What should you look for in a Bend real estate agent?

For sellers, that might mean choosing whether to stage, adjust the price or change the marketing. For buyers, it could mean investigating an aging furnace or finding out whether that empty parcel next door is likely to stay empty. For someone relocating, the first question might be whether to buy at all yet.

David is a Principal Broker with a background in finance, real estate and negotiation. He earned his degree at DePaul University with a double major in finance and real estate, then worked as a commodities trader and market maker at the Chicago Board of Trade before entering residential real estate.

David founded Bend Relo and leads the team alongside Principal Broker Molly McInelly. Together, the Bend Relo team has completed more than 600 transactions.

Get to know David Keyte.

You fall for the kitchen. David checks the roof.

The buyers in that Northeast Bend story were ready for more space. They had outgrown their townhome and wanted a yard, more bedrooms and room to work from home. They found a house they loved.

David was thinking about the roof.

The home’s age made David want a roofer to take a closer look. A roofing specialist evaluated it during due diligence, identified significant wear, and gave the buyers something concrete to bring into the negotiation. The roof was replaced before closing.

It’s a useful example of what you should expect from a buyer’s agent. While you picture where the couch will go, someone should also be asking about the things that could become your next large expense.

Questions worth asking before you buy

David’s approach is to identify the concern and get the right person involved. As he puts it:

“I don’t know, but I will find out.”

David Keyte

You want that kind of honesty when the answer depends on a roofer, a county planner or an irrigation district. Knowing whom to ask is part of knowing the market.

The bargain that needed a second look

A buyer once brought David a bare-land parcel that looked promising for a future home. The price was attractive compared with other land they had considered.

Then the questions started adding up. The parcel had been divided from a larger property. Irrigation rights had remained elsewhere. Its farm-zoning context made the buyer’s building plans more complicated than expected.

David encouraged the buyer to speak with county officials and the appropriate professionals before moving ahead. Once the family understood the process and uncertainty, they decided to keep looking.

That’s a good question for any agent you interview: Tell me about a time you helped someone decide against a property.

Local knowledge should help you picture an ordinary Tuesday

Bend is an easy place to enjoy on vacation. Choosing where to live calls for a closer look at everyday life.

Do you want to walk to coffee? Ride to the trails? Have enough land for a shop? Spend less time maintaining a yard? How often will you make the same drive across town, and will it still seem convenient in February?

David uses maps, video calls, screen sharing and actual listings to help relocation clients work through those questions before a visit. The conversation starts with how they want to live and then gets specific about where to look.

David uses Northwest Crossing as a starting point for explaining the West Side. Other clients would rather have room for a shop or a larger yard. The aim is to build a touring plan around the buyer’s priorities, including areas they might not have considered.

Before your first home-shopping trip, write down:

1. Your three must-haves. Be specific about why each one matters.
2. Two things you can compromise on. More space, walkability and budget don’t always cooperate.
3. Your normal weekly routine. Include work, errands and the recreation you actually do.
4. What you still need to experience here. A listing photo won’t tell you how a location feels during your daily routine.

Bring that list to a consultation. It gives your agent something useful to work with before you spend a weekend touring houses.

Explore buying with Bend Relo.

Selling your Bend home: what happens after the photos?

Professional photography matters. So does the work that follows it.

Who follows up with the buyer’s agent after a showing? How do you know whether the feedback points to price, presentation or something else? When an offer comes in below expectations, what are your options?

At Fairway Heights, David recommended staging before a price cut. In Northwest Crossing, the team followed up with other interested agents after a low offer. On Ogden Avenue, the work included pricing changes and coordinating the next purchase.

Fairway Heights: change the presentation before changing the price

The home at 3205 NW Fairway Heights Drive had been marketed without selling. David recommended a fresh launch with staging, professional photography and video.

The property returned to the market in February 2024 at $1,295,000. It went pending in 11 days and closed at that price.

The decision came before the launch: take a closer look at what buyers were seeing, then improve the presentation. An unsold listing deserves a diagnosis before the next recommendation.

See the Fairway Heights story and original listing film.

Northwest Crossing: keep working the interest you already have

A client who had bought in Northwest Crossing with David later returned to the team when she planned to move back to the Bay Area.

The sale took continued effort. Alongside videos, open houses and marketing, the team followed up with interested buyers and contacted agents whose clients might still be looking in the neighborhood. When an initial offer fell below expectations, they went back to other agents who had expressed interest. Additional offers followed.

The home closed in October 2024 for its $995,000 original asking price.

Read the Northwest Crossing client story.

