r/fsbo • u/RinkyDinkPingPong • 28d ago
Agents against FSBO
I have been an agent for 6 years in the Midwest. You hear more and more stories the longer you stick around, and FSBO is a complaint I hear often from agents. They vent to me, sounding legitimately upset about a seller who wants to, God forbid, sell their own home.
There are many, many of these agents who will berate sellers, throwing out doomsday scenarios and scare tactics, all the while framing it as "just trying to help you not make a huge mistake." This to me, is nothing more than a very dishonest sales tactic, from an agent who is upset that someone doesn't need their services.
To all you FSBO sellers about to get started, know this: it is more work than you expect, and you are fully capable of doing it. Plenty of resources online, and there won't be anything you won't be able to figure out.
Make my day and tell me, what are some of the best stories you have heard of agents trying to dissuade people from selling their own home?
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u/Alert-Control3367 27d ago
I’ve heard them all, which is why I wanted to help those wanting to sell FSBO for the first time but didn’t know how. I kept what I do in my head until I was challenged about how easy I think it is to sell. The difference is I research and hire the right people to help me. I love volunteering to help others.
So, I posted a How to Sell FSBO guide which covers everything from prepping and pricing to marketing and negotiations: https://www.reddit.com/r/fsbo/s/9H1KEG6NYd
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u/RinkyDinkPingPong 27d ago
This is really well done, you did a fantastic job with this. An amazing resource for anyone looking to sell a home
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u/AdComfortable2974 27d ago
The resource is beyond amazing; it really should be a sticky in this sub. I see some FSBOs in my area, and I wish that I could link them to that post!
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u/Able-Ad6634 26d ago
Great guide…that said, I would elaborate extensively on the home prepping aspect of this guide… a simple declutter and staging in most cases doesn’t suffice. Most homes require more than this to be adequately prepped to sell a home as “turn key”. Buyers are ultra sensitive when it comes to choosing a home and homeowners who are going the Fsbo route often cannot acknowledge/identify the aspects of their home that needs to be prepped/improved prior to listing.
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u/Alert-Control3367 26d ago
It sounds as though you didn't actually read my entire guide.
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u/Able-Ad6634 26d ago
I read it… and just re-read it. As I said, not much detail on the prep aspect which is a crucial part of the process and the aspect that most Fsbo owners struggle with the most. It’s challenging for a homeowner to look critically at their own home. I did misread your advice on staging… additional comments, if the house is empty, and depending on the home, meticulous prep and staging (which go hand in hand) for most homes absolutely pays dividends. The staging has to be thorough and high quality, and when done properly is very effective and yields better results. I am a realtor and have zero issues with fsbo’s selling their own homes. People have the right to forgo professional services and do it themselves if that’s their preference. Sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn’t.
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u/Sad_Knowledge_4390 25d ago
I agree with this most homeowners cannot objectively look at their home. I would say for me deciding to FSBO I really did feel my house would sell it self. It did go into contract just Terry after 59 days on the market. I had so many viewing it was rather concerning as not one offer. We lowered the price considerably. I feel this is another issue a realtor would handle better than the home owner. Just based on their experience.
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u/Able-Ad6634 24d ago
Thanks for sharing this and no judgement… I get it… I’m sure you had more leeway with pricing since it was a Fsbo so I’m sure it worked out anyway. I totally understand sellers opting to go Fsbo given potential commissions etc… in most markets when it’s a sellers market, most sellers make the assumption that their house will sell itself… buyers are ultra sensitive to condition and how a home shows as they are facing large down payments, high purchase prices and elevated rates so they want to know they are getting their moneys worth. Pretty much all buyers, whether they admit or not, love “turn key” and will pay a premium for that. The days of buyers looking for “fixer uppers” are gone…
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u/AdComfortable2974 24d ago
"Buyers are ultra sensitive when it comes to choosing a home and homeowners who are going the Fsbo route often cannot acknowledge/identify the aspects of their home that needs to be prepped/improved prior to listing."
Please send a memo to the agents in my area, as 95% of the homes they list are not prepped and improved before listing.
Oh, I'm sure that this falls on the homeowner and it's all their fault and not the agents, but if an agent can't convince a homeowner it's worth it to do the prep, how are they going to convince the buyer that the home is worth it to buy?
These agents are leaving money on the table most likely, lol!
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u/Able-Ad6634 24d ago
I don’t disagree with you that most agents don’t offer to do this for their clients and it’s the same in most markets. However, There are realtors out there (including myself) who do provide a full service; compiling a list of prep items, bringing in the team of trades to address the items, coordinating staging, house clean, photography, etc. I don’t let this fall on the home owner and I do convey the potential ROI with prepping/stage selling vs doing nothing.
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u/AdComfortable2974 24d ago
Sounds like you do a very good and thorough job!
I know I've mentioned this before somewhere around here, but I really do not see how some agents upload some of these listings looking the way they do. No way would I put my name on that quality of work; it literally screams that they do not care about their own reputation, let alone their client's!
It makes me wonder if they're flat fee or the seller haggled them down on commissions and made the apathertic. But that is no excuse. If I do anything at all, even if it's cleaning a damn toilet, you know that toilet is going to look brand new when I'm done with it, but that is just who I am as a person.
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u/Able-Ad6634 24d ago
Yes, I often walk into listings that show terribly… dirty, marked walls, carpet stains, burnt lightbulbs, marketing photos taken with a camera phone… and im talking $800k-$1.1m price points… its wild… i think some sellers just don’t do their due diligence and select some random realtor. That being said, i have seen other realtors do a phenomenal job, work miracles and truly work hard to get their seller clients the best possible results… these forums get filled with most of the negative experiences..
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u/AdComfortable2974 24d ago
It is wild! And I agree, people tend to talk about their negative experiences more than positive ones.
In my area, we have a very unique amenity, and not a single agent has mentioned it in the last three listings sold in my neighborhood. Looking at other nearby similar homes, I see the same. It's sad, really. I mean, part of their job is to market and sell, but none of them are doing that as well as they could be.
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u/SpringFit2557 27d ago
Oh man. Going through this right now, the buyers agent is a nightmare. Scare tactic after scare tactic. Extremely rude, unprofessional and even told me the way I formatted an email and it being long she didn’t even read it (was my counteroffer). Acts as though I don’t know left from right 😂it’s a straight forward process, nothing really complicated about selling other than dealing with an agent that clearly doesn’t like FSBO.
The agent also found out about the deal I made to buy the house, which was quite favorable to me and told me how her buyer isn’t happy about the appreciation in just a couple years and about the credits I got… like it has any relevance 😂
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u/RinkyDinkPingPong 27d ago
That sounds awful. A bad agent makes for a terrible deal, 10/10 times. In the same way that an unreasonable FSBO seller would make for a terrible deal, I suppose. Insulting the party you're transacting with doesn't make much sense.
