By Owner MLS Listing

The “mulitple listing system”, called the MLS, gives the broadest exposure possible to homes for sale. In today’s competitive market, you need the most marketing exposure possible, but attempting to sell without the benefit of the MLS can be a like trying to sell shares of stock without the stock exchange. Or, proverbially, “like trying to find a needle in a haystack”. Advertising to the public is a high cost proposition and since you only have one property to sell, the economies of scale work against you. Realtors® have the benefit of having thousands of properties to sell. The MLS creates an efficient marketing system through which Realtors® can cooperate to assist each other in selling each other’s listings.

And through the Realtors® trade organization, the National Association of Realtors®, an MLS listing also gets exposure on Realtor.com, the nation’s leading real estate web portal, you’ll reach even more potential buyers when your property is listed in the MLS by owner. According to a recent survey, over 75% of buyers now start their search for a home on the Internet, most of them on Realtor.com.

Now you can list your home or property in the same MLS used by Realtors® without having to pay a listing commission. List by owner on the MLS with a flat fee MLS listing company like Bloomkey® and you can have the best of both worlds. More exposure to help you sell your home for the highest possible price and still retain the right to sell on your own and not pay a commission.

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Flat Fee MLS – Be Involved in Selling Your Home

Want to be involved in selling your home? List it yourself with Flat Fee MLS

Some homeowners look to real estate agents to sell their home for them. Others choose to sell their home for sale by owner because they can avoid the high costs of working with an agent.

But, if you are looking for an advantage over many who are selling their own homes and to still have the benefits of your home being listed on the same multiple listing service that buyer’s agents use, you owe it to yourself to look into Flat Fee MLS.

You will be the one showing your property. You will have to hire an attorney to review the contracts. You will have to keep track of the paperwork and pay attention to the details.

However, with Flat Fee MLS, you will have one less stress: getting the word out about your listing.

See Also

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Double Your Exposure With Two MLS Listings

You can list on two MLSs simultaneously

Having your property listed in more than one MLS means that your property’s information will appear in the REALTOR Mutliple Listing Services of additional regions of the country. In addition to REALTOR.com, each MLS uploads their listing data to different local and regional real estate websites to provide added exposure for your property’s listings. Greater exposure for your property translates into greater demand. And, of course, greater demand means a higher sales price and a faster selling time.

See Also

  • Second MLS
    Double your exposure by listing on a second MLS for one low fee.
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Local MLS Services Have Had Their Rude Awakening

Now it’s time to play fair

Local multiple listing services are being challenged both internally and externally. In regard to internal issues, in my opinion, we have been too slow to adopt the changes necessary in governance and mergers/acquisitions to keep pace with the external challenges. In regard to external challenges, sometimes we move too quickly, sometimes not quickly enough, to meet and address the issues.

Local MLS services responded to the challenges of the new world by bullying nontraditional brokers. They weren’t prepared for the fight that lead to with the DOJ and consumers. Now, they are forced to adapt. Meanwhile, nontraditional brokers have a head start on the new communication media that allow us to connect with consumers. Realistically, there’s enough real estate to go around. There’s no reason we can’t all play on the same field.

See Also

  • What Is The MLS?
    How consumers can benefit from the system that realtors have used for decades.
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Find A Home In Delaware

IHS Realty’s MLS listings include houses in Delaware

Looking for a home in Delaware? IHS Realty can help.

Our multiple listing service reaches far across the United States and Canada. One state we frequently find ourselves in is Delaware.

If you are looking for a place to live in Delaware, we have listings that you can browse through the find the right home. Our listings are a cross-section of available homes being offered by various realtors. Using the National Association of Realtors’ IDX service, we borrow the listings of its member real estate agents to give home buyers in several states one source through which to find their next home. You can search for properties by location, type, size and features. If you’re moving to Delaware or currently live in Delaware and need to find a home, use IHS Realty. You’ll be glad you did.

See Also

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National Association of Realtors Changes Its MLS Rules

FSBO sellers are the big benefit recipients

The existing IDX policy permits members posting MLS listings on their own Web sites to select the listings they show on the basis of objective criteria such as location, type of property, compensation offered for buyers’ agents or the level of service provided by the listing company. It was approved by NAR’s board of directors at its meeting here Monday.

The National Association of Realtors has changed its policy to benefit low-cost brokers like IHS Realty.

The multiple listing service provides home buyers an opportunity to see what’s on the market. Brokers, real estate agents, buyers and sellers can use the MLS to conduct transactions on an equal footing. IHS Realty is proud to be able to assist FSBO sellers in listing their homes on the MLS and we’re proud to give home buyers a chance to see every home that is on the market.

