Our Team

Compass’s Puget Sound region’s managing director Cris Nelson has lived and breathed real estate since she was a teenager. The born-and-bred Seattleite entered the business at 19 and has led a flourishing brokerage career ever since. In the last nine years alone, she’s skillfully managed the fast-paced real estate offices of larger and larger teams, and has earned the prestigious Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) designation—the benchmark of excellence in buyer representation—as well as the specialized Certified Specialist (CRS) designation (which fewer than 4% of agents claim) and the Graduate REALTOR® Institute (GRI) designation.

To her wide-ranging network of clients and colleagues, Nelson’s string of accomplishments is only natural: She’s practically part of a real estate dynasty. Her mother recently retired from a long real estate career; her brother owns a local mortgage company; her husband—Compass agent Chris Nelson—has been in the business for over 25 years; their two young adult children, Blake and Ali, are both licensed agents as well (starting as teenagers, just as Nelson did). She and Chris live in downtown Bellevue currently, though called Sammamish home for 20 years. However, her native knowledge and long career have made her an expert in nearly every pocket of the region.

Nelson credits her success as an agent and manager to her sincere commitment to following through on all of her pledges, promises, and obligations. “I truly believe that if others can trust what you say and believe you will do what you say, they’ll be loyal to you,” she affirms. Away from the office, you’ll find Nelson skiing, golfing, or traveling with her husband, as well as spending time with her family and relaxing at their second home in Suncadia.