Realtor Julie Gardner recently took a rare pause from the hustle of Bay Area real estate. After putting off surgery for years, she finally scheduled the procedure and spent the weekend recovering.
“I had put it off for a few years,” Gardner admits. “But I could no longer ignore the problem.” Thanks to a skilled medical team, she felt cared for every step of the way. “From the surgeon to the anesthesiologist to the OR nurses, everyone treated me with kindness and kid gloves,” she recalls. “Their collective words of encouragement created great trust, and in my experience, whenever faith leads the way, there’s little room for fear.”
That same sense of trust plays a central role in her real estate career.
Partners in a Demanding Market
In real estate, trust and partnership are more than helpful—they are essential. When Gardner stepped away for her recovery, her business partner, Sarah Abel, stepped in without missing a beat. “That’s the beauty of a partnership,” Gardner says. “There’s always one of us who can step in and fill the role, whatever that may be.”
During Gardner’s recovery, Abel met a buyer for a final walk-through, handled conversations, responded to client questions, and hosted an open house. “Sarah’s expertise allowed me to take a back seat,” Gardner reflects, “secure in the knowledge that everything would be handled professionally.”
The two joined forces after transitioning to Compass from different brokerages. “We realized quickly that our work ethic and passion aligned perfectly,” Gardner says. “We were stronger together than competing as solo agents—and we were right.”
A Thoughtfully Built Success
Since forming their team, Gardner and Abel have closed hundreds of millions of dollars in transactions. “But success doesn’t come along accidentally,” Gardner notes. “Each success has been thoughtfully engineered.”
With two full-time project managers and a dedicated Compass support team, the duo keeps projects moving while remaining personally involved. “Recognizing where our strengths lie, and being able to delegate the rest, means that everyone works to their highest and best potential,” Gardner confirms.
As with many successful duos, clients benefit from the pair’s different skill sets. “We give our personal attention to everything we do,” she adds.
A Team That Stays Small by Design
While many real estate teams grow into large, mini-brokerage operations, Gardner and Abel have made a deliberate choice to keep their partnership small. “You won’t be signing the listing agreement with us only to be passed along to a junior agent you’ve never heard of,” Gardner says.
They stay involved from start to finish. “We’re not just the front women for the transaction,” she adds. “We’re here from the beginning to the end—and you should expect nothing less.”
The Buck Stops Here
Real estate remains a demanding business. The market fluctuates, and both buyers and sellers have plenty to stress about during the process. Thanks to Gardner and Abel’s approach, grounded in trust, planning, and partnership, each client knows they’ll receive caring, high-touch service—no matter the market.
“For better or worse,” Gardner concludes, “the buck stops here.”
