We'll sit down for an initial face-to-face (or zoom, thanks covid) meeting to discuss your needs and how I work. I will connect you with recommended lenders and will create a home search for you on the NWMLS. We will get everything set up so that we can curate a list of homes and keep all our favorites and comments in one place. We'll start a messaging thread to keep everyone in the loop. I will also send you blank copies of all the offer forms so that you can start familiarizing yourself with them, if you want to.

Once we find some homes you'd like to go see, we'll set up showings and start touring. I'll be there to point out things about the home you may not have considered, and I'll always tell you honestly what I think. I'll be your biggest cheerleader and do my best so you don't get discouraged by the market, and don't settle too soon. When we find a house you like, I'll send you all of the relevant information and documents I can find for the home (and maybe do some extra sleuthing if we have curiosities!). We will discuss our offer strategy and how we want to proceed, and I'll walk you through the offer terms and offer forms. Once we are under contract, I'll be with you through closing day and beyond, ready for any twists and turns that come up during the transaction and always available for your questions. There are always a lot of questions!

We'll sit down for an initial face-to-face (or zoom, thanks covid) meeting to discuss your needs and how I work. I will research how similar homes have been selling in your area. I will come up with a price range recommendation and we will discuss ways we can prep your home to make it shine. And then we'll put that in to action! I will project manage your home sale, lining up contractors, cleaners, junk haulers, landscapers, photographers, stagers, whoever it takes to bring our plan to life. I'm no stranger to hard work: for sellers, I have cleaned, pressure washed, built a fence, rented a U-Haul, sold furniture online, and helped sellers pack and move. Being a full service agent means that I'm going to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Together we will decide on a listing strategy and price, and then we'll hit the market.

While we are for sale I will make sure your home is safe and secure and always showing at its best. If that means stopping by every day while the home is listed - yes, I've done that before. I'll be coordinating with buyer agents and fielding phone calls, answering questions and just generally being the go-to person. When offers come in, I will provide negotiating advice and recommendations, but the final decision is always yours. Once we are pending, I will be involved and present through closing day and beyond. I will keep you updated on the status of your transaction and I will be available to handle anything that comes up along the way. You don't have to worry about your agent ghosting you or disappearing once the sale is closed. I'm committed to my clients, current and previous, and I will always be here for you.

I am a Real Estate Broker licensed in the state of Washington, a member of REALTOR®, and a Certified Negotiation Expert (CNE). I take regular continuing education classes to make sure I am knowledgable on the latest legal updates, form changes, and market trends. I also have a degree in Mathematics with a minor in Computer Science but I use those skills very rarely in my real estate business.

Before getting into real estate, I worked as a software engineer at a company called Marchex in downtown Seattle. After I had a great experience purchasing my first home, I realized that a career in real estate would fit me better than software. I love the search, the excitement, and helping people through these major life transitions. When you have an office job, you go to work and everyone around you is at work too, the same old grind. But as a real estate agent, my job happens during other peoples' lives. My buyers and sellers are meeting with me on the weekends or after work, when they're just living their lives. They are excited to embark on a new chapter, which in turn gives me energy and excitement to guide the way!

I've worked with everyone from first time home buyers and sellers, to those who have done it all before. My clients have bought and sold condos, townhouses, and single family homes all over the greater Seattle area. I've worked with parents who are buying property for their adult children, and parents who bring their 7-week-old infant to look at potential homes. Some are looking to put down roots, and some are ready to move on. I've worked with renters who need to buy on a tight schedule, and casual renters on month-to-month leases, just waiting for the right house to come along. I've worked with clients who are serious from the start, and those who just need someone to talk to. Some know exactly what they want, while others haven't quite figured that out yet. And that's okay! We'll figure it out together.

I don't get paid until the transaction closes.

For buyers: Typically the seller pays my compensation. When a seller signs a listing agreement to sell their home, the seller decides how much compensation they will offer to the buyer agent's brokerage. This amount is advertised publicly on each listing. Because the seller pays my compensation out of the sale proceeds, the buyer only has to pay the price of the home and my fee gets "rolled up" into the mortgage. At closing, that compensation is paid to my brokerage who will pass it along to me, less brokerage fees and other expenses.

For sellers: When we sign the listing agreement, we will decide what compensation will be paid on the sale and what portion of that money will be offered to the buyer agent's brokerage. At closing, the remaining compensation will be paid to my brokerage who will pass it along to me, less brokerage fees and other expenses.

This has never happened to me, but here is how I would handle it: If two different clients wanted to offer on the same property, I would be transparent about the situation. For the client who saw the property second, I would let them know that I had previously shown the property to another client who was considering writing an offer. The first client to tell me they intend to write an offer would receive my services. If another client tells me they want to offer on that same property, I would refer them to a different agent to write the offer. I will not represent two clients on the same property because that would present a conflict of interest. If one of the two clients wins the property, I would then be able to help that client through the rest of the transaction because it would no longer be a conflict of interest.

Limited dual agency is when one agent represents both the buyer and seller on a transaction. No, I do not practice limited dual agency because I do not believe it is possible to represent each party's best interest when I am working for both sides. When I am representing a seller on a listing, I will always refer interested buyers to another agent. I believe representing a buyer on the same transaction would create a conflict of interest.

Most of the time I can respond within an hour! At the very most, you will hear back from me within 24 hours. The fastest way to reach me is call/text at 425-445-3086. If you submit a contact request via my website, sometimes they get filtered to spam and my response may be a little slower. If you haven't heard back from a contact request, try emailing me directly at erica.a@windermere.com.

Once you are preapproved with a lender, we can start seeing houses ASAP. In my business, it's important that I am as available as possible for each buyer, so that we can tour new homes immediately after they are listed. I am usually able to accommodate same-day showings, as long as the listing has availability for showings that day. Yes, that includes "Let's go right now!" showings. Real estate is my full time job and I can show morning, afternoon, or evening on any day of the week or weekend. Most listings are available to see 8:00am-9:00pm. If possible, snagging a daylight showing is usually best!

Very rarely, I might have a conflict that prevents me from being at the house showing. In these rare instances, I will do the legwork to schedule the appointments and set you up with a trusted colleague from Windermere who will meet you at the house.

It is vital that your agent has experience sitting on both sides of the table. You want your buying agent to know what it's like to review offers with a seller, so that they know what sellers are looking for and how to write offers that are more likely to win. Similarly, you want your listing agent to have recent experience touring houses with buyers so they know what buyers are looking for, and how to prep your home for today's buyers. While I do work with a lot of buyers in my real estate business, I also have very happy seller clients! It is important for me that I keep both my buyer and seller skills sharp, because an agent who focuses too heavily on one side of the business will quickly lose touch with the other side. And a transaction always involves both sides.

Figure out what qualities you are looking for in your agent, and then seek those out. Choose someone you trust, who makes you feel comfortable and confident. Experience matters, as well as finding an agent who has time to give you the individual attention you deserve. For any agent, look up their recent sales and reviews online. You want to make sure they are active in the area you will be working in, and you want to make sure their recent clients had good things to say.