$395. Can Save You $9,562. in Commission? Really?

Here we go with the dot coms of real estate espousing their expertise, customer satisfaction, and abundance of savings in commission. I checked on one of my favorites; owners.com offers a listing complete with MLS and three websites for $395. for six months.

Now, although all of that sounds real nice, here is the grim reality of listing what might be your biggest investment in your lifetime with a dot com; Like so many of the insurance companies offering X amount of savings on average for insuring with them, dot coms are like this one are advertising an average of $9,562. Wow! I wonder where on earth they came up with a number like that? I don't believe that anyone in insurance or real estate can safely or accurately brag about how much they are going to save you on average because every transaction is different and the feds should step in to stop this kind of ridiculous claim.

On the other hand, owners.com brags that 80% have sold or bought via the MLS, so if that is the case why do buyers and sellers need them? Once in the MLS without an agent you are not only at the mercy of a gazillion agents contacting you, but you are now obligated to pay at least a 3% commission on their side. So, in essence, the so called savings you are receiving by doing all the work yourself, and there is a lot, you will spend in time and hiring a lawyer to sift through the meley of paperwork that will be coming your way.

Add to the fact that most realtors hate working with by owners who are listed with a dot com and you have a recipe for selling nothing. In the end, you will pay the $395., work for free for six months, get aggravated beyond belief, and then end up listing with a professional. There, I said it, a professional. Don't be fooled for an instant by these bogus savings. Dot coms are not professionals. They are not even in the same city as you, much less the same state. To them, this is simply a way to make a quick buck before you list with an agent. A seasoned and competant realtor will end up doing so much more for you than an image on a screen or a voice on a phone. Do not fall for it again.