When it comes to selling a home in Seattle, the right listing agent can make all the difference. The market moves fast—really fast. A typical home will sell in only two weeks in a neighborhood like Capitol Hill or Belltown. And since competition can be fierce, you need an agent that knows how to price your property, negotiate offers, and know when to hold out for something better.
To help you find the best agents, we analyzed thousands of homes sold across the city.*
Best Listing Agents: Q1 2024
| . | Agent | Brokerage | Homes Sold | Average Close Price | Total Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tere Foster | COMPASS | 23 | $3.5 M | $81.5 M |
| 2 | Jonathan D. Bye | John L Scott, Inc | 21 | $758,000 | $15.9 M |
| 3 | Josh Hall | John L Scott, Inc | 21 | $538,000 | $11.3 M |
| 4 | Lance Otto | KW North Sound | 20 | $670,000 | $13.4 M |
| 5 | Cori Whitaker | Windermere RE North, Inc. | 19 | $979,000 | $18.6 M |
| 6 | Vince M. Grant | RE/MAX Elite | 18 | $655,000 | $11.8 M |
| 7 | Roy Towse | COMPASS | 16 | $1.5 M | $23.7 M |
| 8 | Cherie Hasson | Windermere RE Mount Baker | 15 | $932,000 | $14 M |
| 9 | Amber Bills | Amber Bills Group | 15 | $913,000 | $13.7 M |
| 10 | Steve Hiatt | Mosaic Realty | 15 | $361,000 | $5.4 M |
Source: MLS Closed Transactions, Oct 1, 2023 – Mar, 2024
How does an agent make it to the top of the list?
It takes more than hustle to rise to the top of the list. Deep expertise is critical. In fact, researchers at the University of Florida found that only agents in the top 79th to 90th percentile deliver enough value to justify the commission.
What about your average agent? Is good enough, good enough? Not by a long shot. On average, a full-service agent actually performs 1% to 4% worse than a DIY homeowner who sells with the assistance of a flat-fee broker.
In other words: an agent at the top-of-their-game is critical. This includes someone who can bring the following qualities:
- pricing expertise, so that they can quickly attract the right buyers at the highest possible price
- marketing sophistication, including strategies to effectively promote and showcase your property through listings, open houses, social media, and their professional networks;
- negotiation skills, which often comes from both drive and experience;
- transaction management, so that you don’t miss out—or pull your hair out—due to paperwork issues.
So, who is studying up and making moves to score the top spot on the list in Q2? Perhaps someone will finally close this $12 million dollar stunner.
*By the way, if you’re an agent that’s not on the list (and think you should be), let us know. You can reach out to listingsupport@tomo.com
