Katy Gaines

Weston and Platte County Realtor, Nelson Home Group, Keller Williams KC North

I am Katy Gaines, a Realtor and the Assistant Team Lead at Nelson Home Group, Keller Williams KC North, licensed in Missouri and Kansas. Weston and Platte County are not just places I work. They are home.

Born and raised in Northwest Missouri, I live in the West Platte community and help buyers and sellers throughout Weston, Platte County, the Kansas City Northland, and the smaller Northwest Missouri towns that rarely have an agent who knows them. From historic homes in downtown Weston to acreage, new construction, commercial buildings, and residential neighborhoods across the Northland, every property and every transaction comes with its own story, and I like knowing the story.

A Little More About Me

My background is in education, and it shapes the way I work. I want my clients to understand what is happening, why it matters, and what comes next. Clear communication, thoughtful guidance, and making sure people feel confident in their decisions are at the heart of how I do business.

I am the wife of a retired Air Force pilot, so military life is personal to me. I know what a PCS timeline feels like from the inside, and I have a special appreciation for the veterans, active-duty families, and military retirees who settle in the Northland.

Living in the West Platte community gives me a real connection to the area I serve. I care about what is happening in Weston and Platte County, from local businesses and schools to neighborhoods, development, community events, and the properties that make this part of Northwest Missouri special. For me, real estate has never been just about reaching the closing table. Whether a past client needs a trusted local contractor, has a question about the market, wants to know what a property down the street sold for, or is starting to think about their next move, I want to be the person they feel comfortable calling.

What I Specialize In

My work covers historic and antebellum homes, residential sellers throughout Weston and Platte County, acreage and rural properties, commercial real estate in downtown Weston, new construction, military and VA buyers, relocation buyers, and first-time buyers. Here is what each of those looks like in practice.

Historic and Antebellum Homes

Historic homes require a different approach to marketing, one that recognizes the architecture, restoration, craftsmanship, and story that make each property unique. In Weston I have marketed and sold distinctive historic properties including the Firefly Inn and antebellum properties such as 633 Main Street, built in 1843. In Lexington, I helped a veteran couple sell the 1900 Main Street home they had raised their family in so they could downsize, with custom cards in every room showing buyers how each space could be reimagined.

Selling Homes in Weston, Platte County, and the Northland

I list and market homes throughout the Weston and Platte County area, including 605 4th Street, 615 Cherry Street, 17936 Sunrise Drive, 17953 Sunrise Drive, and 111 Cora Drive. I combine strategic pricing, property preparation, creative marketing, and consistent communication to position each home for the market. When a Weston home needs work, I price for it and say so: after a first buyer backed out at inspection, I sold a Weston raised ranch as-is at its asking price by relisting it for investors and renovation-loan buyers.

Platte City is a second home base. In Tudor Flats I helped a family sell fast ahead of a military move without leaving money on the table, and I sold 1745 Collins Drive for repeat clients after the cash buyer’s insurance company refused the roof, where we split a new roof to keep the sale together.

In the Kansas City Northland I have sold the Havenwood home where a couple raised their family, with multiple offers in a single day and a clean close so they could move into their retirement home, and a Park Hill rental after the tenant moved out, where a targeted renovation plan brought two offers in three days. I also list on the Kansas side of the metro: 11106 Augusta Drive in Northridge at Piper Estates, Kansas City, KS sold for its full asking price in under 24 hours on the market and closed on schedule through a hail claim in the final week.

Sometimes a seller has already found their buyer and just needs the sale closed right. I have handled that as the transaction broker for a Weston seller and as the listing agent for veteran sellers in North St. Joseph whose buyer was someone they already knew, so that nobody carried the paperwork or the risk alone.

Acreage and Rural Properties

Homes on acreage and unique rural properties come with considerations beyond the house itself, including land, outbuildings, wells, septic systems, access, and property boundaries. My rural work includes 27455 Stephanie Lane and the barndominium at 27900 Dye Store Road outside Weston, an Andrew County acreage with a 40 by 60 outbuilding near Rea that went under contract in six days for veteran sellers making a long-distance move, and an edge-of-town St. Joseph property with a workshop that drew multiple offers in one day and sold well over asking so the owners could hit the road in their RV.

Commercial Real Estate in Downtown Weston

I represented the buyers in the purchase of 501 Main Street in historic downtown Weston, now home to 640 Pizza. I enjoy helping local entrepreneurs and property owners navigate commercial real estate opportunities that contribute to the continued growth of the Weston community.

New Construction

I represent buyers purchasing new construction in Orchard Hills and other Platte County developments, helping them navigate the building process from contract and selections through inspections and closing. Read how an eleven-month custom build in Orchard Hills went from contract to keys.