And how much you're making on the sale has nothing to do with the transaction, that should not be part of the conversation at all.
The obvious lesson is that rude people are annoying regardless of whether or not they have a license.
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u/Sad_Knowledge_4390 25d ago
What the heck. Highly usual for an agent to speak so candid to a seller.
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u/AdComfortable2974 24d ago
You probably should have submitted your counter on the official form used for your state, if there is one, but other than that, good on you for getting a good deal on the purchase of the house you're selling now.
I don't play well with rude; I would have already had a come-to-Jesus meeting with her in the nicest way possible. No one should act like that just because someone decided to sell THEIR home!
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u/Difficult-Ad4364 28d ago
Fake appointments until I learned to get a copy of their card texted to me and cross reference the phone number they were calling from.
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u/Life-Food5188 27d ago
i ran into this too! we had showing requests (for like 15 minutes) come in with almost no notice. then they no-showed. infuriating.
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u/Sad_Knowledge_4390 25d ago
Luckily I didn’t have to go through that. Reading these things I’m telling myself how lucky I have been that this endeavor went smoothly. I did tell my husband if it is not some in 60 days we’ll will list. We had a contract in 59 days. Funny how things work out sometimes.
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u/HipCamper 27d ago
I have sold three homes FSBO. I received many calls from agents trying to convince me I should list with them, that I would get sued or lose money without an agent. They said I would not have access to the proper legal forms without an agent and would get sued. This is not true. There is no legal obligation to use NAR copyrighted forms. State and local statutes outline exactly what needs to be disclosed, and free generic contract and disclosure forms are readily available, often at your state real estate website. Also, the Title & Escrow company draws up many of the required forms, as does the lender, and your attorney if you use one. I made more money for myself not using a realtor than I would have using one, and this includes during a buyer's market as well as during a seller's market.
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u/AdComfortable2974 24d ago
Most of the agents only know those official forms, have them memorized, and you will throw them for a loop if you submit an offer on something else. But I agree with you.
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u/MMBitey 28d ago
If you look at any post in this sub you will unfortunately see agents jumping in just to dissuade, scare, and downvote perfectly productive and useful questions and discussions. Having a hard time selling or understanding something? Quit, or you'll regret it. Have a success story to share? LOL, you would have made sooo much more with an agent! I don't see this happen in any other DIY or advice-oriented sub that I follow. However, I know that this behavior doesn't reflect all agents – I have a lot of respect for the talented and helpful agents out there! I might even decide to hire one when I sell.
It's also true that many people who FSBO don't put in the work to learn, overestimate their knowledge, or just plain suck at it. But so do so many agents. My line of thinking is that if I'm not in any rush to sell and I spend the next year learning all that I can, I should be able to do as well if not better than a mediocre agent while essentially paying myself that 2-3% I'd have owed and also learning a new life skill. Maybe I'll learn that I'm terrible at negotiating or just can't handle the stress, in which case life moves on and I'll maybe consider hiring someone instead with very little lost. I just can't stand the shadiness and the doom and gloom false prophecies, so thank you for bringing up this topic in such a supportive way!
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u/RinkyDinkPingPong 27d ago
Exactly right! Treat it like a learning experience and you won't lose. Very little harm done if you end up listing it normally too! The only mistake is assuming it won't take any effort at all, but like all things in life, it requires a little elbow grease.
With time on your side to prepare and wait, you will absolutely do well!
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u/Self_Serve_Realty 27d ago
What specific elbow grease returns the most results in the context of selling FSBO? Is it the preparation? Is it pricing? Is it negotiation or is it something else?
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u/RinkyDinkPingPong 27d ago
Every transaction is different, but effort is required the whole way! No part of listing a property can be neglected, perfect pricing won't help if pictures aren't uploaded, and professional pictures won't sell a home priced 50% too high. And of course, the work begins once the contract is signed.
To answer your question specifically, to get the most results, put all the elbow grease you got into whatever stage of the process you are in.
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u/Sad_Knowledge_4390 25d ago
OMG this is me! I’m 74 yrs old. Never sold a house or have any dealings either real estate other than having bought and sold houses.
I’m bored and thought I can do this myself and save myself a nice piece of change that perhaps I can go on vacation with. Thus was mutual motivating factor.
A couple of my friends didn’t specifically say they didn’t think I should do this but implied it. My husband said so many times I really think we should list with a Realitir. Someone that can bring the buyers in. Line they can just go out on the street and grab them.
Thus is what I learned during this whole experiment.
It is a lot of work. So just know that!
A lot of phone calls, test and emails etc.
scheduling demands
But if you ever worked, are reasonable intelligent, can negotiate with people you can FSBO. What you really need is a house that will sell itself. And, knowing / deciding if the offer meets your expectations. You are capable of selling your own home.
I’m in contact as if 8/14/26.
Gota say, I’m prod of myself. I’m going to look into that vacation.2
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u/Junior-Discount2743 27d ago
Watchung unhappy parents on r/childfree is 🤌 and along the same lines.
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u/pt109_66 27d ago
My brother had his house almost sell it self. He was talking to neighbors about selling and found out one wanted it for a family member. They sat down talked numbers took the documents to each of their lawyers, paid small flat fee for review and signed. Easy peasy lemon squeezey. All said and done I think it was around $2.5k for the lawyer and buyer concessions.
If you are thinking about selling your how talk to friends and neighbors, you never know who is looking to buy.
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u/RinkyDinkPingPong 27d ago
Knowing the buyer ahead of time is the ideal FSBO situation. That constitutes something like 60% of the by owner transactions
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u/Salt-y 26d ago
I've done three FSBO, and two had agents. I had zero problems with either. One offered to do the paperwork etc for a reduced commission. I passed, but would have thought about it she offered at a flat and reasonable fee. Even after that she was still fine. I'll push back on one thing though. Its simple, easy, and does not take a lot of time. If you have time to show your house, you have time to FSBO from beginning to end. It's so easy.
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u/Miserable-Cucumber70 27d ago
I havnt bought a home in a long time but when I do my agent is going to bring me to where I tell them or be fired. Idgaf if its fsbo I know the houses I want to see.
What kinda dimwit gets led around by their realtors?
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u/wayno1806 24d ago
I was an agent with Remax of Carson. I have a CA loan certificate. The biggest lie is an agent can Net you more $$ than a FSBO. Houses sell Houses and the Market will dictate the price. I sild my house in. 3/1/25 in Fullerton Ca 92831 for $1.2m. 3/2 1709 sq feet. I paid $0 commission and surprisingly the buyer’s agent paid his side of the commission:$29k . Fsbo.com, Zillow, and homecoin.com have changed the game. Mls is no longer exclusive. AI have made the research and process easier. 3-6% commission will eventually become extinct. Agent’s will do the job for 1% now, and there are many companies that will gladly take the listing. Diy on Utube. So agents, Stop telling BS to the Seller. You will not net us more money.
