Private tours in Kirkland, Bellevue and Redmond — including homes that aren't public yet
An open house is a seller's event. It runs for a set two or three hours, the listing broker hosts it, and everyone who walks in is a potential competitor for the same home. No one in the room is on your side.
A private tour is not an open house
An open house is a seller's event. It runs for a set two or three hours, the listing broker hosts it, and everyone who walks in is a potential competitor for the same home. No one in the room is on your side.
A private tour is your event. We pick the homes and the time, and we walk through each one with the doors closed. I open the electrical panel, run the taps, and look in the crawlspace hatch. You ask whatever you want and I answer as your broker, not the seller's. If a home is wrong for you, we say so in the driveway and move on.
The other difference is coverage. An open house exists only for an Active home. A private tour can include homes still in First Look.
What First Look changes for your search
Beginning September 4, 2026, Northwest MLS lets a seller place a home in First Look status for up to 21 days before it goes Active. Three things are true during that window:
- The seller controls showings. They decide who sees the home and when.
- The seller controls IDX visibility. They can keep the listing off public portal feeds entirely.
- Member brokers can see it. The listing exists in the MLS, with photos, price and remarks, for any broker who looks.
That last point is why a portal alert can miss it. Apps and public sites pull from IDX feeds. If a seller keeps First Look off IDX, the home never triggers your saved search. It surfaces when it goes Active, by which time buyers who toured it privately may already have an offer in. The way around that is a broker who checks First Look inventory in your buy box daily and calls the listing broker for a showing.
From request to written tour notes
Written services agreement
Washington requires a written buyer brokerage services agreement before a broker provides services. We go through it on the first call. It states what I do for you, how long it runs, and how I am paid. You can ask for a shorter term or a narrower scope.
Your buy box
Price range, cities, neighborhoods, property type, minimum beds and baths, must-haves, deal-breakers, and timeline. We also cover financing: pre-approved, pre-qualified, cash, or still deciding. This is the filter for everything that follows.
I pull the matches, including First Look
I run your buy box against Active listings and against First Look inventory. You get one list with both, marked so you can tell them apart, with my two-line read on each.
We schedule
For Active homes I book showings through the listing brokers. For First Look homes I contact the listing broker directly and request access, since the seller decides who gets in. I group the homes by area so a tour of four or five fits in a morning.
We tour, and you get written notes
At each home I fill out a one-page sheet: what I saw, what I would want inspected, what the comparable sales suggest, and what I would offer if you wanted it. You get the sheets the same day.
You decide
Some buyers find the home on the first tour. Most take three or four. There is no pressure to write on anything. If you want to make an offer, you get a written plan before I draft it.
Four early-condition checks
None of this replaces a licensed inspection. It tells you whether a home deserves one.
- Roof: visible sag, missing or lifted shingles, moss load, condition of flashing and gutters, and whether the listing states the roof's age.
- Drainage: grading toward or away from the foundation, downspout extensions, standing water, staining at the base of exterior walls, and crawlspace moisture where accessible.
- Permits: whether visible additions, finished basements, ADUs or decks show up on the city's permit portal. I check before we tour when the listing suggests work was done.
- Windows and siding: fogged double-pane units, rot at trim and sills, and the condition of older composite siding.
Where private tours run
Private tours run across King and Snohomish counties. Most happen in these Eastside cities:
If your search sits outside these three, say so in the form. Woodinville, Bothell, Sammamish and Mercer Island come up often.
Questions buyers ask
Q1Can I tour a First Look home?+
Often, yes. The seller controls showings during First Look, so I request access through the listing broker on your behalf. Some sellers allow showings from day one; some hold until they go Active. I tell you which is which.
Q2Do I have to sign anything first?+
Yes. Washington requires a written buyer brokerage services agreement before a broker provides services, and touring homes is a service. We review it together before the first tour. You can ask for a limited term.
Q3Does it cost me anything?+
There is no charge for the tour itself. Broker compensation is set out in the services agreement and is typically paid at closing, either by the seller as part of the transaction or by you. We go through the options in writing before you commit to anything.
Q4How fast can you get me in?+
For an Active home, usually within a day or two, subject to the seller's showing instructions. For a First Look home, it depends on the seller. I make the request the same day you ask.
Q5Which cities do you cover?+
King and Snohomish counties, with most tours in Kirkland, Bellevue and Redmond. Woodinville, Bothell, Sammamish and Mercer Island are also common.
Q6What if I'm already working with another broker?+
If you have a signed agreement with another broker that is still in effect, I cannot interfere with it and will not set up tours for you. If your agreement has expired or was non-binding, or you are not sure, send me the document and I will tell you where you stand.
See the homes other buyers won't see on Zillow
Northwest MLS First Look gives member brokers up to 21 days of access before a home goes Active. Tell me your price range and target neighborhoods and I'll build a tour around them.
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