As a Seller, Would You Agree to Pay for the Agent's Assistant?

My office charges a $180 post closing administrative transaction fee...  or something like that...  and it's charged to the buyer or seller of every transaction.  I can't say that I agree with it, but it's there.  

As far as MY assistant goes, I pay her.  

Good morning Tammie. I can't believe it. New to me too and I think a hard sell for any seller.

Hi Tammie - maybe for a smaller home where the commission isn't breathtaking but for an average home or better, the agent should absorb this fee.  It's a cost of doing business.  Did he charge for the newspaper ads, the sign and his gas also?

Is that really any different than the 'ADMIN fee', 'Flat commission' charged by brokers?

No, and I have never charged an admin fee either. Admin fees ( if any) would get deducted from my commission.

I don't quite get the feeling that the seller really understands he's paying it.

Tammie, That is hogwash.  No way, no how, would I agree to pay anything for the listing agent's admin fee.  That is an expense of the listing agent ... unless of course their was a discount on commission and other arrangements were made. 

Otherwise, I'd be willing to bet that the seller does not know they are paying it ... or what it is for ... who normally pays it, etc.

In agreement with you Tammie.

I have no problem covering the transaction coordination fee as a business expense.

In our area, the use of transaction coordinators seem to be increasingly used.  Their fee seems to get handled in a variety of ways.  I don't think it should be put on a seller unless it was disclosed before it actually was.

Point of view is at work here. If someone said to you, I will help you get this done for a small fee, that may be money well spent

As long as the fee (and whatever benefit) is disclosed to the seller at the time of listing, I say go for it.

What I would have a problem with, is a mystery fee showing up on the HUD 24 hours from closing.

In my experience people don't read the fine print...

I'm astonished to hear this. I assume my commission covers the cost of handling a listing from start to finish and if there's a cost involved to close, I cover that too.

In our area there are very few companies not charging an admin fee to the buyer and seller. It is disclosed up front in writing. I explain it to a client, particularly on the listing side, by explaining that the commision is what I earn to accomplish the sale. The admin fee is to partially offset the costs our brokerage operation supporting us as agents to accomplish the end goal. A full time marketing director, full time IT person, 4 supervising brokers in 2 offices available 24/7 to any agent with a question, receptionists, accountants, web developers and the list goes on. How can a brokerage provide all these services and still give highly attractive splits to attract the best there is AND still turn a profit? It is our option as agents to pass it on or eat it for the client.

Many ways to skin the cat...its the sceeeching that bothers everyone