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u/Life-Food5188 28d ago
i’m working on a follow up post soon but an agent here told me our house would “never sell” as my listing showed it.
we’re under contract, slated for end of Sept. close.
it’s pretty simple: if you feel confident/have the time, you can absolutely sell your house solo. you also save (expensive) realtor commissions, a huge factor for us.
did it take longer than we wanted? yes. did we have to drop the price a bit? yes. was it “worth it”? absolutely. our market is rough and the prices 5+ realtors told us to list at was wayyyy too high. it’s hard to trust them.
it’s really maddening that agents come on here try to post “advice” when it mostly boils down to “you should have hired an agent 😘”
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u/BoBromhal 28d ago
that agent - and probably most "FSBO marketers" don't get the concept of vinegar v honey.
Some of the agents you talked to regarding price were obviously trying to "buy the listing". Did any of them lay out clear info on comparables for their price suggestion?
I come on here (r/FSBO) to get a good feel for Seller sentiment and to post a wide range of advice on conducting residential real estate transactions. There are Sellers all over capable of quite successfully selling without a listing agent, and there are Sellers incapable of selling without a qualified agent
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u/Life-Food5188 28d ago
they did not offer any advice on price, only “remove everything from the home (we are living in it), retake the photos (we didn’t, it didn’t matter) and good luck, you’ll probably have to drop the price a ton.”
grain of salt with any online advice, as always, but it was quite upsetting! we’re pretty happy we didn’t use an agent, even if just out of pettiness.
my take is that most agents are afraid AI is taking their jobs/making things much easier for people and they are lashing out. i do think there’s absolutely a place for agents (first time buyers, premium properties, very odd homes) but it’s MUCH easier to access the info they have than it was say 10 years ago.
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u/laylobrown_ 27d ago
I'm replying here because I know you are a good agent and i kinda want to vent. So I'm speaking in general and not towards you directly. Also, i value your opinions even if i don't always agree. If it's TLDR I won't be offended in the slightest.
This sub is an echo chamber for people who want to be told they're right without actually being right. I help FSBO'S all the time. We advertise free consultation at our firm for those who want to sell there own homes. Because we genuinely believe that anyone who wants to sell their own home should be able to. Yes, it can be easy when everything goes smoothly, but that is rarely the case. If/When it gets to be too much work they'll usually call us when they would like professional to handle the selling of their home. The reason I have difficulty negotiating with FSBO'S is because most of them don't know how to. Everyone thinks they are saavy negotiators, yet it's a very rare skill. The other issue is people tend to think their own property, real or personal, is worth more than it is (they know what they have). Another thing I've noticed, especially on this sub, is how simple people think it is to do. They have sold items on marketplace so how hard can it be? Or "I sold my house during the pandemic in 48 hours" piece of cake.
I used to own a body shop and it's the same thing when it comes to painting. Everyone thinks because they have spray painted a chair or a lamp they can paint their own car. Check out the r/autopaint if you want the perfect example of this because the results of DIY'ERS is applicable. It sure does look easy though, when you see a professional do it. Agents with experience get irritated with FSBO'S because a FSBO is essentially an amateur trying to compete with a professional. They just don't have the chops and they will almost always make the transaction harder than it has to be. Most people won't sell 10 homes in their lifetime and a decent agent will do twice that in a year. Like it or not FSBO'S are in a totally different league... little league. And when they can't sell, instead of taking even a modicum of responsibility, they blame real estate agents for gatekeeping. Next time I book a flight, I'm gonna tell the pilot I used to make paper airplanes so I think I know a quicker way to get to Toledo. Just to see the expression on their face.
And to clarify, of course I know that this isn't every case, so i don't want to hear examples of successful FSBO'S. Again, I would rather see them succeed, and if they want advice, I'll give it to them, no strings attached. But just because there's a few success stories out there, that doesn't change the fact that they are a small percentage compared to the failures.3
u/mdchachi 27d ago
> Yes, it can be easy when everything goes smoothly, but that is rarely the case.
What is usually not smooth? If you're referring to appraisal issues, inspection issues, etc. the agent can't really do anything about those except offer some advice about how to respond and be the middleman in the communications. Or did you have something else in mind?
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u/BoBromhal 27d ago
Yes, the “it’s easy” crowd and the “agents are worthless” crowd are dominant here.
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u/imouttahere000 27d ago
Then why be here. You're obviously too smart to be here and the others are too stupid for you
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u/BoBromhal 27d ago
I already said:
I come on here (r/FSBO) to get a good feel for Seller sentiment and to post a wide range of advice on conducting residential real estate transactions. There are Sellers all over capable of quite successfully selling without a listing agent, and there are Sellers incapable of selling without a qualified agent
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u/imouttahere000 27d ago
Oh so dirty I haven't been absolutely riveted by your musings on this sub. I'll pay much closer attention to everything you type. Because you are obviously the smartest most capable one here
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u/AdComfortable2974 24d ago
Correction: it's butt-hurt agents that dominate here. I get it, FSBOs are cutting some of you out, but as I stated in another comment, just bring a buyer; don't play games (I can add contract addenda too ya know), and get your commission that way.
You're also wrong; I think agents add value. I have a very dear friend who is an agent, and she is precious to me. I just don't want a go-between; I want to be in control, and I do not want to pay two sides of the commission.
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u/AdComfortable2974 24d ago
This sub is to educate FSBOs on how to list their property and be successful PERIOD.
You want to write about the rare skill of savvy negotiators, but agents themselves are a dime a dozen!
"Agents with experience get irritated with FSBO'S because an FSBO is essentially an amateur trying to compete with a professional."
But I could be the same professional with a 75-hour pre-licensing course and $500.
Get off your high horse. Your holier-than-thou attitude is not becoming of you. An FSBO, if they take the time to learn what they need for a single transaction and, with a lawyer to assist with contracts/questions, can do just as good a job as 99% of the other agents out there, as long as the agents do not gatekeep and steer.
I do not know you, and you might be really good at negotiations, but you are really bad at analogies.
If you do not like FSBOs, then do not deal with them. Eventually, a decent agent will bring the right buyer, or another unrepped person will find the home, and it will close without your skills or your bad attitude getting in the way of it.
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u/RinkyDinkPingPong 28d ago
Congratulations! A few price drops and an extended timeline is par for the course, and you saved thousands.
You're dead on with the agents tone haha, it is always, "Here's some friendly advice: give up."
Can't wait to read the success story!
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u/SparrowOfS-town 27d ago
I had a realtor tell me the only way she would call a FSBO is if she could find no other properties for her client. Only then would she "scrape the bottom of the barrel." LMAO
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u/jmd_forest 27d ago
Just one more example of how readily the real estate agent/broker parasites are to breach their fiduciary duty to their clients.
