Has anyone used flat fee MLS or sale by owner?
where they paid the buyer’s broker commission. Did it turn out well? Did agents bring people to your house?
OK, Realtor perspective #2.
I scan the RE listings and craigslist for FSBO houses in my area, but when looking for clients, I go to the MLS.
I see alot of weathered FSBO signs and signs from whatever website or flat fee service someone signed up for. This tells me these properties aren’t selling.
I have had a FSBO guy calling me off and on for a year, picking my brain about how to sell his house, which is fine, but when we get to the point of the conversation where I tell him the price is too high, he gets ticked off and abruptly ends the call. The truth hurts. I have found that 95% of the FSBO homes in my area are overpriced, which is probably why they are FSBO. They didn’t like what a Realtor told them on price, they didn’t want to pay a commission on top of not getting their dream price and they are still sitting on their property.
I will show my clients FSBO homes that agree to pay me a commission, some will, some won’t when I ask. Then I don’t take my clients. One reason I don’t like to work with FSBO is that they have their own agenda and can have issues for whatever reason with Realtors, making them very difficult to try to work with. I’m not trying to rip anybody off, I’m trying to complete a transaction.
The two limited service (read flat fee) agencies operating actively in my area just put the house in the MLS. They clearly write in the description that the seller’s representation is limited and to contact the owner for all questions and offers.
Good luck in whatever you decide to do.
