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Ever Met A Real Estate Agent you Could Trust?
The only time a real estate agent tells the truth is when he calls another real estate agent a liar! Real Estate has a bad name and it's not always deserved but it's pretty unusual for a week to go past when you don't see some type of property scam or similar all over the current affairs news. More often than not it's the work of the bad few that tarnish the industry as a whole, in practice selling real estate can be a thankless task and agents can grind long hours for little reward! There are alternatives for those who are willing to take on the role of the agent when they decide to sell their own property.
If your selling property why not pocket the expensive commission you would normally pay the agent? Why not use a good FSBO website? Properties are selling online from free real estate sites every single day. The question is are we seeing a shift in the role of agents in the traditional real estate transaction? Are you the type of person who can handle selling your own property with confidence?
If your prepared to try using an online service you stand to save thousands in commissions and marketing fees which gives you more scope to negotiate price, terms and conditions with potential buyers. Your also representing your own product with the greater product knowledge than an agent is likely to have. Owners are better positioned to look after their own interests, often agents will play buyers and sellers off against each other with their own financial interests central to the transaction, this is not an ideal situation for buyer or seller. Agents have been known to pressure buyers into price reductions if the property does not sell within a few weeks and often if the owner stands their ground the agent may let the listing go cold and use the sellers advertising to pull the "bait and switch" trick- selling other stock from their portfolio. What many sellers don't often see realize is that they will often pay for marketing their own property and at the same time they are promoting the agents business for them. If you have ever wondered how agents can afford a huge presence in the print media the answer lies in the sellers marketing budget.
In some areas agents will get a commission or kickback on the advertising budget paid to the agent by the owner! Agents can pick up at both ends of the transaction at considerable cost to the seller, advertising campaigns can and do run into thousands of dollars even if the property does not sell! In a hot real estate market it makes a lot of sense to do it your self! With a little market research a home owner can quickly educate themselves in the local market conditions and preferred marketing methods of the local agents, locate a good for sale by owner website online, take some digital photos and get started! The internet can deliver a lot of information to a potential buyer and even act as a conduit for price negotiation if your not comfortable doing face to face negotiation yourself. You can find real estate selling advice and tips online, general promotion and marketing advice, advice on getting your home ready for an open inspection day and then advice on selling, negotiating price and contract terms and conditions.
Agents will always have a place in many real estate transactions and will always find ways to justify their existence. Unfortunately there is still a lot of dishonesty and under the table kickbacks in the industry. Many agents will pretty much say and do whatever it takes to get a listing then go to work on the seller after they have an agreement to act, if you use an agent then do your homework and try and get one on referral from a trusted source.
Increasingly people are using the internet to harness the resources to sell property themselves, sellers have little to loose and thousands of dollars to gain. They will have total control and peace of mind knowing that they control the process from start to finish. Check fastrealestate.net if your thinking of selling.
About the Author: Maxine Clark has been running fastrealestate since 2001 http://www.fastrealestate.net/
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