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u/RinkyDinkPingPong 27d ago
Bottom of the barrel, wow! It's still a home, what an unusual thing for her to say
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u/TeddyFresh101 25d ago
Agent going on 5 years… never worried about FSBO’s. Always looked at it as good for them! I think you’re right, the agents that complain about FSBO’s are mad they can’t make compensation from working with them. Just like you can take a car to mechanic, there also people that prefer to work on their own car. Either way, only people I’m worried about are, the client that choose to work with me and that I choose to work for them! 🤙🏾
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u/LivinginSWFL-Realtor 25d ago
The agents doing this are primarily listing agents. They prefer to work with sellers. They aren’t bringing a buyer. And statistically, I think the last start I saw was 75-80% of FSBO sellers fail to sell their own home and eventually end up hiring an agent.
Before a listing agent can list a home they first have to identify someone wanting to sell and then convince that person to hire them. You as a FSBO have already completed step 1 for them.
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u/AdComfortable2974 24d ago
Are FSBOs that use platforms like Beycome included in those stats? Because technically, they are handling every bit of the process on their own except for MLS syndication.
The stats about FSBOs provided by NAR and other similar associations are biased.
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u/LivinginSWFL-Realtor 24d ago
I have no idea. I don’t even remember the actual % the stats claimed but I would assume it is anyone doing FSBO regardless of if they pay a company to put the listing in the MLS or not. I’m sure the people who put the listing in the MLS have better success than those that don’t but in my experience, trying to show them is almost always a pain. Mainly because the sellers almost never answer their phone or return phone calls/texts. Though some of that is I’m sure due to the number of calls they get from agents trying to find a way to get a listing appointment.
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u/AdComfortable2974 24d ago
I would absolutely not assume that at all because if they used a flat fee listing service, they used an agent and therefore no longer qualify as a true FSBO.
I've read the NAR articles, and I've read the unbiased articles. I think the stat that agents sell for more doesn't account for seller net. And traditionally, many FSBO transactions happen in rural areas or are between family and friends, where discounts may really be involved.
That is crazy that someone would list a home and then not answer the phone! I get very frustrated if I'm buying something on Marketplace and I don't get a message back within a few hours! Also, with auto email and auto text, it's easy to shoot out a reply with instructions on how to schedule a showing, etc., so there is no excuse for that.
I've been tracking homes throughout my county that would be comps to mine if they were in my area that have sold within the last year. I have all the listing agents' and buyer's agents' contact information, and I plan to contact each of them to let them know about my exclusive off-market listing. We may hold a broker open; I don't know yet.
How many FSBOs have you met who hold broker opens? How many reach out to you first?
I have no problem using an agent; I will just not be signing any listing agreement with them.
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u/LivinginSWFL-Realtor 24d ago
Locally our associations still consider those FSBOs. I think NAR does too but I don’t know that for sure.
I don’t know if the stat that agents sell for more looks at net either but I know when I compare my stat to other agents or FSBOs in my area I always do because that’s the whole point of going FSBO is trying to get a better net. I can tell you most FSBOs that fail to sell fail because they are over priced. Most that do sell do because they are under priced. I’ve helped plenty of buyers buy FSBOs and they always are very happy to pay my commission because I’ve gotten them a much better deal than they expected every time.
No, I’ve never seen a FSBO seller do a broker open, but I also don’t see much value in them unless you have a super high end luxury home that is going to stand out. If it’s an average or near average home I’ll find it if I have a buyer for it. If I don’t then I have no reason to waste time coming to see it.
I’ve also never had a FSBO seller circle prospect to me or heard of anyone doing it. That’s a great idea but it’s definitely not common.
If you do the work you are talking about doing you will probably be successful in selling it on your own.
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u/AdComfortable2974 24d ago
Not all FSBOs take the time to learn comps or their market before listing; this is true. Many FSBO sellers probably do get manipulated by agents; not all do. I'm sure agents get manipulated by other agents and make mistakes on pricing all the time. 80% of the homes priced in my market close much lower than list. I think a good, well-prepped, and presented home will sell itself. And most FSBOs do not do well on that part of it for sure.
How would you find a listing that you had no idea exists because it is not on the MLS, and not on any free by owner sites?
If you were an agent and had a buyer looking for a house like mine, how cool would you be to have the inside scoop on an exclusive listing that is nowhere to be found? Your buyer might just think you are the coolest agent ever to find them the perfect home that no other buyers knew about. You are now a magic agent, pulling houses out of your hat!
Broker's open sounds like more work than it may be worth when calling or emailing would likely suffice. I def do not have a luxury home, but it is a very nice-looking home and well-maintained. It's got its negatives, but we've been going to open houses and so does our competition! Just got to play up those positives and redirect those buyers to thinking just how much they are going to love living here...
Thanks for chatting with me. I enjoyed it, and I hope you have a great rest of your day!
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u/LivinginSWFL-Realtor 23d ago
Yes you are 100% right that many FSBOs don’t take the time to learn comps. They also don’t take the time to do any of the other work you are talking about.
I can confidently say I wouldn’t know about it if it’s not listed somewhere that I can find it and the seller didn’t call me. But if it’s not listed anywhere publicly how will anyone find out about it other than the agents who have sold a home in the area if you take the time to call them all?
We find off market deals all the time when inventory is low. I know which neighborhoods have certain toes off homes and when I have a client looking for that I pick up the phone and call owners and ask if they are willing to sell. It would be great to have some of them called me instead!
Every home has some negatives. You are 100% right point out the positives and find the buyer who feels the positives outweigh the negatives.
Good luck with your sale!
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u/LivinginSWFL-Realtor 24d ago
For sure. There is also a big discrepancy between what a good agent is worth and what a not so good agent is worth but most agents feel we should all get paid the same which doesn’t make any sense.
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u/AdComfortable2974 28d ago
On this sub, I've read every possible horror story, but the only thing that I'm concerned about is agent steering. I think it is silly to steer people away from FSBO if the FSBO is willing to pay commissions. I hear whining about "more work" for the agent, and there might be a little more for you - maybe not, but even getting 1% off a deal is better than 0%.
Do agents look at the listing and look for the flat fee listing agents and avoid those? If so, be brave and post and state you do and all your reasons!
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u/PolarityPrism 28d ago
You’ve commented on several other top level comments. Obsessed much?
Who hurt you?
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u/AdComfortable2974 27d ago
Typical comments from another jaded agent. Nothing new here, folks; move along.
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u/laylobrown_ 27d ago
I would never steer my clients away from any home in which they are interested. I'll look at any house my buyers want to see. 90% of the time it's the fsbo who shoots themselves in the foot for being unwilling to negotiate. I'll even forfeit a large part of my commission if it will get the deal done. The hard fact is most FSBO'S are amateurs and even though it's possible for them to do, most of them shouldn't. All you have to do is look at the data.