If you are planning to sell your house without an agent, contact IHS Realty today to learn how you can get listed on the MLS and increase the exposure your house gets in the market.

See Also

  • What Is The MLS?
    Get solid information on the multiple listing service and how you can use it to sell your house without an agent.
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B.C. MLS Service Is More Popular Than Last Year

Homes sales are increasing

SALES of homes and property in Terrace continue to rise, keeping up with the same trend across northern B.C.

Sales through the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), a service which is used by realtors to sell real estate, are ahead of last year with 298 properties of all types selling to the end of September compared to 252 sold for the same period in 2005.

The MLS in British Columbia is more popular today than it was this time last year. As home sales are declining everywhere, home sales through the Multiple Listing Service are increasing. Most home buyers purchase their homes through the MLS. That’s why you should list your home on the MLS and you can do that with one low fee right here on IHS Realty.

See Also

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Selling Your Home on Your Own

Sell quickly and save

When selling on your own you should be realistic with your expectations – know your local housing market. Once you have a feel for how homes around you are selling you can develop a selling plan. Over the past year most metro areas have seen an increase in days on market, so as a for sale by owner you need to set goals and timelines. Current market conditions will determine an asking price as well, so you may decide to start at a certain price and keep it there for 15 days, if it does not sell offer a bonus – versus lowering the price – for 15 days, etc.

Flat fee MLS companies and other limited service providers offering services on an a la carte basis will also increase your marketing exposure. While there are no guarantees, over 80 percent of homes are sold through the local MLS. Getting listed in the Multiple Listing Service will provide you marketing exposure through literally hundreds and hundreds of public websites, that you otherwise would be missing out on.

Lastly, don’t be intimidated. Don’t be intimidated by the process, the paperwork, or agents out there that want you as their own clients. You are trying to sell your home at the best price and while retaining the most equity. Good luck!

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Consumer Federation Attacks Traditional Real Estate Structure

Consumers are disadvantaged by the current system

As stated last week this is a good read! If you are a homeowner trying to keep abreast of real estate current events, then you need to read the Consumer Federation’s attack on the existing real estate structure. Discrimination against non-traditional alternative brokers, unregulated multiple listing services (MLS), lack of consumer knowledge, and the large number of real estate professionals who sit on state real estate regulatory boards stifle competition in the real estate industry and it’s up to consumers to take the initiative and make a difference. Minimum service requirements established by several states discourage, and in some cases prevent, non-traditional alternative brokers like flat fee MLS companies. NAR has responded by arguing that the industry has plenty of competition with its over 2 million licensees. Considering the barriers for entry are so low, how competitive is it really? Do licensees of two months deserve the same compensation of an agressive veteran? According to the current industry standard they do.

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Paying Less in Realtor Commissions

Flat fee MLS changing the field

The Multiple Listing Service (MLS), the internet, and a For Sale sign are the three most important marketing aspects to getting your home sold.

Real estate commissions have always been negotiable, but now flat fee MLS brokers and discount realtors have added some pressure to the real estate commission structure. Home sellers can eliminate a minimum of 3 percent in commissions by eliminating a listing agent - in the traditional sense. Flat fee MLS companies serve as a licensed agent willing to list your home in the MLS for a one-time low fee.

The MLS will provide marketing exposure you cannot otherwise attain as a for sale by owner. The home will receive exposure on hundreds of real estate related websites, like Realtor.com among a plethora of others. And agents cannot by law refuse to show homes listed by another agent because of anti-trust laws. If this does occur you should report such instances to the DOJ.  

Even with discounters and flat fee you can publicize open houses, but only 3-4 percent of sellers find a buyer through this avenue. So don’t let a traditional agent convince you of their value because they will host open houses. Is a 3-4 percent success rate worth thousands of dollars? I didn’t think so.


See Also

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Successfully Selling Your Home by Owner

Increasing your home’s marketing exposure

Over 75 percent of homes locally are sold through the multiple listing service (MLS) making it an invaluable tool when selling a home. Flat fee MLS provides an avenue for home owners to utilize the proven success of the MLS while maintaining all rights of a for sale by owner. This means sellers can market their home in the MLS and avoid realtor commissions altogether if an unrepresented purchaser presents an offer on the home. This scenario becomes increasingly more likely as lisitngs in the MLS are displayed on a bevy public websites inlcuding Realtor.com. Flat fee MLS provides a low cost alternative to the traditional agency while providing the same marketing exposure. If you are a selling a home by owner and have decided to cooperate with a buyer agent, then a flat fee MLS broker is the right choice for you. You can maximize marketing exposure and equity, all the while saving thousands during the sales transaction. 

