Andrew, I do not know why anyone would walk in to buying real estate without a Realtor. That would be like going to a murder trail without an attorney.

Danny, And yet they do. Go figure. I like your analogy. I'd like to call myself to the stand.

Andrew -  Loved this quote, "I have power tools in my garage but I still go to the dentist. "  Good call on that & keep on smiling:-)

I agree with Danny.  Yet, there are buyers that would rather do it themselves.  I don't understand why.  It's not like they are saving money by not having representation.

Mr. Sardi! Thanks for the comment. Amazing, really, when you consider how real estate works. Have a true, tested Pro represent your interests and someone else will pick up the tab.

Brigita, I'm just as incredulous. Some buyers are stricken with the impulse to run into the sales trailer or the Open House. Realtors involve themselves from beginning to end. We're a second set of everything: eyes, ears, hands.

One of my public missions is to educate folks: Who represents who? You need your own posse if this were the O.K. Corral.

Because I am independant from Real Estate Agents I get people ask me all the time about not using them.  My response to them is ALWAYS "You get what you pay for."  Then I bring up the litigation possibilities and that usually scares them into a phone call right away.

I love the ones who can do it themselves!!!  Some do succed tough and I congratulate them however did they get the highest price they could?  humm....bet not!!!

I was a personal trainer for many years.  Clients would talk about quiting or not renewing with me.  my response was always the same "Kick you own ass then, I'm not going to kiss it."  Anyway I have the same feeling, and the fact is some people can pull it off and save some money. Key word "SOME" not many.

Rey, that's good advice -- not to sound like a homer because I am a Realtor!

Susan, New Jersey is a disclosed dual agency state which makes representation very tricky.

Brian, Ditto. I witness few folks saving money. I just see them waiving representation and going it alone.

Andrew, that truly is an amazing piece. There is no reason why anyone looking to buy should not use a REALTOR®. Can you imagine a brain surgeon performing surgery on himself. 8)

Rob, Sure if he had a really, really big mirror and a steady hand. I am as dumbfounded as you. Don't get it. Defies logic. Are we so loathed we are to be ignored altogether?

Andrew - Have to agree with Sardi's comment.  A buyer not using a realtor makes no sense whatsoever.  Just as the same with a seller!

Marc, It's okay to be a do-it-yourselfer but as a buyer why would you pass on free, full-time help? Especially relocating from New York. I'm down here and I can be of great assistance. There's no great deal going to the listing agent direct.  

Bravo Andrew!  REALTORS(R) eat, sleep, breathe (and in my case even dream) real estate.  REALTORS(R) watch the market on a daily basis: new listings, price reductions, U/C, SOLD.  Some of us can tell a home is overpriced just by the basic specs of a home in our marketplace.  The best REALTORS(R) know their market like the back of their hand. 

No one, ABSOLUTELY NO ONE, can beat the knowledge of one who is in the trenches daily.  But ya wanna go it alone anyhow, huh?  ALL-RIGHTY THEN!

Andrew, You're hired!!! I sold a lot two years ago and actually hired one of my competitors to do it for me. Why? Because I knew she had contacts with builders and specialized in selling vacant land. Even though the lot was in my market, I don't work that side of the business. She sold it in one day!!! Even pros use pros when they are better qualified.

Andrew - had to turn down my monitor. the glare from this brilliance was overwhelming.

Antoinette, Since you and I are kindred spirits, selling in New Jersey, I do appreciate your input. Your comment succinctly demontsrates our proficiency. Wanna go it alone. Suit yourself. What's mindboggling is most people cite Donald Trump and Bill Gates and the Brit with Virgin Airlines as the prototypes of commercial success. How'd it happen? They surrounded themselves with good people. Should buying a home be any different?

Bryant, You're ahead of the curve. Even pros use pros when they are better qualified. Eureka!

J-Mac, You're too funny.

Andrew:  I'd like for you to be my next realtor... that's how good I think you are!

ROFL! I have power tools in my garage, but I still go to the dentist. That about sums it up!

Excellent points, Boss man, but there are diehards everywhere.  I hope they stay away from Realtors because we will be too busy dealing with people who prefer professionals handling their transactions and making it all look easy!

