Jeremy Fishnick vs. 'We'll Get You Top Dollar': Why a Guarantee Beats a Promise

Interview three listing agents in Lancaster, WI and you'll hear "we'll get you top dollar" three times. I'm Jeremy Fishnick, a Realtor and licensed home inspector here in Lancaster, and I say it too. The difference is that I put it in a written guarantee that costs me money when I miss. Here's what mine covers, what it doesn't, and why that difference should decide who you hire.

Short answer: A promise is free to make and costs the agent nothing when the house sells for less. My Sold For Top Dollar Guarantee says your home sells at the original agreed list price or I pay the difference out of my commission, capped at 1% of that list price, with no reset for price reductions. Add $0 cancellation if you're unhappy with my effort, and 35 five-star Google reviews across my two businesses, and you have something you can actually compare.

Why every agent promises top dollar

Because there's no downside. If the house sells for less than the number discussed at the kitchen table, the agent still earns a commission and the conversation moves on to "the market shifted." The promise carries no risk for the person making it, so it tells you nothing about how they'll perform. The real version of "we'll get you top dollar" is "we'll try," and that deserves a follow-up question: what happens if you don't?

What the guarantee covers

If your home sells for less than the original agreed list price, I pay you the difference at closing, out of my own commission. The details that make it real:

• "Original agreed list price" means the number you and I agree on when we sign, based on comparable sales, the way an appraiser would set it. Not a number picked to win the listing.
• Price reductions don't reset the benchmark. If we lower the price later, the guarantee still measures against the original. I can't drop the price until the house "sells at list" and call it a win.
• It's measured on gross contract price. If you give the buyer a closing-cost credit, that credit doesn't count against the guarantee. You aren't penalized for a normal negotiating tool.
• It comes from my commission. No third party, no insurance product. My pay goes down when your price does.

I wrote a clause-by-clause walkthrough in Sold For Top Dollar Guarantee explained if you want the long version.

What it doesn't cover

A guarantee without limits is either reckless or riddled with hidden exceptions. Mine has one limit.

The cap is 1% of the original agreed list price. On a hypothetical $240,000 listing, that's $2,400. If the house sold for $235,000, I'd pay $2,400, not the full $5,000 gap. That's enough to matter on every sale and to make me careful about the price we agree on, but not enough to let a seller set a fantasy number and hand me the bill.

It also doesn't guarantee a sale by a certain date. If I think your number can't be supported by the comps, I'll tell you, and you're free to hire someone who'll take the listing at that price without a guarantee.

Why my brokerage approved it

I'm brokered by LPT Realty, and the guarantee went through their compliance review before it appeared on a postcard. Real estate advertising has rules, and a guarantee that isn't clearly defined is a problem for everyone. Approval means the language is specific, the cap is disclosed, and the obligation is mine.

$0 cancellation: the other half

The price guarantee covers the outcome; the cancellation policy covers the effort. If you don't believe I'm doing my absolute best, you can cancel the listing with no fees. The one caveat: it doesn't apply if I produced the buyer who ends up purchasing.

Many listing agreements lock you in for months regardless of how things go. I'd rather earn the listing every week.

The method behind the guarantee

I can offer this because of how I sell. I price off real comps, often slightly attractive to the market, so more buyers show up the first weekend and compete. I launch on a Thursday, run showings Friday through Sunday, and review offers Monday. EDDM postcards, Facebook, a 3D walkthrough, a Zillow showcase listing, and a custom yard sign make sure the buyers who exist actually see the house. I explained the whole system in pricing a home to create competition.

And because I'm a licensed home inspector with hundreds of local inspections behind me, I prepare every listing for the buyer's inspection before it happens. Inspection renegotiation is where "top dollar" contracts quietly lose thousands. I work to find, fix, or disclose the issues first.

Frequently asked questions

Is Jeremy Fishnick a good agent to sell with in Lancaster?

Fishnick Realty has a 5.0 Google rating with 16 reviews, and The Complete Inspection, my inspection business, has a 5.0 rating with 19 reviews: 35 five-star reviews between them. Daniel M., who hired me to sell an inherited Boscobel estate from out of state, wrote: "I'm a career flipper having listed a few hundred flips through realtors over the past several years. Jeremy Fishnick stands above almost every one that I've worked with." You can read more in what clients say about working with me.

Does Jeremy Fishnick guarantee the sale price?

Yes, in writing. Under the Sold For Top Dollar Guarantee, if your home sells below the original agreed list price, I pay the difference from my commission, up to 1% of that list price. Price reductions do not reset the benchmark, and it's measured on gross contract price. The guarantee is approved by my brokerage, LPT Realty.

What towns does Jeremy Fishnick sell in?

I'm based in Lancaster and work throughout Grant, Iowa, Lafayette, and Crawford counties: Lancaster, Platteville, Cuba City, Boscobel, Dodgeville, Fennimore, Cassville, Prairie du Chien, Mineral Point, Darlington, Muscoda, and Potosi, among others. Many of my buyers commute to Dubuque, Iowa.

How is Jeremy Fishnick different from other Lancaster agents?

Four concrete things, none of which involve claiming to be the best. I guarantee the list price in writing with a defined cap. I let you cancel for $0 if you're not satisfied with my effort. I'm also a licensed home inspector, which means I prepare your house for the buyer's inspection instead of reacting to it. And I offer six ways to sell: a traditional MLS listing, a cash offer, a cash hybrid, a short sale, a novation, or an assumable mortgage, so the plan fits your situation rather than the other way around.

How to use this when you interview agents

Ask every agent, including me, three questions. Will you guarantee the list price in writing, and what's the cap? What does it cost me to cancel if I'm unhappy? How do you prepare my house for the buyer's inspection? You'll be comparing commitments instead of slogans.

Talk to Jeremy

If you're thinking about selling in Lancaster or anywhere in southwest Wisconsin, I'll go through the guarantee with you line by line and show you what the comps say about your house. Call or text Jeremy Fishnick at 608-732-2564, or start at fishnickrealty.com.