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Selling Your Home By Owner

You have more options than you think as a For Sale By Owner

If you are selling your home by owner give your home the maximum exposure. As a "for sale by owner" you can advertise in local print media like newspaper, classifieds, and magazines but realize that over three-quarters of homes sold, are sold through the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Take advantage of MLS exposure without sacrificing equity by listing your home with a flat fee MLS broker. Flat fee companies provide many of the same services as a traditional agent at a fraction of the cost. As a flat fee MLS customer you provide your home with maximum exposure while maintaing all the rights of a for sale by owner, limiting realtor commissions. In most cases you will receive a yard sign, home fliers, required disclosure forms, selling assistance and your home will be listed in the local MLS, brokerage websites, Realtor.com and other popular regional websites.

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Home Sales Data Going Public

Property information being made public by MLSs

Home valuation and real estate tech sites have added pressure to the ever-changing face of real esate and the way MLSs and brokers alike display their property information. Under the pressure Northwest Multiple Listing Service, which serves western Washington, Prudential, and Zip Realty have made the decision to provide sold property information for public display. With the ongoing litigation between the Department of Justice and the National Association of Realtors it will be interesting to see if this becomes the norm or just an anomaly. Websites like Zillow.com and competitor RealEsateABC.com have increased consumer knowledge of home valuations and provided a springboard for home sellers to assume more control over the sales transaction. With accurate home valuations sellers can now confidently list their homes through alternative models like flat fee MLS brokers and discount real esate brokers eliminating the high commission structure demanded by full service brokers and agents.   

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Get MLS Exposure Without the Cost

Maximizing your marketing efforts

When getting your home sold an MLS Listing is crucial.  Placing your home for sale with a Flat Fee MLS broker can be a cost effective way of advertising the home to thousands of potential customers. MLS listings not only reach those realtors in the listed area but also reach the public through websites like Realtor.com. With a flat flee broker the cost to list a home is just a small fraction of the cost of marketing through classifieds and other print ads, not to mention the 5-6 percent traditionally rendered to list in the local MLS. With available enhancement packages, the broker can post open houses, multiple photos, customized remarks and showcase your home on websites like Realtor.com.

 

As the number of home buyers beginning their home search on the internet continues to grow, be sure you are taking advantage of the available avenues to better expose your home and the best method available is the Multiple Listing Service (MLS).

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Buyer Demand and Seller Supply Near Balanced

Supply catching up to demand

The  45% of agents reporting a higher number of buyers than sellers is far more balanced than the 61% just 3 months ago. The final results of the survey tallied 45% of agents reporting more buyers than sellers, 31% reported more sellers than buyers, and the remaining 24% reported a balanced split. The balanced split could serve as an explanation to other results of the survey.

  • Home inventories are continuing to rise
  • Multiple offer frequency has decreased by 31% from 70% in the first quarter of 2005 compared to 39% in the first quarter of 2006
  • Only 7% of sellers are getting more than the asking price

As the market continues to cool it will be important to use selling tactics for a slow market. Flat fee MLS listing is a good alternative to the traditional method saving sellers thousands in commissions. The MLS is an important marketing tool as 75% of home sales take place through the Multiple Listing Service. Sellers will have the opportunity to use commission savings advantageously in pricing and enticing agents to bring potential buyers.  

See Also

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A National MLS on the Horizon?

Will the National Association of Realtors Amend the Way Property Data is Displayed

A National Association of Realtors (NAR) advisory board will meet in the coming months to determine if a new version of the Multiple Lisitng Service system needs to be implemented. With over 900 local and regional MLS’s each mandating its own rules and regulations, is it possible, or even feasible to think there could be a unified MLS covering the entire nation? The advisory board is meeting to discuss the possibilities of change.

Strange to see the effect the evolution of technology has had on what used to be one of the most guarded sources of information in any industry, the almighty MLS. But it seems the traditional way of guarding information is whittling away. Now, it is up to the advisory board to determine how the MLS would be used and what capabilities it would offer if there were no current MLSs in place and development were to start from scratch.

The fact NAR is even considering such a development is significant given its ongoing battles with the Department of Justice over its current policies of the online display of property information. It is cited that Zillow and other home valuation sites have provided major "wake up call" to the current MLS structure. It will be interesting to see what capabilities and upgrades a "new" MLS would offer to its members. With product information only a click away from the general public, a new MLS will have to offer more in providing detailed and accurate information to its practitioners.

