LaDonna’s whistle is loud enough to be heard down the block. A skill she once used to call her kids home for dinner. Her favorite times are those spent with family and friends, and her idea of the perfect vacation is relaxing with her husband somewhere off the beaten path.
About LaDonna
I moved to Lawrence as a child when my father became a KU Professor. I’m an LHS and KU grad. I taught at the Jr. High/Middle School level in KCK and Lawrence. I entered real estate in 2008. My husband was a broker/owner at Stephens and believed I had many transferrable skills even though I had an employment gap due to raising our 3 sons. Realtors advocate for clients, and I had spent years advocating for our children within the educational, health, mental health, and judicial systems.
Communication skills are key in real estate, and I had developed flexibility in communication through years of dealing with autism spectrum communication challenges. My years raising children with different gifts, abilities, and skin colors opened my eyes to privilege and injustice. I understand that there are barriers that many have to overcome just to get service. I am committed to providing a safe place for all people.
Realtors often help guide clients through stressful times. My experiences include building a new home, down-sizing, parents aging in place, parents moving to a senior living environment, loved ones’ marriages and divorces, disabling diseases of loved ones, health challenges, the tragic death of a child, and more than I can list here. I may not have walked in my clients’ shoes, but I have a depth of understanding about the stress of transitions that can result in people buying/selling homes.
A wonderful man that helped our son in his transition to a group home environment believed that you should “leave people/situations better than you find them.” Once, when it was not going smoothly, he said to me in my tears, “I got you!” He not only impacted our son’s life for the better, but he impacted ours as well. That is the kind of person I aspire to be in my life and my work.
What clients say about LaDonna
Best realtor in Lawrence! We moved from out of town and went through two other realtors before we met LaDonna. Thankful we met her because she made a major difference in our home purchase! She is the right amount of positive and negative about the homes we walked into. Very knowledgeable and listened to what we wanted! Did not force anything on us! We highly recommend her and would 100% use her again!
— Charlotte and Bryce, Zillow
LaDonna was so responsive and helpful when we were selling our house. Our neighborhood comps indicated that we were asking a lot per square foot, but we believed in our place and LaDonna believed in it too! She sold our house above asking within three days, and was gracious, communicated with us constantly, gave us plenty of time to prepare for showings, and helped us every step of the way. She really knows Lawrence and she really knows how to move houses. You couldn’t get better!
— Rich and Maddy, Zillow
Ladonna isn’t our realtor, she’s family. We bought our first house with her help, and we sold our first house with her help. I only wish we’d move somewhere she could help us find our next home. Ladonna is fantastic for any number of reasons but top of the list is her expertise in real estate and that she can tell you everything about the process, the many ways she’s seen things go, and who are the best folks in town to work with. She’ll let you know absolutely all your options, help you sift through them to determine was is best for you, all while giving you the autonomy to make your own decisions. In addition to knowing how all the pieces work, she also knows the Lawrence area better than anyone. That helps you know what the neighborhood is like now, where it has been, and where it might be headed before you make that neighborhood your home. Ladonna took us under her wing when she was showing a house we were originally interested in buying. She knew we were first time home buyers and she almost couldn’t help herself from helping us! That’s how much integrity, honesty, and expertise Ladonna has in the way she does business. Finally, not only is Ladonna extremely knowledgeable but she’s about the nicest person you could meet. She explains things well and with care. She patient with you when you start to lose your cool. After we worked with Ladonna to find our house, when it was time to move (out of state) and we had all these questions, we knew the first stop was Ladonna. As we hoped, she demystified the entire process, and even gave us information (and a referral) to help us find our next house out of state. Ladonna would get my top recommendation for anyone who is asking, but if you are a new home buyer especially – you can’t do better than Ladonna for someone who can guide you through it all and do so honestly so you don’t feel like you’re getting taken for a ride.
– Samantha Montague, realtor.com
