What areas do you specialize in?

I specialize in Kitsap & Pierce County, WA with a focus on luxury and high-end homes. I’m highly knowledgeable in waterfront and unique properties across Bainbridge Island, Poulsbo, Silverdale, Bremerton, Port Orchard, Gig Harbor, and North Tacoma.

How long have you been in real estate?

16+ years in real estate, including 12 years as a Managing Broker and 2 years leading my own team.

What makes your approach different?

Relentless negotiation skills, mastery of digital marketing and video, and a blunt, witty, fun voice—always professional and focused on results.

Do you only work with luxury clients?

No. I help clients at all price points. My focus is luxury, but I’m approachable for everyone. The goal is to give every client a high-end experience.

How do you market homes?

Professional photography and cinematic video tours, a strong social media and blog presence, and targeted luxury branding and storytelling tailored to your property.

What can I expect when working with you?

Clear communication with no fluff, data-driven market analysis, and a little humor backed by a lot of expertise—delivering a smooth process and real results.

How do we price my home so it doesn't sit, so I don't leave money on the table?

Price is a strategy, not a feeling. We analyze hyper-local comps (active, pending, sold), absorption rate, and buyer price bands, then model two pricing brackets (aspirational and market-magnet) to balance traffic and leverage. We time the launch for maximum velocity and align price with presentation so you net more with fewer days on market.

What should we fix vs leave “as-is” before we list?

Fix what buyers notice in the first 30 seconds or what could spook underwriting. High-ROI polish: paint, lighting, landscaping, deep clean, hardware refresh. Conditional repairs: roof/HVAC/moisture/safety items to avoid renegotiations. Nice-to-haves (counters/flooring) only if the comp set demands it. Pre-inspection can reduce surprises and support pricing.

Should I offer Buyer Broker Compensation? Is it required?

It isn’t required—it’s negotiable. You may offer it as a marketing incentive to widen the buyer pool and smooth negotiations, or opt not to. I’ll model both scenarios (net sheets, likely buyer behavior) so you can choose the path that maximizes your net with minimal friction.

What does the timeline look like from “let’s list” to closing?

Weeks 0–2: prep & media. Week 3: launch (brokers’ open + weekend opens + heavy digital). Days 5–10: offer window and strategy adjustments. Under contract: inspections, appraisal, title, lending (30–45 days typical). I project-manage each step to protect your leverage and keep closing on schedule.

What’s the real first step—tour homes or get pre-approved?

Meet to review WA Agency Law and the Buyer Brokerage Agreement, then get pre-approved before touring. Sellers value certainty; an underwritten pre-approval clarifies budget, sharpens the search, and makes your offer look like a sure thing. Knowing lender speed lets us tighten timelines and craft appraisal strategies.

How do Buyer Brokerage Agreements & compensation work?

You’ll likely sign a buyer representation agreement that outlines services and compensation. Options include payment by the buyer, by the seller as a marketing incentive, or another negotiated structure—always disclosed up front. My job is to deliver strategy and negotiation value that more than pays for itself in your net outcome.

What money do I need beyond the down payment?

Plan for earnest money (typically 1–3% of price, credited at closing), closing costs (roughly 2–4% depending on loan and rate), inspections (varies by size/scope), and move-in costs (utilities, immediate fixes, furnishings). We estimate these before offers so you’re never surprised.

How do we win in a competitive situation without doing something reckless?

We win with leverage and certainty, not risk. We tailor terms to the seller’s priorities, pair underwritten pre-approval with tight timelines and strong earnest money, use inspection and appraisal strategies that protect you, and keep a clean, complete offer. A smart backup offer can also position you to win without overpaying.

Pierce County Weekly Housing Market Update: Sep 15-21, 2025

Pierce County Real EstateSelling Pierce CountySelling Your Pierce County Home

Sep 21

Written By Stacia Whatley

Welcome back to this week’s Pierce County Housing Market Update! Each week, I break down what’s really happening so you can see how our local market stacks up without having to sift through boring reports. This week? Things stayed pretty steady, but here’s a bit of sunshine: interest rates are finally dipping down a little. It’s not a huge drop, but in real estate, even a slight shift in rates can open new doors for buyers and give sellers a reason to smile.

As for the market itself, Pierce County continues to show strength. Inventory has ticked up, which gives buyers a few more options, but we’re still well below what would be considered a “normal” or balanced market. Translation: demand is still outpacing supply, and sellers still hold a favorable position. Even with more homes available, the overall market here remains competitive and healthy.

