Jay is native Mississippian but has called Washington, DC his home for the past 18 years. He fell in love with real estate after buying his condo in Adams Morgan in 1999. Even though the search was over, he kept attending open houses and exploring developing neighborhoods. Eventually, he found himself spending his weekends helping friends find places to live. So he decided to transition from a career in public relations and television to real estate.
After working several years with another brokerage, Jay joined Compass in 2015, believing the resources offered by Compass would complement his own skills as an agent and help him better serve his clients.
One of Jay’s passions is photography and he loves taking photos around the city. You might also catch him singing at Shaw’s Tavern on Wednesday nights.
Jeff Taylor is a Realtor Associate with 12 years of real estate sales experience. He began his real estate career in Texas, with a focus on residential sales and commercial property management. After relocating to Washington, D.C., his passion for real estate grew, as did his love for the city, the architecture, and the people. Jeffrey has been featured in Washington Life and The Washington Post for historic condominium sales and rentals in Dupont Circle, Logan Circle and Shaw – where he resides. Jeff prides himself on local expertise, strategic marketing efforts, and a commitment to offering his clients an unsurpassed level of service and attention.
Jenn Smira combines relentlessness, diplomacy, negotiating skills, and a can-do attitude that sets her apart from the pack. She is every client’s advocate, working until each has found the best home or sold for the right price. Her many repeat clients are a testimony to her dedication and results, as is her ranking among the top 10 agents in the city.
Recognized for her leadership in the field, she was selected in 2014 for the DC Association of Realtors’ Board of Directors. She currently serves on the organization’s Board of Directors and the Public Policy Committee.
After years on Capitol Hill and then Shepherd Park, Jenn and her family now live in Chevy Chase. Jenn plays basketball, runs half marathons, and unleashes her creative side through her cooking.
A Washington resident for over 20 years and a real estate agent for over a decade, John has built his business on referrals and returning clients who trust him for his market expertise, attention to detail, and outstanding negotiation skills. For John, going the extra mile for his clients is the part of the sales process he enjoys most.
John credits his parents for his dedication to hard work and entrepreneurial spirit. Thanks to his family’s construction and real estate investment businesses, he was raised with the notion that hard work, smart business decisions, and loving your job are the ingredients for success.
John holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a minor in Business Administration from Arizona State University. His years of working in Corporate Finance and Project Management prepared him to seamlessly handle complex transactions in real estate.
John’s interests include renovation projects, design, and architecture. He takes inspiration from his travels through Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, England, France, Spain, Mexico, Italy, Czech Republic, and Hungary. As an animal lover, John is a supporter of The Humane Society.
Kevin Brunell has been an involved resident of his 14th Street neighborhood for over 7 years, and brings the deep knowledge and experience necessary to find the best properties for his clients and assist in their real estate needs across the DMV. As an active member in his field, Kevin has served on the Public Policy Committee at DCAR, and as Board President for The Wanda Alston Foundation. Kevin’s involvement in his local community extends to his personal interests, which include Bikram Yoga, Transcendental Meditation, rowing, running, hiking, traveling around the world, and pursuing his private pilot’s license.
Kevin’s professionalism and individualized service exceed client expectations, whether you are a first-time buyer or seasoned investor. Many of Kevin’s clients have often commented on how well he listened to their unique wants and needs, making sure to find a home they really love.
After building miniature neighborhoods and cities that spanned his parents’ basement floor, Kevin knew he had a keen interest in real estate. Upon graduating from The College of Wooster in 2001 with a double major in Urban Studies and Studio Art, Kevin started working in real estate in the Metro DC Area. He has had an invaluable array of real estate marketing and sales experience with top brokers ever since: first with an established agent in one of the highest-volume offices in Bethesda, then for a top-producing partnership in the Mid-Atlantic and finally with the highest-grossing listing agent in Georgetown before joining the Trent & Company team. Whether selling single-family homes in suburban Maryland, coops, and condos in Kalorama and Upper NW or row houses in Logan and Dupont, Kevin has had a varied real estate history in and around DC.
Among Kevin’s greatest strengths are his area knowledge (as an area native), his effective persistence, a formal and career-related education in architecture and his easy-going disposition in what can be a difficult arena.
