Shannon Richards

I’m from a small Downeast town called Castine. I have three amazing children, a great big extended family, and we live in the best little city in the world - Portland, Maine. Our house overlooks the bay and our little boat, and we walk to school everyday. We love our community and enjoy being a part of its growth and change. We love art, literature, food, and all things Maine.

I have been an artist and entrepreneur since I was young, and I have spent the last 20+ years in the practice of supporting myself through the business of designing and building. I have manifested a life centered around creation, and I have had the privilege of being a part of producing hundreds of custom homes, commercial spaces, pieces of furniture and fixtures.

I bring a developers mindset and expertise to real estate transactions, filtered through an artists uncompromising idealism. I believe in the value of exceptional service, in a world that is increasingly about experience.

More about Shannon...Shannon returned to Maine in the early 2000’s after receiving a BFA from Syracuse University, and traveling. She started a studio soon after which melded a cooperative creative space, gallery and workshop, out of which she designed and manufactured custom furniture and fixtures. This business grew to include interior design, architectural design services and general contracting, and is now called Hay Runner.

Hay Runner is a real estate development company that provides services related to residential and commercial real estate transactions, project management, design, construction, furnishing and produces design-centric events. Hay Runner provides brokerage services through its affiliation with Legacy Properties Sotheby's International Realty.

Shannon passionately supports artists in Maine as the President of the Board of Directors of the Maine Crafts Association, which has more than 600 artist members and offers retail, educational and marketing support to artists and craftspeople in Maine. In early 2020, Shannon was elected to be the president of the board.

Shannon passionately supports conservation in Maine as a Next Wave advisor to the Maine Coast Heritage Trust, which ensures public access to some of Maine's most beautiful coastline.

Shannon passionately supports the economic stability of Maine as the Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Maine Real Estate and Developers Association (MEREDA). As chair of the events committee, Shannon enthusiastically brings thoughtful and important issues to the stage.

Shannon is a part of the Greater Portland Board of Realtors, the Maine Association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors.

For many of us, it is hard to separate what we do from who we are.
What we do is make something from nothing and that is very hard to do, certainly hard to do well.
Who we are is not just business people, designers and builders. We are problem solvers.
We seek the chance to do exceptional work and be outstanding.