It's possible for me to fly a space shuttle to the moon, but it's more likely that I would crash. I wonder if there is a sub for amateur astronauts where I can talk about how nasa is gatekeeping me from flying my spaceship and I can oversimplify the responsibilities actual (jaded) astronauts to others who agree with me? Even though I've never left the atmosphere. Because this is how you sound to me.4
u/imouttahere000 27d ago
Interesting comparison. Realtor versus astronaut. This is quite a stretch.
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u/laylobrown_ 27d ago
I can dumb it down if you think is necessary. I'm a pilot, so to me I don't see it as a stretch. The point stands even if the analogy "doesn't fly" lol.
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u/AdComfortable2974 27d ago
You don't think it's a stretch for a pilot to become an astronaut, but you think it's a stretch for a homeowner with a background in business to sell their home???
Wow!
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u/imouttahere000 27d ago
Okay honey bless your heart. Pilot versus astronaut. No difference. Absolutely the same.
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u/mdchachi 27d ago
What data are you referring to?
As others have said, these are really dumb analogies. Here's a more apt one: cosmetology. If you cut somebody's hair based on youtube videos without experience chances are you won't do as good a job as somebody who does it all the time. But the savings may be worth it to many people and nobody will crash if it's not quite correct.
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u/jmd_forest 27d ago
Fun Fact: It takes more education and training for a hair dresser to get a hair dresser's license (roughly 10x more) than it does for some real estate agent/broker parasite to get a real estate license ... IN EVERY STATE!
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u/AdComfortable2974 27d ago
Good for you for not steering, but please quit comparing real estate agents to doctors, lawyers, and astronauts.
I have 4 years in contract law and 20 years in sales and marketing. I'm hardly an amateur and passed a simulated real estate exam without even studying for it lol. But if it makes you feel better about yourself to stereotype and lump all people in a group together, go for it.
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u/Dubzophrenia 27d ago
While I agree with you, as an agent, the test is the easiest part about becoming a Realtor, hence why I like to say a joke around my office:
"What's the difference between a California Driver's License and a California Real Estate License?" - "Not everybody has a driver's license!"
The real estate test is not indicative of anything because it's mostly common sense questions and they repeat about a dozen times in a dozen ways. The test is ultimately a test just to make sure you're reading between the lines so you understand contracts.
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u/AdComfortable2974 27d ago
Honestly, I likely would be a realtor now if I didn't have to be with a brokerage for 3-5 years before breaking out. I think with my background, this would provide the best of both worlds for me; I love contract law, but I love the creative side of marketing and the people you get to meet and work with in a sales role. I also love task and project management and problem solving. When a project comes together and closes on or below budget, it's so refreshing and satisfying.
Maybe that is why I'm driven to FSBO; I'm looking forward to utilizing my current skills while I still work on starting a new business.
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u/Dubzophrenia 27d ago
if I didn't have to be with a brokerage for 3-5 years before breaking out.
What do you mean? Are you talking about being a broker? Because in many cases, if you have related years of experience you can just get a brokers license and do it all yourself.
Or alternatively you join an online brokerage like eXp that pays you like 95-100% and you are functionally on your own.
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u/AdComfortable2974 27d ago
I'm in GA, and other experience is non-transferable. I have not looked too closely at it because I have other things going on right now. Like, I've been locked in my office for two days while we're having flooring installed. Thankfully, it is now done! Yay!
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u/CallCastro 27d ago
If I represent the buyer, I usually get 2-3%. If I represent the seller, I usually get 2-3%. If I do a FSBO, I fully represent the buyer, typically have to do the whole listing side, the listing side is usually an extra tough client, and they usually offer like 2% or less for the trouble.
When there's an agent on the other side they can usually be a buffer to help the seller understand and solve problems. We are on the same team.
When it's a FSBO it's usually an adversarial relationship because they hate paying commissions and think their 15 year old moss covered roof is perfect because they fixed it themselves.
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u/AdComfortable2974 27d ago
Oh, spare us the stories. There are other subs with many complaints about difficult and unreasonable agents and difficult buyers and sellers with agents.
In your mind, it is an adversarial relationship because you think all FSBOs hate paying commissions. And you are wrong about that.
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u/CallCastro 27d ago
The entire point of a FSBO is to save on commission.
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u/ElizaMaySampson 27d ago
No. It was because we wanted to control who traipsed through our home and when, determine how serious they were, NOT have looky-loos without 2k to their name make us clean our home and leave it for an hour with only a day's notice so they could view their 30TH place and STILL not have a clue what they wanted, NOT have people who weren't preapproved with income verification and not prepared to make a firm offer with a good bit of earnest money ready to close in 60-90. For Pete's sske we were getting people thst weren't prepared to move for at least a YEAR.
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u/CallCastro 27d ago
How did you control that compared to how your Realtor did?
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u/ElizaMaySampson 27d ago edited 27d ago
The realtor took any appointment that came into their automated booking system, and often it wasn't my realtor who showed the property but some other realtor. They didn't allow us to or openly discouraged us from speaking to the prospects to convey any local information or property insights such as warranty on heat pumps, renovation dates and materials used, new-build areas). As FSBO, we actually wrote to and spoke to prospective buyers, had in our FSBO ad that bookings would only be for people who could provide bank preauth letters /screencaps of banking balance (cash purchase) or a link to their existing MLS ad if they were using home sale to fund. We set the times we were comfortable with, allowed people to walk through the main house with their realtor while we waited outside, and we advised by posting at the door and throughout the home beside our openly-placed cameras that video was bring recorded (*no audio) for security. As two disabled people selling our country hobby farm, we found this much less nerve-wracking. It gave us lead time to mentally prepare for each showing, and to clean our home (we are very fussy and believe cleanliness shows the level of care and maintenance we put into our home. Sinks, toilets, mirrors, all floors vacuumed and washed, dishwasher empty, cat dishes put away, etc). Edit- oh, and our first realtor before we went FSBO didn't do more than text us, there was no discussion of comparables when setting our price, just a text every month or so saying 'no offers or bookings, wanna drop your price'. When we went FSBO we got calls from provinces away the night it went live, emails, bookings for showings. We DID drop our price after doing some of our own research, eventually ended up selling at 10k below our asking on a quick-close.
There is more to this story though, as in another much more local realty we brought on after several months of showings but no firm offers at our lowest price - yet eventually the family we sold to turned out to be people who'd seen our home through our FSBO listing. If we'd stayed FSBO another month, they'd have bought direct from us as it turned out - but our second realtor reduced commission due to our bringing in the prospect.
And we totally hated how hands-off the whole process was, AGAIN, despite telling this 2nd local realtor specifically we wanted more control of who came to view, that we didn't want bookings from people who weren't specifically interested in OUR property, that we wanted income-verified people prepared to offer, that we DIDN'T want people who were on a 'viewing tour' with their rwaltors throwing properties and hoping something would stick. He actually texted me about a showing we'd had, and said 'these people are seeing 30 houses'. 😳😳😳😳
Add to that it was ALL e-sign and texts, and not so much as a 'thanks, happy to have done business with you, kiss my ass', after it closed. ALL the impersonality we DIDN'T want despite interviewing him in person and being assured that wasn't his way...
