Listing Realtors are Obsolete.

Listing Realtors are obsolete.

 

The time has come where Real Estate Sellers should realize that Sellers do not need the outdated services of a listing (seller’s) agent.

 

I differentiate between Seller Agents and Buyer Agents because Buyer’s Agents perform a valuable service and are therefore instrumental and highly useful in the sales process. It is really very simple, Buyer’s Agents bring buyers to the property and Seller’s Agents wait for Buyers Agents to bring the buyers along. This is the entire direction that the real estate industry itself has been heading for years and it cannot be denied.

 

Oh there will be outcries from some Realtors that this not the case. That they themselves work very hard to directly produce a buyer for any property that they list. When the Seller’s Agent does directly produce a buyer, this creates a situation that is known as a dual agent or what I have titled as “a Double Agent.” When the Seller’s Agent becomes a “Double Agent” this agent is actually no longer representing the best interests of the Seller, so in effect the Seller is now without an agent anyway. The ability for an agent to act as a dual agent “Double Agent” is a complete farce and will someday be deemed illegal. In subsequent articles I will further explain this unique phenomenon that exists only in the real estate industry.

 

A seller does not need to employ and pay large sums of money to an agent just to attract the services another agent, the Buyer’s Agent. Sellers are capable of performing this same function completely on their own and it is not hard to do.

 

The vast majority of buyers use the Internet to look for real estate. One of the best-kept secrets in the entire real estate industry is that on-line advertising is dirt-cheap! A property can be placed on-line in one of the large regional newspapers for as little as $100 per month. How many months worth of on-line advertising can a Seller afford if he or she is saving a 2.5% commission?

 

The other overlooked issue is that sellers already do most of the hard work. What is the hardest part of selling a home? Keeping it presentable and ready for viewing. And who does this difficult task? Not the agent but rather the seller. So the seller performs the most difficult task of keeping the property clean and tidy as well as needing to be prepared at a moments notice for an unexpected visitor and the quick disturbance and preparation that entails.

 

So what does the Seller’s Agent do that the Seller cannot perform themselves? Signage, Multiple listing Service or maybe messaging are some of the most obvious items.

These are all easily accessible and performed by any seller who wishes too as you will learn in future articles.