Ingrid Hess, CRS, GRI

For nearly four decades, Ingrid Hess — founding broker of the Darien and New Canaan offices of Compass and a licensed real estate broker — has set the standard of excellence in Lower Fairfield County real estate. A hyper-local luxury real estate expert with over $1 billion in closed sales, Ingrid is the most knowledgeable broker working across Darien, New Canaan, Rowayton, Norwalk, and Stamford. Her institutional knowledge of local neighborhoods and their architectural histories, renovation records, pricing dynamics, and community character, is unmatched, built over nearly 40 years of deep roots and daily market engagement.

Ingrid is relentlessly diligent in every client interaction: she listens, she gets it, and she makes it happen. Her clients trust her integrity and insight, and rely on her timely guidance and expertise across all aspects of a transaction. She quickly establishes excellent working relationships with cooperating agents to arrive at the best terms. Ingrid negotiates fiercely, and when faced with tough challenges, multiple offers, or a potential deal-breaker, she fights the hardest for her clients to keep their deals on track.

Ingrid builds relationships with her clients that extend beyond the listing, becoming a friend and a welcoming neighbor. Many clients have completed multiple transactions with her over the years, coming back because no one knows this market the way Ingrid does.

Recognized by the Wall Street Journal Real Trends Award for 20 consecutive years and consistently ranked in the top tier of agents nationally, Ingrid's track record speaks for itself. Fluent in Spanish and Italian, she meets every client where they are most comfortable. She further distinguishes herself with the CRS (Certified Residential Specialist) and GRI (Graduate REALTORS® Institute) designations.

★★★★★
"Ingrid Hess is a true expert and professional, as well as a pleasure to work with. She is knowledgeable, passionate, and a skilled negotiator. As first time home buyers, we couldn't have been more pleased with how quickly and efficiently Ingrid helped us to navigate through the entire process. We are so thankful to her and wouldn't be in the home we are in today without her!" - Clare

★★★★★
"We were very fortunate to work with Ingrid in relocating from NYC to Darien. In addition to her market knowledge and transaction expertise, she was a tremendous resource for information about the town and very helpful in providing recommendations for local service providers (attorneys, mortgage brokers, painters, etc)" - Eric

★★★★★
"We have worked with Ingrid for the last 13 years with the selling/purchase of two homes. We chose Ingrid because of her knowledge of the housing market in town; her expertise and her strong negotiation skills. She has lived and worked in town for more than 30 years making her a good advisor for new incoming families." - Mariella

★★★★★
"Ingrid is the best there is in Fairfield County CT. She was patient with our learning curve in finding our first home purchase. We would happily go hunting and learn the different hidden aspects of what makes a place spectacular and where the hidden pitfalls may lie. We always felt secure that she was on our side in negotiating the best deal." - Kevin

★★★★★
"Ingrid has deep local knowledge which helps make a more informed purchase. We were able to negotiate a large discount from the initial asking price, in part due to her very strong market knowledge. As a long term resident of the town and a consummate professional, she is the total package. We recommend her without reservation." - Sebastian