Above: Robert Ott.
Robert Ott
Managing Broker and Owner
Raintown Realty, under the JPAR franchise system
Bellevue, Washington
Region served: Washington metro area within the Seattle–Tacoma–Bellevue MSA
Years in real estate: 33
Number of offices: 1
Number of agents: 58
Latest tech game changer: The use of AI to better understand what clients need. It’s changing the way we do business.
Your current market: A buyer’s market, which will remain until about February 2026.
Can you describe the specific strategies, philosophies and day-to-day practices you use to keep your brokerage ahead of the competition, and how these approaches translate into measurable success for your agents?
The growth and success of my team is based upon a three-fold approach that begins with having the right chemistry with my team all on the same page. From there, it’s about offering the right training—all of which is done by me, in-person. And last, but not least, is providing opportunities for my agents. That’s why 92% of my agents make it in this business.
In what ways do you support your agents to make their day-to-day work easier and help them thrive?
Every deal comes with a transaction coordinator, listing coordinator and marketing coordinator. We take care of everything so that the agent can focus on building relationships and creating contracts. This takes a lot of the stress and strain away from the agents, making it easier for them to grow.
Tell us about your philosophy when it comes to adopting new technology for your agents and how you determine the right time to introduce a new tool or platform into your brokerage’s workflow.
I’m a real estate agent at heart, so I’m always looking for that shiny new toy. I’m always looking to implement things that will keep me on top of my game and on top of the market. If a few agents are using something and it doesn’t work out, we’ll subtract it, but I’m one to try things in order to get the latest and greatest to help my agents the best we can.
What’s your favorite time-saving tool that not only helps you personally, but has also had a positive impact on efficiency and productivity across your entire team?
Assistance. Running a team of 58 by yourself, and we do mortgages at the same time, creates too many things to do. I’m empowered by a group of leaders (mentors) to make some decisions, and I use their assistance—people that can help carry things out for me. Everything is scheduled, because if it’s not on my schedule, it’s not going to happen.
How would you describe your leadership style and the qualities that make both agents and clients want to work with you?
Agents like to work with me because I’m honest and hardworking. I’m not here for myself, I’m here for them, and I think everyone understands that. I’m straight to the point, and over here at Raintown Realty, we get things done. That’s why everyone has opportunity.
As far as consumers are concerned, they appreciate the fact that I have a lot of experience—with more than 30 years in the business and over 2,000 homes sold. I make sure I personally transfer what I’ve learned over the years down to my agents so that when they hit the field, they know exactly what’s going on if there’s a question, and they know that they can come back to me. Both my agents and our clients feel like they’re very well taken care of, as we all help one another.
What makes someone a valuable member of your team? What do you look for?
There are a few ingredients I always look for before bringing someone onto the team. My culture is very important, and you have to fit in, but we really enjoy different personalities. We strive to be the most diverse real estate company in Washington state, so you have to be able to accept others. You also have to be a student. If you come in thinking you know everything, we won’t get along. Lastly, you have to be willing to fail. The faster you fail, the faster you’ll succeed.
For more information, please visit https://www.jpar.com.
