It all began on a Sunday afternoon several months ago. My spouse and I decided to check out some open houses. (We had been thinking about buying a place in Des Moines, so open houses became a part of our weekend fun.) This particular open house was held at a downtown loft. The woman staffing the event was an incredibly delightful, welcoming woman -- Tori Shanks. She was warm and knowledgeable. She asked insightful questions that would give her an idea about the two of us and what we were hoping to find. She offered to send us emails that contained listings that might be to our liking. She took our names and contact information, and checked in with us periodically via email. She was professional and never pushy. When we decided to pursue purchasing a home, choosing Tori as our Realtor was a no-brainer. We had collected business cards of many realtors from multiple open houses over time, but only Tori was memorable. Working with Tori was a dream. We've purchased many homes over the years, and have had the chance to work with many Realtors of varying degrees of expertise and commitment to the process. THIS was, by far, our best experience. Tori took time to find places for us to investigate, ensuring that these listings were in keeping with our likes and requirements. When we settled on a property, she continued to represent us with great care and thoroughness. And when it was over, we felt an odd sense of sadness, that we wouldn't be spending time with Tori. She didn't see us merely as clients, as some means to an end. She saw us, heard us, truly cared about us. We are deeply grateful to Tori, and all that she brought to the proverbial table, as a Realtor, and as a fellow human being.