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Beating a Buyers Market with Flat Fee MLS

The Advantages of Flat Fee MLS

With the changes in the housing market sellers are beginning to see more negotiation situations, fewer multiple offer situations, more days on market, and some listings are just not selling. Beat the changing market trend with a flat fee MLS broker. The following are the top reasons to use a flat fee broker when selling your home.

  • You maintain complete control over your home sale. With flat fee MLS you will know which agents are showing your home, you set your own price, and you set your own Buyer Agent commission.
  • You can market your home locally in newspapers and other print ads, just as any traditional agent would, without having to shell out 6% in commissions when you sell.
  • You will capitalize on the marketing exposure offered by the Multiple Listing Service for a low fee. Statistics show over 75% of homes nationally sell through their local MLS.  
  • By listing in the MLS your home will appear on websites like Realtor.com, Yahoo! Real Estate, WallStreetJournal.com, and AOL.com. Your home will also appear on all brokerage websites participating with the MLS. With this added marketing exposure you are drastically improving the chances your home could sell to an unrepresented buyer saving you thousands more in commission on the buyer end of the transaction.
  • Your asking price can reflect the 3% you are saving on the listing side of the transaction. Your asking price will be more competitive than any other in the neighborhood while you still keep more equity after the sale (i.e. you can lower your asking price by 1% and still keep 2% more equity than your neighbor using a traditional agent.) 
  • By taking advantage of all marketing avenues offered through a flat fee MLS broker your home has a greater chance of selling to an unrepresented buyer than trying to sell your home For Sale By Owner (FSBO).
  • If your home sells to an unrepresented buyer and you are listed with a flat fee MLS broker, you will keep all 6% that you would have otherwise paid out in commissions. Meaning you would save $18,000 if your home sold for $300,000. If you list your home with a tradtional agent that $18,000 goes to commissions no matter what.
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Consumer Friendly Innovations in Real Estate

The Internet is Creating a New Forum for Conducting Business

As traditional brokerages aim to rid the industry of alternative business models, innovators are attempting to prove their motive is creating consumer focused ideas. Whether it is providing the consumer an option different than the traditional model of listing a home, or providing updated information that was at one time only available to agents, innovators are proving they are about providing a consumer friendly model offering choice. Flat fee MLS listing brokerages are just that, brokerages; brokerages that have decided to offer their professional assistance and products in a different way. They are not trying to offer the same product as a traditional agent and charging a grossly discounted rate, thus they should not be labeled in that way. They are providing an alternative consumer friendly option that provides services as they are desired and purchased. Their For Sale By Owner hybrid listings allow sellers to maximize marketing exposure while still maintaining complete control of the selling process. With the evolution of real estate information websites, information that was at one time accessible only to real estate agents with access to the MLS has now become available to anyone with an internet connection. Home sellers and home buyers can easily view comparative sales reports, home facts and home sale history. As sellers begin to take advantage of the resources they are now afforded you can only expect they question whether the assistance they receive from an agent is worth the money they pay for it. Any business model that allows its members to spend more time looking for business than actually doing business is going to be questioned by the general public and the customers they are so desperately trying to make clients.

See Also

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Real Estate Commissions Under Fire

Are Real Estate Commissions on the Decline?

Could the six-percent commission standard become a thing of the past? Economist Steven Levitt along with industry expert Brad Inman have reason to believe the commission structure of the real estate industry is going to change, and change drastically. With the alternative fee for service or flat fee MLS models in conjunction with the evolution of the internet and the way information is being displayed, home sellers and home buyers are ascertaining more control over the real estate transaction. With the recent development and launch of websites performing functions of a traditional agent the internet has literally become the new sales agent according to Brad Inman. It is estimated that 90 percent of the buy side work is done by the purchaser. That being said, how much longer can buyer agents expect to earn 3 percent on a sale?

 

Home buyers are not alone in their abilities to find useful resources and alternatives to the traditional model, home sellers now not only have the opportunity to list their homes in their local Multiple Listing Service for a low flat fee – broadening the market potential exponentially – they have the opportunity to take advantage of websites offering home appraisals, valuations, neighborhood information and advice on how to properly market their homes.

