Who Else Is in the Room? Understanding the Influences Behind Your Client’s Decisions

I was reminded this week of the importance of determining who else is influencing your client’s decisions.

This curiosity isn’t about assuming clients are getting the wrong advice — it’s about awareness. In nearly every transaction, there are other voices and factors at play.

I was helping a broker work through a scenario when he shared that his client said, “I was on the phone with my family and they said…”

Ah — such a good reminder. More often than not, there’s a “silent panel” of decision-makers influencing your client:

• A family member
• A close friend
• A colleague at work
• A headline in the news (or multiple)
• A past real estate experience — positive or negative

These influences can be conscious or subconscious, direct or indirect, but they always matter. The key is to notice the cues, stay open, and stay curious.

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Client Influence Checklist

Purpose: Identify and understand all the voices and factors impacting your client’s decisions so you can address them early and guide with clarity.

1. People ✔️

• Who else have you discussed this decision with?
• Whose opinion matters most to you in this process?
• Are there any friends, family members, or colleagues giving advice?

2. Professional Advisors ✔️

• Have you spoken with your lender, financial advisor, or attorney about this?
• Did they share any guidance or concerns that are affecting your decision?

3. Media & Information Sources ✔️

• Have you read or heard anything recently (news articles, social media, market reports) that’s influencing how you feel about this?
• Is there a headline or market story that’s stuck with you?

4. Impact on Decisions ✔️

• How do these outside perspectives line up with what you want?
• Are there any concerns they’ve raised that we should talk through together?

5. Bringing It Back to the Client ✔️

• If it were just your decision, without any outside input, what would you choose right now?

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And a special note to all of you trading in back-to-school moments for sending a kiddo off to college for the first time. I’m in this season myself, and it’s led to many heartfelt conversations with so many of you.

To those who have shared advice — thank you.
To those who are “in it” right alongside me — we’ve got this.

The seasons are starting to turn. Yes, summer still lingers, but fall is quietly making its presence known. And with it, the fourth quarter approaches…

Are you ready?
I am. – Laura

Good morning, friends —

I’m taking full advantage of this rainy Thursday morning to pour over the data before the sun returns! Let’s get ahead of the Friday blog post with an early jumpstart—in time for an August weekend in the PNW. 🌤️

July delivered sunshine and data. Below is a breakdown of where we are across the four key residential zones we watch: Seattle, the Eastside, Snohomish County, and All of King County. These numbers reflect residential markets yet feel free to explore other parts of our market to yield an even greater understanding alongside your clients via windermerestats.com.

Windermere Stats password is updated, Need the pw? Send me a text: 206.227.7133 or ask your office.

*A thank you on repeat to Windermere/East for keeping Windermere Stats updated from month to month using information and statistics derived from Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

Alright, let’s jump into the residential numbers—and the stories they’re telling. What follows is a mashup of Windermere Stats, key talking points, strategies to consider, real-time stories I’m hearing on the ground, and yes—a little Ai 🤖 polish for grammar and sharpness.

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🏙️ Seattle Residential Market

• Median Sales Price: $1,010,000 → up 4% YoY
• Inventory: 2.1 months → flat YoY, but still slightly favoring sellers
• Active Listings: +19% YoY
• Pending Sales: +18% YoY
• % Sold Above List Price: 27%

Takeaway: Seattle’s market continues to show resilience. Homes are moving quickly (62% under contract in <15 days) and competitive offers are still in force in some scenarios—especially for well-prepped homes. Price appreciation is modest but notable, pointing to a slight lean in seller market.

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🌲 Eastside Residential Market

• Median Sales Price: $1,580,000 → down 2% YoY
• Inventory: 2.4 months → doubled YoY
• Active Listings: +90% YoY
• Pending Sales: -6% YoY
• % Sold Above List Price: 19%

Takeaway: The Eastside is feeling slightly more balanced. Inventory has nearly doubled, giving buyers more options. Yet demand remains strong for premium properties priced right. Price adjustments are showing up more regularly, but sellers are still seeing solid results when aligned with market realities. 56.9% of homes under contract moved < 15 days.

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🏡 Snohomish County Residential Market

• Median Sales Price: $805,000 → down 2% YoY
• Inventory: 2.0 months → up 49% YoY
• Active Listings: +48% YoY
• Pending Sales: flat YoY
• % Sold Above List Price: 21%

Takeaway: Snohomish remains one of the most affordable pathways into homeownership in our region. Prices have inched down slightly, but this may offer opportunity, especially as inventory grows. Well-priced homes still attract multiple offers. 53.5% of homes under contract moved < 15 days.