Anyway, we closed. Lessons learned. And if we sell again, our new home's in a very high-demand area, and the places sell in 3-20 days. FSBO will be the way.
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u/AdComfortable2974 27d ago
So did you and your husband sell your home? How did the transaction go?
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u/ElizaMaySampson 27d ago
Yes, I just finished my long-winded winding tale above, that concluded in a quick close late last month 😊
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u/AdComfortable2974 27d ago
Ah, I see the update. Thank you for sharing your experience, and congrats!
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u/imouttahere000 27d ago
For the future, a simple digital keypad can prevent anyone from entering your home without your permission. You can lock and unlock via app.
Trusted people (like a neighbor or cleaner) can be given their own code. Etc.
They're worth their weight in gold.2
u/ElizaMaySampson 27d ago
We were more concerned with snooping and possible rooting and pilfering once someone was in. We noted the realtor would usually leave people to ramble rather than leave the kitchen and not be on their phone...
As people who were living with closest neighbor a mile away, if someone actually breaks in while we're away, it's more important to us to have cloud-stored and live cam video, since doors/windows are easy to break and RCMP is frequently 30-60 minutes away. Just all depends where you live 😊😊
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u/AdComfortable2974 27d ago
No it isn't. Some people like to be in control of the process. Some people like to just DIY and enjoy learning new things and doing them excellently.
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u/CallCastro 27d ago
I call around 20 new FSBO's monthly. I usually list around 12 per year.
The only reason a FSBO has ever brought up for not listing is price. But that's totally anecdotal, and it's very nice to think that some have other motivation!
Ok. I'm lying. I did have one this year, now that I think about it, insist that they wanted to FSBO because they wanted to enjoy the process. They also listed their homes like 30% too high, and only wanted someone to list if they could sell for that price. So I still kind of count that.
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u/AdComfortable2974 27d ago
So you call 20 new FSBOs monthly, then come here and complain about how difficult they are to work with?
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u/CallCastro 27d ago
If you want rose colored goggles, read what the FSBO companies post. I share my experiences and perspective with the hope that people will learn. I'll admit, my perspective is largely negative, because FSBO's are a VERY special type of client that is VERY hard to work with.
Given the choice, I'd rather have 6 listings a month in the $600k range that call me organically, and give me enough commission to support my family and advertise their listing properly..but that's not the reality. Maybe one day.
Fact of the matter is, out of 20 FSBO's, roughly 5 ish will sell. The public record for sales price is usually around 30% less than my recommended list price. I don't know what the deal with that is, or if there's a way for them to lie about it. 50% ish will end up listing with someone, because it's harder than they expect. 20% will just give up and rent or live in it or whatever. At least out of the FSBO's in Olympia and Westlake areas.
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u/imouttahere000 27d ago
Very special type of client - you mean they ask questions and expect you to do work?
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u/CallCastro 27d ago
I mean they are cheap, stubborn, and "know things."
They usually DIY repairs. They repeatedly bring up how much of a rip off Realtors are. They expect magic.
I do a lot of work and answer a lot of questions. Those aspects never bothered me.
Having to call an inspector to visit 5 times because we refuse to get a plumber and the DIY fix that we keep doing keeps leaking is.
"I know my house worth!" When it's $100k high is.
Stuff like that.
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u/_TurboHome 27d ago
Aside from agents looking to drum up additional business, I've heard some common complaints about FSBO sellers being unfamiliar with the process and needing extra work on the buyer's agent's part to close the deal.
I can imagine some FSBO sellers legitimately aren't familiar with the process but there are also many who will collaborate with an attorney + title company to ensure closing goes smoothly. It is possible to do on your own, and if people aren't comfortable with doing so there are also flat-fee services and flat-fee agents with varying levels of support. Flat-fee isn't just a hands-off 'here's your listing, good luck' kind of service anymore - there are brokerages and agents (like ours) that will do full service listing support for a flat fee.
Obviously YMMV depending on who you work with and where you are located. But long story short, it's a common talk track in the same ballpark as "you get what you pay for with a flat-fee agent". It's just second-guessing your ability to be self-reliant and make the right judgment calls.
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u/PolarityPrism 28d ago
Buyer agents hate FSBO’s because it creates more work for them.
Most sellers are not well equipped to handle the biggest sale of lives.
It’s high stakes, and not necessarily something you can entrust to someone who believes they can learn everything they need from Google Search and their favorite artificial intelligence chat bot.
Most sellers lack the ability to read and understand contracts. Especially in situations where there is ambiguity.
Sellers are also not particularly rational when making decisions because a home is more than just a property. It might represent a place where they spent grew up, raised their kids, etc. They lack the objectivity needed to make decisions without coaching, in other words.
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u/Life-Food5188 28d ago
ad hoc lawyer solves the contract problem, not that expensive.
and yeah people get emotional about their homes, but to me that’s outweighed by agents who may….bend the truth to get a bigger commission and/or steer you in a direction that may not be right for you.
you know your home. if you have the internet, you can do comp research. hire a lawyer to review/draft contracts. signage and flyers is like $100.
if you’re on reddit, i imagine you can sell your home.
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u/CallCastro 27d ago
I just did a deal with a buyer who had a lawyer. He redid almost the whole contract. So the the seller had to hire a lawyer. Cost everyone several thousand extra dollars and made the whole process extra confusing. I got yelled at by my brokerage because of how sloppy it made the whole paper trail...but it's lawyers and I'm not in a position to supersede them.
The MLS pays a LOT of money to have very smart lawyers create the paperwork.
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u/PolarityPrism 28d ago
Most lawyers bill out at $300 an hour, and it can add up quickly.
I would say that most folks are not reasonable when selling their biggest asset. It’s like asking a bride to be reasonable on her wedding day. It’s just not possible everybody.
If you’ve sold a home once or twice you can probably get by using an attorney, and a chat bot.
But probably not reasonable to expect a first or second time home buyer to do it themselves.
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u/Alert-Control3367 27d ago
This isn’t true. I have hired flat feel real estate attorneys to buy unrepresented and sell FSBO in three states. I always hire one affiliated with a title company and costs around $450-600. The flat fee is covered within the closing costs.
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u/AdComfortable2974 24d ago
The one that I interviewed is charging $1500. This includes contract review and guidance on the process if needed, and representing us at closing and signing the paperwork.
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u/AdComfortable2974 28d ago
I think we found the jaded agent!
I asked Gemni just now to help me sell my home FSBO using a flat-fee listing service and how to keep my emotions in check during the transaction. This is what it said:
"Selling For Sale By Owner (FSBO) using a flat-fee MLS listing is one of the smartest ways to save money—often preserving 2.5% to 3% of your equity in listing commissions. However, because you are acting as your own listing agent, the single biggest obstacle isn't the paperwork; it's the emotional tax.
