Empowered Homes

Fantastic experience: From the start of the process of buying our new home, to the million little details of selling our former home, Gretchen helped us every step of the way. Her expertise and timely communication kept us grounded in reality and guided us through the many negotiation related items that pop up in any home deal. She even responded to messages and calls after hours in order to communicate important messages which was always appreciated. Highly recommend and would refer her to friends and family!

Fantastic experience: Gretchen and Linda helped us find our first home! As first time home owners we had no idea what we were up against but they guided us every step of the way! Gretchen is extremely knowledgeable of the real estate market in STL, allowing us to make a competitive and favorable deal! Linda was extremely patient showing us a variety of properties we were interested in! We are grateful for this team for getting us the keys to the home that we loved!

Fantastic experience: Linda and Gretchen are so great to work with and for. They have been my realtor through two home purchases and through all the changes in their industry they have remained steadfast. High integrity and a great joy to be around. On the contracting end they have been a wealth of referrals, always helpful in describing what they need and quick to respond.

Fantastic experience: Gretchen is AMAZING. I highly recommended working with her. She is smart, personable, reliable, and up to date on market trends and strategies to give each individual client the best opportunity to win. She made the process of buying a home personalized and easy from start to finish. I couldn’t recommended her enough! Do yourself a favor, and hire Gretchen! You won’t regret it.

Fantastic experience: Gretchen brings so much heart & expertise into what she does & for who she serves. Absolutely way more than an agent—highly recommend!

Fantastic experience: Empowered Homes made our first home‑buying experience wonderful and so easy! Gretchen and her team answered every one of our many questions with patience, clarity, and so much care. They do everything they can to help you feel equipped and reduce the stress of the homebuying process, and it’s truly so appreciated. They were always available, responsive, and the most trustworthy team we could have hoped to work with. We wouldn’t have been able to navigate the process without their work ethic and advocacy. And when you tell someone you’re working with Gretchen, they immediately know you’re in good hands. We were so thankful for her support, connections, and reliability. We’re so grateful and couldn’t recommend them more!

Fantastic experience: We had an excellent experience working with Gretchen. She is extremely communicative, supportive, and professional throughout the entire process. Every question was answered promptly, and we always felt informed and confident at each step - especially for first time buyers! Highly recommend to anyone looking for a smooth and stress-free real estate experience.

Fantastic experience: If you’re considering downsizing in the St. Louis area, you need to call Gretchen. Moving after so many years can feel overwhelming, but she makes it feel easy and stress free. Her expertise goes beyond selling homes, as she provides a complete game plan and an amazing list of local St. Louis resources—such as decluttering and estate sale experts, specialized movers, and local placement advisors. She is a valuable advocate for seniors and their families!

Fantastic experience: Gretchen helped me brainstorm some solutions to get a wheelchair ramp approved for my client at a condominium complex she is interested in purchasing. We are more optimistic about this being a great option for her now. Always great to know I can count on Gretchen for solid advice in this arena. Thanks!

Fantastic experience: Had a wonderful experience working with Gretchen and her team! Would definitely recommend and use again! Great insights and support throughout our home buying process.

Fantastic experience: I had the pleasure of looking for a new home with Gretchen Kingma and Linda Mueller. They worked as a team helping me find the perfect home. I had many questions and lots of worries. They went above and beyond. Gretchen worked her tail off for me. I was not local so she was able to recommend insurance and other services I needed. She is very knowledgeable and both she and Linda are easy to work with and very kind. If you are getting ready to start house shopping, give Gretchen a call! I’m certainly glad I did!

Fantastic experience: We recently completed a move with Gretchen Kingma as our real estate agent. Gretchen provided a great service for us in doing all of the things that one would ordinarily expect and doing them very well, but also doing things that we didn’t necessarily expect but that worked out wonderfully. She provided an excellent analysis of comps to help us price the house to sell, she strategized with us and crafted a social media plan for us. She suggested and coordinated with a move manager, and with the moving company to meet our needs, especially given my wife’s disability. Her recommended move manager was wonderful. She also suggested a handyman service that really helped us take care of the small odds and ends that come up when one moves. Gretchen recommended a staging company that she works with and that did a superb job. She helped us plan and schedule the move as needed for our special circumstances, and we ended up selling the house on the first day of listing.

