Are Discount Brokers A Better Deal?
Are Discount Brokers a Better Deal?
You’ve always heard…”You get what you pay for.” When it comes to hiring a Realtor this saying is oh- so true!
The inexperienced, unskilled, and inept will always work for less. Our ever-changing market demands the most experienced, skilled experts to navigate these treacherous waters like navigating class four rapids! Would you trust you most valuable asset to anyone other than a seasoned captain who has weather storms of this magnitude a thousand times? Or should you hire your next door neighbor who just graduated from real estate school and is a nice person? After being a nurse for over 20 years prior to going into real estate it would be a no-brainer answer to recommend to anyone to seek the most skilled expert in the industry to treat whatever illness may fall upon your loved one. I’ve heard the most wonderful stories from families over the years how they or their loved ones searched the entire country to hire the very best surgeon or oncologist to treat their loved one with amazing success. Those smart families did their homework and didn’t settle for second best. They know the difference between excellence and mediocrity. So true is this in the Real Estate industry too.
Sellers on an occasion asked if I would agree to work for a reduced commission. The answer without waiver is no, why would I? When you offer the very best wouldn’t that be reflective of my inability to even negotiate my own salary? If I can’t even do that how would you expect me to be able to negotiate on your behalf to get the very highest dollar in negotiating your home? Do you want a wimp protecting your most valuable asset or do you want a Pit-Bull to protect your money to get you the highest dollar for your home? Brokers who are willing to accept less for their services are actually offing less in value, they have to or no one would hire them. They have to give their services away to practically work for free. That usually means they don’t have the funds to go nation-wide to only the best training seminars, to learn from the top agent across the country, to acquire their “secrets to success”. Those secrets a well trained and seasoned expert possess will save you thousands of dollars if you are willing to listen to them. Discount brokers will often employ the method of telling you your house is worth more that it is worth. Most sellers hate to hear their home isn’t worth what they thought it was and frequently overestimate their homes’ value. This method of manipulation plays off an individual’s ego. The fact is that a Realtor is virtually worthless if they can’t be 100% honest with you! Discount brokers don’t advertise because they have no money. They tell sellers advertising doesn’t work. Well if whatever they were doing worked wouldn’t it be reflective in some way? Success leaves clues. Discount brokers are usually lone riders…not part of a successful team. They are so busy being a Jack-of-all-Trades that they are a master of none. The team environment in Real Estate sales supports expertise in whatever task is at hand, from Buyer Agent to Listing Agent, to Closing Coordinator, to Administrative Assistant, to Team Leader. They are experts at what they do, ever vigilant to watch that no detail falls through the cracks. The lone rider can’t possibly keep track of everything and do a great job, it is physically impossible. Years of experience beats the new kid on the block any day. Passengers aboard the US Airways flight that made an emergency landing on the Hudson River in 2009 was masterfully landed by the seasoned airline veteran and flight instructor C.B. Sullenberger. It was his years of experience and seasoned skills that saved hundreds of lives that cold January day.
Mediocrity vs. expertise…it’s your choice. You get what you pay for!
by Nadine Wynn
Mediocrity vs. expertise…it’s your choice. You get what you pay for!