Some people who have bothered to educate themselves CAN do it better themselves, well except for the negotiation.

You notice that professionals never have the power person doing the negotiating.  It's always a go between.

but, MOST people who either haven't bothered, don't care to, don't want to, don't do it it enough, GET EDUCATED, should have a qualified professional advising them.

Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately for us) for most people, it's more like.

CUT OUT THE PROFESSIONAL and LOSE A BUNDLE!

Though the bad apples in our professions do bear some responsibility for this consumer attitude!

Lisa, I guess that line made a few people chuckle.

Bonnie, True enough. Professionals committed to excellence make it look easy and are to blame! Ha Ha.

Erby, You raise a valid points: (a) no doubt the deepest wornds of this industry are self-inflicted, (b) you can do it alone, if you possess the requisite experience.

BUT most of DON'T possess the requisite experience and NEED the services of professionals.

SOME of us are just to stupid to GET IT!

Andrew- Great advertisement. But I am not sure the people that need to "get it" will. They don't understand and never will.

Erby and Mark, I do believe folks, on average, are smarter than given credit for. I try very hard not to generalize. It's the Holidays. You could all use a little more faith in our fellow man/woman, right? :)

I'm always amazed at how many buyers go to builders without being represented.  I don't think they realize that the sales people aren't looking out for their best interest.  Buyers deserve to have someone looking out for them and they don't have to pay for it.  Great Post.

Hi Andrew,
Penny wise, pound foolish comes to mind.  Why anyone would enter into a real estate transaction without the assistance and advice of a professional is beyond me.  Could it be they have not been educated that we are there to look after their best interest? I think many think we are just there for the commission and offer no value to them.

You definitely got the message across!!  Great post.

Debbie, a free full-time dedicated professional for free and folks pass. Just don't get it.

Cynthia, there's a lot of truth to the "we're in it for the money" angle. Guess we need to continue to spread the truth!

Tom, It's like operating on yourself it really is. The sign of intelligence is asking for assistance from someone who has been there and done it, right?

Andrew, I agree that "on average" people are smarter.

But we see a lot that aren't.  I generally get five or six calls a week who only want to know how much?

I usually ask people who ask that question if they are asking because that is the most important factor to them or if they are just not sure of what other questios to ask.

At least two of them a week are just about price.

It amazes me why anyine would want to take such a huge risk not to be represented when making one of the single largest purchases/investments of their life! Great post!

Andrew - THIS one I absolutely adore! It says it all so well! Bravo!

I agree, use a professional. But the society we live in today has such a DiY vein that many people they can watch flip that house or some other similar show and the immediatly have mad skills. I actually had a doctor ask my business partner if he could use us to list the property on the mls and then only pay us 1% to do that. My partner asked him if he would perform a certain procedure he needed if he brought his own scalpel. The Dr. said no. So did my partner.

Rachel, because they are NOT educated, even though they've watched flip the house to learn how to do it.

Naivety is a killer.

WOW! That was great! It reminded me of a newly licensed agent that I once upon a time hired when I owned my own company.  She got upset with me for trying to help her close a deal and began by telling me "I have purchased 3 houses on my own without an agent and plan to purchase my 4th house this year.  I am just as experienced as you or any other agent out there!"  Now this agent had been licensed all of 2 months and was working with one of my clients that I had given to her.  I tried to explain that just because she had purchased from FSBO's on her own, did not make her an experienced real estate agent.  Of course I fired her right then and there after she got really nasty with me.  Now that the market has changed I'm not so sure those that feel they don't need an agent really understand the challenges that we face daily during slower markets. 

 Anyway, I loved your blog.

Thanks, Dee. There is this pervasive attitude that if I eliminate the middleman I'll save more money. Okay, that works for products, maybe not for personal services. Maybe not for personal representation on one of the biggest transactions in your life. Besides, we are not 'middlemen' -- we do bring intrinsic value to the transaction. And a Realtor who uncovers critical information that would upend a buyer financially is of enormous value.

Andrew, I'm sure I talked with this guy over the weekend.  He's an ex builder ( a know-it-all).  When I started asking questions and trying to help him, he made sure I knew he didn't need a realtor....he was perfectly happy to drive around on his own.   I thanked him for calling and quickly hung up the phone......without writing down his number!  LOL!

