Dear FSBO: What's wrong with your "co-broke" plan

You believe that half a commission is enough compensation when an agent sells your unlisted house. I understand that, but here's what is wrong with your reasoning:

If I write a contract on your house, after obtaining a limited showing agreement from you, I am the only agent involved in the transaction. You probably believe that you can handle the seller side. Unless you are a lawyer, that is simply not going to be the case.

1. You will be relying on my forms for all seller activity, which I will fill out and explain to you as well as the buyer. The contract is only the first of the various forms that will pass back and forth between you and the buyer. I will be delivering all of the forms to you and the buyer, whether they are buyer or seller forms.
2. My E&O insurance will be covering both sides of the transaction. If I am the only agent involved, I will be held responsible for the entire transaction.
3. Responsibility for compliance with state laws and regulations will be monitored by my broker and me--for both sides of the transaction. You may think you are doing your part, but I actually cannot allow you to everything on the seller side. My insurer and the state board will hold me responsible.
4. If a Lead Based Paint disclosure is required, I will provide the form and see that it is properly filled out by you, one of many listing agent responsibilities that you do not even know about; but I will see that it is done.
5. I will be coordinating access to your property for all inspections, the appraiser, and insurance agent for the buyer. Though these are usually buyer's agent responsibilities, all will be more difficult when there is no lockbox on the property. I will coordinate directly with you and explain all of these processes which would normally be done by the listing agent.
6. When the reports mentioned in #5 come in, it will be up to me to deliver them to you, explain them to you, and then I will put on my buyer agent hat and negotiate with you.
7. If you want my advice on how to respond to any of the issues that arise during the period from negotiation of an offer to finalization of the contract to closing of the escrow, you will not get it. You will, however, put me in a difficult situation at every juncture of the deal, because you will want to discuss the specifics. And if you don't want to discuss specifics, I will be even more concerned.
8. I will coordinate both sides of the actual closing.
9. I will answer questions about the HUD1 settlement statement for you and for the buyer.
10. I will attend both sides of the closing.

I know you believe that I only deserve half a commission, because I am doing "half" of the work, but that simply is not the case!