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THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A DISCOUNT BROKER - FROM THE CONTRARIAN

By
Real Estate Agent with Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate 303829;0225082372

THERE ARE BROKERS WHO USE THE WORD "DISCOUNT" IN ADVERTISING AND IN THEIR TRADE NAME AS AN ADVERTISING TERM. 

"DISCOUNT" IS AN ADVERTISING TERM.  Buyers and sellers believe that if a business advertises "discount", that the fee is lower than market.  Ergo, companies that advertise their company as "discount broker" will attract consumers who think they are going to save money by using a "discount" broker's services.  The consumer may save money.  The consumer may not save money.  Depending on how the "discount broker" prices the property, the consumer may lose significant value (cash) if the property does not sell within a reasonable amount of time.  Or not.  The word "discount" in the company name or advertising has no affect on whether or not the seller actually saves money.  In order to make or sale any money, the house must sell. 

DISCOUNTED FROM WHAT?  Since there is no fixed fee from which to discount, if asked, what would the so called "discount broker" say?  Would they say they are X% lower than the broker down the street?   There are brokers who charge higher than average and brokers who charge lower fees than average.  There are brokers who charge less for certain types of listings, i.e. Exclusive Agency listings that permit the seller to sell their home.  There are so called "discount" brokers who advertise "discount listing fees", then lower the co-op so that the broker representing becomes a "discount" broker whether or not it is their business model, simply by selling the listings of the "discount" listing broker. 

BROKER MODELS AND BROKER POLICY.  Many brokerages have minimum fees which their agents can charge for listing services.  If the brokerage down the street offers listing services for a lower company fee, that doesn't mean that they are "discounted".  All it means is that they are charging less than the company up the street that charges more.  There may be another company down the street that charges less than the so called "discount broker" that charged less than another brokerage.  There may be agents within a company that has no set fee that charges less or more depending on the level of services requested by the seller.  They could easily consider themselves "discount brokers" because the agents working with the buyers or sellers "discount" the services they provide from the services many agents and brokers believe to be "full service". 

"DISCOUNT" BUYERS AGENTS.  There are some companies that charge "discount fees" and offer rebates to buyers who use their services.  They claim to be "discount brokers".  They aren't discounting anything because there is no set fee from which to discount.  They accept the co-op offered and rebate a percentage or set amount back to the buyer if the buyer can pursuade the listing agent to perform some of the services that many, if not most, buyer's agents would perform, like SHOWING THE PROPERTIES TO THE BUYERS.  That's not really a discount broker.  That's a broker that signs folks up to find their own home and then sits by and waits to write a contract.  They haven't discounted their fees because they don't do much for their fees.  Sometimes their "agents" work on salary.  They purport to not be fiduciaries for the buyer although they often waddle and quack.  They get by with what they do because buyers and seller don't know the difference.

There are brokers who employ the word "DISCOUNT" in their advertising to attract home sellers who believe that they will save money with a "discount broker".  They may, they may not. 

The skills and value of agents and brokers varies as much as the colors in the rainbow.  When a com pany  advertises that they are "discount" brokers, they are appealing to the universal desire of every consumer to buy on sale

discount real estate companies maryland, discounty real estate companies virginia

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Comments(32)

Kaye Thomas
Real Estate West - Manhattan Beach, CA
e-PRO, Manhattan Beach CA
Lenn.. As always right on target.. I like  fee for service..as the  small fee = very little service.
Aug 29, 2007 10:16 AM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Gerhard.  Thanks for dropping by.  Haven't heard much from you lately.  I agree.  I've dealt with the so called "discount brokers".  They did, indeed, discount the service, even though their advertising said otherwise.  But, they are not all like that.  I charge very little when I list a property for sale, but I'm doing it for a buyer.  I want that contingency to go away.  I'm no discount anything. 

Bryant.  You're performing a valuable service and I would never consider your company a discount broker.  Charging a lower fee than some brokers is not discounting.  It's making the market work.  I doubt that your fees are what brings most of your business anyway. 

Joey.  Thanks for commenting.  Lots of folks who can afford quality are attracted by the word discount. 

Kaye.  Some brokerages are trying the Fee For Service, but they are still marginal.

Aug 29, 2007 10:31 AM
Missy Caulk
Missy Caulk TEAM - Ann Arbor, MI
Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate

Lenn, I had a house listed in Ann Arbor, they did everything I asked them to do except remove the wall paper in the kitchen and nook. It was that green vine stuff, popular in the 90's and this was a former builders mode.

I had 34 showing, 90% of the feedback was TOO much wallpaper. I thought I found a renter but they changed their mind.

So they call me and tell me they are going to list with a broker who can save them money. This Realtor has been around for years before discount brokers were around. He advertises, " I'll sell your home for 3.5%".

They listed with him, he has NO internet presense. The fact is he offers 2.5% to co-broke and he keeps 3.5%.

I can't believe people fall for this ! No one wants to sell his homes.