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🧭 All King County (Macro View)

• Median Sales Price: $1,000,000 → flat YoY
• Inventory: 2.2 months → up 40% YoY
• Active Listings: +43% YoY
• Pending Sales: +2% YoY
• % Sold Above List Price: 23%

Takeaway: King County wide, we’re moving into a more balanced market without completely losing the competitive edge. Inventory gains are giving buyers more breathing room while demand holds steady. Median prices are holding—a sign of normalization, not retreat.

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🔍 The Big Picture

Despite steady 30-year mortgage rates hovering (up & down) around 6.7%, buyers are still engaging. A drop in rates could quickly reignite demand and put upward pressure on prices. We’re seeing a market that favors clarity, preparation, and a strong pricing strategy. For Sellers: the days of automatic over-asking offers may be behind us in most neighborhoods. For Buyers: more options and less frenzy can mean opportunity—if they are ready.

Recommendations for Sellers & Listing Agents:
Show weekly data trends to sellers. Use reports created for you on Windermere Stats to demonstrate current conditions.
Hold open houses to maximize exposure.
Don’t rush to adjust the list price. Evaluate activity from buyers and other listings post-launch first.
Buyer credits (via the BBC) to help cover closing costs and spark excitement.
Leverage Windermere’s brand—the yard sign still matters, especially in a crowded market.
Take on a proactive role: Help unrepresented buyers write offers ethically while protecting the
seller’s interests.
Work with all offers, even low ones—counter until common ground is found.

Recommendations for Buyers and Buyers’ Brokers:
Today’s environment also calls for a different approach on the buy side:
Fear of missing out is gone. Replace it with a calm, strategic mindset.
Encourage patience. When the right home appears, write the offer—even if it’s below asking.
Set clear expectations: Lower offers often mean more negotiation. Be ready to guide clients
through multiple counters.

This is a market for skilled guidance. Stay close to your clients, know the data, and watch rates like a
hawk. This market rewards agents and sellers who lead with data, strategy, and experience. Consistent
branding, local knowledge, and disciplined pricing are more important than ever. And in my humble opinion, one of the most powerful muscles you can strengthen is consistent communication with your clients. It builds trust, provides clarity (who doesn’t want more clarity?), and creates confidence at every step.

Let’s keep the conversation going:
📈 What are you noticing?
📍 Where are you seeing opportunity?
💬 What are your clients asking for?

Here’s to staying current, staying sharp, and leading with confidence.

See you out in the field—and remember, you’re surrounded by an incredible network of experienced professionals who are willing to support, share insights, and seek clarity together. Just ask and keep showing up where real estate is happening.

Always here to help—the ultimate goal. ⚡
Laura

Hello from a quiet Sunday in prep for a new week! I’m heading off-grid later this week (literally!). It’s been a while since I’ve set out on a full backpacking trip—and this time, I get to introduce my son to the adventure. Just the two of us, the outdoors, and the bare necessities on our backs. ⛺

Before stepping into the PNW outdoors, I carved out time to dive into Keeping Current Matters’ July market update and paired it with our local Windermere Stats—specifically Seattle and King County residential data. In the spirit of staying curious, I ran all three through AI to surface the most relevant themes as we head into the second half of 2025.

What follows is a blend of macro and micro—national insights + local realities. It’s a bit of a different format this time, with some AI-powered synthesis behind the scenes. I’ve highlighted what I believe are the realest, clearest takeaways for brokers right now.

Let me know what resonates with you. Let’s keep the conversations going…

P.S. Need the updated password for www.WindermereStats.com? Text me at 206.227.7133. We’ve got fresh reports for the Eastside, Seattle, King & Snohomish counties—residential and condo—plus breakdowns across the NWMLS. What’s below is a mashup of national trends + King County + Seattle. Dive in!

📊 Mid-Year Market Update: What Brokers Need to Know Now

We’ve officially hit the midpoint of 2025, and the market continues to evolve. The pace, the players, the priorities—everything is shifting. The brokers who stay curious, stay informed, and stay connected are the ones best positioned to lead their clients forward.

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🏗️ 1. National Inventory is Up — and Builders Are Leading the Way

Nationally, new construction is carrying the load on available housing:

• 9.8 months of supply (highest in years)
• 75% of quick move-ins come with incentives
• Builder-paid mortgage rate buydowns are dropping effective rates by ~0.5%

💡 Local parallel: In Seattle, we’re now sitting at 2.0 months of inventory, up from just 1.7 months last year. In King County overall? Also 2.0 months—up 44% year-over-year.

