Questions about an agent referral

What does it cost to use Very Best Real Estate?

Nothing. You don’t pay me, and you don’t sign anything with me. If an introduction leads to a closed sale or purchase, the agent’s brokerage pays a referral fee to my brokerage, LPT Realty, out of the commission it earns. Referral fees between brokerages are standard practice in real estate. The fee isn’t added to your closing costs, and if nothing closes, nobody is paid.

Commissions are set by agreement between you and the agent’s brokerage, and they are negotiable. A referral doesn’t change that.

Am I obligated to work with the agent you introduce?

No. An introduction is a chance to meet someone. You can interview them, ask for references from past clients, and decide they aren’t for you. Your obligations begin only if you sign a listing agreement or a buyer brokerage agreement with an agent, and those are between you and that agent’s brokerage. Read either one before you sign it, especially how long it lasts and how it can be ended. For buyers, what a Washington buyer agreement has to say sets out the required terms.

Can I interview more than one agent?

Yes, and for a sale it’s often a good idea. Tell me on our first call and I’ll introduce two agents who both fit, so you can compare how each would price and prepare the house, or how each would run your search. I tell each of them that you’re comparing, so nobody is caught off guard and you get their best thinking.

What if I already have an agent?

If you’ve signed an agreement with an agent, honor it. I won’t interfere with an existing relationship, and a new introduction won’t get you out of a contract. If you’re unhappy, start by telling the agent directly. If that doesn’t fix it, their managing broker is the next person to talk to. If the agreement ends or expires and you’d like help finding someone else, call me then. Sellers who want out early can read how to get out of a listing agreement in Washington.

If you’re working with an agent informally and haven’t signed anything, you’re free to talk to me. I’d still suggest being straightforward with them about it.

How quickly will someone call me?

There’s no set turnaround. I return calls and messages myself, and I’ll ask when and how you’d like to hear from me. Once you’ve agreed to an introduction, the agent contacts you on the schedule we discussed. A relocation that starts next month needs a different pace than a sale you’re planning for next spring. If you haven’t heard from the agent when you expected to, tell me.

Is my information shared with anyone?

Only with the agent or agents you agree to be introduced to, and only what they need: your name and contact details, along with what you’re buying or selling. I don’t sell your information to lead companies, and I don’t send it to a group of agents to see who responds first. Nothing goes to an agent until you’ve said yes to the introduction.

How do you choose which agent to introduce?

By hand. I look for independently licensed agents, starting with the Homexa® network of 300+ agents across 25 states, who work your area and your type of property at your price range, and who have room for your timeline. I confirm their license is active with the Washington State Department of Licensing (you can check a Washington license the same way), and I talk with them about your situation before introducing you. I don’t use a score or a ranking, and I don’t publish agent names on this site. The full process is written out step by step.

What happens if the agent isn’t a good fit?

Call me. Tell me what isn’t working and I’ll look for someone else. If you haven’t signed anything, that’s simple. If you have, the way out runs through that agreement and the agent’s brokerage. I’ll help you understand your options and how to raise the issue, though I can’t cancel another brokerage’s contract for you.

Will you be my agent?

For this service, my role is the introduction and staying on as your point of contact. The agent you choose represents you in the transaction, under their own brokerage, and handles the showings and the offers. I remain reachable the whole way through if you want a second opinion or something feels wrong.

Do you cover all of Washington?

I take calls about anywhere in the state, including Seattle, Bellevue and the rest of the Eastside, Tacoma and Pierce County, Spokane, and Vancouver and Clark County. Coverage isn’t equally deep everywhere. If I don’t know an agent I’d introduce with confidence in your area, I’ll tell you that plainly. The Washington markets guide describes how the regions differ.