ABOUT US
Integrity first; service always; family above all.
We’re Sue and Christina: a mother-daughter real estate duo with nearly 40 years of experience serving families from picturesque Gig Harbor to bustling Seattle. As Gig Harbor residents for more than two decades, we’re so grateful to call this cozy maritime community home. From the abundant outdoor adventures to the quaint boutiques and craft breweries, this is a place for endless memory making; a place for growing and raising a family. We’re proud to have helped hundreds of families do exactly that.
We pride ourselves on offering a warm, personalized, all-inclusive boutique experience. We’re data driven, focusing on modern marketing to reach the widest audience for listings and working tirelessly to help you find that special place you’ll call “home” — all with a cup of coffee in your hand and your favorite people by your side.
When we’re not helping families find their dream homes or driving all over Puget Sound prepping our newest listings, you can find Christina spending time with her husband and their daughter, Claire. Spur-of-the-moment Northwest adventures are their absolute favorite. Sue is probably traveling in her RV or hosting the whole fam, including her six incredible grandkids, for a big dinner. We love that we can count on one another both in business and in life.
When you join the Dwell family, you can count on us to deliver the very best service in the greater Pacific Northwest. We’ll perfectly stage your home, nail the pricing and marketing, and help you reach every single one of your real estate and financial goals. And you know what? We promise we’ll make all of that happen in the smoothest, most stress-free way possible.
Our clients are just the best. If you asked them about us, they’d tell you we’re patient, top-notch, proactive, marketing wizards, detail obsessed…and they’d probably even mention how thrilled they were with the killer snack box Sue always keeps in her car! They might make us blush and share how we’ve been our company’s top producing team for the past four years or how we’re in the top 2% of Realtors in the country. But most importantly, they’d confide that, by the time we closed the deal, we’d become family to them. To us, there is no higher honor.
Consider us your trusted advisors, tenacious negotiators, snack hustlers, and dream makers — your real estate family.
We cannot wait to chat!
MEET SUE DARNELL
SUE DARNELL
Real Estate Agent & Co-Founder
In today’s ever-changing real estate world, two things remain constant . . . with Realtor, Sue Fernandes, integrity and exceptional service. Sue provides buyers and sellers with almost 30 years of real estate experience and a proven record of significant sales. A native of Connecticut, Sue has experienced relocating first-hand, moving with corporations on three coasts of the United States prior to settling in Washingon over 13 years ago. Sue’s first career was working at various lawfirms as a Paralegal. Her analytical and communication skills, as well as contract review and negotiations, have proven extremely useful to her real estate clients. Sue began a real estate career in Boca Raton, Florida in 1989, starting as a full-time mom and part-time realtor, dabbling mainly for personal investment properties. Not long afterwards, part-time became a full-time career, and Sue built a referral business in the luxury and second home market for more than ten years with The Keyes Company.
Currently, Sue is a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Danforth and serves the Gig Harbor and surrounding areas. Sue is proud to work with Coldwell Banker Danforth, the largest single-ownership residential real estate company in the Pacific Northwest, as well as the #1 Coldwell Banker affiliate in the world!
Sue joined Coldwell Banker Danforth in 1997 and has consistently been one of the top-producing and award winning agents and in 2006 received the distinction of Coldwell Banker International President’s Circle, a distinction awarded only to the top 4% of the company’s agents. Sue is proud to have been elected as the Gig Harbor Director for the Tacoma Pierce County Association of Realtors and served for two years. Sue is also a major contributor for the Realtors Political Action Committee. Continued education is paramount to Sue and she has also earned her Accredited Buyer’s
Representative, Graduate Realtor Institute and Certified Residential Specialist designations. Real Estate is not only her employment, it is her passion. “There is no greater joy or thrill for me,” Sue says, “as when I am working with a buyer and walk in a home and hear the words, ‘this is it’ or representing a seller and calling with the news that ‘we have an offer on your home.’” Whether you are a first-time homebuyer, moving up/moving down, moving with a corporation, or buying an investment property, Sue understands your needs. From Gig Harbor to Kingston, and everywhere in between, Sue is Spanning the Sound in Real Estate!
Sue helped us find a home using Zillow in 2015 near downtown Gig Harbor that we still love today. The buying process was easy, her years of expertise really came In handy since this was our first home. I would highly recommend Sue or Christina for purchasing a home.
Sue was an amazing agent! We were in need to find a house and so close to the holidays as well as the birth of my baby. She make our experience very stress free, she was always there with a resolutions if a problem arouse. Thank you so much for helping my family find a home!
