About
Meet The Team Behind Rain City Estate Sales
Your Seattle Estate Sale Team
Rain City Estate Sales grew out of a simple observation: families going through major life transitions… losing a parent, downsizing after decades in the same home… were being left to figure out an incredibly complex process on their own. They’d spend weeks calling different companies, comparing quotes, and coordinating people who’d never talked to each other. By the time the house was finally cleared and sold, they were exhausted.
We knew there was a better way. With more than 20 years of experience working alongside Seattle-area families through estate sales and senior moves, we built Rain City to be the company we wished existed for every family we’d watched struggle. You make a single call, talk to a real person who cares, and never have to manage the process yourself.
Since 2024, we’ve been doing exactly that for families across Seattle, Bellevue, and King County. And because we know the estate sale is often just the beginning, that there’s still a home to prepare and a property to sell, we’ve made sure our families have access to everything they need to close this chapter completely, without juggling vendors or repeating their story to someone new.
Vanessa Mefferd
Estate Sale Manager
As Estate Sale Manager at Rain City Estate Sales, Vanessa is the single point of contact for every family she works with. She runs the consultation, oversees the research and cataloging, manages the auction, coordinates the cleanout, and makes sure your proceeds land in your account; all while keeping you informed every step of the way.
What makes her different isn’t just her experience in event coordination and customer service, though that certainly helps. It’s the way she treats people. Vanessa understands that you’re not just selling items in an estate sale, you’re closing a chapter. Maybe it’s a parent’s home. Maybe it’s the place where your kids grew up. Whatever the story, she handles it with patience, honesty, and genuine care.
She’s calm when things feel chaotic. She’s direct when you need straight answers. And she’s kind in the moments when that matters most. If you’re looking for someone you can trust with something this personal, Vanessa is that person.
The JanusGroup Advantage
Four companies. One complete solution.
Rain City Estate Sales is part of the JanusGroup -- four Seattle businesses that work together so your family doesn't have to coordinate multiple vendors.
Estate Liquidation
Online auctions that sell hundreds of items in about 3 weeks. We organize, photograph, research, list, and manage pickup.
Home Sales
Once the contents are handled, our real estate team lists and sells the property, already familiar with its condition and history.
Property Management
Have you considered holding the property instead of selling? Let's talk about turning this into a source of income.
Remodeling
Deferred maintenance or pre-sale/rent updates? No matter the scope, we have the resource to prepare the home for sale or rent.
This is how we partner with you. One consultation. One team that understands your situation. No juggling vendors, no repeating your story, no managing the process yourself. We handle the transition from the first walkthrough to the final signature. We've got you.
Robyn Deter
Marketing Coordinator
With a great eye for design, a quick wit, and a robust vocabulary, Robyn crafts compelling visuals and stories for the Rain City Estate Sales online auctions and social media campaigns.
Brett Godfrey
Marketing Manager
An avid online auction participant and hunter of vintage treasures, Brett brings his wealth of marketing experience to help Rain City Estate Sales grow and prosper.
Jamie Dexter
Director of Operations
The overseer and facilitator of many, many things, Jamie brings her knack for productivity and efficiency to the systems that enable successful sales for our Rain City Estate Sales clients.
Aaron Janus
Founder
Aaron has spent more than two decades helping Seattle-area families through life’s biggest transitions. He founded Rain City Estate Sales after helping his own parents downsize and realizing that families deserved more when navigating these transitions. That belief is the foundation on which everything here is built.
We’re a small team on purpose. It means you’ll always know who you’re working with, you’ll always be able to reach someone who knows your situation, and you’ll never feel like just another job on the calendar. That’s not a tagline, it’s how we run every single estate sale.
Rain City Estate Sales was founded on a simple belief: families going through a major transition deserve one trusted partner who handles everything, not a handful of vendors who’ve never met each other. That’s why Rain City is part of the JanusGroup, a team of four Seattle companies that work together so you never have to manage the pieces yourself.
What drives us is that moment at the end of the process when a client who came to us not knowing where to start finally gets to exhale. That moment, when overwhelmed becomes done, is why we do this work.
If you’re not sure where to begin, that’s okay. Neither does almost everyone who calls us. That’s exactly what we’re here for.
If this resonates with you, give us a call. We’re happy to talk, even if you’re not sure where to start.
Learn More About Rain City Estate Sales
See current and past auctions by Rain City Estate Sales on Auction Ninja.