Fantastic experience: Gretchen has built something so unique in the real estate world - she combines her background as an occupational therapist with her real estate expertise to help the aging population find and modify homes that truly fit their needs. She and her team are not just agents - they’re strategists, advocates, and compassionate problem-solvers who are changing communities one home at a time. Beyond her incredible work with clients, Gretchen is also a tremendous giver to the real estate community. She’s always willing to share her knowledge, support fellow local women entrepreneurs, and mentor others on their journey. Her generosity, leadership, and heart-centered approach make her a true standout. If you’re looking for someone who leads with both skill and compassion — Gretchen and Empowered Homes are it!

Fantastic experience: As a first-time homebuyer, working with Gretchen has been amazing. She has been so kind, responsive, knowledgeable, and supportive throughout the entire process. From answering all my questions and helping me understand the market and my options, to negotiating on my behalf, Gretchen has gone above and beyond every step of the way. She is also the only realtor I’ve ever worked with that actually found and sent suggestions for houses I should consider instead of just waiting for me to ask to see houses I had found on my own. I cannot say enough good things about Gretchen and will be recommending her to all my friends!

Fantastic experience: Working with Gretchen and Linda was wonderful start to finish. They listened to all of our specific needs and found us the perfect home! I would recommend them to anyone looking to buy a house. We are so thankful for all the hard work Empowered Homes did for us.

Fantastic experience: Where do I start...Gretchen Kingma is such a valuable resource. She has such a heart for serving her clients as well as the agents that she coaches and mentors. Gretchen truly cares about people and I love that about her. She shows that you can be kind & caring and so intelligent & powerful at the same time. The other benefit is ..she is funny. I would recommend Gretchen with Empowered Homes to anyone in St Louis that needs a real estate agent. I would also recommend Gretchen Kingma to anyone that needs a business coach.

Fantastic experience: As a fellow realtor, I am so grateful to know an amazing person and realtor like Gretchen King who has such a passion for helping others. She is my go-to girl when I need help advising my clients on all things related to senior living and down-sizing. Her knowledge and expertise in the senior field coupled with her real estate experience create an amazing combination to serve so many families going through these life transition. Thank you Gretchen for serving people with your big heart and soul. .

Fantastic experience: Gretchen is a wonderful, fun and honest person! Her expertise is so helpful for finding your forever home!

Fantastic experience: I can’t recommend Gretchen and her team enough!! From the initial appointment through the inevitable stress of selling and buying to looking for recommendations for contractors, she was incredibly kind, responsive, and helpful. She’s our go-to for friends, family, and any future needs. Just go ahead and do yourself a favor and reach out today!

Fantastic experience: Made the process stress free

Fantastic experience: I cannot recommend Gretchen Kingma highly enough! From start to finish, she went above and beyond to make the fairly long home-selling process seamless and stress-free. Her knowledge of the market, attention to detail, and professionalism are unmatched. She took the time to understand my needs and was always available to answer questions or provide guidance, no matter how small the detail. Gretchen demonstrated incredible expertise, negotiating skillfully to ensure I got the best possible deal. She went above and beyond to stage my home at no cost to me. If you're looking for a realtor who is dedicated, knowledgeable, and truly invested in your success, Gretchen is the one to choose. I'll be recommending her to everyone I know.

Fantastic experience: Gretchen is the best to work with! She was incredible and went above and beyond from start to finish of our buying process and we couldn’t be happier with the final result! I recommend her completely to anyone who asks!

Fantastic experience: Gretchen genuinely cares for her clients while providing the best knowledge and service to them. With Gretchen’s OT background, she provided me some resources when I was looking into care for my mom whose health is declining and my dad needed assistance caring for her. My husband and I are starting on our home buying journey and we know we are in good hands with Empowered Homes.

Fantastic experience: Cannot recommend Gretchen and her team enough! I have been fortunate to work with them for a few months now and have been continuously impressed by her professionalism, market knowledge, creativity and work ethic. She goes above and beyond and is very pleasant to work with.

Fantastic experience: Five stars! No need to look any further because Gretchen is by far the best choice! Words cannot even describe how dedicated, hard working and knowledgeable she is. Her team exceeded all expectations for us, and we have referred her to friends and family who have been equally impressed.

