Barbara Claussen

Professional in Real Estate

What do Clients Say?

I am a retired interior designer. I owned my own business for 25 years. Excellent business practices, along with a caring, helpful attitude made my work with Barbara easy. She was always available to help in any way. I received the paperwork promptly. I could not ask for a more professional, friendly person to work with.

Mary Cornell, seller in Tryon, NC

Worked with Barbara Claussen for a second time - this time I was selling. It was another great experience with a caring and knowledgeable realtor. Best realtor I have ever used in my life - highly recommend!

Laurie Benz, seller in Columbus, NC

A few months ago Barbara helped us find a home with pasture in the Tryon area. She spent days helping us become familiar with the area. She showed us everything within our parameters and a bit on the edges to help us really be comfortable with our final decision. As we began to close in on making an offer, Tony helped provide additional input and guidance. As we were going through the due diligence period, they were right there with us, sharing years of experience and calling in expert help for some tricky stuff. It was always clear that they were representing us and it was reassuring to know that they had our backs covered as things came up (as they always do).

Buyer in Tryon, NC

I have dealt with numerous realtors over the years in multiple locations from the mountains to the seashore and I can say without reservation, that Barbara and Tony are the best that I have ever dealt with. I recently searched for property in the Lake Adger area that actually resulted in me buying a house there. Barbara and Tony were so great in helping me to locate suitable properties and helping me to negotiate a good price. Barbara and Tony are personable, highly intelligent, and are the consummate real estate professionals. You will not be disappointed!!

Phillip Little, buyer in Mill Spring, NC

Barbara and Tony were great to work with and really made sure that our property was ready to sell. I would really recommend them for anyone looking for a responsive and easy agent to work with.

Seller in Columbus, NC

About Barbara

Barbara Claussen was born and raised in Kampen, Isle of Sylt, Germany. At the adventurous age of 18, she moved to what was at that time West Berlin, where she achieved a degree in Business Administration with a specialization in Marketing. She was recruited by a real estate company known as Engel & Voelkers and, for six years, worked with her colleagues in Berlin, helping to meld the company into what is now the largest privately held real estate company in Europe with offices in 38 countries worldwide. She worked there as the first female Commercial Realtor and won an award for the highest earnings in this field in her second year. It was Engel & Voelkers' affiliation with Sotheby’s International Realty that brought Barbara to Canada in 1996 on an exchange program with the Nova Scotia affiliate of Sotheby’s International Realty, AA Walters Limited. She came to learn better English, which she did and fell in love with Nova Scotia and Tony Walters, the founder of the firm with whom she came to work for. Together Tony and Barbara lead for 18 years as co-owners Claussen Walters & Associates and set the standard of excellence within the Province’s real estate industry.

Outside of the office, Barbara renovated numerous historic houses and, in 2001, won the Historic Restoration Award presented by the Town of Lunenburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

But Barbara’s real passion in life, which goes back as far as she can remember, lies within the animal kingdom. Home in Nova Scotia was Whinny Hill Farm, where Barbara established the Donkey Sanctuary of Nova Scotia and Hoofbeat, a horse rescue endeavor. Together the two organizations have rescued and found homes for more than 120 horses and donkeys.

In the fall of 2014, Barbara and her husband, Tony, packed up the farm in Nova Scotia and moved, together with six donkeys, five horses, five dogs, and four cats, to the sunny foothills of North Carolina, where Barbara continues to pursue her passions of animal rescue and loving horses and donkeys. She is riding CETA trails in her spare time and renovating, again, their home close to Columbus. Being close to Tony’s family means a lot to her. Her five stepchildren and six grandkids love to come for a visit because of the beautiful landscape and the much warmer weather than up north.