Quote:
Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile
A lot of what agents do now is automated (just like a lot of professions) and any monkey with a laptop can do it. I see their services as a lot like that of travel agents - they've invented a database which initially was very hush-hush and secretive and unless you knew the secret handshake, you couldn't get access to. However, over the years it has become more and more public to the point it's virtually 100% accessible online and all they do is navigate it on your behalf to save you the time/trouble.
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I think your perspecive is based on what you've seen from lazy, unsuccessful realtors.
MLS & other online databases are only TOOLS that we use. If that was the majority of our work, then you'd think the playing feild would be pretty level among realtors, right? Fact is, 80% of the business is still done by the top 10-15% of the realtors, because they work harder, are better salespeople, and are more committed and professional.
What I see day in, day out are people who use the first realtor they come across, without refences or research, and then are shocked that they don't get a high level of service. It's madness, and it's *really stupid*.
Having said that, I think local, state (or provincial) and national real estate boards are largely to blame by setting the bar low for qualifications. Certaibly doesn't help to justify professional wages.
And as for commission... I got a call last night from a developper I'm working with. He's been apprached by another agent&broker who offered to handle his buisness for 4.5% (vs my 5%). The builder had a tough year last year, and is reasessing *everything*. He felt bad pushing the issue, because I've put a lot of work in, but he wanted to know if I was flexible with my commission. I told him I sure was, and could be over in a few hours to redo our contracts. Spent almost 4 hours with him today, and got all the contracts resigned for 6 months at 5.5%, and he couldn't be happier. So yeah, my commissions are negotiable, especially on weekends
Instead of negotiating DOWN on commission, I negotiated UP on service. We spend hours going over his goals for specs, pre-solds ad lots. We drew up a marketing plan and sales strategy to get things rolling faster this year. We even went over his own office management bottlenecks and set deadlines for firing some of the deadwood. He won't get that level of effort for 4.5%, or even 5%.
Discount brokers, FSBOs, no-service realtors are all important players in a competitive marketplace. I like them, personally. Scares the lazy players out of the business, and helps me sell my value at the full-service end of things