Fantastic experience: As an occupational therapist I see the need for wheelchair accessible homes. School provided me with a foundational understanding but Empowered Homes has helped me fill in those gaps and continue to educate myself on this specific niche.

Fantastic experience: Gretchen was a great help when my Mom downsized. She even spent time helping her pack one afternoon!! Service over and above!

Fantastic experience: We reached out to Gretchen in the fall of 2020, as we knew we’d be looking to buy a house in the following year or so. As first time homebuyers, we were clueless about the process and wanted an overview before we started looking. We set up a call to talk about what we were looking for, our budget, and our timeline. We weren’t seriously house hunting or in need of moving immediately, so we took our time in the search and had the luxury of being picky. In February of 2021, a house came on the market that fit all of our parameters. Gretchen set up a showing the next day, and worked with us to craft an offer. In the early 2021 market, our offer beat out 16 other offers, and we were shocked. The offer was within our budget and the house exceeded our expectations of what we thought we’d find in the area and budget we were working with. Gretchen was a great communicator with us and incredible advocate for us. After our inspection, she fought for items to be fixed that we wouldn’t have pursued otherwise, and had several thousands of dollars of work completed by the seller before closing. We were so happy to close - we specifically pursued this house because it was in the neighborhood across from my aging grandparents, and we got to enjoy three years of drop-in visits, neighborhood walks, and impromptu meals with them before my grandma passed away in 2024. We wouldn’t trade that for the world, and we’re so grateful Gretchen was able to make this house a reality for us. Gretchen continues to be a trusted resource, sharing recommendations for contractors and checking in regularly. We’re happy where we are right now, but if we’re in the market for a new home, we’d absolutely work with Gretchen again.

Fantastic experience: Working with Gretchen is like working with a best friend. She is the ultimate hype girl, but she’s going to keep it real too. There were houses my husband and I toured and she said “Uh you’re definitely not buying this house” and then proceeded to show us things we would never have seen on our own. She knows what she’s doing! With her help we found the house of our dreams, that we’ve not had any big issues with.

Fantastic experience: We worked with Gretchen (and team) when we moved to St. Louis to purchase a home and we just worked with her again to sell during a relocation. Gretchen's attention to detail and her knowledge of the market is amazing! Although the process of working to sell remotely was new to us, Gretchen was always able to make us feel at ease and included. She goes above and beyond for her families and we appreciated her guidance. I will recommend Empowered Homes to anyone in the region!

Fantastic experience: Working with Gretchen, Linda, and the team at Empowered Homes was truly nothing short of a dream! My journey with Gretchen began over two years ago when I first started talking with her about my ideal home and desire to purchase. From the very beginning, Gretchen's patience, helpfulness, and amazing attitude shone through. Initially, I considered just selling my property, but later decided to both sell and buy. Gretchen's assistance was spectacular no matter my changing plans. She was by my side every step of the way, providing helpful information and tirelessly advocating on my behalf. The selling process for my property was incredibly easy and seamless, thanks to Gretchen's expertise. On the buying side - while I was uncertain of the market - Gretchen and her team helped me feel well-equipped and prepared, always presenting me with clear options and helping me to move quickly in the right direction. I'm so happy to say that I'm now living in my dream home in my dream neighborhood -- and I owe this to Gretchen, Linda, and the exceptional team at Empowered Homes! If you're looking for a real estate team that goes above and beyond, I wholeheartedly recommend Gretchen and Empowered Homes. Their dedication, professionalism, and genuine care for their clients truly sets them apart. I'm so grateful to Gretchen and Linda for everything!

Fantastic experience: We are very pleased with the patience that Gretchen and her team displayed as we were very picky in choosing the right home. All parts of the process were handled with care and great attention to detail! We only had to put a contract on one home (the home of our dreams) and Gretchen steered us in the right direction to win out. Thank you so much Gretchen and Empowered Homes!!

Fantastic experience: Gretchen went above and beyond for us each time we’ve worked with her. I’ve purchased and listed a home with her. Through both experiences, she navigated the whole process smoothly and was always looking out for our best interests. When listing a house very quickly, she made sure we had everything we needed to be successful, even to the smallest details. In addition to all the expertise she brought to us, she also was always kind, creative, and fun during what can be a stressful process. I’d recommend her again and again.

