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Lisa Dunn, SRES®, CSA®, CSREC · RE/MAX Results, Edina
Who helps seniors sell a house in the Twin Cities?
Lisa Dunn, SRES®, CSA®, CSREC, of RE/MAX Results in Edina helps Twin Cities older adults sell a long-time home and plan the move that comes next. Since 2003 I've handled the timing, pricing, preparing and selling, and I work with your family and advisors so the house fits your plan, not the other way around.
What does a Seniors Real Estate Specialist® do differently?
The SRES® designation from the National Association of REALTORS® focuses on the needs of buyers and sellers 50 and older. In practice, that means I plan the sale around your next home and your timeline, explain options in plain language, and slow down when a decision needs time. I also teach the SRES® course to other agents.
Who do you help?
- Planners who love their home but not the stairs, and want to look at options before they have to.
- Sudden movers, when a fall, a diagnosis or a loss changes the timeline and there was no plan.
- Adult children helping a parent, from nearby or from out of state. See selling a parent's home.
How does selling work when you're also choosing your next home?
We start with where you're going and when, then work backward to the sale: what to fix, what to leave, when to list and how to line up the dates. The full step-by-step is on How we work, and the sell-first question has its own guide.
What are my housing options?
Common choices include a one-level home or condo, a 55+ senior cooperative, a 55+ rental, independent living, and assisted living. Each has different costs, contracts and levels of care. Start with downsizing, senior co-ops, co-op or condo, and moving to senior living.
What do you do yourself, and what do you refer out?
I handle the real estate: pricing, preparing, marketing, negotiating and closing, plus buying your next home if you need one. I don't offer moving, packing or clean-out services. I can refer you to people who help with that.
Can my adult children be involved?
Yes. Adult children are welcome in the conversation, by phone or video from wherever they live, and the homeowner always stays the decision-maker.
Which areas do you serve?
The seven-county Twin Cities metro: Hennepin, Ramsey, Dakota, Anoka, Washington, Scott and Carver counties. See areas I serve or the FAQ.
Your homework
List the three things your next home must have. That list shapes everything else.
What we help with
Help with the decisions around the sale
When you've lived in one home for decades, selling it is only one piece. We help you make the decisions in the right order, and introduce you to trusted people for the parts that aren't real estate.
Deciding whether to stay, rent or buy
What you need now and in five years, and what you can afford.
Comparing senior housing options
Independent living, assisted living, co-ops, 55+ and condos, side by side.
Selling the longtime family home
Pricing, repairs, staging and timing that fit your move.
Downsizing and moving resources
Introductions to move managers, estate sale companies, movers and cleaners, with the sale timed around your move.
Buying your next home
The right co-op, condo or townhome, with fees and rules explained.
Working with your other advisors
Your attorney, planner and care manager, or trusted introductions.
How working together goes
One clear step at a time
A first conversation
A free 30-minute call or a sit-down visit with Lisa. We talk about where you are, what's prompting the question, and what worries you most.
Your options, side by side
We lay out the housing choices that fit, what they cost, and the timing each one needs, so you can compare them clearly.
A step-by-step plan and the right team
You get a step-by-step plan for the sale and the move, plus introductions to movers, estate sale help and other specialists as needed.
The sale and the move
Our team manages the listing, the offers and the closing, and keeps the sale timeline lined up with your move.
Qualifications
About Lisa Dunn, SRES®, CSA®, CSREC
Lisa has worked with older adults and their families since 2003. She is a REALTOR® with RE/MAX Results in Edina and leads The Change Agents Group.
- Designations
- Seniors Real Estate Specialist® (SRES®), National Association of REALTORS® · Certified Senior Advisor® (CSA®), since 2005 · Certified Senior Real Estate Consultant (CSREC), Senior Advantage Academy
- Teaching
- Approved SRES® instructor · OLLI instructor, University of Minnesota · Founder and lead instructor, Senior Advantage Academy
- Recognition
- RE/MAX Hall of Fame
- Experience
- In real estate since 2003, with a focus on later-life moves
- Areas served
- Hennepin, Ramsey, Dakota, Scott, Anoka, Washington and Carver counties. See communities
- Office
- The Change Agents Group with RE/MAX Results, 7700 France Ave S #230, Edina, MN 55435 · 612-599-3484
Questions families ask
Frequently asked questions
What does a Seniors Real Estate Specialist® (SRES®) do?
A Seniors Real Estate Specialist® (SRES®) helps older adults and their families with moves that involve more than a house: choosing between staying, renting or buying, comparing independent living, assisted living, senior cooperatives and condos, preparing a longtime home for sale, and connecting families with movers, estate sale companies and other helpers.
Lisa has focused on these moves since 2003. She holds the Seniors Real Estate Specialist® (SRES®) designation from the National Association of REALTORS® and is an approved instructor for the SRES® course, which means she teaches it to other agents.
What is a Certified Senior Advisor® (CSA®)?
The CSA® credential is awarded by the Society of Certified Senior Advisors to professionals trained in the health, social and financial sides of aging. Lisa has been a CSA® since 2005. It helps her recognize when a question about the house is also a question about care, money or family, and who might help.
What is a Certified Senior Real Estate Consultant (CSREC)?
CSREC is the certification earned through the Senior Advantage Academy course on serving older clients, covering later-life housing options, finances, timing, family dynamics and protecting vulnerable sellers. Lisa holds the CSREC designation and founded the Academy to train other agents in this work.
Do I need to know where I'm moving before I call?
No. Many people call Lisa a year or two before they move, with no plan at all. The first conversation is about where you are now and what you're weighing. Lisa meets people where they are.
My parent isn't ready to talk about moving. Can I still call?
Yes. Adult children often reach out first. Lisa can help you understand the options and costs, so you're prepared when your parent is ready, and she can join a family conversation when the time comes.
Should I sell my house before I move into senior living?
It depends on your timeline, your cash flow and the community you're moving to. There are three common approaches: sell first, move first, or line them up. Lisa explains each one in Should you sell before moving to senior living?
What is a senior cooperative, and is it right for me?
In a senior cooperative you buy a share in a corporation that owns the building, rather than buying the unit itself, and you pay a monthly fee that covers the building's shared costs. Read Senior cooperative or condo? for a full comparison, or browse co-ops on SeniorCooperatives.com.
How do you protect older sellers from scams?
Longtime homeowners are frequent targets of unsolicited cash offers and wire-fraud schemes. Lisa reviews offers with you, helps confirm who you're dealing with, and teaches families a simple rule: never act on emailed wiring instructions without calling the title company at a number you already know. She teaches this topic in the community, including through the University of Minnesota OLLI program.
What areas do you serve?
Lisa serves the seven-county Twin Cities metro: Hennepin, Ramsey, Dakota, Scott, Anoka, Washington and Carver counties. She goes where her clients are. See areas served.
Does it cost anything to talk with you?
No. The first 30-minute call is free and comes with no obligation. Book a free call, or 612-599-3484.
Free 30-minute call
What's your next right step?
Whether a move is a year or two out or a few weeks away, I'll help you sort out what comes first. No cost and no pressure.