Listing Agent

As your listing agent in Seattle, my job is to represent your home and your interests from the first walk-through to closing. That means setting a price you can defend, preparing the home to show well, marketing it to the right buyers, and negotiating the terms that come back to you.

Every listing starts with your goals. Some owners need to sell quickly to line up with a move or another closing; others want to hold out for a specific number. Knowing which one you are shapes the pricing and timing decisions we make together.

I work under eXp Realty and serve sellers across Seattle proper, the Eastside and the north-end suburbs. Wherever your home sits, the process is the same: clear advice, honest expectations and steady communication.

Start with a seller consultation

Before your home goes on the market, we meet at the house. It costs nothing, and there is no obligation to list afterward. We cover your reasons for selling and your timeline, walk through the home, look at recent sales of similar homes nearby, and talk about how buyers are acting right now.

You get a realistic price range with the reasoning behind it. You get a short list of prep work ranked by likely return, including what is not worth doing. And you get a view on when to list, since buyer activity changes through the year and by price point. It all goes into a written plan you can act on at your own pace. Meeting months before you plan to list is fine.

Pricing your home

Pricing is where a listing succeeds or stalls. I build a comparative market analysis from recent nearby sales, active competition and current buyer demand in your neighborhood, then walk you through what the data supports and where your home fits.

Seattle-area markets vary block by block, so a price that works in Wallingford may not translate to Queen Anne or Ballard. We set a number you understand and can stand behind, and we revisit it if the market gives us new information.

Before you sign a listing agreement

In Washington, a listing starts with a written services agreement between you and the broker's firm, and the law says what it must contain. The current rules took effect January 1, 2024. As of October 2026, the agreement must state how long it lasts, the broker appointed to represent you, whether it is exclusive, and whether you consent to limited dual agency. It must also state the compensation, including whether you agree to it being shared with a buyer's broker. Before you sign, you should also be handed a short state pamphlet, Real Estate Brokerage in Washington, which every broker has to provide.

Whoever you interview, ask each of them the same questions. What price do you recommend, and which sales support it? What happens in the first week, and what changes if there are no offers after two? Who will I deal with day to day, and how often will I hear from you? How do I end the agreement early, and what does that cost? What do you suggest offering a buyer's broker, and why? Vague answers now usually mean a vague listing later.

Sources: RCW 18.86.020, services agreement, RCW 18.86.080, compensation, RCW 18.86.030, broker duties and pamphlet

Preparing and marketing the listing

Before a home goes live, I help you decide what is worth doing and what is not. That can mean repairs, decluttering or staging, and it can also mean skipping work that will not move the price. The goal is a home that photographs well and shows well from day one.

Marketing follows: professional photography, an accurate listing description, syndication to the major search sites through the NWMLS, and outreach to buyers and agents who are looking in your area.

Disclosure, excise tax and your net

Two Washington rules affect most home sales. As of October 2026:

Seller disclosure. You give the buyer a disclosure statement, known as Form 17, within five business days after mutual acceptance, unless the buyer waived it. The buyer then has three business days to approve it or cancel. I have you fill it out before the home goes live, so it is ready the day an offer is accepted.

Real estate excise tax. The seller usually pays it; if the seller does not, the buyer is responsible. The state rate is graduated by the portion of the price: 1.1% up to $525,000, 1.28% from there to $1,525,000, 2.75% up to $3,025,000, and 3% above that. A local rate is added on top, which is 0.5% in Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Redmond, Shoreline, Edmonds and Lynnwood. On a $900,000 sale in Seattle, that comes to $15,075. For sales from January 1, 2027, the state brackets rise to $551,000, $1,551,000 and $3,051,000.

Both go into the net proceeds estimate you get with the price, along with title, escrow and any agreed repairs, so you plan from what you keep, not from the sale price.

Sources: RCW 64.06.030, seller disclosure statement, Washington Department of Revenue, real estate excise tax, Department of Revenue, local REET rates effective May 1, 2026

Offers, negotiation and closing

When offers arrive, I review each one with you beyond the headline price, including financing, contingencies, timelines and the strength of the buyer. A slightly lower offer with clean terms can serve you better than a high number that falls apart.

From accepted offer to closing, I coordinate inspection responses, the appraisal and the paperwork, and I keep you informed at each step so there are no surprises at the table.

Worth reading first

Written for exactly this question:

• Selling an adult family home in Washington
• Capital gains tax when you sell a house in Washington
• Should you take the cash offer on your Seattle house?
• Closing costs in Washington: who pays what, and how much it comes to
• Dual agency in Washington: should the listing agent represent you too?
• Form 17: Washington's seller disclosure, explained
• What you walk away with: a net proceeds calculator for Washington sellers
• How long it takes to sell a house in Seattle, and how to make it faster
• Selling a house with knob and tube wiring in Washington
• Selling a house with a buried oil tank
• Washington's real estate excise tax, worked to the dollar
• Who pays the buyer's agent in Washington?

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