ABOUT JOHN — John Blacksmith

my clients meet me as strangers and remain in my life as friends.

I work primarily in the Greater Seattle and Eastside areas and am quite familiar with a range of cities and neighborhoods throughout Puget Sound. An agent since 1998, my annual transaction volume places me in the top 1.5 percent of all 39,000 agents in the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. My years of experience provide me the knowledge and judgment my clients value, and I pride myself on delivering personal and responsive service that every client deserves.

My professional style:

Most of my business comes from happy clients who refer me to their friends, neighbors, and colleagues. My clients are the reason for my success!
Though I am consistently one of Washington State's top-producing real estate agents, I give every client the one-on-one attention warranted for such a major life decision.

I view every client as a person, not a commission. My clients honor me with their trust, and I work hard every day to prove myself worthy of their esteem. My business ethic is defined by complete dedication to my clients and their needs.

My strengths:

Collaborating with my buyers to find the right home at the best price, one that fits their needs and stays within budget. I don't sell my buyers a home; I strategize with them and negotiate for them to buy one. There's a big difference!
Helping my sellers achieve a successful sale at the best terms for them. This includes comprehensive project management on my part and collaborating with vendors/contractors to update and refresh the home, making it market ready for today’s savvy buyers.
Ensuring my clients have a real estate experience that is pleasant and productive. My job is to remove as much stress as I can.

I promise to:

Communicate early, often, and honestly with my clients.
Educate clients so they are empowered to make decisions with which they are comfortable. I'll do my best to explain the risks and benefits, positives and negatives of each situation or choice we encounter.
Provide personalized service, driven by my clients’ needs and preferences, not my own.
Anticipate likely and possible problems before they occur and to take appropriate action to prevent them from occurring.
Recognize that bumps in the road may occur in any transaction, and to work cheerfully, energetically, and diligently to solve them.
Never speak beyond the boundaries of my knowledge, and to not dismiss any concern or potential problem. If a question or situation arises that I am unfamiliar with, I don't hesitate to ask for assistance from my community of trusted colleagues and professionals. Whatever the issue, I can get answers and help from the appropriate experts!
Continue serving my clients, even after their sale is final. For buyers, that may entail helping with homeownership needs and maintenance. For sellers, help procuring new real estate or assisting with their next stage in life.

Whether you are a buyer or seller, or both — whether this is your first real estate transaction or one among many — I'm ready to help. Please don't hesitate to call or email me with any questions, or to arrange a time to meet and talk. I'm happy to assist you, with no hard sell or obligation whatsoever.

WHEN I’M NOT WORKING

I’ve been a resident of Washington my entire life, and though I’ve traveled the world, there is nowhere I would rather call home than Seattle. An avid outdoorsman, I’ve hiked or rock-climbed every mountain peak you can see from the city and have been running Green Lake almost daily since 1983. These days, you’ll likely find me at the lake with my Mini Australian Shepherd, Blue (pictured above — after enjoying our annual 5K Turkey Trot). Other favorite running paths include Discovery Park, Interlaken Park, the UW campus, and Lincoln Park — depending on my running partners and client meetings for the day.

In the mid-’90s I owned a vegan restaurant, Blue Planet in Wallingford, that attracted rock stars, artists, and health-conscious folks alike. Running a restaurant for three years was a wonderful lesson in entrepreneurship and community. (Listen to my interview about that experience.)

I’m a “connector” who delights in matching people to professions, romantic partners, providers — and naturally, the right-fit home.