graduate, a Certified Staging Coordinator, and Hampton Roads Realtors Association Circle of Excellence Award winner for 2018.

A Brooklyn native, Katrina came to Chesapeake in 1995 via the Navy. "I love Virginia!" she states with a big smile. "Growing up in Brooklyn, everything was "rush-rush, hurry-hurry.' Virginia still has a city feel with a southern vibe that I like. It was a happy medium for me, so when I retired in 2009, I chose to come back here after being stationed overseas."

After retiring from the Navy, Katrina took a job with the government. While there, she suddenly realized that she was still working a very demanding, full-time job. "I loved the job. It was very interesting, but it was a great deal of work," she explains. "I had already spent 20 years away from my family, working hard. I didn't want to repeat that!" she adds with a laugh.

At that time in 2014, fate stepped in with perfect timing through a Facebook post recruiting real estate agents. "Even though I knew nothing about real estate, the agent took me to lunch and the more we talked, the more interesting it sounded."

Being financially conservative, Katrina needed time to think it over due to the necessary Realtor® fees. After much thought, with input from her two sons, Joshua and Jamie, Katrina decided to move forward working real estate part-time for one year to see if the job was a fit. It was!

"My first year was phenomenal! I did really well, and thoroughly enjoyed it!" Katrina smiles, her eyes lighting up. She continued part-time for three years, wrestling with the idea of going full-time until she had a surprising revelation. "I realized I'd already been supporting myself with real estate for a year because I'd burned up all my leave and was basically working for the government for free," she reveals.

Leaving the security of her full-time job for a position with no economic guarantees was frightening; but Katrina, with her director's best wishes, took the plunge and resigned from her government job to work real estate full-time. She knew she had found her passion. "I love real estate! It was a found gem to me," she states happily.

A friendly, outgoing people person, it seems Katrina was born for this job. "I love my clients! My passion is educating them and helping them find the home they love. It's what I love to do. It's what drives me and wakes me up in the morning!" she smiles with zeal. It's that dedication to her clients that's the biggest contributor to Katrina's success.

Drawing on the experience of her own first-time home purchase when moving to Virginia, Katrina makes certain to provide her clients with the knowledge and tools that they need to navigate the process smoothly.

Knowing how overwhelming the process can be, Katrina emphasizes to her clients the importance of being informed. "I completely involve my clients in the process, and I want them to know and understand everything that's going on. My job is to make sure clients understand this process and are happy with the home that they purchase."

To ensure that her clients are not overwhelmed, Katrina typically takes them to view four houses per showing. Afterwards, they debrief by ranking the homes on a scale from one to ten.

"My reason for showing them four homes at a time is to avoid confusion- so that their options don't run together," Katrina explains. "If none of those homes are ranked numer one, we will look for more. Once we determine which home is ranked number one, that's the one we write an offer on. I tell my clients, "We're not looking for a house that you like; we're looking for a home that you love!' Finding that home matters to me."

When she's not working, Katrina pours that same passion for helping people into community service. She holds credit repair consultations for homeless women in a local shelter. She partners with others to bring food and hygiene products to the homeless living  in their cars in the area near Sam's Circle, as well as assisting the homeless with Chesapeake Area Shelter Team (CAST) from November to April.

From clients to community, helping people is what Katrina Griggs loves to do. The time and personal attention that she provides to help her clients find homes that they love leaves them feeling valued. Glowing website testimonials and Facebook reviews attest to their satisfaction with a job well done.

Ever humble, she shrugs modestly. "There's no hidden agenda or ulterior motives for me," she says. "My goal is to ensure that my clients experience a smooth, worry-free transaction to get the home they love. I want my clients to know I have it handled."

And she certainly does, indeed.