A mistake that sometimes comes into play when choosing a Realtor, especially if you are interviewing multiple agents, is making your final decision based off how much a Realtor is willing to negotiate their commission. Think carefully about your end goal before you come out asking for a Realtor to discount their commission because, at the end of the day, do you really want a “discount agent” to sell your biggest asset or do you want a professional? If your end goal is more casual and you really don’t care if you don’t sell in the next 6 months or you aren’t very focused on getting top dollar, then maybe a discount Realtor is for you. If your end goal is to sell your home in the least amount of time and for as much as possible, then please do yourself a favor and hire a professional.
I’m willing to bet that if a Realtor is quick to agree to lower their commission just to get your listing, they are doing so because they don’t have any other value that they can offer you. Dropping their commission is the only incentive they can offer you to hire them. They also likely don’t spend much on marketing, therefore their overhead costs are usually much less.
To put it in a different perspective, I’m sure we can all think of some high profile criminal cases that ended with a clearly guilty party walking free. Do you think those same people would have had the same results if they instead hired a discount attorney? Now we all know the clear differences between an attorney and a Realtor, but the common factor remains the same. Anyone can get licensed in a field (such as a doctor, attorney, contractor, Realtor, etc…) but it’s the true professionals that you are looking for.
Another thing to consider is, if a Realtor is quick to discount their commission to you, how are they going to hold up when it comes time to successfully negotiate the highest price when you get an offer?
Everything I just mentioned is absolutely true and applies to most situations….there is a “however” involved. However, there are some situations where giving a slight discount in commission is warranted and appropriate. In most situations, though, it’s actually going to be in your best interest to choose the best possible Realtor, even if they aren’t the cheapest.
Just like the saying goes, “If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur.”
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