Real Estate Agents are Idiots II

One of my agents just left my office. He was telling me how he just spoke with an agent from another company that won't stop telling him how amazing his team is. We operate as a team where each individual's strengths are maximized and his or her weaknesses are compensated for. (I'll discuss that in a later blog, so stay tuned.) He thinks it is funny that other people don't do business this way. Me too.

As promised, here are a few of the ways consumers are getting great value when working with a real estate professionals.

• It has becoming more and more popular for home sellers to advertise their own home and find willing buyers. They then hire a real estate consultant to handle the transactional details such as contracts, amendments, dealing with lenders, appraisers, inspectors, insurance companies, title companies and other related items. Assist 2 Sell for example will provide this service for just $1,995 regardless of the price of the home.



• As the Internet has become the primary venue for buyers to search for homes, additional alternatives to the Multiple Listing Services have been created to advertise homes . Some savvy professionals are offering home sellers the benefits of these effective marketing tools and others in order to save sellers the expense of paying two agents' commissions. A listing agent can often adequately advertise a home in a good market without the use of the MLS and the seller gets exactly what they want. The home gets sold and they pay a much lower and more affordable fee since there is no second agent. Assist 2 Sell offers this program for a low flat fee based on the price of the home. As low as $2,995 paid at closing.



• Volume is the key to meeting consumer demand in the current and future real estate market. As some companies take a different approach to the traditional model of real estate, consumers (home sellers and home buyers) benefit again. The typical agent in the USA does fewer than 10 deals each year and charges around 6% for each transaction. Offices like Assist 2 Sell are offering a more reasonable fee which benefits sellers even when another agent is involved. When an Assist 2 Sell agent lists a home for sale, the flat fee is set up front, but not paid until closing when the home is sold. When an Assist 2 Sell agent sells the home himself, the seller saves the full commission that would normally be paid to a buyers' agent, plus the difference in the A2S agent's fee and a typical listing commission.

Consumers have many choices when it comes to real estate professionals. When choosing who to work with on the purchase or sale of your next home, make sure you find someone who will consult with you throughout the transaction, who is knowledgeable in your area, and who offers great service at a fair value.

Don't be an idiot like some of those agents.