Born in Miami, Florida, Mark relocated to the DC metro region at the age of 8. He was raised by a hard-working waitress and a officer in the Army’s Paratroopers. His father served in WWII. Mark attended the University of Mary Washington and later became an expert in the hospitality industry. Transforming venues with declining sales became a passion. With that passion, Mark decided to help individuals achieve financial independence through home ownership, so in 2002, under the Coldwell Banker brand, Mark became a Realtor. Mark Rutstein’s various television appearances, as well as awards, support his love and success in the industry. Now, following the technology advanced brokerage, he is under the Compass name!
Mark is an active member of the community, volunteering his time with multiple community organizations and events. His involvement in the community brings knowledge of the local businesses, nightlife, museums, and transportation that is important while buying or selling a home.
Michael’s guiding principle in real estate is fun. Since moving to D.C. in 2003, he has developed a deep, contagious love of the city, and a commitment to helping his clients enjoy real estate as much as he does. With almost $30 million in sales in a variety of neighborhoods, Michael is poised to help clients buy and sell throughout D.C., Virginia, and Maryland. In 2015, Michael joined Compass to combine his passion for customer service with the best technology to serve his clients.
Michael began his real estate career with TTR Sotheby’s International Realty, where he won a variety of awards, including the 2013 GCAAR Rookie of the Year Award for his business success and contributions to the community. Before real estate, Michael spent over 10 years cultivating his negotiation and sales skills while building elite teams of salespeople at high-profile companies, including Apple and Pottery Barn.
As a resident of the Shaw neighborhood, Michael works closely with the Shaw Main Streets organization. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of The DC Center for the LGBT Community, and he is on the Executive Committee for the Lupus Foundation of America DMV’s Annual Gala.
As part of his commitment to the community and the real estate industry, Michael chairs the DC Association of Realtors (DCAR) Communication Committee, serves on the DCAR Board of Directors, and is the Vice-Chair of the Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors (GCAAR) Community Service Committee.
Michael enjoys spending time with his partner and their Miniature Pincher, and he stays active training with CrossFit, and engaging in a variety of social sports (badly). He ran his first (and only) marathon in 2010. Michael loves to travel, and to indulge in delicious food and good wine at the many fabulous restaurants right here in D.C. He has a love of movies and TV, including an unhealthy obsession with anything produced by Bravo.
Back in 1995, Michael’s passion for real estate was ignited while living in Salt Lake City, Utah. After attending the University of Utah in Business Administration, and owning a variety of local businesses, he joined a small boutique broker in Park City, Utah. With lots of hard work and determination, Michael earned the prestigious “Rookie of the Year” in 1996.
In 2006, he moved to DC and affiliated with Coldwell Banker Dupont. Then in 2011, Michael and Stanton found that they shared similar passions for real estate. With a desire to help people with the buying and selling experience, Marriott + Schnepp was formed. In 2015, we were offered a unique opportunity to join the newly formed Compass real estate offices. Stanton was offered a role in management, so the MM Group was formed.
Since becoming an agent in 1995, the real estate market has had its challenges. Each upswing and downturn has given Michael the opportunity to develop unique solutions. Instead of saying, “We can’t do that,” Michael’s response is always, “How can we do that?” This positive attitude is what draws people to want to work with him.
Besides being a dedicated realtor, Michael takes time for family, friends, and fun for a healthy balanced life. Michael and his partner of 22 years (and husband of 2), Juan, live with their dogs, Bailey & Sasha, in Logan Circle. Michael loves cars–especially his Tesla, traveling the world with friends, and spending time working with various charitable and equal rights causes.
He has served on the Board of Governors of the Human Rights Campaign, he was a founding Board member of Equality Utah, he served on the Board of Trustees of Ballet West and the Salt Lake Acting Company, and loves to support local neighborhood community organizations like Friends of Mitchell Park, the Logan Circle Community Association, and SMYAL. He is especially proud of his work as the Executive Director/Trustee of the B. W. Bastian Foundation, a private family foundation based in Utah.
Combining extensive advertising and management experience with over eleven years of expertise in the DC real estate market, Stanton proudly serves as Compass’ Senior Managing Director of Sales for the flagship Logan Circle office. Stanton’s love of real estate is rooted in his genuine passion for helping others succeed. His clients and colleagues particularly value Stanton’s integrity, his commitment to achieving exceptional results, and his unfailing kindness and humor.
Prior to entering real estate, Stanton worked as a creative director, owned a residential interior design firm and enjoyed a successful career in acting. He is the proud recipient of a Gold Clio Award for Voiceover Performance.
Stanton graduated from The University of Texas in Austin with a B.S. in Advertising. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling, working out and hanging out with his basset best friends, Buster and Clark.