Should you ask your Realtor for a discount or pay full commission?
Across the nation, the average Realtor only sells three homes per year. Here in California, the average Realtor sells only 1.5 homes. That shows you the average Realtor isn’t doing all that much to get your home sold. For example, they may take a few photos on their iPhone instead of hiring a professional photographer. Then they’ll put the listing on the MLS and wait for someone to submit an offer.
Because the market is so hot right now and homes are selling quickly for record prices, you might think that anyone could do that. So why shouldn’t you get discounted services?
"In real estate, you get what you pay for."
It’s important to understand that the average home only sells for between 3.5% and 4% over asking price. On the other hand, our team sells homes for an average of 10% to 15% over asking price. I’ve even had a few sell for 20% over! We also sell between 50 and 60 homes a year, so we’re well above the average.
That’s why, when you’re looking to hire a Realtor for your home sale, you should meet with more than one and ask them to show you their track records. A strong professional will be able to show you client testimonials that prove they’ll bring you value.
You get what you pay for in real estate. I once helped a client who had been told by other Realtors that their home would sell for $1.1 million. Those agents were offering discounts on commissions, but ultimately, the sellers were referred to our team. Instead of offering the sellers discounts, we talked about the highest possible price that we could get for them. When we listed the property, we ended up selling it for $1.375 million—$150,000 over asking price!
These are the benefits that you pay us for. We negotiate aggressively on behalf of our clients and bring them results they didn’t even think were possible. If your Realtor can’t show you these kinds of results, maybe you should ask them for a discount. However, you can get high prices by working with above-average professionals, and the buyers ultimately end up paying for the commission anyway!
If you’re looking to sell this year and want to see what kind of value I could potentially get for your home, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I’d love the opportunity to meet with you for a conversation.
