I Support Realtors® for Selfish Reasons--Forty Years of Happily Paying Commissions

I was inspired to write this post as I responded to Gary Woltal’s recent post: What the for Sale by Owners Don’t Understand. As I commented on Gary’s post I realized that many home sellers and buyers only see the process from a one-sided and often misguided point of view. And many of them have often received erroneous advice from well-meaning, but often ill-informed family or friends.

 

I’ll begin by saying that I am not now nor have I ever been a licensed Realtor®, and I don’t have one within my immediate family. What I want to do is to share a purely unbiased opinion of the reasons I believe one should use the services of a professional Realtor® and why I’ve chosen to work with them for the past 4 decades. As a homebuilder, I often heard the comments from others in the business that Realtors® don’t work, earn too much, and don’t provide anything that the average person can’t do on their own.

 

I always disagreed with such statements, and with reasons, not opinions, based in fact. Having worked closely with hundreds of Realtors®, I saw firsthand the results of their efforts. I chose qualified and professional agents to sell my homes, and appreciated their dedication and knowledge. I’ve listed a few of the reasons I choose to work with  professional Realtors® when buying or selling property.

 

REALTORS®

• Help sellers net more at closing.

• Generally sell homes faster than non represented sellers.

• Have the latest info on the market to help buyers/sellers make the best deal.

• Are aware of trends that may affect the purchase or selling price.

• Provide professional guidance to help sellers prepare homes for sale.

• Have access to tools/networks/research that can provide critical info for clients.

• Understand ALL the subtle nuances of contract negotiation and can help me avoid problems.

• May be aware of situations/circumstances that might affect future value.

• Are willing to meet prospects/clients outside normal business hours.

• Abide by a strict code of ethics.

• May be aware of financing options of which the average consumer is unaware.

 

The bottom line is: I support Realtors for selfish reasons. They make or save me money. It’s as simple as that. As a homebuilder, I never begrudged the commission that was deducted from my proceeds at closing. Realtors® were the reason I had closings. Their job was to bring me customers and to craft a deal that was acceptable to me; when they performed we were both paid. I was never coerced into agreements with purchasers, and was eager for them to present the next one. And though I no longer build homes, when I’m ready to sell my current home, I’ll call a professional Realtor®.

 

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