How a Phoenix REALTOR® Used Opendoor to Go “Above and Beyond”

She might not have taken the traditional route, but REALTOR® Jaclyn Fouts made her client happy — and that’s what mattered most.

In April, the agent and board member of the Arizona Association of REALTORS® helped a client sell his home to Opendoor. And unlike the sales she was used to, this one didn’t take tons of lengthy repair negotiations, lots of back-and-forth with other agents or dozens of unwanted surprises during closing.

For Jaclyn, it was simple. It was transparent. And it was one of the smoothest transactions she’s handled to date.

“Success through serving others”

With Jaclyn’s brokerage mantra being “Success through serving others,” it’s no wonder she explored all options to ensure her client was happy. This mentality, paired with her knowledge of and experience with iBuyers, set her apart from her peers.

“By doing the right thing — going above and beyond for other people — you will have success,” Jaclyn said. “I want to be an agent that is full of integrity and doing what is right for our clients first and foremost.”

And that’s precisely what she did for her seller, Robert, who owned a home in Chandler, Arizona. With a packed schedule, multiple pets and no desire to handle upgrades, repairs or countless showings, selling on the open market just wasn’t a fit for Robert — and Jaclyn knew it. She presented Opendoor as an option from the very start.

She told Robert he had three choices. He could:
1) upgrade his home to get it on par with others in the subdivision
2) list as-is, and risk not finding a buyer
3) sell as-is to a cash buyer

Robert requested cash offers from three iBuyers, and ultimately chose Opendoor. “They got the offer and they were happy with it,” Jaclyn explained. “It was huge to see that he really didn’t get nickel and dimed at all. That service fee really paid for a lot.”

Jaclyn created a spreadsheet to show him side by side what he would net with Opendoor vs a traditional sale. She explained the service fee included the cost of holding and maintaining the home, as well as a convenience fee. “You’re not going to have showings and different people traipsing in and out of your house,” she explained.

“It was probably one of the easiest transactions I’ve ever had.”

Fortunately, Jaclyn’s premonitions played out — and the transaction was one of the most hassle-free sales she’s handled to date.

“The whole process was just really simple from beginning to end,” she said. From the interaction with the support team to the in-home repair assessment, according to Jaclyn, it was all simple and streamlined. Robert was even able to sign his closing papers at a restaurant near his house.

“They just accommodated everything,” she said. “It was so nice.”

Ultimately, the experience allowed Jaclyn to earn a referral fee, guide her client to success and alleviate the stress for her and her client. It was a win-win for everyone.

“I didn’t have to worry about it falling out of contract, and I didn’t have to negotiate all that stuff with inspections and appraisal,” she said. “It was simple. It was probably one of the easiest transactions I’ve ever had.”

An easy fix

Jaclyn and her client found themselves surprised by yet another step in the transaction: the repair process. The home needed updates to the paint and flooring in order to attract top dollar on the open market, which would have cost Robert thousands. However, he was able to skip the hassle and out-of-pocket expenses altogether.

The Opendoor team repainted the walls, replaced flooring, fixed an air conditioning issue and more at the home — all “without nickel and diming” the client.

“You hear all these scary things about how much this is going to cost and that they’re going to rip you off,” Jaclyn said, “but it was actually just the opposite of that. Everything you asked for was fair.”

Robert was impressed, and even had his handyman neighbor evaluate the repairs and estimates. The final verdict? It was all “super fair.”

“A friend, not a foe”

Jaclyn has heard the water-cooler talk about Opendoor. Are they an enemy? Are they stealing away clients? How can I compete? But now, Jaclyn has seen first-hand how the process works, and to other agents, she simply says, “They’re one of us.”

“We need to step out of the way,” she said. “If that’s what’s best for our seller, then why would we not go in that direction?”

At the end of the day, Jaclyn says her knowledge of Opendoor has actually helped position her as more of an expert in her field. She’s now able to present a full range of options — along with her hands-on experiences with each one — to all her clients. And that’s true empowerment.

“Get to know them,” she encourages other agents. “Get educated about the service and product so that you can come from a place of knowledge. You don’t always have to go the traditional route. There may be a better way.”

Learn more about how Opendoor works with agents

In connection with this piece, featured agent was compensated for her time, not her views or opinions.