Aug 29, 2007 11:20 AM
Laurie Mindnich
Centennial, CO
This is another great post, Lenn.  I likely interpret it differently from most.  Discount, just as easy to use to attract, is used disparagingly as a reference to "service" by many in the industry.  If, as a buyer broker, I decide that it makes business sense for ME to rebate a buyer with whom I've spent days and time, how is that reflective of compromised service?  It ISN'T.  Ditto, a listing- it simply is not measurable, with so many buffoons operating on both sides of the coin, screwing it up for the rest of us.
Aug 29, 2007 11:26 AM
Celeste "SALLY" Cheeseman
Liberty Homes - Mililani, HI
(RA) AHWD CRS ePRO OAHU HAWAII REAL ESTATE
Discount?  I think I negotiate. Same thing huh? lol?  Same service...exceeding the "what's expected" and working my behind off no matter what. (really discounting on a current one...buyer....met the screen door guy this morning....seller will not fix/repair/replace....so i am paying 625 dollars for my repeat client to put on four new screen doors so when she gets home from Iraq in October she will not have a chore opening a screen door.) 
Aug 29, 2007 11:52 AM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Missy.  I see that all over wtih the "Assist To Sell".  They advertise a $3000-$4000 range "listing fee".  What their advertisement doesn't say is that this fee doesn't include any co-op. 

Laurie.  Of course.  Fact is, all agents operate differently.  All brokers operate differently.  I know so called "full service" listing agents who put the homes in the MLS and wait for them to sell.  Not a problem because that's how 90% of homes sell anyway.  My post was inspired by

http://activerain.com/blogsview/188289/I-m-a-Discount

and all I'm saying is that the term "discount" is an advertising term.  Otherwise, we're fixing fees to a level from which they can be discounted and that's a serious problem.  The fact that companies even call themselves discount anything, is bad from an anti-trust perspective.

Sally.  I know brokers who charge a low fee who do aa very good job.  I know brokers who charge a high fee and don't.  The word discount is, IMO, an advertising gimmick.

 

Aug 29, 2007 12:11 PM
Dick & Sandy Beals
Wilmington Real Estate 4U Wilmington, NC - Wilmington, NC

Lenn,

You get what you pay for......some love to discount, I like negotiate.  Unfortunately the consumer in this market does not understand menu of services, or consultive fees for service, the word discount gets them in the door.

Dick Beals

Aug 29, 2007 12:24 PM
Celeste "SALLY" Cheeseman
Liberty Homes - Mililani, HI
(RA) AHWD CRS ePRO OAHU HAWAII REAL ESTATE
Ahhhh.
Aug 29, 2007 01:05 PM
Lola Audu
Lola Audu~Audu Real Estate~Grand Rapids, MI Real Estate - Grand Rapids, MI
Audu Real Estate~Grand Rapids, MI ~Welcome Home!
I've bookmarked this post for training purposes.  You have a way of getting to the heart of an issue  which ferrets out all the junk designed to confuse and obscure what is truly at stake. The reality of life is that ultimately you get what you're willing to pay for...there is no free lunch!
Aug 29, 2007 01:41 PM
Eric Kodner
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes - Minnetonka, MN
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island

The owner of a home listed with a "discount" broker will likely pay for it.  Longer market time, less marketing, more do-it-yourself on the part of the seller are frequent outcomes.

If it doesn't, then where's the discount?  2 or 3 percent of zero is..zero.

Aug 29, 2007 02:04 PM
Chuck Dellorto
Coldwell Banker - Serving INDIANA & ILLINOIS - Highland, IN
"Talk To Chuck"

Lenn,

There is a company out here that advertises that they are a "Full Service Discount Broker". I think the broker thinks there are some naive people out there.

Aug 29, 2007 04:08 PM
Bonnie Erickson
Tangletown Realty - Saint Paul, MN

From "the Contrarian" . . . Do you also wear purple, Lenn?  One of my favorite collections of poetry is "When I'm an Old Woman I Shall Wear Purple" and I'll bet the subtitle is "and speak my mind".  I wear purple now and love it.  Awful gaudy stuff that I was taught a large woman shouldn't wear when I was younger.  I don't care now.  I like it and feel good in it!  

In like manner, I love it when you tell it like it is!  At first I thought the duck was your way of flipping the bird until I read the whole post!  All the b#$% s#$% that's passed around that hoodwinks the consumer and we stand around being politically correct!  My friend watched me cringe during a HomeValues.com commercial last night.  "You don't like that much, do you?", she asked.  "Nope.  It makes me furious.  They sell the consumer on a 'free' market analysis and then charge me, the agent, for the lead to give the consumer what I would have given them for free had they come directly to me."

Everybody wants a deal.  Me, too, except if I have to sacrifice quality.  I'll pay extra any day for good quality service and good quality product.  And most especially when it comes to my HOUSE!

QUACK, QUACK, QUACK! 