📍Broker takeaway: Even if you don’t typically work with new construction, be ready to talk about it. Buyers need to understand every option and for us locally, we’ll keep zoning changes top of mind. We will keep opportunities alive in continued learning the back half of 2025.

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📉 2. A Cooling Market — But No Crash

National forecasters project +1.9% average price growth in 2025, with some once-hot metros now showing year-over-year price declines. This is not a crisis—it’s normalization after years of rapid acceleration.

💡 Local reality: That’s not Seattle right now. In fact:

• Seattle’s median sale price in June hit $1,079,950, up 13% from $957,000 a year ago.
• King County overall reached $1,033,950, also up 7% year-over-year.

📍Broker takeaway: Many clients assume prices are falling. Help them understand where that’s true—and where it’s not.

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💵 3. Affordability Still Rules the Conversation

KCM’s national data shows buyers remain sidelined not because of desire—but because of affordability challenges:

• Mortgage rates are still hovering around 6.8%
• Monthly payments remain high, and wages haven’t fully caught up

💡 Local reality: In Seattle, the monthly payment (P&I) for a median-priced home is now $7,055. In King County, it’s $6,754. Even with flat rates year-over-year, that’s up 6–12% in real monthly dollars.

📍Broker takeaway: The “cost of waiting” remains real—but so does buyer hesitancy. Meet clients where they are, financially and emotionally.

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⚖️ 4. Buyer-Seller Dynamics Are Leveling Out

Nationally, we’re seeing signs of a more balanced market:

• Inventory is up.
• Price concessions are becoming more common.
• Fewer bidding wars; more negotiations.

💡 Local flavor: In Seattle:

• 39% of homes sold above list in June
• 22% sold below list
• 20% experienced price reductions before sale

In King County:

• 33% sold above list in June
• 24% sold below
• 23% had price adjustments

📍Broker takeaway: We’re moving from heat to balance. Sellers need guidance. Buyers need permission. You are the translator.

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🚨 Bonus: Seattle (residential) Market By the Numbers (June 2025)

• Inventory: Up 35% year-over-year
• Pending sales: Up 16%
• Closed sales: Up 23%
• Median price: $1,079,950 (up 13%)

This isn’t a slow market. It’s an active, dynamic, but nuanced one. Help your clients see that.

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🧭 Final Thought: Your Identity is Your Reality

From the July KCM market report:

“If you see yourself as the expert, that will be your reality.”

This second half of 2025 will be won by the brokers who stay rooted in fact, strategy, and empathy. Not just reacting, but leading. Not just showing homes, but showing the way forward. Let’s do that.

Wishing you a wonderful week ahead. It’s a short one for me—hence the Friday blog landing on a Sunday. I’m looking forward to unplugging for a bit, then returning with fresh perspective and a sharp eye on all the possibility that awaits in the back half of 2025.

Here’s to staying current, staying curious, and spotting opportunity in the shift. ✨

— Laura Smith, Windermere Real Estate Co.

Reactivating the Negotiation Muscle: Tools & Insights for Today’s Sellers

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This week, in a conversation with my management team, a key theme emerged: helping Sellers prepare early for negotiations. It’s a skill that hasn’t needed intentional focus for a while—but it’s time to reactivate that muscle.

With that in mind, I’m sharing a powerful pod that can help agents and clients alike navigate today’s more nuanced, negotiation-heavy market. This is a “sound on” 🔊 kind of Fridays with Laura!

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🎧 PODCAST RECOMMENDATION: Episode: Life at Ten Tenths – “#1 Negotiation Mistake That Kills Real Estate Deals”

“Far too often, promising real estate deals fall apart for one reason: the negotiation dies too soon.” – Matt and Garrett

In this episode, a conversation around why that happens—and more importantly, how top-producing agents keep deals alive and thriving, even when things get tough. This isn’t about high-pressure tactics. It’s about the professional mindset, language, and process that help clients make sound decisions while protecting the deal.

You’ll learn:

• The mindset shift that changes how you approach every negotiation
• Why you should always counter lowball offers—and how to do it well
• Key conversations to have early with sellers
• How to keep clients calm, focused, and realistic under pressure
• Language frameworks that preserve leverage without being aggressive
• How strong negotiation creates raving fans and repeat business

Whether you’re a newer agent or seasoned pro, this episode is packed with practical, immediately applicable strategies.
🎧 Listen to the full episode here

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⚖️ LEGAL INSIGHTS this week as a focus: Understanding WUCIOA (Washington Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act)
With NWMLS Forms changes coming July 25, 2025, I’m also sharing a short, two-part video series from Washington REALTORS® Legal Hotline Lawyer Annie Fitzsimmons.

