Hi there! We're Keith & Shannon Howard, a husband & wife real estate team specializing in old houses in the St. Louis area. We match unique people with exceptional homes, gardens & garages. We're also old house experts, with extensive knowledge of old house systems, architecture and quirks, as well as skilled local history/house history researchers and storytellers.
As trusted advisors to hundreds of clients, we pride ourselves on being your partner and intuitive guide during the real estate process, not just salespeople just trying to get a deal done.
We help home sellers devise the best strategy for earning top dollar and then skillfully negotiate on their behalf. We also help home buyers find the right house for their needs, calling out potential repair problems, navigating offers & inspections and ensuring a good investment overall.
So how can we help YOU?
Quality over quantity
Some realtors are focused on selling a high volume of houses, to the point that you’re simply another number to them. At the Howard Team, we don’t WANT to be the #1 volume agents in St. Louis. We don’t aim to close the most transactions. Instead we’re committed to providing high-quality personal service to a select pool of clients. We sell enough houses to be experts in the process but not so many that you and your needs get lost in the shuffle.
NO dual agency
Unlike many states, Missouri allows a practice called dual agency, which enables a realtor to represent both buyer and seller in the same deal. Simply put, we believe this should be illegal. No matter what anyone says, there is no way a single agent can provide full and fair representation to both parties. And the only one who really benefits from this practice is the agent, who can then collect both sides of the commission. At the Howard Team, we represent you and you alone.
Small team service
We are a husband-wife team that sells real estate full time. While we do use a trusted crew of other professionals for photography, measuring, title work, staging and home repairs, we do not utilize a transaction coordinator (a common practice these days). So you will work exclusively with one or both of us throughout the sale process, not get handed off to an assistant or other team member.
Home systems knowledge
We know houses. Both the good and the bad. Whenever we view a property, we always assess it through a critical lens, pointing out any defects, safety hazards or potentially big-ticket repairs. We are not a replacement for inspections of course, but our wealth of knowledge on home systems and maintenance (especially on older houses) usually allows us to recognize red flags.
Passion for local history & preservation
Want to hear a good story? We LOVE sharing info about St. Louis neighborhoods and the history of individual properties. We also cherish the opportunity to preserve local architecture whenever possible. Shannon was appointed a member of St. Louis County's Historic Buildings Commission in 2014 and has helped to save several historical properties. We're also supporters of ModernSTL and the National Building Arts Center.
Fun to work with!
Prior to real estate, Shannon was a writer and location scout for magazines like Better Homes & Gardens. Keith was a broadcast engineer for FOX2, E! and HGTV. We both grew up in North St. Louis County (Shannon next to Jamestown Mall; Keith in Bel-Ridge) but we also lived in Los Angeles and Knoxville. So yes, we've had some adventures! We both love gardening, estate sales, live music & vinyl records, Premier League soccer, our 1965 Rambler station wagon, and spoiling our cat and three rescue mutts. We're lucky to work with so many kindred spirits who share our interests!
Our home office is near 364 & the Katy Trail in St Charles but we serve clients all over the St. Louis metro area.
I can’t recommend Shannon enough. She truly went above and beyond for my husband and I. Shannon’s honesty really earned our trust while searching for a home. Some realtors will do anything for a sale including being dishonest, but I never had to worry about that with Shannon. Once we found our home Shannon was excellent about our contracts and wording the terms to protect us. She was always very responsive when I had any questions. During the buying process we needed quotes for a new roof and Shannon took care of it all with her favorite local contractors. She even remembered that I had mentioned always wanting a concrete goose for my front porch and she gifted one to us as a gift. I will absolutely use Shannon in the future and recommend her to all of my family and friends ever looking to buy or sell in the St. Louis area.