Ogden Avenue: stay involved when the plan gets complicated

A family selling an Ogden Avenue townhome needed more room in their next home. Their sale moved slowly, pricing needed adjustment, and the purchase introduced another set of deadlines.

David helped the clients connect with a lender to evaluate a different financing path while the team continued working on the sale. There were repairs, follow-up and difficult decisions along the way. The move was completed in October 2026.

This is a story worth reading if you need to sell and buy. Ask an agent how they would coordinate the two transactions and what you should work through with a lender early.

Read about the Ogden Avenue move.

Talk with Bend Relo about selling your home.

Your agent should be able to explain the market without putting you to sleep

“How’s the Bend market?”

Fair question. But a citywide median can’t tell you what to offer on a particular home or how to price yours.

David’s market updates look at the choices buyers and sellers are facing. What else is available? What has sold? What is sitting? How does the subject home compare in condition, location and price?

David explains it the way a trader would: what does the seller want, what will the buyer pay, and where can they meet?

Watch how the analysis works

The September 2026 Bend and Central Oregon market update walks through seller expectations, buyer purchasing power and what changes as listings spend longer on the market.

Use that September report as an example of David’s analysis. For your purchase or sale, the team will look at the relevant comparisons available when you’re making the decision.

If you’re interviewing listing agents, ask them to show you the homes buyers will compare with yours. If you’re buying, ask what supports the recommended offer. You should be able to follow the reasoning without needing a finance degree.

Browse more Bend Relo market updates.

Moving to Bend? You don’t have to buy a house on your first visit.

A plane ticket home can create a strange amount of pressure. You’ve toured houses all weekend, you like Bend, and now it feels as though you’re supposed to pick one.

You can go home with a better understanding of the area and keep looking.

For some households, a rental gives them time to learn the neighborhoods, separate the sale of their old home from the next purchase or wait for something that fits. David describes the goal this way:

“Shop from a place of confidence and not a place of necessity.”

David Keyte

There are costs to that flexibility. Temporary housing, storage, another move and lease terms all belong in the conversation. Some clients would rather plan a focused buying trip and move once. Others value the breathing room.

A rental plan can leave room for a change of heart

Buyers relocating from outside Portland had arranged a rental as a backup before a scouting trip. During the visit, they saw an off-market home, toured several other properties and asked to return to the first house the following day.

They liked it enough to change course and buy.

The rental plan gave them an alternative. Comparing homes helped them decide what they wanted. Their plan evolved as they learned more.

Before you arrive, talk through what you’ll do if none of the homes feels right.

Help finding a rental in Bend

Bend Relocation Services offers rental-search assistance for people who want help getting settled before buying or who are planning a rental move. You can explore the service, discuss your timing and find out what support fits your search.

Explore rental services and packages or learn about renting in Bend.

What clients remember

Here’s what clients noticed about pricing advice, long-distance communication and working with David and Molly.

Pricing advice and help with the details

Robert Tintle praised David’s pricing analysis and described how he arranged help with inspection-related items, saving Robert the work of coordinating them himself. He also singled out the listing photography, brochures and video.

“His analysis of the market and how to price my home was spot on.”

Robert Tintle

A long-distance purchase that felt manageable

Geri DeVille bought from a distance after her son, a previous client of David’s, helped her see the home by video. Her review emphasizes timely answers, communication and David making himself available when she came to town for the inspection.

“It was a quick and easy process.”

Geri DeVille

Clear answers from David and Molly

Riley Adams describes David and Molly as responsive and good at explaining the process. What stood out was having questions answered during a stressful purchase and feeling supported by the team.

Read these client reviews in full, along with more Bend Relo testimonials.

Eight questions to ask before hiring a Realtor in Bend

Looking for the best real estate agent in Bend? Bring these questions to the interview, including a conversation with Bend Relo.

1. Have you handled a move like mine?
   Ask for an example that resembles your situation.
2. What would you look into first?
   Listen for questions about your property and what you want to accomplish.
3. What supports your price or offer recommendation?
   Ask to see the comparisons behind the advice.
4. Who will I work with day to day?
   Find out who handles updates, showings and transaction details.
5. How will you keep me informed?
   Agree on how you’ll receive updates and get answers.
6. What happens if the first plan doesn’t work?
   Ask when you’ll review the response and consider changes.
7. When do you bring in specialists?
   Ask who would investigate a concern about a roof, land use or rural system.
8. What are the services, fees and agreement terms?
   Have the agent explain what you’re agreeing to before you commit.

Afterward, ask yourself: Did I learn something? Could I follow the advice? Did the agent listen to what I’m trying to accomplish?

A few more questions you might have