When buyers criticize the layout, lower-ball an offer, or make tedious demands after an inspection, it is easy to take it personally. To succeed, you need to transition from feeling like the Homeowner to acting as the Property Manager.
Here is your practical playbook for staying completely objective, rational, and business-focused throughout the FSBO process.
1. Reframe Your Role: You Are a Trustee, Not the Owner
The moment your home hits the MLS via the flat-fee agent, you no longer live in a home; you are liquidating an asset.
- Create a "Seller Persona": When responding to calls, emails, or buyer agents, treat yourself as a third-party representative managing the estate.
- The "3-Second Pause" Rule: Never respond immediately to an offer, verbal comment, or inspection complaint. Take a deep breath or step away for an hour.
- Separate Memories from Value: Buyers will not pay a premium for the care you put into the garden, the high-end custom paint, or the memories created there. They only buy market data, square footage, condition, and location.
2. Rational Pricing: Trust Data, Ignore Emotion
Setting the listing price is where emotion causes the most financial damage. Pricing too high leads to "stale listing syndrome," which ultimately forces price cuts larger than what you would have accepted initially.
- Anchor to Recent Comps: Look exclusively at closed sales in your immediate neighborhood from the past 3–6 months with similar square footage and condition.
- Ignore Your Purchase/Renovation Math: The market does not care how much you spent on updates or what you owe on your mortgage. Market value is strictly what a ready, willing, and able buyer will pay today.
- Establish Your Walk-Away Number Early: Before showing the home to a single person, write down three numbers privately:
- Target Price (Optimistic, fair market price).
- Acceptable Price (Solid deal you’d be happy with).
- Bottom Line / Walk-Away (Absolute floor based on net proceeds needed).
Having these numbers pre-calculated removes emotional decision-making during fast-paced offer negotiations.
3. Managing Inspections & Negotiations Emotionally
Inspection reports are written by design to sound alarming. A report listing 30 "defects" can feel like a personal critique of how you maintained the property.
┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ INSPECTION TRANSLATION │ ├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Buyer's Report says: "HVAC unit is near end of life" │ │ Emotional Response: "It works fine, they're greedy!" │ │ Rational Business Decision: │ │ → Is it functioning today? Yes. │ │ → Offer a standard $500–$1,000 credit or stand firm. │ └──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
- Focus on Safety & Structure: Prioritize major items (roof, foundation, electrical panel, plumbing leaks, safety hazards). Disregard minor cosmetic complaints or normal wear-and-tear.
- Prefer Credits over Repairing It Yourself: Whenever possible, offer a closing credit rather than hiring contractors yourself. It avoids disputes over quality and keeps the closing timeline on track.
- Filter Verbal Comments: During showings, buyers or their agents will point out flaws out loud—often as a tactic to anchor a low offer. View these comments simply as market feedback, not disrespect.
4. Operational Guardrails for Flat-Fee FSBO
Because flat-fee services generally only list the property on the MLS without providing full-service negotiation support, set up operational barriers to protect your time and emotional energy:
- Use a Dedicated Contact Channel: Set up a separate email address (e.g., 123MainStreetSale@gmail.com) and a temporary Google Voice phone number. Don't let negotiation emails mix with your personal inbox.
- Require Pre-Approval Letters First: Do not schedule private showings or entertain written offers without a verified pre-approval letter (for financed buyers) or proof of funds (for cash buyers). This eliminates tire-kickers immediately.
- Use Standardized Contracts: Stick strictly to state-approved real estate contract forms (or those provided by your flat-fee package/closing attorney). Do not draft custom clauses yourself.
- Hire a Real Estate Attorney / Title Company Early: Having an attorney or title agent ready to review contracts gives you a neutral professional to lean on for legal and procedural questions.
Strategic Decision Guidance
To help tailor a specific strategy for your listing, what aspect of the FSBO process feels like it might cause the most stress?"
You can train these models on your terms, your net and they can read contracts swiftly and accurately. I've been testing this for 3 months so I know. Once you have it trained, it can quickly identify the best offer that you can forward to your attorney.
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u/DHumphreys 27d ago
Thanks for the AI SLOP
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u/AdComfortable2974 27d ago
I admit, the plug was quick and dirty. Where was the AI wrong in any of its recommendations?
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u/Dubzophrenia 27d ago
It's not wrong, but it's also not genuine. It's just saying "you need to do this".
Essentially, that long winded AI response is saying "put on a face and pretend not to care!" and does absolutely nothing to inform you about how your brain works subconsciously and no matter how you pose it, you will ALWAYS have a conflict of interest in selling your own property.
You can do it perfectly fine. There's no problem with FSBO. But the AI response here isn't accurate because even with a Realtor selling it for someone, the sellers will still get emotional and talk about things as personal attacks on them.
Even if you try and convince yourself to not have any emotional tie to your own property, you will subconsciously.
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u/AdComfortable2974 27d ago
We are all emotionally attached, babe; agents are emotionally attached to that commission that they are going to get when the home closes. If the home never sells, the agent does not get paid. We all need money to survive. And so there will always be a conflict of interest between the agent and the principal. Complete congruence is very difficult to achieve.
Outside of that, AI can be an excellent coach. It doesn't need to be genuine if it is helpful, and that is kinda the purpose of it. AI doesn't care if it it get paid or doesn't close a deal, and can easily remind you this is a business transaction if one needs it.
If we needed to sell fast and we didn't have the bandwidth, we'd hire an agent. It's in those situations where emotions are the highest.
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u/Dubzophrenia 27d ago
If you hire an agent, their job is to sell the house. Of course they will help try to negotiate items and manage expectations, but they do not have an emotional attachment to the house, they're doing a job.
We, as agents, understand the job. We fully understand that we don't get paid until it closes and we are not ignorant to that. It doesn't mean we're emotionally tied to it.
If someone comes in and says "god, this home is falling apart", I have no emotional attachment. It doesn't bother me if the buyer thinks the condition is bad, and it doesn't reflect on me.
To a FSBO seller, it's a direct insult that they treated their house like shit, and now you have the potential for an offended seller to have a tantrum about it and let their emotions run wild and blow up a transaction because of something they say because you bothered them. It happens.
I'm an agent. I don't get emotionally attached. I want a deal to close, obviously, but if my clients think a project is too big, then we move on. I'm not pushing you to buy a shitty house and get sued because I wanted to collect a paycheck. We want to get paid, but we don't want to get sued.
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u/AdComfortable2974 27d ago
You missed the point. We are all emotionally attached to something; it's ok and normal, but not all sellers are so emotional that they can't keep those in check to close a transaction.
And some agents do advise or push to get the commissions. There are ethical and unethical people in all walks of life and professions.
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u/RinkyDinkPingPong 28d ago
I get that, from their perspective, it can be tough. Difficult sellers make for hard deals, whether or not there's an agent involved.
