A Division Born from Experience and Compassion
When you open your front door and invite someone to sit across from you at the kitchen table to talk about what comes next, it takes trust. For many longtime homeowners, especially those 55 and older, that conversation isn’t simply about selling a house; it’s about closing one chapter and finding the strength to start another.
For Robbyn Battles, REALTOR® and Broker Associate with JohnHart Real Estate, those moments are where her work begins. For decades, she’s guided seniors and their families through one of life’s most emotional transitions, deciding when and how to sell a home that holds decades of memories. Though she holds the Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES) designation, Robbyn has turned it into little more than a footnote in her broader mission, going far beyond that certification to provide the kind of hands-on guidance, advocacy, and empathy that can only come from lived experience.
Now, as the newly appointed Vice President of Senior Homes and Trust Sales, Robbyn is channeling her years of personal and professional experience into a dedicated division that helps clients navigate the process of selling, planning, and transitioning with care, clarity, and dignity. This isn’t about finding housing; it’s about providing expertise, patience, and compassion when life calls for change.
A Natural Appointment Built on Years of Dedication
This new role didn’t appear overnight. It evolved naturally after years of observing how often seniors and families struggled to find real guidance when selling their longtime homes or managing estate properties. For much of her 35-year career, this has been Robbyn’s calling, helping seniors ready to downsize, families settling trusts, and adult children navigating the responsibilities that come after loss.
“When my father passed, my mother stayed in the family home for years, trying to maintain it as her health declined and expenses rose,” Robbyn shares. “When she finally made the difficult decision to sell, it took nearly four years. That experience gave me empathy that I bring to every client I sit with.”
Recognizing this deep experience and unwavering commitment, JohnHart Real Estate CEO Harout Keuroghlian collaborated with Robbyn to form a new division that would formalize what she was already doing so naturally. In late October 2025, JohnHart Real Estate announced Robbyn Battles as the Vice President of Senior Homes and Trust Sales. This decision honors her expertise and passion for this growing demographic.
Understanding the Struggles Our Seniors Face
Across Southern California, Robbyn often finds herself asking a question shared by many families: Where are our seniors going? Rising housing costs, limited downsizing options in the local area, and the emotional weight of leaving a familiar community make this decision incredibly complex.
Many seniors want to stay close to home, near their doctors, friends, and routines, but the choices are limited. Some move in with family. Others relocate out of state, like Robbyn’s own mother did. “It’s heartbreaking,” she explains, “but it’s the reality many of my clients face.”
Through her new division, Robbyn hopes to bring calm and structure to that uncertainty. Her approach isn’t about rushing decisions but about creating a process, one that respects timing, emotions, and family dynamics. “My goal,” she says, “is to guide, not push.”
JohnHart’s Senior Homes and Trust Sales Division
Robbyn is now building a carefully chosen team of agents who share her values of compassion, professionalism, and patience. “I want to find agents who have lived experiences, who understand that you can’t train empathy,” she says. “We’ll be helping a growing number of people, and I want to ensure that every client feels cared for and heard.”
Each agent joining the division will receive additional mentoring from Robbyn to ensure the team maintains the same level of communication, organization, and personalized attention that has defined her career. “This is about creating a resource within JohnHart where seniors and families know they’re in capable, understanding hands,” she adds.
On January 29, 2025, the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) published a report entitled California’s Aging Population. The report shows that, on California’s current population trajectory, the state’s older population (65 years plus) will surge by 59% by 2040, while the working-age population (ages 20 through 64) will remain largely the same as it is today. Recognizing the strain this will put on an already stretched industry, Robbyn is committing the Senior Homes and Trust Sales division to helping as many people plan for the future with a team they can trust.
Success Sprouting from a Foundation of Hard Work
Raised in the foothills of La Crescenta-Montrose, Robbyn’s parents ran their own real estate company for years, and she began working alongside them at just 13. Her mom was the one behind the scenes, teaching her the nuances of business, while her dad, Rocky, was the face everyone knew and loved. To this day, people still ask about him, remembered for his easy smile, his OP shorts and tank top on summer days, or his sweatshirt and white New Balance shoes when it cooled down.
Over time, the family business expanded to include building custom homes throughout the area, giving Robbyn an even deeper understanding of how homes are created and cared for. By the age of 23, she took over the company, carrying forward the same integrity and work ethic her parents modeled. She often jokes with clients that she’s so vested in real estate that if you poked her wrist, little houses would stream out. It’s a full-circle story she loves to share, especially now that many of the homes she represents belong to the parents of her former classmates, a reflection of her lifelong roots in the community and her enduring passion for both real estate and the aging population she proudly serves today.
Over three decades later, that same commitment made her one of JohnHart’s most respected agents. She’s consistently featured on RealTrends America’s Best Real Estate Agents List, ranking among the top 1% nationwide, and is a regular on JohnHart’s Top 25 Agents roster. Her success stems not from volume, but from the relationships she builds. “It’s never been about how many houses I sell,” Robbyn explains. “It’s about how many lives I can help transition smoothly.”
The Definition of Strength in Adversity
Even the most resilient professionals face challenges. For Robbyn, those challenges came when both of her parents became seriously ill, her mother suffering multiple strokes and her father battling cancer. “Caring for them while managing my business was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” she recalls.
Through that experience, she witnessed firsthand how difficult it can be for seniors and their families to navigate complex systems, from healthcare to housing. Rather than turning away, Robbyn leaned in. She joined county advisory committees on Purposeful Aging, co-founded a nonprofit serving seniors, and began advocating for more compassionate housing policies. “It opened my eyes,” she says. “I realized how much support this community needs, and how few people truly understand it.”
A Typical Senior Scenario
Robbyn’s mother’s story isn’t unique, and that’s precisely the problem. “She couldn’t afford to stay in California, and physically, the home had become too much,” Robbyn shares. “That’s what I see again and again with my clients.”
For countless families, adult children live out of state, leaving aging parents to manage on their own. “This is very much a typical senior scenario,” Robbyn says. “They’ve lived in their homes for 40 or 50 years, and now maintaining them isn’t safe or feasible. But selling is emotional. It’s not just real estate, it’s their life.”
These experiences deepen Robbyn’s commitment to serving as a guide for families caught between practicality and emotion. “We can’t fix every system,” she admits, “but we can provide guidance, understanding, and a clear path forward.”
Contributor, designer & admin for JohnHart Gazette.
