‘Hmm,’ we hear you saying. ‘That’s a lot of commission. Why don’t I sell it myself and save the money?’ After all, how hard could it be…this is an especially entertaining thought if you happen to be in some other field of selling.  It is often said though that “selling without the assistance of an experienced real estate professional is like representing yourself in court…”

The only good motivation to sell privately is that you do genuinely know an ideal buyer who is ready to pay an above-market price. The question remains, however, were you able to negotiate the best price? If you do have a genuine buyer you can still use us to sell your property and nominate & exclude that person in advance or negotiate a specific commission should they buy. The buyer’s name is noted on the Appointment of Real Estate Agent form.

“For Sale by Owner” signs and ads also often attract lowball offers from bargain-hunters expecting you to give them the commission in the form of a price reduction. You end up losing the commission savings anyway and you don’t get the benefit of the services we provide.

As licensed real estate agents we provide the following services:

There are three types of Agency Agreements and they are included in the Agreement to Appoint a Real Estate Agent form. When the form is completed which Agency Agreement to be used is noted.

Exclusive Agency: This is the most common agreement used and is where the agent has the exclusive right to sell the property. Neither you or another agent can sell the property without paying the agreed agent commission during the fixed period of the agency agreement. The standard fixed period is 60 days but this can be negotiated for a shorter period. After the initial period has expired the agreement can be terminated in writing, original agent re-signed or rolled-over into an Open Listing. Exclusive Agreement is also used for Auctions with the auction details noted on the Agreement to Appoint Real Estate Agent Form.

Sole Agency: This is the same as an exclusive agency agreement except that you can sell the property yourself without paying the real estate agent a commission. This agreement is not often used as agents are reluctant to do the work only to find that you claim the sale. Usually, if you genuinely know a potential buyer, that person is nominated and excluded in advance or a specific commission agreed should they buy. In this case, an exclusive agency is indicated on the Agreement to Appoint Real Estate Agent Form.

Open Agency: A form of agreement where you can appoint more and one agent simultaneously and only pay the successful agent. You can also sell the property without paying any commission. It does not have an allocated time period and can be cancelled at any time. It all sounds fine but has major drawbacks in practice. Very few good agents will devote much time or effort to a property where they may or may not get paid. The agent’s emphasis will shift from getting the best price to getting a sale at any price. An alternative, if you have two real estate agents you are keen to use is to use an Exclusive Agreement on a 50/50% basis between the two agents. Both agents will work to get the best price for you as either can sell the property and both will receive 50% of the commission payable.

Source: Sell for More: Gil Davis  |  Sell Your Home for More: Nick Gromicko