W ith more than 8,000 sales associates, Windermere is the largest real estate network in the West. With more than 70 in our Anacortes and Mount Vernon offices, we are also the largest network in our own little neck of the woods.

 The Anacortes Windermere office was opened in 1988 by John Prosser, and was later purchased by Jim Scott together with his two sons and his daughter. A word from Jim on Windermere, and his business philosophy;

In 1989 I chose to affiliate with Windermere because of the people who owned, operated, and populated the Windermere organization and offices. Every national franchise that courted us had a great name and a checklist of reasons to join, but none offered a genuine partnership of interests, ideals, and philosophies. I chose Windermere because I liked the people and agreed with their culture and philosophy of hard work and extended community involvement.

There are certain things that I believe make us a great company:

• We believe in providing exceptional service, and we believe in doing our job well.
• We believe people are more important than money.
• We know our work says a whole lot about who we are, and we are proud of whom we’ve become.

In more than 30 years of real estate sales, we’ve seen first-hand the effects on business of challenging people and indifferent leadership. That’s why we try hard to choose good quality people to work here, and why we’re willing to be very particular about the agents we hire. They must be a good fit for us and our clients, as well as a good fit for Windermere’s driving philosophies.  As our industry and our society change, our way of doing business continues to change. It’s critically important to us that our day-to-day operations-from our agents to our staff-provide a high level of support and consistency, including:

• A brand recognized and respected by our community
• A real partnership with the community, by investment and by participation
• A professional presence and an inviting place for our clients to meet their agents
• A system of support that assures phones that work and copiers that copy, so our clients receive our agent’s full attention
• A finger on the pulse of the changing legal and practical landscape
• An atmosphere of respect and trust

You know, thinking back I’m glad I made the choices that I’ve made.  Windermere has helped me define and clarify my own philosophy, and has helped me hire great people, whose support and example-in turn-help me even more. Business is not just business; it’s what we do with much of our life.  I care a lot about how I spend the business part of my life, and am proud to have great agents and staff who care very much about the work they do, and the ways in which they do it.

Jim Scott

Co-Owner/Designated Broker 

S ometimes, we have to take a moment…and re-discover our world.  I find that if I’m not careful, my day-to-day cares take over and I lose site of this beautiful place where I live.  The water is just a passing view as I travel through the house carrying the laundry, the beaches are for someone else to walk and the sun shining through the windows becomes just an annoying glare on my computer screen.  Although I appreciate where I live, I find I have to make a deliberate effort to enjoy my environment.

Yesterday, my daughter asked me to go on a kayaking picnic with her to the south end of Decatur Island.  My first response was, “no, I’ve got too much to do today…I can’t do it.”  But as most young 20 year olds, her response was to not take “no” for an answer and she kept persevering.  Finally, I gave in and made up a picnic and gathered paddles and life jackets for the trip.  What a trip it was!….Beautiful glassy water, a warm pebble beach, eating lunch and visiting with my daughter and even a nap in the sun.  Suddenly, I wasn’t just a woman checking off items on a “to do” list, it was like I was someone kayaking the San Juan Islands and appreciating the awesomeness of this place for the very first time…the smell of the seaweed, the calls of the various birds and the unsurpassed beauty everywhere.  I came home with a pocket full of rocks and sea glass and a full set of charged batteries….ready to attack my first item on my “to do” list….write a blog.

Wherever you live, take a minute and plan a day being a tourist in your own town….visit the museum, have lunch in the park and better yet, spend the day with someone who means the world to you.  You’ll be glad you did.

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