She Already Had An Agent Picked Out. Then She Interviewed Me.

When I first met the seller of 16810 SE 34th Way, she was already prepared to sell.

In fact, she had already spoken with another agent and had someone in mind.

The only reason I had the opportunity to sit down with her was because her nephew, a longtime client of mine, encouraged her to interview me before making a final decision.

She agreed.

And during that first meeting, everything changed.

She told me there was no comparison between the approach I laid out and what she had previously been presented.

For me, that was where the responsibility really started.

She had already purchased another home on the golf course and was in the process of moving. The home I was being asked to sell was the place where she had raised her children, so this was much more than simply putting another property on the market.

There was a lot of history there.

She was excited about the next chapter, but understandably curious about market conditions, timing, and most importantly, what her home was truly worth.

During our initial meeting, I walked the property with her, talked through the process, and explained that I wanted to do more than simply throw out a list price.

I went back and prepared a detailed market analysis, reviewed the local competition, outlined a custom marketing strategy, and gave her my opinion of value.

We were close, but not identical, in where we initially saw the value.

After reviewing everything together, I agreed that the condition of the home justified positioning it toward the top end of the market range.

And the home absolutely supported it.

She had done an incredible job caring for the property. The interior was clean, organized, beautifully decorated, and essentially staged already. The exterior and landscaping were equally dialed in.

There were only a few minor touch ups to address before launch.

From there, the focus shifted to exposure.

We brought in professional photography and video, created digital content for social media, and built targeted advertising designed not only to reach local buyers but also people in surrounding markets who might be considering a move into Clark County.

The property was promoted across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, email, online channels, and through a large opening weekend.

The response was immediate.

We went live on a Thursday.

By Friday, we already had two offers.

That weekend, nearly 60 people came through our Saturday and Sunday open houses.

By Sunday evening, we had three strong offers in hand.

One of those buyers came directly from my own marketing.

They were longtime friends of mine who were not actively shopping for a home at the time. They happened to see the property through one of my Facebook posts while they were on vacation in Central Oregon.

The house checked so many boxes for them that they reached out.

Because we already had interest and offers developing, I encouraged them to come back early if they were serious about seeing it.

They did.

And ultimately, they became the buyers.

That created another important part of the process.

With three offers on the table, my job was not simply to point at the highest number.

I sat down with the seller and created a detailed side by side comparison so she could clearly understand the differences in price, financing, contingencies, timelines, and overall terms.

It gave her an apples to apples view of each opportunity and allowed her to make a confident decision.

Ultimately, she selected the offer from the buyers I had brought into the transaction.

The accepted price was approximately $18,000 over list price.

That was especially meaningful because we had already positioned the home near the top of the market valuation range.

In a challenging market, we did not have to reduce the price to create activity.

We created enough demand to push the price higher.

The transaction itself was not completely without challenges. A few items surfaced during the inspection period, and those negotiations were actually more involved than the original purchase agreement.

But we worked through them, found common ground, and kept the transaction moving toward closing.

When it was all over, the seller was relieved, excited, and understandably a little emotional.

This was the home where she had raised her children.

Closing the door on that chapter was bittersweet.

At the same time, she was able to move forward into the home she had already purchased knowing that the sale had gone exactly the way she had hoped.

She later shared that one of the things she appreciated most was that I followed through on what I said I would do.

The communication.

The marketing.

The showing feedback.

The open houses.

The strategy.

The transparency.

And ultimately, the result.

That is probably the biggest takeaway from this sale.

Selling a home is not just about putting it on the MLS and hoping the right buyer shows up.

It is about preparation, positioning, exposure, communication, negotiation, and knowing how to create competition when the market gives you the opportunity.

This seller had already chosen an agent.

She simply decided to do one more interview.

That decision ultimately led to nearly 60 people through the open houses, three offers, a sale above asking price, and a successful transition into her next chapter.

Sometimes, doing a little extra homework before choosing who represents you can make a very real difference.