Buying or selling a home can be a harrowing undertaking for anyone—the real estate market is never the same from one day to the next. It takes an expert you can trust to help navigate the unfamiliar process. A native St. Louisan, Katie Dooley Curran of Compass Realty Group has been working in real estate for almost three decades. The challenging industry is a perfect fit for her outgoing and confident personality. “I’ve always been a connector of people,” she notes. “Networking has been my middle name since preschool. I was always making connections. It worked out well for me—although my teachers didn’t love it!”
When working with a client, Dooley Curran takes pride in being proactive and transparent. She notes that she is often highly critical of properties, but that results in all parties being happy when they reach the closing table. “I don’t write a contract unless I’m satisfied that a property checks all of the boxes,” she explains. “For buyers, I help them notice things about the home and neighborhood that they wouldn’t on their own. For sellers, I always say it’s better to show up to the party late than ugly. We paint, do repairs and stage the home before going to market. Certain inspections are done ahead of time, and anything that isn’t repaired goes into the seller’s disclosure as is. Other agents love my listings because I’ve done my due diligence.”
In 2021, Dooley Curran became a founding member of Compass Realty Group’s St. Louis brokerage. The transition opened up more opportunities, including networking with top agents across the country to help clients buy second homes outside of St. Louis. “I’ve always sold locally, and I still love it,” she says. “Now has been the perfect time to expand my horizons as my six children have grown and five have moved away.” As well as helping make out-of-state connections, Compass Realty Group has offered Dooley Curran a wide array of resources and technology to benefit clients, including the recently launched Compass One, a platform that connects buyers, sellers and agents. The brokerage also allows properties to be shared with other Compass agents on an exclusive listing platform before officially going to market.
The success of Dooley Curran’s approach is evident through the satisfaction of her clients. When Rick Fox needed to sell his Wildwood properties, he sent out a call for proposals from top real estate agents around the county. Dooley Curran immediately stood out to him. “Katie has amazing energy, positivity and confidence—she is truly one of a kind,” he says. “I wanted an expert who would work with me, not against me. She wanted to make big changes, and I trusted her knowledge and experience.”
To ensure that his exacting expectations were met, Dooley Curran went above and beyond, according to Fox. She made frequent trips to his properties, bringing her own accessory items to stage and meeting with various contractors to ensure projects were completed to the highest standards. “My properties sold for almost twice as much as other comps in the neighborhood,” Fox notes. “Katie has the ability to really connect with people. It creates a positive energy that gets buyers excited about the home. She has hustle and personality that you can’t teach to someone—it’s just naturally Katie.”
Katie Dooley Curran is a real estate licensee affiliated with Compass Realty Group, a licensed real estate broker, and
abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. Pictured on the cover: Katie Dooley Curran. For more information, visit katiedooleycurran.com or call 314.570.0418 or 314.347.1658.
Cover design by Julie Streiler
Cover photo by Jennifer Korman
Pictured at top: Katie Dooley Curran
Photo: Jennifer Korman
