The Mistake I Made Hiring a Real Estate Agent and Why Executors Should Pay Attention

I want to share something personal with you, because it taught me a lesson I did not expect to learn the hard way.

I recently sold a house I owned in Cincinnati. As a real estate agent myself, I assumed choosing the right agent would be easy. I was wrong.

The agent I hired was knowledgeable. I do not question that. But the experience itself was frustrating from start to finish, and not because the house was difficult or the market was impossible. It came down to details, communication, and process.

When we first spoke, she gave me what sounded like a solid presentation. A lot of marketing talk. Instructions on what I needed to do to get the house ready. Paperwork sent over quickly. On the surface, everything looked fine.

What I did not realize at the time was what was missing.

There was no formal sit down to walk through the process together. No Zoom meeting. No in person meeting. And more importantly, she never asked me a single question about what mattered to me, how I wanted to communicate, or what I expected as a seller.

I only started noticing this after we were already working together.

Over time, it became clear there was no real system in place. And in my experience, agents who list homes regularly have systems. They have processes because without them, things fall through the cracks. Sellers get confused. Communication breaks down.

Here are a few things I personally dealt with during the transaction:

• She was disorganized.

• Comparable sales sent to me did not make sense, even though there were recent sales nearby that were far more relevant.

• I was asked the same questions multiple times.

• I had to resend paperwork and inspection reports more than once.

• Things discussed verbally were not written into the listing agreement, which later became an issue.

• She often talked over me on the phone.

• I never felt like she was truly on my side.

• None of the paperwork was reviewed with me. I was expected to read through and understand pages of forms on my own.

• Since I was out of state, communication with escrow should have been especially clear. It was not.

Going through that experience made something very clear to me.

This is exactly how I never want my sellers to feel.

And it mirrors what I see too often in probate and estate sales. Executors are already overwhelmed, often managing the process from out of town, and relying heavily on the agent they choose to guide them. When communication and systems are missing, the stress multiplies.

Even before this experience, I have always been intentional about keeping sellers informed, having clear processes in place, and understanding what matters to them beyond just selling the house. This experience only reinforced why that matters so much.

Any agent can sell a house. Not every agent can make it a good experience.

Being a strong listing agent is a skill. It comes from repetition, structure, and learning from every transaction so sellers are never left guessing or feeling lost.

At some point, you may need to sell a home that is part of an estate. That is often why people find their way here in the first place.

When that time comes, I encourage you to interview your agent carefully. Make sure they listen. Make sure they understand your needs. Make sure they can clearly explain their process and how they will keep you informed from start to finish.

Marketing is the easy part. The real work begins once the paperwork is signed and the transaction is underway.

I hope this helps you avoid some of the frustration I went through and gives you clarity on what truly matters when choosing someone to represent you.

If you are serving as an executor or administrator and are unsure how to approach selling an estate property in Washington, you are welcome to reach out. I am happy to answer questions, explain the process, and help you understand your options before any decisions are made.