Aug 29, 2007 05:25 PM
Paula Henry
Home to Indy Team @ HomeSmart Realty Group - Avon, IN
Realtor - Indianapolis Real Estate - 317-605-4174
Lenn -  like that you call yourself a contrarian! One of the best responses I have ever heard was, "In the absence of quality, money is the only negotiating factor".
Aug 29, 2007 06:59 PM
Brian Schulman
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Lancaster PA - Lancaster, PA
Lancaster County PA RealEstate Expert 717-951-5552
Lenn, I like your description of "discount buyers' agents".  The buyer may get a rebate, but they miss out on much of the personal value and service they might have gotten from a dedicated BA.
Aug 29, 2007 11:44 PM
Susan Trombley
Trombley Real Estate - Wake Forest, NC
Broker/Realtor, Raleigh, Cary, Wake Forest, Youngs

Lenn

You did it again. You have explained it to the hilt. Discount and you are so right there are no norms in the real estate world and I try and explain that to my friends neighbors and anyone else who will listen to me.

I have bookmarked and rated 5. Way to go.

Aug 30, 2007 02:09 AM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Lenn,
You get what you pay for......some love to discount, I like negotiate.  Unfortunately the consumer in this market does not understand menu of services, or consultive fees for service, the word discount gets them in the door.
Dick Beals
Dick.  Thanks for commenting.  "the consumer in this market [or any market] does not understand" says it all.  Buzz words like "discount" get their attention.

Ahhhh.
Sally.  Ah hah!!

I've bookmarked this post for training purposes.  You have a way of getting to the heart of an issue  which ferrets out all the junk designed to confuse and obscure what is truly at stake. The reality of life is that ultimately you get what you're willing to pay for...there is no free lunch!
Lola.  Thanks very much.  We need to be honest with the public.  It's very important.  We offer valuable services and our value is diminished when folks play word games with what we do. 

The owner of a home listed with a "discount" broker will likely pay for it.  Longer market time, less marketing, more do-it-yourself on the part of the seller are frequent outcomes.
If it doesn't, then where's the discount?  2 or 3 percent of zero is..zero.
Eric.  The point is that I don't really know what a "discount" broker is, especially one who says that they give "full service" at discount prices.  Discounted from what?????

Lenn,
There is a company out here that advertises that they are a "Full Service Discount Broker". I think the broker thinks there are some naive people out there.
Chuck.  Indeed, indeed.  Is that an oxymoron or can they back that up with a list of routine services??
Aug 30, 2007 08:21 AM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland
comes to my HOUSE!

QUACK, QUACK, QUACK!
Bonnie.  Thanks for visiting.  You are right.  The public are, indeed, naive. 

Lenn -  like that you call yourself a contrarian! One of the best responses I have ever heard was, "In the absence of quality, money is the only negotiating factor".
Paula.  That is funny.  I call myself a contrarian when I post in opposition to a post.  In this case, it was
http://activerain.com/blogsview/188289/I-m-a-Discount
I thought her post deserved more than just a comment and I wanted more folks to read it.  So, I posted and it didn't get featured.  Were it not for folks that subscribe to my blog, I'd often be a voice in the wilderness.  The Discount Broker's post got featured.  Go figure. 

Lenn, I like your description of "discount buyers' agents".  The buyer may get a rebate, but they miss out on much of the personal value and service they might have gotten from a dedicated BA.
Brian.  Not a week goes by that I don't get a call from a buyer who saw a home they like on my IDX site and wants me to show it to them.  They have an agent but the agent sent them out to find their home. 

Lenn
You did it again. You have explained it to the hilt. Discount and you are so right there are no norms in the real estate world and I try and explain that to my friends neighbors and anyone else who will listen to me.
I have bookmarked and rated 5. Way to go.
Susan.  Thanks very much.  You just gave me an idea for a post.  Thanks again.  Now if I can just remember to do it.
Aug 30, 2007 08:28 AM
Chuck Dellorto
Coldwell Banker - Serving INDIANA & ILLINOIS - Highland, IN
"Talk To Chuck"

Lenn,

Definitely an oxymoron. I guess what we consider full service is way different than others.

Aug 30, 2007 03:22 PM
Mike Gambino
Prudential Patterson Realtors - Florissant, MO
GRI

Have you noticed in reading comments in all the articles concerning discount brokers(ABM).  One thing has been said over and over.  The consumer does not understand what the difference is!  Our job as realtors is not just to market their home to get it sold, but to educate them on the process, which includes compensation to all parties.  How many times do we go into a listing and discuss everything in detail about what we do to get their home sold and then semi-gloss over the commission.  I believe we need to spend more time really explaining how this part of the process works and how it benefits the seller in less time on market and with more showings for a potential to bring the highest sale price.  If a seller can sell their home just 1 month sooner the potential discount in most cases will not exist, many times this can be verified through the MLS to show that the discount brokers listings are on the market longer and the sale to list price ratio is well below the conventional brokerages.

Bottom line is education of the consumer.

Feb 06, 2008 03:25 PM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Mike.  Of course, it has always been educating the consumer.  However, when the consumer gets on the phone and calls 10 brokers asking "how much do you charge", the consumer has already assumed that we all work the same business model and the only thing that separates us is our fee.

Folks shop for real estate agents the way they shop for mattresses.  No, they may at least try the mattresses on for comfort.  For agents, price is it.

 

Feb 06, 2008 10:31 PM