One thing you might notice is that some homes are sitting on the market longer. Before you panic and think buyer demand is slipping, don’t. A closer look shows that many of these listings were priced too high from the start or just aren’t in top condition. Buyers today are savvy and selective; they’ll happily wait for the right home at the right price, and when those show up, they’re still moving quickly.

If you’re a seller, make sure your pricing strategy is spot on and your home shines, it makes all the difference. For buyers, the slight drop in interest rates paired with more inventory could be the opening you’ve been waiting for. Pierce County’s market is still strong, but smart moves and sharp eyes will set you apart in this evolving landscape.

How to Read the Data:

Reading my weekly market stats is like skimming the dashboard before you hit the gas. Active listings are everything currently for sale, your real-time inventory. If actives climb week over week, buyers have more choice and sellers may need sharper pricing; if they fall, expect tighter competition. Pending inspection means a buyer and seller have agreed on price and terms, but the home still has to survive the inspector’s flashlight. Think “under contract, not out of the woods.” Pending (no inspection left) has cleared major hurdles and is marching toward closing; rising pendings signal fresh demand right now, not last month.

Sold shows the deals that actually crossed the finish line. Great for confirming trends and price reality, but remember: solds are the rearview mirror, use them to sanity-check list strategy, not to predict next week. Contingent means the sale depends on another box being ticked (often the buyer selling their current home). A spike in contingents can hint at a move-up market or more cautious buyers. Cancelled and expired tell you where the market said “nope.” Cancelled = the listing was withdrawn; expired = the listing agreement timed out. If these rise while actives rise too, pricing or presentation is missing the mark.

How to use it all: watch the pending-to-active ratio (heat check; higher = hotter), the week-over-week change (momentum), and the days to pending you see implied by how fast statuses flip (speed of demand). Pair sold prices with current actives to spot gaps (opportunity) and track cancelled/expired to learn what the market rejected (avoid those mistakes). In short, actives tell you the menu, pendings tell you what’s getting ordered, solds confirm what people actually paid, contingents and pending inspection show risk still in play, and cancelled/expired reveal what didn’t work, so you can price, prep, and pounce with confidence.

Pierce County Stats: Sep 15-21, 2025

Pending Sales Data

Pending sales data is one of the juiciest pieces of intel we now have access to inside the NWMLS and it’s something you simply can’t find anywhere else. Unlike closed sales, which are already in the rearview mirror, pending sales show you what’s happening right now. They’re a sneak peek into the market’s next moves, giving us a window into buyer demand, price trends, and how quickly homes are being scooped up. Think of it as reading tomorrow’s headlines today.

This matters because the real estate market doesn’t wait. By the time a sale closes and shows up in public stats, the market could have shifted. Pending sales data bridges that gap. It lets us see which price points are hot, how long it’s taking for homes to go under contract, and whether buyers are starting to pull back or charge full speed ahead. For sellers, that means smarter pricing and timing. For buyers, it means knowing exactly what kind of competition they’re up against.

And here’s the kicker, this level of insight is exclusive to NWMLS and.… ME! Zillow, Redfin, and all the big national sites? They don’t have it. That means when I’m pulling stats for you, we’re not playing with the same watered-down data everyone else is using. We’re tapping into information that actually reflects the pulse of the Pierce County market as it’s happening. In other words, when we talk strategy, we’re not guessing, we’re armed with facts that only licensed pros can see.

Median Pending Price

Average Pending Price to List Ratio (%)

Pendings with Multiple Offers (%)

When you look at the monthly stats, you’re really seeing the “big picture” story of our market and it’s not just Pierce County in a bubble. I’ll be showing you a side-by-side comparison of Pierce County versus the rest of the NWMLS, so you can see how our little corner stacks up against the broader region.

Here’s what those numbers mean: Active listings tell us how many homes are available right now, while new listings show how many fresh options just hit the market. Pending sales (the homes that went under contract) give us a clue about buyer activity in real time, and sold listings show how many deals officially crossed the finish line. Months of inventory measures how long it would take to sell every available home if no new ones popped up, aka, the “speedometer” of the market. And of course, the median sales price is the crowd favorite, showing the middle price point where half the homes sold for more and half sold for less.

The August stats are Here!