About

Before entering Real Estate I was a high school Spanish teacher in Tucson, AZ and Portland, OR. I hold degrees in Spanish, Economics and a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction. My education background has provided me the opportunity to work closely with a wide variety of people of various ages and cultures. My clients value this quality because I effectively work on their behalf with any Broker, Buyer, or Seller on either side of the transaction. I listen to and anticipate the needs of my clients and I take the time to understand these needs through honest and open communication. I offer a level of comfort and customer service during the Real Estate experience that is truly rare.

Awards

PMAR Million Dollar Club Member

Keller Williams Realty NW Region (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska) Top 10 Producer January 2009

Keller Williams Realty Professionals Top Sales Agent July 2008, January 2009, March 2009, June 2009

Member of the National Association of Realtors

Testimonials

“After doing my own research, I didn’t think I’d be able to find a single-family home in my price range. But Matt scouted out some great properties that I would have never found on my own. It turns out that I had many options.

I was also worried that I was just too busy to buy a house. I knew there was a lot of paperwork and “behind the scenes” work that goes into the house-buying process. But that wasn’t a problem either. The whole process was seamless– from financing to the home inspection. Every detail was taken care of so I didn’t have to worry about anything. Matt was able to work around my schedule which made the experience less stressful and a lot more fun!

Matt got to know me as a person and listened to my needs, which helped him find the right house for me. In fact, if it weren’t for him, I would have driven right past the house I ended up buying. My house is perfect. The perfect size, the perfect location, and the perfect price for me. I love my little patio that looks up into the hills, and my dog now has a place to play!”

–April P.

“We just purchased our home, and this was our first experience.  Before starting, Matt met us at our apartment and went over home buying in detail.  He listened carefully to what we wanted in a house, as far as size, which neighborhoods we wanted to live, and amenities, as well as just how to navigate the whole process.  He found all the homes in our price range, checked them out in advance, then took us there in the evenings and on the weekend, at times convenient for us.  He had an uncanny ability to predict which of the houses would be the ones we would like.  In rare instances that we had a question he couldn’t answer, we could be assured that we would get a response back in a timely manner.

When we found a house we loved (which we ultimately chose) Matt was key in helping us negoitiate a fair price, willing to walk away with us if we did not get the price we wanted.  Being first time buyers the process seemed daunting.  Matt helped us walk through it with less stress and anxiety.  He even climbed into the crawl space to help ensure the addendum work was completed!  It was a pleasure to work with Matt.

—Mike and So Yun G.

We had been considering listing our condo and exploring other housing options during the summer of 2007.  With Matt’s assistance, we were able to get a clear understanding of the current housing market, and what kind of price we could hope to expect with the sale of our condo.

Selling a house can be trying and time consuming, but we can honestly say that Matt really helped make the process as smooth as possible.

Our condo ended up being on the market for four months.  Matt was a very proactive broker, making sure our home was seen by as many people as possible.  He worked hard for us, followed up with potential leads and buyers, asked for feedback from those who had seen our place, kept tabs on the market prices to help keep us informed, and helped us maintain our sanity through all the ups and downs.

We were faced with considering a very low offer from a difficult buyer.  Matt helped us through the process and we were very confident in his ability to negotiate on our behalf and glean a clear sense of what was happening.

In the end, we were able to sell at a price we were comfortable with.  In a tough housing market, that made us feel great.  Several people have asked us, “What made the difference, what helped you sell?”  Our answer every time, “Our broker.”  Matt’s insights, efforts and persistence paid off and helped us sell our home.  We can’t imagine having to go through that process with someone less talented, considerate or trustworthy than Matt.

We’ve referred Matt to many others since then and will continue to do so.  It’s important to have a broker who can both support you and continue to offer objective advice throughout the process of selling a home.  Matt can do this skillfully.  He is easy to work with and, in general, a great guy to have on your team!

—Rafael and Laurie O.

