If Walls Could Talk, by Stephanie DeWitt

Recently, I was talking with a local painter when he posed a question: “What do people do when they need a painter? Who do they ask?”

Before I could answer, he supplied his own: “Why, a realtor, of course.”

Exactly.

Most people think of real estate agents when they are preparing to buy or sell a home. That makes sense. It is what our business cards say we do. However, a real estate agent also becomes something of a community switchboard: a person who collects names, phone numbers, maps, opinions and assorted bits of local knowledge that rarely appear in a property listing.

Need a painter? We probably know several. A plumber who will return your call? That list may be shorter, but we will still try. We are regularly asked about lenders, insurance agents, title companies, inspectors, electricians, roofers, landscapers, house cleaners, handypeople, septic specialists and movers. We may even know who can repair a dock, clean a chimney, investigate a crawlspace or persuade a stubborn blackberry thicket to surrender.

Our resources often extend far beyond houses. We trade recommendations for restaurants, bakeries, dog sitters, babysitters, photographers, hairdressers and places to find a good lamp. For newcomers, we may also know which dentist is accepting patients, where to find a veterinarian or whom to ask about local clubs and community organizations. We know which roads lead to which neighborhoods, where the closest public beach access is and why a five-mile trip can take considerably longer when the Hood Canal Bridge has other plans.

So why don’t more people ask us?

Perhaps they worry that calling a real estate agent will lead to an unwanted sales pitch. Ask for the name of a painter and suddenly someone will be standing in your kitchen asking whether you have considered listing the house.

That should not happen.

A helpful answer does not need to come with a listing agreement attached. Real estate is a relationship business, and relationships are built long before — and continue long after — a transaction. Sometimes helping someone simply means providing a phone number, pointing out a useful resource or saying, “I don’t know, but I know someone who might.”

Another reason may be that online searching feels easier and more anonymous. The internet will certainly produce dozens of choices, along with star ratings, sponsored listings and reviews written by people whose expectations may be very different from yours. After half an hour, you may have 14 browser tabs open and no better idea whom to call.

A local agent can often narrow that search quickly. We hear which vendors communicate well, arrive when promised and understand the peculiarities of older homes, rural properties and life on the Olympic Peninsula. We also tend to know who is busy, who has retired and who may answer the telephone.

Of course, a recommendation is not a guarantee. Agents should offer several names whenever possible, and homeowners should still check credentials, insurance, references, availability and pricing. What we provide is a starting point — not a substitute for your own good judgment.

That starting point can save time, especially if you are new to the area. Port Townsend and Jefferson County have wonderful local businesses and skilled professionals, but they are not always the ones appearing first in an online search. Some are too busy working to devote much time to search-engine optimization. Others rely almost entirely on word of mouth.

Real estate agents live in that world of word of mouth. We spend our days talking with homeowners, buyers, contractors, inspectors, lenders, title officers and neighbors. We see houses at their best, their worst and during the occasionally surprising journey between the two. Along the way, we accumulate resources — and we are generally delighted when someone asks us to share them.

So, the next time you need a painter, plumber, dog sitter, bakery recommendation or a map that makes sense of an unfamiliar neighborhood, consider asking a real estate agent.

It isn’t scary. We probably won’t try to sell your house.

We may even know someone who can fix it.

Stephanie DeWitt is a broker with The Agency Port Townsend.