It's one of those things that people don't know what they don't know, until they are in the middle of deep s%#% and realize they don't know anything. It's kind of like a teenager...

Now having said that, there are some consumers that ARE perfectly capable of handling their own transaction, due the research, etc.  It's just a small group of them.  I think consumers get irked and think we are arrogant when we say that everyone needs an agent.  Most people would benefit from having an agent; few are okay without us.

Great post! Attention grabber!  And so true.  I'm not a doctor but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night.  You work to not work harder but better and more effective that anyone out there.  Then they call you lucky.  I have no doubt you got listings off some "for sale by owner" clients, who too saw the light.  Or were afraid of your power tools!  Love original spins on Real Estate! Keep 'em coming!

Happy Holidays!

But it also comes from some dinosaur agents who think like this one does.

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=95443

Andrew ~ Nice post. You are so right. There is tremendous value that REALTORS add to a transaction that many people don't realize.

For instance, I joined the government affairs committee at my local board and am able to give clients the heads up about what's planned for our area. We have city planners and a host of individuals give talks on a regular basis that keep us in the know. My clients often ask me how I know so much about what's happening. For me, it's all part of being a professional.

This is, of course, great advice.  I would like to see the questions one can ask Real Estate agents to find out if they are the one who is best suited for a particular property and what they will do to ensure the property gets sold!

Anyone planning to cut out a realtor in my area is CRAZY! There house will sell for less and get less showings. Especially with gated communities and no drive by traffic, selling without a realtor is a risky ordeal here in which I don't recommend. 

I've seen first hand the mistakes that the seller makes without representation and couldn't see it saving money at all.  

Kay, I guess if you want to go it alone than that's the buyer's option.

Melina, I agree somewhat. especially if folks know about construction, local code and negotiating. But they do need to bring some practical experience to the table when they square off against sellers.

Erby, I clicked through that link. Ancient thinking is right!

Darleen, Exceptional point. You're investing your time to add value for your clients. So you do need to be compensated for your expertise. Makes sense to me.

Matthew, Every professional has a basic marketing plan that they semi-customize for the property. Throwing thousands of dollars in advertising, unfortunately, does not work in my market anymore. There must be a proposition of value, rightly priced, of course.

Sandy, Agreed. Part of the error is thinking that if you transacted once (which most of us have) that a Realtor is then unnecessary baggage. Some folks learn the hard way. We'll see what 2008 brings. Exciting part of the cycle.

There are 5 plus FSBO houses in my own neighborhood and they sit and they sit and they sit. I recently heard "Realtors are as a bad as lawyers!- I wouldn't use one if they were the last people on earth!' "  from one of the potential sellers. Well- if you can sit on your house for 1 plus year while it gets no traffic at all - then have at it.  If someone wants my services fine - I will not beg my neighbors to use  a realtor. We all have to learn on our own curve - some are slower than others! It's a great life!

If you are a real estate broker you are still a Realtor! Are you suggesting that a seller  should go buy owner? Or a buyer should represent themselves?

Great post.  You do a good job of contrasting the pros and cons of using a Realtor.

Great post. Thanks for standing up for fellow realtors.

Susan, Understood. I think its our responsibility to educate and present what we do. Private sellers are within their domain, of course, to sell FSBO. I never criticize another's strategy. I just feel I offer value and hope folks consider hiring me.

Tina, I'm sorry. I don't understand your question. My thesis here is that a REALTOR should be consulted for a significant milestone like buying a home. We know the local lay of the land, the grass roots.

Nate, Thank you sir.

Nicholas, Ditto. I thank you for reading my blog.

Andrew,

It would be advantageous to have the statistics showing how many FSBO's are sued for non-disclosure items, etc. Unfortunately none of us will ever know! It would, however, be a great listing tool in the pursuit of the ever-elusive FSBO.

Then of course we could always tell them that if they list their property with a Realtor®, and an unfortunate occurrence develops where they find themselves in a lawsuit, they will have someone to share in the expense. :-))

Thank you for a great blog. Have a great 2008!