This law impacts residential properties with recorded CC&Rs after July 1, 2018—and by 2028, it will apply to all HOA-governed communities. Annie’s breakdowns are concise, clear, and essential viewing.

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📌 Part I:
Resale certificates, Common Interest Communities (CICs), and upcoming 2028 changes

🔍 Topics Covered:

• What WUCIOA is and why it matters
• How to know if a property is governed by WUCIOA
• Required resale certificate forms (Form 27 vs. Form 27CIC)
• Buyer rights & seller responsibilities
• Key updates coming by January 1, 2028

🎥 Watch Part I

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📌 Part II:
Small community exemptions, waivers, and legal flexibility

🔍 Topics Covered:

• What qualifies as a “small community”
• Expanded exemptions starting 2028
• Waiver process for unavailable resale certificates
• Practical impacts on closing, possession & negotiations

🎥 Watch Part II

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Whether you’re guiding sellers, working with buyers, or looking to sharpen your own practice, these tools offer a timely reminder: preparation and knowledge are the foundation of confident, successful negotiations and real estate business.

Let’s keep that muscle strong – all summer long. 💪

Happy 4th of July from All of Us at Windermere Real Estate Co. ! 🇺🇸

As we head into the long weekend, we’re wishing you a safe, joyful, and celebratory 4th of July! Whether you’re watching fireworks light up the sky, hosting a backyard BBQ, spending time outdoors, or simply taking a moment to rest — we hope it’s a day filled with connection, gratitude, and all the things that make summer special.

Let’s take a moment to appreciate the freedom we enjoy, the communities we love, and the place we call home.

Have a wonderful holiday — and we’ll see you on the other side of the sparkler show!

— Laura Smith 💙❤️

This week, I focused on activating clarity and collaboration by taking a critical pause to reflect on the first half of 2025—and discovering direction for the next 60 days, aka the heart of summer.

Summer often brings a welcomed shift in rhythm between work and play. Let’s support one another in keeping our businesses moving forward—and make it fun while we’re at it!

🎧 To help you prep and reset, I’m resharing a podcast I recorded back in 2023 on the power of the intentional pause—a tool to review what’s working, what’s not, and how to move forward with purpose.

👇 Below you will also find the reflection questions I reference on the episode—designed to help you frame your next 60 days and build momentum where it matters most.

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Want a printable version of this exercise?
Text me: 206.227.7133 and I’ll send it your way.

Pause to Reflect:

• What was my intention coming into 2025?
• What has changed? Why?
• What are my hits? Why?
• What are my misses? Why?
• What have I added? Why?
• What am I prioritizing right now? What are competing interests? Context?

When you reflect on your hits, misses, and/or changes, what drove the first half of this year?

• Your energy is built on your present conditioning. How are your exercise, nutrition, sleep, rest, recovery, meditation, etc., impacting your energy?
• Did your misses occur due to burnout or poor management of energy and/or boundaries (e.g., fear, indecision, fatigue)?
• What do you find yourself worrying about most?
• What is responsible for your hits during the first half of the year? (Strengths)
• Where are you experiencing momentum?

Calendar Review:

• What were your needle movers this first half of the year?
• What are your revenue-generating activities?
• Time wasters?
• What’s not on your schedule that should be added?

LIVE Contacts This Summer & a “Next Step”:

• When was the last time I reviewed my database to see who I have not reengaged with this year?
• Do I need to expand my LIVE contacts? Am I seeing the same people week to week?
• _______________ LIVE contacts weekly // TRACK my “next step” (where/how/when will I track?)

My Next 60 Days — What is MOST important right now:

• Two things to keep:
• One thing to stop:
• One thing to begin:

And as always—I’m curious: What will you greenlight coming out of this pause and into the intentionality of the summer months? 🌿

Drop a comment or shoot me a text—I’d love to hear what you’re leaning into.

⚡ With confidence in your potential – Laura

🕊️ As a human-first, community-centered company, I want to pause and acknowledge the heaviness many are feeling right now. The escalation of violence between Israel and Iran is heartbreaking, and our thoughts are with all those impacted—abroad and here at home.

I also recognize the fear and uncertainty present within our own communities, particularly among those with immigrant backgrounds. Recent enforcement actions and policy shifts have created waves of anxiety, especially for families who call this country home and contribute so deeply to its fabric—including within our own Windermere family.

Layered on top of this is the broader sense of economic uncertainty so many are navigating. Rising costs, shifting markets, and the pressure to stay steady in an unsteady world—it all adds up. And it’s okay to feel that weight.