We worked wirh Sue on both the sell and buy side. She knows the market and was right on with pricing and quickly, efficiently and accurately got our house listed, marketed and sold. When it came to finding our new home, we had a list of requirements and a tight timeframe, and even in a very competitive market, Sue got us into specific properties we wanted to see and helped us get the home we wanted. When it came time to negotiate, she represented our interests with honesty and integrity. She’s knowledgeable, pays attention to the details and whether buying or selling knows how to shepherd the deal all the way to close. My husband and I have worked with many realtors over the years and Sue has been the best.
Sue and Christina far exceeded my expectations in regards to the sale of my home; they went above and beyond, in my opinion. They advertised and sold my home in a months time, answered any questions I had promptly, and were very pleasant to deal with. I highly recommend Sue and Christina to help you with the sale of your home!
MEET CHRISTINA FITZER
CHRISTINA FITZER
Real Estate Agent & Co-Founder
Having a mother in the Real Estate Industry since Christina was born, Christina has been around real estate for almost 30 years. As a kid, she grew up helping her mom deliver flyers, stuff mailings, put postage on newsletters, and postcards. In High School, Christina was the receptionist for Coldwell Banker in Gig Harbor, and also worked with a Top Producer in the office. Christina then went to get a Business and Communications degree from Western Washington University. After graduation, she worked in the finance industry and was a lender for 5+ years at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage and Cobalt Mortgage. After working in the lending industry, Christina decided to move to the city, and took a job at Zillow’s Headquarters as a National Account Executive, and rose to be the top producer month after month on the New Construction team helping large national builders with their online presence and advertising. Christina loved the company and culture, however, longed for more gratification in her career and purpose. Throughout Christina’s life and careers, one thing has remained constant – being always in the real estate industry. In 2015, Christina decided to get her Real Estate License and team up with her beloved and trusted Mother – who really has been Christina’s mentor for 29 years. Christina and Sue are now a dynamic duo, and pride themselves in the business they conduct and service they deliver. Christina and Sue go above and beyond for their clients, they are personally invested with each and every client and care about the long term goal of the home purchase their clients are making. They take pride in the business that they conduct, are educated on the changing Real Estate Industry, have cutting edge marketing techniques, and are expert negotiators. They “Span the Sound” and cover Gig Harbor/Kitsap area, all the way up to the Seattle Market where Christina lives and resides. Christina is active in the Community, is involved with non-profit work and involved in her local Church. Christina enjoys helping and serving others – Real Estate is pure joy to Christina, she loves getting friends into places to call Home, and make a life in.
Sue and Christina are a great team! I met them 16 years ago when I moved to Washington. Sue has listed and sold many homes in my neighborhood. When it came to think about selling my home it was a no-brainer who I would select. Their marketing, the staging, and attention to detail through the process were top notch! She has shown me numerous properties as I was deciding whether to move. They definitely go above and beyond and are a true pleasure to work with.
I have had the pleasure of having Sue as my agent multiple times over the past 15 years! I would recommend both Sue and Christina for all your real estate needs! Two thumbs up!
We have bought and sold 3 homes with the Darnell Team and have been extremely pleased with the professionalism and service we have received. We have never worried that our transaction was not completed in a timely matter and with no concerns. The one area I have also appreciated is they are always available to answer any questions or show us a property at a moments notice.
I have had the pleasure and worked with the Fernandes Darnell Team on multiple real estate transactions over the past 20 years, most recent sale in Gig Harbor, WA. They have provided by far, the most professional service that I have ever had in any real estate transaction(s). Their level of expertise, knowledge of the current market and conditions, marketing savvy and integrity is what sets them apart from other realtors I have done business with in the past. If I could have rated them 6 stars I would, would highly recommend them to anyone looking to sell or buy property from Seattle to Gig Harbor.
MEET KYLEIGH MONTGOMERY
KYLEIGH MONTGOMERY
Real Estate Agent & Operations Manager
Raised in the Pacific Northwest – and a die-hard Coug – Kyleigh joined our team as Dwell’s Operations Manager. She has always been passionate about homes and drawn to the world of real estate.
During her time at Washington State University she worked for the WSU Alumni Association, communicating daily with thousands of WSU alumni across the nation. She assisted with the coordination of WSUAA events, football weekends, reunions, fundraising, marketing and engagement. After graduating from WSU with a degree in Strategic Communication and Business Administration, Kyleigh went on to work in marketing.
Previously in her role at a marketing agency, she loved working with her clients and thrived in a creative environment. Experience at an agency allowed her to work with a wide range of corporations, both at a local and national level, from banking and investment companies, to commercial home builders and national nonprofits. She worked closely with the marketing and sales teams of companies such as Washington Federal, Quadrant Homes, Weyerhaeuser, and more. Her work included all things surrounding print and digital marketing campaigns, marketing technology, and client support.
As a licensed Real Estate Agent and Dwell Home Team’s Operations Manager, Kyleigh assists Sue and Christina with all roles of the real estate transaction and client relationships, ensuring your home buying (or selling) experience is more than just a transaction.
