About
The people behind the practice.
Real agents. Real opinions. A genuine belief that the industry can work better for the people it's supposed to serve.
Founder & Broker
Nick Aufenkamp
Nick grew up in Vancouver, WA and has been practicing real estate since 2021. He founded The Tartan Team because he believed the traditional brokerage model — opaque pricing, misaligned incentives, one-size-fits-all service — could be rebuilt around the client instead of the agent.
The tiered model wasn't a marketing idea. It was a response to a real problem: the industry charges a flat percentage regardless of what the work actually requires, and no one questions it because everyone benefits from keeping it that way — except the client.
Nick writes about these dynamics independently at Realtor Gone Rogue — a Substack where he publishes thinking on real estate incentives, consumer advocacy, and what a better model could look like.
He's been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered for his perspective on buyer agent compensation reform following the NAR settlement.
Operations & Broker
Dave Miller
Dave brings a builder's eye to real estate. A master electrician, carpenter, and seasoned house flipper, he's spent years buying, renovating, and selling homes — and he knows what makes a property worth the price and what doesn't.
Before joining The Tartan Team, Dave was an agent at Wits Realty and founded Hot Copper Electric — building businesses grounded in honest work and fair dealing. That entrepreneurial background shapes how he approaches every client relationship — hands-on, straightforward, and always looking out for the people he works with.
Dave was drawn to the Tartan model because it matches how he's always operated: provide superior service at a fair price, and let the results speak for themselves.
Brokerage
Affiliated with Real Broker, LLC
The Tartan Team operates under Real Broker, LLC — a cloud-based brokerage that keeps overhead low and gives agents the freedom to structure their practice around client interests rather than brokerage quotas. We chose Real specifically because it doesn't interfere with how we work.
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