I became a mediator to help resolve people’s issues before they end up in a 2-year lawsuit.  Once I gained the experience needed in both civil litigation, as well as from being an active real estate broker, I realized I had insight into the issues commonly presented, from both a legal standpoint and a buyer’s or seller’s perspective. I knew I could be a mediator who could help solve people’s problems.

Can you share a memorable mediation experience? 

What stands out to me as memorable mediation experiences is the satisfaction when I have helped settle the parties’ dispute and both sides thank me for bringing their dispute to a successful resolution.  I have nearly a 90% success rate as a mediator because I am able to clearly lay out the scenarios to the parties about the strengths and weaknesses of their cases and the difficulty, both emotionally and financially of litigating a case to trial.

What qualities do you believe are essential for a mediator?

For a mediator to be successful, I believe it takes the following characteristics:  empathy, knowledge of the law, knowledge of the normal standards of practice for both buyers and sellers, as well as REALTORS® and inspectors, and the ability to negotiate so that each party reaches an equal level of satisfaction that the case has been resolved, even though maybe one side paid a bit more than they wanted and the other side accepted a bit less than they were hoping for.

What do you think is the most common misconception people have about the mediation process?