Top Agent Kim Crouch Ozman of Benson & Mangold Real Estate in St. Michaels, Maryland has firmly established herself as one of the most trusted and reliable realtors currently selling on the Eastern Shore. A combination of authenticity, humbleness, vast local knowledge and a commitment to providing the very best in client service has resulted in a thriving and ever-growing business for this dedicated agent.

Kim, who began working in the real estate industry right out of high school, was almost born to be an agent. Her great-grandfather and her grandfather both worked in the business.  Her uncle, a highly successful Broker – at whose agency she began her career at the age of eighteen – was who inspired her most in her career choice. “I knew I wanted to be a Real Estate Agent at the age of 15, I’m not sure what triggered inside of me and pushed me in that direction but I quickly began working towards that goal. I started as a secretary at my uncle’s firm while taking my licensing course and studying business and accounting.  He sold out in 2005 with insight as to where the economy was headed,” she says. “I switched to another company and ultimately left there to to join Benson & Mangold.” Kim is an avid cheerleader for her current company, which she describes as a “mom and pop” operation despite it’s status as one of the largest real estate companies in the area. “I love the fact we are locally owned and operated, we can serve our clients on a more personal basis.”

With the lion’s share of her business coming from repeat clients and referrals, Kim is clearly doing something right. “I would say that most of the clients I’m working with now are ones that I previously sold to in my early twenties, when I first started in the business. Now they’re going into their second homes, starting families and looking for a larger house where they can really expand and raise their kids.” When asked what accounts for such client loyalty, Kim replies, “I don’t like to sing my own praises,” she says, “but I hope the reason is that they know they can trust me to help them make a good investment.  When they come back to me in a couple of years to re-sell their house, I want to know that they made a good investment.  It’s not about putting them in any house, it’s about taking the time to find the right fit for them as well.”

Making certain that each client feels they have her full attention is important to Kim. “My main focus when working with a client,” says Kim, “is to make them feel they’re the only client I’m working with.  Each client has 100% of my focus on their transaction and I want to make sure they know that.”

Making the often-convoluted transaction process as stress-free as possible for her clients is of paramount importance to Kim. “I try to remove a lot of the leg work for my clients; I don’t want them to feel like this is a stressful process. The home buying process is often unchartered waters for them, so I try to take a lot of the stress off the table and really make it a smooth and easy process.” Truly listening to her clients, assessing their needs and determining how to best assist them is a hallmark of Kim’s approach. “I appreciate being able to help guide my clients, and to be not just a professional real estate agent, but also compassionate and a friend throughout the process. For most this is the largest investment one will ever make and it’s exciting and scary and it can be an emotional process.”

When she’s not working, Kim most enjoys spending time with her husband and two young sons. Avid outdoors people, they can usually be found in the warmer months availing themselves of the area’s abundance of water. Kayaking, paddle boarding, fishing and hunting are among the activities they participate in.

Kim’s plans for the future are fairly simple: to obtain her Broker’s License and to continue to grow her business, while sacrificing none of the exceptional client service that has become her calling card.

Despite the many benefits of her career, it’s the more personal side of the industry that Kim finds most rewarding. “I love meeting new people and being able to help them with the gift of homeownership, and guide them through the process. “

For more information about Kim Crouch Ozman please call 410-829-7062 or email KCrouch@bensonandmangold.com