How I Work | Ryan Benroth Homes

I'm Ryan Benroth, a real estate agent in Hamilton County, Indiana, and I've been doing this for 12 years. This page lays out exactly how I work, so you know what to expect before we ever speak.

I take this business seriously, and I aim for win-win outcomes. I treat everyone in a transaction, including the people on the other side of the deal, the way I'd want to be treated myself.

Everybody's needs and wants are unique to them, which is why I pay extra attention and actually listen to my clients.

The short version: same-day responses, honest numbers, and my reasoning shown at every step. If that's what you want from an agent, keep reading. If it isn't, the section near the end explains who I'm probably not the right fit for.

Who you're actually talking to

Most buyers start a home search by talking to the seller's agent without knowing it. At an open house, the agent at the door usually works for the seller. When you call the number on a yard sign, you reach the listing agent, who represents the seller. When you request a tour online, the person who replies may be the listing agent or an agent who paid for the lead.

None of that is a trick. It's how the system is set up, and almost no one explains it, so I do.

If you're thinking about buying, start with a free How Buying Works conversation, by call, text, or email, whichever suits you. I'll explain who represents whom, how a buyer agreement works, and what to have in place before you start touring. It costs nothing. When you're ready to tour, we put an agreement in writing.

Book a 20-Min Call

Or call or text (317) 979-0009, or email ryan@ryanbenrothhomes.com.

Standards

Standards you can hold me to

These are commitments, not goals. If I miss one, tell me.

Same-day response.

Every call, text, and email from an active client gets a response the same day. If something takes longer to answer, I'll tell you when to expect it.

Feedback after every showing.

If you're selling, I ask for feedback right after every showing and pass it to you along with what I think it means.

A written price analysis before we list.

You see the sold comparables and my recommended range in writing, so the number we choose is one you understand and can question.

“Ryan is a pleasure to work with, but most importantly he responds quickly and is available whenever. The house selling/buying process was smooth and easy with Ryan.”

Past seller, Zillow review

“He was patient, and I never felt rushed or pushed into anything.”

Past buyer and seller, Zillow review

Working with buyers

We sit down first. It starts with a free conversation about how buying works, with no obligation. Before any showings, we meet to talk through your goals, budget, and timeline, and we sign a written buyer agreement that spells out what I do and how I'm paid. I also ask that you're preapproved, or have proof of funds if you're paying cash, before we tour. If you're not there yet, I'll point you to lenders I trust and help you get there, and we start touring the day you are. No surprises later.
We search together. I show you homes that fit what you told me, and I'll say plainly when one doesn't.
We write the offer. I explain every term in the contract, what each one protects, and what you're giving up.
The inspection is your call. I give you recommendations for local inspectors I trust and would use myself, and you call and schedule it. When the report comes in, I help you understand what the findings could mean for cost and resale, and which items are worth raising with your inspector or a contractor. But the same finding can mean very different things to different buyers, so what gets addressed is your decision, and I negotiate whatever you choose to ask for.
Before closing, I walk you through two things. We do a final walkthrough together, and I review the closing statement with you line by line before you sign, so nothing on closing day is new to you.

Working with sellers

We start with the numbers. Before we list, I give you a written comparable analysis and a recommended price range, with my reasoning. You see what similar homes sold for and what they sat on the market, and we choose the price together.
We list and show. Every listing gets a professional photographer, and I pay for it. If your home doesn't sell, that cost is mine, not yours. Buyers see the photos before they see the house, and too many MLS listings still go live with photos that undersell the home. I also handle the marketing, showings, and scheduling. Showing requests on my listings require the buyer's agent to confirm that their buyer has signed a buyer agreement, so you're not leaving your home for someone who isn't committed.
Buyer feedback goes straight to you. Every one of my listings asks for feedback right after each showing, and I share it with you. The market will tell us if the price is too high or the layout isn't working. I'm the messenger, and I recommend adjustments based on what we hear.
We evaluate offers side by side. I lay out the price, terms, contingencies, and risk of each offer so you can compare them clearly, not just by the number on top.
I walk you through closing. I review the closing statement with you before you sign, so you know exactly what you're netting.

Example of a showing update (a sample, not a real client)

Buyer feedback: Liked the size of the home and the neighborhood. Dark wall colors aren't his preference, and he needs a fenced yard.

My take: The size and location are doing their job. One buyer's taste in paint or his need for a fence isn't a pattern, so I wouldn't spend money on either yet. If three or four buyers say the same thing, we'll talk about it. Until then, we stay the course.

When I'll tell you what you don't want to hear

If your price is too high, an offer is a bad idea, or a house isn't worth what they're asking, I'll say so directly and show you the data behind it. I won't soften it into something vague, and I won't tell you what you want to hear to keep things comfortable.

The decision is always yours. My job is to make sure you're making it with the real picture.

What a written price analysis looks like

Before we list, you get something like this: the sold comparables, what they tell us, and my recommended range with the reasoning behind it. This one uses made-up homes, so you can see the format without anyone's real information.

Example price analysis (a sample with made-up homes, not a real client)

Your home: 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, about 2,150 sq ft, no basement.

Comparable	Sq ft	Sold price	Per sq ft	Days to sell
Home A	2,050	$372,000	$181	9
Home B	2,200	$391,500	$178	14
Home C	2,100	$378,000	$180	6
Home D	2,350	$409,900	$174	31
Home E	1,980	$349,000	$176	22
Median	2,100	$378,000	$178	14

What the comparables say: Homes B and C are closest to yours in size, and both sold within two weeks at $178 to $180 per square foot. Home D is the largest and the highest priced, and it took 31 days, which tells us that pricing near the top of the range costs time.

My recommended range: $375,000 to $390,000. If you want offers in the first two weeks, I'd list at $384,900 and watch what buyers say after the first few showings.

How I get paid

I'm paid by commission when a transaction closes, and the terms are in writing before we begin.

Sellers: My commission is negotiable and agreed in writing before we list. We'll go over exactly what it is, and what you get for it, in our first meeting.
Buyers: The buyer agreement states my compensation in writing before we tour. In most cases the buyer asks the seller to cover it in the purchase agreement, but not always.
If we don't close: I don't get paid. It's that simple.

Who I'm probably not the right fit for

I'd rather tell you now than find out halfway through a transaction.

If you want a high-pressure closer. I don't push, and I don't manufacture urgency.
If you're set on a price the market won't support. I'll advise you honestly, but I won't list a home at a number I can't defend just to win the listing.
If you're hard to reach. Representing you well takes a two-way conversation, and I can't do it if we can't communicate.
If you're choosing an agent mainly on the lowest commission. If the lowest fee is your main goal, I may not be your agent. What you're paying for is the communication, negotiation, and guidance described on this page.

A little about me

I got into real estate with the goal of becoming an investor, and I fell in love with the process itself. Before that, I owned supplement retail stores, where I got to know a wide variety of people and helped them make better-informed decisions about their fitness and nutrition goals.

I see real estate the same way. I work with people from all walks of life and guide them through one of the biggest purchases of their lives with education, close attention to detail, and real care. I try to treat everyone the way I'd treat my own brother. To me, that means being honest and upfront, and telling you the truth even when it isn't what you want to hear in the moment. I do it because I care how it turns out for you, not because I'm chasing a sale.

I'm not after a one-and-done sale. In the supplement days and in real estate, my goal has been to make a real difference in people's lives: to educate them so they're set up for a successful outcome, and so they're excited enough to tell others about the experience. That's where my referrals come from. I still maintain many of those relationships today, and real estate has been no different.

Here's exactly how I work.