Pre-internet age, real estate agents provided more value to buyers and sellers than they do today. In those days, agents were responsible for helping buyers locate properties and for helping match sellers with those buyers. Now that nearly almost every property listing is online, the value agents previously provided has diminished. [...]
Under the current structure of most real estate markets and MLS systems, the seller of the home is responsible for paying the buyer agents fees. In almost all cases, the seller will pay the buyer's agent a percentage, typically 3%, of the purchase price to the buyer's agent at [...]
Many people look at their home as an "investment". This is an interesting phenomenon given that people do not evaluate their investment in their home in the same way they value and analyze other investments. [...]
After decades of living in the shadows, the secret about open houses is finally coming to light. Fewer and fewer agents are offering open houses because more and more agents are acknowledging the true purpose behind open [...]
Buyers have been convinced over decades of marketing that buyer agents are "free". Some members of the National Association of Realtors continue to perpetuate this misconception in the hopes of maintaining the status quo. Most firms charge between a 5% to 6% commission to the seller. The firms then offer to split those commissions evenly [...]
Believe it or not we have seen a resurgence in situations where multiple buyers are bidding simultaneously on the same home. In these situations buyers need to find a competitive edge when trying to outbid other buyers. There is no more powerful tool in gaining that advantage than "The [...]
In the world of homebuying the term "Rebating" refers to the practice of a real estate brokerage firm returning or refunding a portion of its commission from the seller or seller's agent to their buyer [...]
Thank you to all of our clients, friends and supporters for making 2013 our best year yet. Happy Holidays to all and we look forward to another great year in 2014.
It seems like with every new Holiday Season American consumers are demanding more and more value from retailers. In our technological age shoppers have become ultra savvy when it comes to value and price. No longer are consumers fooled into simply assuming that the most expensive item is the highest quality item. Consumers instinctively [...]
The median home price in Chittenden County Vermont is roughly $262,000. Under the prevailing compensation model in Chittenden County, real estate firms charge 6% to represent a seller and 3% to represent a buyer in Chittenden [...]