Seattle REALTORS® Score Major Advocacy Win on Do-Not-Solicit Ordinance
Thank you to the real estate professionals who gave public testimony on August 4, 2026, in support of a proposed amendment to the Do-Not-Solicit Ordinance, including (clockwise from top left) Randy Bannecker, Frances Nguyen, Patti Hill, Scott Dickinson
August 5, 2026
Seattle King County REALTORS® (SKCR) achieved a major advocacy victory today as the Seattle City Council unanimously adopted an amendment to its new Do-Not-Solicit ordinance before approving the legislation.
Introduced by Councilmember Dionne Foster, the ordinance creates a city-managed Do-Not-Solicit list designed to protect homeowners from aggressive and predatory homebuying practices. SKCR supported the ordinance's goal of protecting homeowners. However, as originally drafted, the language was broad enough to potentially prohibit routine communications used by REALTORS® to keep residents informed, including market updates, newsletters, and community mailers.
In response, SKCR mobilized members to contact City Councilmembers and advocate for an amendment that would target predatory actors without restricting legitimate real estate communication. Members answered the call, sending nearly 400 emails.
Those efforts paid off!
“Our association rallied together and made meaningful change to the ordinance,” said Scott Dickinson, SKCR President-Elect. “There is still work to do, but today’s amendment was an important step forward.”
The City Council adopted an amendment allowing the continued use of printed and mailed real estate informational flyers to Seattle residents. Without the amendment, the newly enacted law could have restricted informational mailings that help homeowners stay informed about local market conditions and housing trends.
“The legislation was developed in response to concerns about wholesalers and investors repeatedly contacting homeowners with unsolicited offers to purchase their homes,” said Angie Mykel, CEO and Operating Principal at Keller Williams Greater Seattle. “This particularly affects seniors and those in historically marginalized communities who may not know what their home is really worth. Communications from licensed real estate agents can actually help educate homeowners to make the best decisions for their property.”
Thank You for Participating!
A huge thank you to the eight REALTOR® volunteers who offered public testimony, the nearly 400 members who emailed City Councilmembers, and everyone who participated in this effort to protect legitimate business practices that inform our communities.
We also thank the Seattle City Council for listening and working collaboratively toward a solution that protects homeowners from predatory solicitation while preserving valuable consumer-focused communication.
Today's outcome is a reminder that advocacy matters. When REALTORS® engage in the legislative process, they help shape policies that protect homeowners, strengthen communities, and ensure consumers continue to have access to reliable real estate information.
Ordinance CB 121259 Description
Establishes a Do Not Solicit list, on which Seattle residents may place their names. Individuals who “attempt to sell, purchase, acquire any interest, or convey residential property, through any form of communication to a residential property owner including but not limited to mail, oral communication, or electronic communication” are subject to penalties and fines under the ordinance.
The following includes but is not limited to acts that do not constitute solicitation:
- Communications initiated at the request or invitation of the residential property owner;
- Solely provide an estimated sale value of a residential property; or
- Any action by a person working on behalf of a utility, as defined in Section 23.84A.040, or a government entity, or
- Bulk commercial mailings from individuals licensed as Washington State real estate brokers or managing brokers promoting their brokerage services through generic advertisements that, except for the mailing address, do not explicitly reference a specific residential property owner, members of that owner’s household, or a specific residential property.