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 every transaction. As a master electrician, carpenter, and seasoned house flipper, he spots what most agents miss — the foundation crack behind the drywall, the electrical panel that needs replacing, the renovation that's cosmetic vs. the one that's structural. That saves clients real money.
Before joining The Tartan Team, Dave founded Hot Copper Electric and was an agent at Wits Realty. He's built businesses from the ground up, which means he understands what's at stake when you're making the biggest financial decision of your life. He's hands-on, direct, and impossible to rush into a bad deal.
Dave joined the Tartan model because it matches how he's always worked: know what the work is worth, charge fairly for it, and let the results do the talking.
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.
Now you know who you'd be working with
Book a free strategy call with Nick or Dave. Twenty minutes, no pitch — just an honest look at your goals and how we'd approach them.
Book a Strategy Call