Our strength has always come from our people. Our brokers and staff span many cultures, countries, and stories—and that richness is something we honor deeply. In moments like these, I am reminded how essential it is to lead with compassion, curiosity, and care.

Please take the time and space you need to process. Check in on one another. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or uncertain, I’m here for you—I have a listening ear for all. Lean into whatever helps you feel grounded and return to your center.

I won’t always have the perfect words for complex moments—but what I can offer is presence, humanity, and a steadfast commitment to one another. That’s what makes this community special.

And—also—it’s important to celebrate the light, even when the world feels heavy. This is graduation season, and I want to send heartfelt congratulations to all the grads in your lives: children, grandchildren, partners—or even your own milestones and progress. I’m especially looking forward to celebrating my son’s high school graduation next week. These are the moments that remind us why we work, why we hope, and why we build community.

Both the hard and the good can coexist. In fact, they usually do. And through it all, we move forward—together.

Next week, FWL will return to real estate programming with a focus on AI and some practical applications I’ve been exploring, enjoying, and finding real efficiencies in.

With love and deep respect,
Laura 🕊️

Fridays with Laura — Today, a little history lesson — and an invitation to share.

Tomorrow is Community Service Day 2025 — a day where Windermere offices close their doors and open their hearts. This tradition began decades ago with a simple but powerful idea:
What if we gave one day, all together, in service to our communities?

That question became a movement — and here we are, shoulder to shoulder (literally) in shared purpose. It’s a feel-good kind of day — the kind that reminds us why we do what we do.

So take it in. Give generously. Connect deeply.
And if you feel moved, share the story with your world. 💙

Offices closed. Hearts open.
Welcome to Community Service Day 2025.

I’ll see you IN community – tomorrow! – Laura

🏡 At Windermere, real estate is more than buying and selling homes—it’s about building stronger communities.

We started with a simple but powerful idea: give every Windermere agent the opportunity to create real change in their community. Because we’re in the business of housing, supporting homeless families just made sense. Over time, our mission grew to include low-income families and children—because every child deserves stability, dignity, and a chance to dream.

For the past 36 years, a portion of every Windermere agent’s commission has gone straight to the Windermere Foundation. 100% agent participation. Thousands of agents across 10 states. One shared purpose: to strengthen the communities we call home.

💓 This Friday, June 6th, all Windermere offices will be closed—but not for a day off. It’s our annual Community Service Day.

Our agents will be out in our communities, rolling up their sleeves—painting, planting, building, cleaning, serving. Doing whatever it takes to make a difference. Because to us, community isn’t a side project—it’s the heart of everything we do.

If you see our agents out in your neighborhood, don’t hesitate to wave, honk, or cheer them on—they’re out there making a real difference where it matters most.

🔅Happy Friday! 🔅

As we look ahead, June is in our sights — and so is mid-year. I’ll soon be diving into mid-year themes with my offices and in the broader industry conversations I get to share with many of you.

For today, I’m sharing a series of four short video clips from an interview Mike DelPrete did during a recent visit to Sweden. He was interviewed by the national real estate agent association about current global trends in the industry.

While I’ll always double down on real estate being local — and in many ways, hyper-local — I really enjoyed these four clips.

Each is about one minute long — quick, insightful, and worth the watch. Enjoy — and I’m curious to hear what insights you take away. 💡

Agents vs. Portals and the End-to-End Ecosystem – click here.

The Role of Psychology in Real Estate Disruption – click here.

Changes in Real Estate Portal Dynamics – click here.

The Role of AI in Real Estate – click here.

And I’m already looking ahead to next Friday — Community Service Day 2025 — our day to stand shoulder to shoulder across the network in collective generosity. One of my favorite days of the year.

The forecast is looking good for the PNW — enjoy it, be well, and I look forward to hearing your insights on the content above! 💡

Stay curious, my friends.
— Laura

New Maximum Exposure/Return Social Media Image Gallery

In response to recent developments around Clear Cooperation and private listing networks, we’ve created a new “Dear Home Seller” social media image gallery to help you communicate a key message:

Maximum exposure = maximum return. 🏠

Windermere brokers — head over to the HUB to access the full gallery. I’ve also shared the post on Instagram @windermereco.seattle — give us a follow if we’re not already connected!

As we approach this Memorial Day, we honor and remember the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. 🇺🇸 Please consider joining me this Monday to take a moment of silence in honor of those who sacrificed their lives.

Thank you, Laura

On the real estate front, when computing time for purchase and sale agreements, please regard Monday, May 26th as a legal holiday.

Until next week, be well. Here to help; the ultimate goal.