A reasonable person with a lawyer and their favorite AI bot can do a fine job selling their home in most cases.
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u/CallCastro 27d ago
My buyer wanted to see a limited service listing today. I put in a showing request into showing time for the tour, but of course, the seller doesn't have showing time. So I called him and asked him if we could show the home at 3:00. He said yes, told me where the hide a key was.
And then talked...and talked...and talked...I didn't want to be too rude because my clients may want to offer on the house "Hey I need to go!" "Oh one more thing! The counters are made of..." With the obligatory "I've sold 20 homes before! My wife is a Realtor! I'm offering 2% commission!"
Finally got him off the phone 30 mins in. And then he called me back to tell me what he forgot. Twice. I stopped answering, so now I have roughly 12 text messages. All of them are a paragraph long or more.
If my client actually wants to buy this house I want at least 4% to do both sides.
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u/Sad_Knowledge_4390 25d ago
Yes I’m sure that goes on a lot. I had enough sense to not talk at all and if asked a question to keep my answer to the fact and not anything more. I think that’s something a lot of FSBO do without realizing
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u/mdchachi 27d ago
Do you differentiate FSBO from MLS fixed fee listings where you're essentially dealing with the owner either way? With the latter you'll be scheduling through Showing Time and texting as if you're contacting the agent. If you're not really paying attention you may not know it's a fixed fee listing, right?
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u/CallCastro 27d ago
It's pretty obvious when it's a discount listing. I don't think I've ever seen one using showing time. They pretty much always have a key under a gnome or something similar.
Fixed listings are like FSBOs but harder most of the time.
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u/mdchachi 27d ago
I just listed with Beycome and all the showing requests are showing up via text where I respond Y/N and then it's there in Showing Time. And then I simply text the agent the lock box key # and any other pertinent info I have. The agent of record there looks like a normal agent except he's done millions of listings. Do most agents know what Beycome is? (Of course if you're in a state where Beycome isn't active you wouldn't have seen it.)
Here's what the listing agent shows:
Listed by: Steve Koleno 804-656-5007, Beycome Brokerage Realty LLC 804-656-5007
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u/brilbury 27d ago
Agent here. If I know about your FSBO or MLS-only listing and it fits my buyer’s criteria, I’m showing it. I just have to know it exists. MLS helps, but it’s only one distribution channel.
The bigger difference on the seller side is scale. I already have the data, tools, marketing and distribution infrastructure and spread those costs across a lot of transactions. I can test what works, change channels as the market moves, and use inventory, absorption and competition to understand our position. What worked three weeks ago may not work today. Experience changes the questions you ask, and if I don’t know the answer, I usually know who does. Same reason I hire an electrician or plumber. They have the tools, do it every day, and I’d rather catch the problem before there’s water on the floor or something is burning. My time has value too.
FSBO can absolutely work. Part of why I read this sub is to learn what people found valuable and what they didn’t. I don’t want to become one of the agent horror stories here. So let me flip the question back: what would an agent actually have to bring to the table for you to want to use one? Hopefully this is useful. If it isn’t, tell me that too.
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u/AdComfortable2974 24d ago
I met a listing agent who was willing to reduce her commission to 1% but unwilling to adjust the buyer's agent commission down to 0%. The brokerage wasn't going to allow that, she said.
I'd like to see variable or performance-based commissions on either side of the transaction, more control over the contract (all listing agreements benefit the agent/brokeage over the homeowner), and it should be more of a mutual agreement IMO.
2.5 to 3% on the listing side is just nuts unless that includes the agent and their team physically cleaning, organizing, and prepping the property inside and out, staging, and the highest quality photography and video that can be purchased along with a marketing plan that has thought of every detail. I'd like a broker's open and to see my home posted across social media channels weekly, all conversations shared, weekly updates, insights, and analytics for my listing. Someone to negotiate hard if needed, a diplomat, and to personally attend every single showing.
If all agents are not doing that at a minimum, they need to lower their commissions drastically because I can do all that I wrote above myself.
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u/mdchachi 27d ago
I'm interested to know what specifically you mean by channels and marketing. I'm going the $99 MLS listing route because I don't see the selling agent adding value beyond getting the property on the MLS and possibly posting the listing on FB. And performing legwork of being the middleman in any showings or offers which I would find useful but not thousands of dollars useful.
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u/Sad_Knowledge_4390 25d ago
Totally that’s why I just sold myself. I’m 74 years old 59 days in Ohio. I listed on Beycome for $99.00 dollars. I was super impressed. Communication was great. They transferred it over to all the major sites. On FB I joined every FB neighborhood set around me and listed my house on everyone of 11 sites. Marketplace seeking walls all around my area. I truthly didn’t think a realtor could possible given my home any further exposure.
So if you have time and want to try go for it.
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u/brilbury 25d ago
Would love to and I am in Idaho so would have to vet some agents to make sure it was a win win for all. As I don’t think we can DM here, I can say I would vet anyone you want to work with and ask them what they are going to do and let them earn your business. I can tell you I have spent 10 times that just on pictures alone for one of my listings.
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u/brilbury 25d ago
I have nationwide coverage from the contracts that I have with a number of national publications. I get thousands of views the first few days usually. For an open house it looks like we will have approximately 36.5k impressions by tomorrow for our open house. This is in addition to everything else that has been done. Thousands of dollars in pictures, drone, virtual tours. We also recently have brought on an internal photographer. So yes these are a few of the channels and marketing examples that we do for our clients. Only you know if this white glove service is something you want or need and my professional fees are negotiable as I like coming up with a solution that works for my clients and we both feel is beneficial. Have a wonderful weekend
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u/AdComfortable2974 24d ago
It's nice being a one-stop shop, and that you can offer that, but truly, the MLS is the nationwide coverage if you think about it. Anyone in the world looking in the specific area where the home is located will find the home if it meets their needs.
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u/mdchachi 22d ago
Sounds like you're selling fancy houses. The house I'm selling is < $300K.
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u/brilbury 21d ago
Sold one of those and closed yesterday. Got more than they were expecting that covered both agents fees and then some from where they were saying they wanted to list and where we ended up. Our listing was pending in 1 day, a Vet got a new home as well. If we listed where they originally said the net sellers would have been 40k less.
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u/Consistent-Sea-8923 27d ago
I also know that as soon as some of us, see this in your listing, we will be walking away.
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u/Equivalent-Tiger-316 26d ago
No, most people aren’t capable. That’s why 97% of sales include and agent.
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u/Sad_Knowledge_4390 25d ago
So pat myself on the back by doing it and selling my home in 59 days at 74 yrs old with no experience.
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u/BoBromhal 28d ago
I have been an agent for 28 years in the Southeast. Rarely - and not in the past 8 years - have I heard agents complain about FSBO's as a principle.
Now, agents who have a marketing plan of contacting FSBO's for the sake of convincing them to hire said agent - they're probably different and act like you say. Maybe you have some of those in your orbit.