Fantastic experience: Gretchen and her team are the absolute best! We’ve worked with her to buy and sell twice now. What makes her stand out as an agent is her compassion, communication and we appreciate her honesty and directness, and trust her counsel immensely. Her instincts led us to getting a very fair price on our purchase in this hot market and a very strong off-market offer on our sale. We couldn’t be happier!

Fantastic experience: Gretchen is so knowledgeable and very compassionate! It’s really amazing to see what she aims to accomplish for the community. She helped my husband and I stay determined and smart in the crazy market while searching for our forever home. She never led us astray and helped us find our dream property. On top of that, she is well connected and has high standards for her professional partners. We ended up working with her mortgage lending partner and a one of her favorite builders. She helped us build a dream team to make our dreams happen! Love Gretchen!!!

Fantastic experience: Gretchen and her team made our home buying experience easy. Gretchen worked quickly and was able to help us in finding our forever home!

Fantastic experience: I can't recommend Gretchen and her team highly enough! Gretchen worked with my limited budget and specific space needs, and found the perfect fit for my first home. Her communication was quick and clear, plus she is incredibly knowledgable about the market and area. Her eye for foundation issues is especially valuable for a first time homebuyer. I'd also like to compliment Gretchen's colleague Chelsia, who was equally quick with communication and very professional. Empowered Homes is my first choice for all my future real estate needs!

Fantastic experience: Gretchen is an amazing agent to work with. She is professional, timely, and attentive to your questions and needs. We highly recommend her and her team and are grateful for a seamless experience being first time home sellers!

Fantastic experience: Gretchen always goes above and beyond for her clients. Highly recommended contacting her when you are looking for that next home!

Fantastic experience: We cannot say enough good things about Gretchen and our experience working with her to sell our home (we got a perfect offer our first weekend). We would use her again and recommend her in a heartbeat. Gretchen is very attentive to understanding people's situation and desires, and collaborative in coming up with a practical plan that fits those priorities. She is organized and a strong communicator, and is the perfect balance of being empathetic and supportive but also setting and maintaining realistic expectations. She is also energetic and savvy in her marketing, networking, and social media presence. Thank you, Gretchen!

Fantastic experience: Gretchen was such an incredible advocate and resource for us during the buying process. She was communicative, on top of all the details, and genuinely cared about not only the outcome but how the process went for us.

Fantastic experience: Gretchen came to consult with us when we were thinking of selling an inherited home after a death in the family. She gave us throrough advice on what to do to get it market-ready and what to expect from the process. She was very empathetic and helpful during an emotional time for us.

Fantastic experience: As an insurance agent, it’s always a pleasure when I get to work with Gretchen or her clients. Her care for her clients comes through in every interaction. I am confident she handles every aspect of her business with integrity and with the client’s needs at the front of everything does. I would recommend her to my friends, family and clients.

Fantastic experience: The Empowered Homes team serves with top expertise and big hearts! Highly recommend!

Fantastic experience: Empowered Homes was immensely helpful during our home buying & selling process! Gretchen truly knows the local market & current trends. I appreciate all of her guidance and look forward to working with Empowered Homes in the future.

Fantastic experience: Gretchen has been and will always be a wonderful source of knowledge!

Fantastic experience: Gretchen was amazing in helping our family. We were moving from one state to another in the middle of COVID closures and she was our literal eyes and ears when we weren’t allowed or able to physically be present to look at homes. We trusted her with every step of the process and she delivered every time. So thankful for her and her team.

Fantastic experience: She has helped me with so many ideas for the future with a realistic timeline and budget!

Fantastic experience: Gretchen is one of the most educated realtors I've ever met. She cares more than just about their current needs. She looks out for the long term of her clients. I could not recommend a more caring and professional team.

Fantastic experience: Gretchen was AMAZING while working with my in-laws. I am so thrilling found her to help them downsize into an accessible apartment. She will forever be the realtor I recommend to everyone I know.

Fantastic experience: Gretchen is an absolute gem. She has the education, background, and experience to help people find homes that FIT their INDIVIDUAL needs and abilities. I have not met another realtor who can match her genuine passion to serve her clients.

Fantastic experience: Empowered Homes is amazing! The service this company provides is outstanding! Whether you are looking to downsize, upsize, or age in place, they will take care of you on any level!

Fantastic experience: Gretchen is amazing to work with. Professional and she truly cares about Universal Design for each and every client.