When I sold a property in California and opted to do a 1031 exchange, I was really nervous about finding properties to invest in, given the time restrictions.  Matt worked really hard to help us find not only one, but three properties in 45 days!  He had a good sense of what would rent and helped connect us to resources to help determine rental rates and growth potential.  Matt worked well juggling the 1031 exchange company, loan officers from the bank and the selling agents.  He was flexible when budgets and ideas changed and worked around my hectic schedule to view properties when I could.  Within a month of closing, all of our properties have been rented and are generating passive income for us.  Our goals are to continue to add more properties to our real estate portfolio and I will surely be using Matt for those purchases.

—Sonia-Marie L.

Dear Home Buyer,

Purchasing that first home can be one of the most intense and potentially frightening experiences of one’s life. However, a professional, well-prepared and knowledgeable real estate agent can make it a much more manageable, relaxed and even enjoyable experience. This is exactly what we got when we hired Keller Williams broker Matt Ricker.

When we entered the housing market, we needed a broker fast, and contacted Matt based upon the personal recommendation of a colleague. We couldn’t have made a better decision. Matt was immediately on the job, reassured us that we had the situation under control, and went above and beyond what was expected in terms of information, insight, knowledge and personal touch.

Working with Matt, we found our home very quickly. Throughout the process, he remained generous with his time and attention, insisting that no question or concern was too small, no request beyond his obligations. He was a great sport when we asked him to accompany us several times to look at the same house-the one we would eventually buy! He also provided us with solid recommendations for finding a mortgage broker, title company, and insurance company. When the seller’s agent proved to be less-than-professional in some instances, Matt again went out of his way to lessen the impact upon us, and worked through the issues smoothly and professionally.

Today, having owned our home for almost a year, we still consider Matt a friend and resource. He has continued to offer his expertise and support on a number of issues, even though his official obligation to us has long ended.

We enthusiastically and unreservedly recommend Matt Ricker as an effective, highly-competent and very personable real estate broker, who understands the difficulties and stresses that his clients experience, and does an outstanding job reducing the strain, and making the entire experience much more rewarding.

Sincerely,

—Bill and Helen H.

I was told that buying your first house can be a very hectic experience.  After working with Matt Ricker for the last three months, hectic would be the last word I would use.  From our first meeting Matt was able to show me an outline of the steps that would result in the perfect first home for me.

            Matt has a unique ability to understand individual situations.  He was able to show me houses around Portland that fit my personality and my income level.  He truly listened to what I was looking for in a house.  I felt that every place that we looked at was well researched and selected; we never looked at one that was a waste of time.  Matt’s website was easy to navigate and well maintained.  His newsletter was extremely informative and reflected Matt’s up-to-date knowledge of the housing market.  Matt was also aware of property taxes and which homes had tax abatements for first time buyers.

            Matt surrounds himself with high quality co-workers.  I fully trusted his recommendation for a loan agent and was very happy with the results.  I was able to secure a loan by myself and lock in a very competitive interest rate. 

            I am most appreciative of Matt’s patience and availability.  Matt was easily reachable via phone, email, fax or to meet in person.  I was able to call or text anytime I had a question or first time buyer worry. 

            I highly recommend Matt Ricker as your choice for a real estate agent.  If you are looking for someone dependable that will guide you every step of the way, he is the right choice for you!

—Shane S.

 

            Purchasing our home was a very exciting time for us, but it was also somewhat stressful because we were attempting to do so from out-of-state with limited time on our house-hunting trip.  Matt made the entire process so much easier for us and genuinely made our concerns his concerns.

 

            Matt was very well prepared and helped us to truly maximize our trip. He listened to all of the criteria important to us in a home including price, location, proximity to parks and restaurants and a yard for our dogs to run around in.  Prior to our trip, he sent us a number of listings for us to review.  When we arrived we were able to see a variety of great homes in a short amount of time.

 

            The home we decided to purchase was actually one we saw a few hours before our plane was to about leave.  Matt picked us up from our hotel and took us to see the home on the way to the airport.  He had all the paperwork in place so that we could make an offer the moment we landed.  He helped us come up with a competitive offer and guided us through the entire closing process after our offer was accepted, including negotiating repairs with the seller.

 

            It was a pleasure to work with Matt and we feel he did an exceptional job.  He is proactive, extremely knowledgeable about the Portland market and willing to go above and beyond to help his clients.  We would recommend him highly.

 

—Steve and Nancy M.