Military and VA Buyers

I understand PCS timelines, relocation, and the considerations that come with using a VA loan. I helped a military family buy a Kindred Heights home sight unseen from seven time zones away with a VA loan, touring on their clock with live walkthroughs, and when our team sold a Smithville family’s VA-financed first home, I represented them on the purchase of their larger one. Our team is led by a 21-year Air Force veteran and licensed mortgage originator, and we maintain a full Kansas City VA home buying guide and a resource hub for veterans and military families.

Relocation Buyers

Buyers moving to Weston, Platte County, Northwest Missouri, and the Kansas City Northland need a feel for more than the available houses. I help clients understand the communities, locations, commute options, property types, and lifestyle so they can decide where they truly want to call home. When a family relocated back to Olathe from out of state, we planned intensive house-hunting days around their travel and got them under contract in a single day when the right home appeared. Our Living In series is a good place to start if you are still weighing one town against another.

First-Time Buyers

My teaching background is especially valuable here. I break the process into manageable steps, explain the details in plain language, and help buyers understand their options before making major decisions. That is how an engaged couple bought their first home in the Park Hill school district before the wedding, under list price and with seller concessions at closing. Our first-time buyer guide is a good place to start.

Why Clients Work With Me

Local knowledge, a track record that reaches well beyond Weston, and the habit of explaining things until they make sense. Here is what that looks like in numbers and in practice.

Selling Homes Across the Metro and Northwest Missouri

Weston and Platte County are where I know the market street by street, but my business is not limited to them. In 2026 I have closed 30 homes and more than $12.7 million in volume through September, in 13 different cities on both sides of the state line. That work split almost evenly between buyers and sellers, ran from the low $100,000s to the mid $700,000s, and included conventional, VA, USDA, cash, and land-loan financing. Twenty-three of those 30 closings came from my own sphere, referrals, and marketing rather than team-provided leads, which tells you how much of my business is people who already know how I work.

Where I Work

Most of my work sits in Weston, Platte City, Parkville, Smithville and Kansas City, with regular business north in St. Joseph and Plattsburg, east in Liberty, and across the state line in Olathe and Kansas City, Kansas. I also handle rural and acreage properties in the smaller Northwest Missouri communities, from Lexington to Andrew County, that rarely have an agent who knows them.

Here is the full list of communities we serve.

Common Questions

Do you only work in Weston?

No. Weston and Platte County are home and they are my deepest market knowledge, but I closed homes in 13 cities in 2026 across both Missouri and Kansas. If your house is in the Kansas City metro or Northwest Missouri, I can help you sell it.

What makes selling a historic home different?

Everything about the marketing. A house built in 1843 is not priced or presented like new construction. Buyers for these homes are buying architecture, restoration work, craftsmanship and a story, and the comparable sales that a computer picks are usually wrong. I have sold antebellum properties, historic downtown Weston buildings including the Firefly Inn, and a 1900 Main Street home in Lexington, and I know who the buyers are and where they come from.

Do you work with military and VA buyers?

Yes. I am the wife of a retired Air Force pilot, so military life is personal to me. I understand PCS timelines, relocation, and the considerations that come with using a VA loan, and I have closed VA purchases for buyers who were stationed overseas at the time.

Do you help first-time buyers?

Yes, and my teaching background is most useful here. I break the process into manageable steps, explain the details in plain language, and make sure you understand your options before you make a major decision.

What is different about buying or selling acreage?

The house is only part of it. Land, outbuildings, wells, septic systems, access and property boundaries all affect value, financing and what a buyer can actually do with the property. I have handled homes on acreage, rural properties and a barndominium, and those transactions need an agent who asks the right questions before you are under contract.

I already have a buyer for my house. Do I still need an agent?

You need someone whose only job is to protect the sale. I have closed several of these, in Weston and in St. Joseph, as the transaction broker or the listing agent, coordinating every deadline and document so both sides reach the table protected.

What is the first thing I should do if I am thinking about selling?

Get a real number rather than an automated estimate, then let’s walk your house together. Start with a home valuation or read how we sell homes.

Are you hiring agents at Nelson Home Group?

Yes. As Assistant Team Lead I am often the first person a new agent talks to. If you are thinking about a career in real estate or a move to a team, see what the team provides its agents on our Join the Team page, or call me directly and ask what it is really like.

Credentials and Recognition

• Realtor and Assistant Team Lead: Nelson Home Group, Keller Williams KC North
• Licensed in Missouri and Kansas: MO 2021030068, KS SP00246751
• 2026 production: 30 homes sold and more than $12.7 million in closed volume through September, across 13 cities
• 2025 production: 28 homes sold and more than $11.5 million in closed volume
• Self-generated business: 23 of my 30 closings in 2026 came from my own sphere, referrals and marketing rather than team-provided leads
• Local: born and raised in Northwest Missouri, living and working in the West Platte community

If you are considering buying or selling a home, acreage, historic property, new construction, or commercial real estate in Weston, Platte County, or anywhere in the Kansas City Northland, I would love to be a local resource for you. Nelson Home Group, Keller Williams KC North is an Equal Housing Opportunity brokerage. I am licensed in Missouri and Kansas.