Fantastic experience: Empowered Homes has truly exceeded my expectations with their excellent realty services and attentive, hands-on client service. From the initial consultation to the final closing, their team demonstrated professionalism, expertise, and a genuine commitment to ensuring a smooth and successful real estate experience. What sets Empowered Homes apart is their unwavering dedication to understanding clients' needs and preferences. They go above and beyond to match individuals with their ideal properties, providing valuable insights and guidance throughout the entire process. The attention to detail and personalized approach make them stand out in the competitive real estate market.

Fantastic experience: I have absolutely nothing but incredible things to say about Empowered Homes! I reached out to Gretchen after two other agents were consistently not responding to me and she was on it immediately. First time home buyer here and the whole team I worked with was amazing and made it such an easy process and eliminated as much stress as possible. Gretchen, Katy, and Chelsia were always responsive and very helpful with any questions or concerns I had. I one million percent recommend them!

Fantastic experience: Gretchen was a godsend when my mom needed to sell her home and find an apartment within a tight time frame. She came through on all levels and was very patient with my mom who is getting older. She is a great communicator and made herself available when we needed her. Would highly recommend working with her.

Fantastic experience: We loved our experience with Empowered Homes! Gretchen listened to us, understood our situation and our desires for a home, and fought for us in a very competitive market. She went the extra mile to look for the right house for us. She gave us space to make our own decisions but also offered her helpful advice when we asked her for counsel. The rest of the Empowered Homes team was quick to work for us as well! Can’t say enough good things about Empowered Homes!

Fantastic experience: This team gave 150% as we tried to buy a home from far away. They submitted bid after bid, and also gave us honest evaluations of houses we liked but which would not meet our needs or had hidden problems. They were very cognizant of the needs of older clients. They were up-to-date on strategies to design a winning bid. We could not have been happier with Gretchen and Chelsia, and we would recommend them to anyone.

Fantastic experience: Gretchen and Chelsia were the absolute best to work with! Chelsia went and toured a home without even meeting me and she sent me detailed videos of all the areas I may want to know about. Gretchen provided her expertise and within hours of touring a home-- our offer was accepted. This was much more than a home buying experience-- it was a friendship in the making!! Gretchen and Team went above and beyond to make sure I was up-to-date and prepared throughout the entire buying process-- oftentimes answering questions (multiple times) and always timely responding to my communications. This was the first of many homes Gretchen will be helping me with!

Fantastic experience: We were so blessed to have found Gretchen and to have benefited from her wisdom! We needed a lot of help building an accessible home after our youngest child was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy. Gretchen was an amazing wealth of information during every phase of our build!

Fantastic experience: We worked with Gretchen in a pretty wild market and from out of state. She was very helpful in answering all our questions about the St Louis area and responsive to our long house search. she helped us take videos for the many houses we asked her to see since we were not physically in the state and helped weed out some troublesome ones. she is very knowledgeable about the different risks and contract pieces and helped walk us through the different contingencies. she definitely stuck it out with us in the tough market and we were able to close

Fantastic experience: Hunting for a new home or piece of land can be extremely stressful, especially during and after a global pandemic, but with Gretchen as your real estate agent, the exasperation dissipates and you soon find yourself having a search that is truly fun and enjoyable. Gretchen is not only brilliant in her knowledge of St. Louis and the surrounding areas, but she is fantastic in advocating for the best interests of her clients and will do whatever she can to assist in their ideal home find. My husband and I could not recommend Gretchen more and love connecting her to anyone on the 'hunt'!

Fantastic experience: Working with Gretchen was a dream! She made the home selling and buying process easy, even when circumstances were difficult (like buying/selling March of 2020!). Gretchen took time to hear about our needs and worked hard to help find our family the home that was just right for us. Gretchen is available, timely and most importantly kind. If we ever move again, I will definitely use her services!

Fantastic experience: Gretchen and her team @ Empowered Homes are the best! Gretchen goes above and beyond whether that is helping them sell a house for top dollar, purchase their fist home or forever home, or even helping them turn their current into a forever home. She is always putting her clients' wants/needs first.

Fantastic experience: I loved working with Gretchen to find/buy my house! She is always so responsive, and she made the process so manageable and as stress-free as possible. We found my house off market, and she navigated the situation so expertly. I always recommend her to friends in need of a realtor!