How to Hire a Discount Real Estate Agent

If you want help selling your home but you want to cut costs, consider hiring a discount real estate agent, who can provide a few key services - such as getting your home listed on a multiple listing service (MLS) - and will let you do a lot of the other work yourself.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Yellow Pages
• Personal Organizers
• For Sale Signs

1. Call local real estate firms and ask for a discount agent, or search in the yellow pages for firms that offer discount services.

2. Interview potential agents and make sure you understand what services will and will not be provided.

3. Understand the fee structure and ask about all costs - many firms charge separately for each service they provide.

4. Make sure the discount agent you're considering can list your home with an MLS.

5. Determine the amount of money the discount agent will share with other agents who may bring buyers to the table.

Tips & Warnings

• Apply the same quality standards to discount real estate firms that you would to full-service firms.
• Make sure the agent you select will discuss the required documents and disclosures that must be provided by the seller by law.
• Once you have a contract with a buyer, a real estate attorney or a title company will handle the closing process. Find out who you will be dealing with and make sure your agent will provide all the necessary paperwork to the attorney or title company.
• If a discount broker or flat-fee company is selling your home, it may take longer for the property to sell if the agent will not be sharing the commission with another agent who represents buyers.

[pensacolafl]

on 8/25/2008 Wow! This advise is clearly out of phase with the current real estate market!

If you follow this advise you could LOSE THOUSANDS of $$$.

Why? Because discount brokers have to cut something to give you those discount commissions. So, what do they cut? Advertising, internet exposure, email marketing and much, much more.

Don't fall for this gimmick, you have too much to loose!

[tryempathy]

on 3/23/2008 It's great to go with a local company for great quality service to augment a great deal. In the Triangle of North Carolina, Selling Directly offers options of flat-fee services and even full-service representation costs the same for everyone. www.sellingdirectly.com

[janetjrockstar]

on 3/14/2008 I was a real estate agent in an earlier life.

A great place I found for discount Realtors is www.seekingagents.com . I got a great deal and the real estate agent I worked with sold my home in 3 weeks!

One trick that a lot of agents try to pull is to increase the amount of time they are the only ones allowed to sell your home. Watch out for that when you're picking one!!

Best of luck!

Janet

[JohnGan]

on 9/24/2007 Try using The Jarnagin Team. They will sell your house for free with full services if you use them to purchase another home. It beats the heck out of For Sale By Owner. Check out their website at www.wesellforfreetn.com
They are great!
John G.

[JohnGan]

on 9/24/2007 Try The Jarnagin Team. They will sell your house for free if you use them to purchase another home. Check out their website at www.wesellforfreetn.com
Best Deal in Town!
John Gannon