A Real Estate Guide for Pet Families
By Eric Etzel, Spokane's most heart-led real estate consultant
Finding your perfect home isn't just about square footage or school districts. It's about tail wags, morning walks, safe yards, and spaces where every member of the family, including the four-legged kind, can truly thrive. This is the real estate book your dogs have been waiting for you to read.
"Our dad isn't just a real estate agent, he's a guide for families seeking spaces where love can thrive in all its forms, including the four-legged kind. Through his own journey of healing and growth, he's become exactly the kind of realtor that pet-loving families need most."
Kendra and Kiara Etzel, Foreword
Eric Etzel
Real Estate Consultant & Mentor · Choice Realty
About the Author
Since 1990, Eric Etzel has helped Spokane families find their perfect homes. But it was three extraordinary dogs who transformed not just his approach to real estate. But his capacity to love.
Chewy arrived when Eric's daughter Kiara needed to leave Spokane for her own personal growth journey. An English and American Standard Bulldog cross, Chewy became Eric's constant companion through SEALFIT training, daily river trail walks, and one of the most challenging years of his life. When Chewy passed suddenly on December 28, 2019, Eric said it was the biggest emotional loss he had ever experienced, more than three divorces, the loss of his parents, and two job losses combined.
Then came Benny. An Ellis-bred XXL Pit Bull puppy, gifted by his training coach Nick, who said simply: "We think he's just like your personality." A month later, Lady, Benny's brindle sister, joined the family. Together, they taught Eric that love isn't a finite resource. It multiplies.
Today, those lessons pour into every client interaction. Eric doesn't just show houses. He helps pet families see neighborhoods from ground level, evaluate fencing and yard safety, understand how morning light affects daily life, and find the invisible qualities that make a house feel like a home to every member of the family, all four legs included.
Eric hosts an annual "Third of July" BBQ and pie giveaway, a night at the Spokane Indians ballpark, and a traditional Thanksgiving pie giveaway. And his Wheels 4 Meals car shows raise money for Meals on Wheels Spokane. He cares for his real estate family the way his dogs care for him: unconditionally.
Three Chapters
Click any chapter to read it completely. Every story, every lesson, every sacred truth, all here.
Chapter One
The Dog Who Healed My Heart
When Kiara's beloved Chewy needed a new home, Eric said yes. Not knowing this gentle soul would break down every wall around his heart. From morning walks along the Spokane River to SEALFIT crucibles, Chewy was Eric's constant. Until December 28, 2019.
Read Full ChapterChapter Two
How Two XXL Pit Bulls Helped Heal a Broken Heart
Eric didn't think he could love another dog after losing Chewy. Then his coach Nick introduced him to Benny. And a month later, Lady joined the family. Two brindle siblings who showed him that love doesn't diminish with loss. It multiplies.
Read Full ChapterChapter Three
What Our Pets Teach Us About Finding the Perfect Home
Ten fundamental truths about real estate that go way beyond traditional metrics, learned through thousands of walks, countless moments of connection, and a deep understanding of how our four-legged family members help make a house a home.
Read Full ChapterChapter Three Highlights
From Eric's book, ten principles learned through Chewy, Benny, and Lady that have transformed how he helps pet families find their perfect home.
01
Beyond Bricks and Mortar
Buying or selling a home is as much an emotional journey as a financial one. Chewy taught Eric to read the unspoken signals. The hesitation, the hope, the fear. And to create space for clients' true concerns.
02
Finding Your Perfect Flow
A home needs to work with your family's daily rhythm. Where does morning light fall? How does the space flow from indoors to out? Eric evaluates every property the way Chewy found his favorite spot, by feel.
03
Hidden Dangers
Lady showed Eric every weak point in a fence before any inspector could. Every property Eric shows gets what he calls "the Lady test", assessing fencing, sight lines, exterior structures, and security gaps.
04
Beyond the Sidewalk
Thousands of hours walking Spokane neighborhoods with his dogs gave Eric insight no drive-by viewing can match. He knows which streets feel safest, which communities have soul, and where the good neighbors live.
05
Beyond the Moving Boxes
Eric shares room-by-room pet introduction strategies, timing advice based on your pet's routine, and how to identify features that will help your whole family, two-legged and four, settle in smoothly.
06
The Chewy Compass
Dogs sense the energy in a space that humans miss. Eric has learned to identify where afternoon light creates the perfect nap spot, where quiet corners invite rest, and where a yard truly invites play.
07
Beyond the Market
"Recession-resistant features", natural light, adaptable layouts, indoor-outdoor flow, create homes that appreciate not just in market value but in their ability to enhance your family's quality of life for decades.
08
The Forever Family Network
For military families facing overseas orders with beloved pets, Eric has built a vetted network of foster families, rescue organizations, and transition resources so no pet gets left behind.
09
Silver Pawprints
Eric's "Senior Pet Promise Program" finds the perfect new home for a senior client's pet before the house is even listed. And creates "legacy visits" so that bond doesn't have to end with the move.
10
The Silent Allergic Struggle
Pet dander lingers in HVAC systems, under baseboards, and in wall cavities long after pets are gone. Eric asks the questions other agents never think to ask. And saves allergy sufferers from costly mistakes.
More From Eric Etzel
This guide is for the household with a dog in it. The rest of the library covers the rest of the decision: what a listing price really costs, when the right time to move actually is, and what can shake a deal once it is in motion. Every title is on Amazon, and each has its own site carrying the full text.
Book · For Sellers
Twenty ways a listing price quietly costs a seller money, from lost Day One momentum to carrying costs and appraisal gaps.
Book · For Buyers
For buyers waiting on a perfect market that never arrives. The mathematics of what matters, the rent trap, and how to decide with confidence.
Book · Transactions
A 116-point field guide to everything that can shake a deal, from financing and inspection surprises to title complications, with the fix for each one.
Book · Philosophy
Ten timeless lessons on change, empathy, resilience, and integrity, for clients who see real estate as one part of a much larger life plan.
Book · Car Enthusiasts
The companion niche guide. Garage requirements, workshop space, vehicle access, and the property rules that decide whether the hobby fits the home.
Book · Legacy
The career retrospective. The people, the decisions, and the moments that matter most across a practice that began in 1990.
The Authority Center
Every book, every neighborhood, every answer in one place.
Eric's Authority Center holds the complete reference library: the full question and answer archive, the Spokane area guides, and all seven titles.
Ready to Find Your Perfect Home?
Whether your family includes a shy rescue, two XXL pit bulls, or a 14-year-old golden who needs a yard without stairs. Eric brings a practice dating to 1990 and a genuinely open heart to every conversation.
Eric is a proud member of the By Referral Only community. His business is built on trust, relationships, and results that speak for themselves. For clients of every kind.
Eric Etzel
Real Estate Consultant & Mentor · Choice Realty
WA Real Estate License #4476
The Dog Lover's Real Estate Guide to Finding Your Perfect Home is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions.
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