It's Time For A Change

It's Time For A Change

Author: Ryan Sellars

It has been said before and will be said again, "The internet is changing the role of the Realtor." Realtors have held a firm grip on the information needed to buy and sell a home for decades. They have not made it easy but with the help of the government and some forward thinking Realtors an increasing amount of information is being supplied to buyers and sellers via the internet. This information is turning the tables on the traditional real estate model.

According to the National Association of Realtors the national median average selling price of a home is $230,000. A traditional "full service" listing agent receives, on average, a 6% commission when the home is sold. That amounts to $13,800. The average person buys and sells a home 3 times in their lifetime and each home is more expensive than the next. That is a lot of money to have to pay a Realtor.

The traditional "full service" or commission based Realtors claim that charging a 6% commission for a home is totally justified. There are many reasons that traditional Realtors feel it is appropriate to use this model. The most common reasoning seems to be that they are professionals and people pay a lot of money for services rendered by other professionals, i.e. lawyers and doctors. They use this to somehow legitimize the practice of charging very large commissions to sell homes.

This is a very poor reason. It is blatantly obvious that most people would agree that the majority of professionals charge too much for their services. However, the cost for their services is more justified than the cost of using a Realtor. There are a number of important factors that differentiate a lawyer and doctor from a Realtor but the most basic is that lawyers and doctors have to go through an EXTENSIVE education process before they can even become what is considered a professional in their field. Selling a home can be a somewhat complicated process. However, it is ludicrous to legitimize the high cost of selling a home based on professions that are as complicated as defending someone on trial for murder or performing open heart surgery.

Charging a large commission to sell someone´s home is an outdated real estate model. Realtors need to realize that the days of chauffeuring buyers and sellers around are over. They want to take the wheel. Provide them with that ability. The Realtors that understand this are going to survive and thrive. If they are doing some of the work they shouldn´t be charged for it. It´s time for a change and the internet is bringing it whether you like it or not.

A new real estate model can be seen at http://www.sellusahouses.com