 

Not only is the competition becoming fiercer for traditional brokers, but they are continuing to turn more attention to the commission structure through ongoing legal battles with the Department of Justice. The DoJ has claimed real estate agents “collude to prop up commission rates through such anti-competitive actions as ‘boycotting’ the listings of discount brokers.” The DoJ has also charged that attempts by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) to raise the minimum requirements laws of the listing agent is also anti-competitive as it attempts to divest the industry of discount and flat-fee brokers.

 

Scott Levitt doesn’t stop with declining commission he offers his parallel to the fading profession of travel agents. With the Multiple Listing Service the main service agents offer their clients Levitt believes alternative models will win out, driving down the commissions and possibly driving out the traditional agents.

See Also

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Changing Trend in Real Estate Sales

Beat the Buyers Market with Flat-Fee MLS

Following the banner years of 2004 and 2005 it seems the inventory has finally exceeded the demand. The record setting prices, appreciation values and overall sales seem to be on the decline. But in this period of industry adjustment flat-fee MLS and other discount brokerages still offer the competitive advantage for selling your home more quickly and maximizing the equity you can get out of your home. With only a one-time flat-fee your home can be listed in your local Multiple Listing Service. While home prices in your neighborhood are being adjusted and set in order to compensate the traditional commission compensation of six percent to the listing agent, you have the luxury of lowering your asking price making your home more attractive to prospective buyers while still maintaining more equity at the end of the transaction than if you were to enlist the services of a traditional agent. 

See Also

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Online Real Estate Company offers InSight into Greensboro, Winston-Salem, NC housing market

InSight Realty offers online property data search to the Triad area

InSight Realty, an online real estate company offering flat fee MLS listing and discount real estate services throughout the Mid-Atlantic, announced today the addition to its website, www.InSight-Realty.com, of an online IDX property search engine for home buyers in the Greensboro, Highpoint, and Winston-Salem, North Carolina area. The company now offers home search capabilities of residential single family properties for sale from the MLS databases in 4 of its regional markets.

InSight’s search engine allows home buyers to search for homes listed in the Multiple Listing Service updated on a daily basis. Home buyers can also request showings of homes for sale using an online form and can request that new listings matching their criteria be emailed to them as soon as they come on the market.

In addition to the TRIAD MLS, InSight now offers IDX search capabilities for First MLS in Atlanta, GA, Triangle MLS in Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, North Carolina and Central Virginia MLS in the Richmond, VA market.

See Also

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Zillow Aims for Realty Riches

CEO reveals views on real estate

Rich Barton, who founded Expedia, believes a changing consumer brings new opportunities in real estate services. In an exclusive Inman interview at NY Real Estate Connect, Barton tells why he’s excited about entering the industry.  Just when the year-old company will launch, and what its service will ultimately offer, remain tightly guarded secrets. So does the origin of its name.

Besides traditional brokerages, including giants like RE/Max and Cendant, Zillow will also compete with mom-and-pop real estate agents. It will also face competitors online, including HouseValues.com, based in Kirkland, Washington, and IAC/InterActiveCorp subsidiary RealEstate.com.

 

Then there’s the fate of the Multiple Listing Service, a database of real estate listings submitted and shared by real estate agents. To use the service, one has to be a registered realtor. Critics say that helps real estate brokers preserve their livelihoods, but harms the consumer.

 

The U.S. Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit against the National Association of Realtors during September, alleging the association obstructs competition, threatens to lock in outmoded business models, and inflates real estate prices.

 

While Zillow says that the company is an advertising vehicle, many in the real estate industry are holding their breath to see how the new venture will impact their sector of the industry. 

Assuming Zillow.com does unveil its service within the next quarter or so, it will arrive in a marketplace characterized by significant competition from above and below, as well as a more general controversy about what it means to be in realty during the Internet age.

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FSBOs GiveTraditional Agents Indigestion

FSBO Sales Tactics Spread as Home Prices Rise

Dawn and Carl Weinberger sold their home west of Portland, Ore., by themselves in the kind of deal that gives traditional, full-service real estate agents indigestion.  Using a discount broker, the Weinbergers paid $295 to put their three-bedroom rancher on the complete, up-to-date, multiple-listing service accessible only to brokers. The listing specified they’d pay a 2.5% commission to an agent who brought them a buyer.

In three weeks the house drew two bidders and sold for $202,000, just above the $199,500 listing price.  Such sales tactics have spread the past few years as home prices have climbed. And they’ve become a battleground where real estate groups claiming the right to protect their livelihood and sales lists are facing off against antitrust regulators.

By suing and scolding local and national realtor groups, regulators aim to force them to accept what appears to be the inevitable dismantling of the commission system that controlled how Americans sold property the last 60 years.

The Weinbergers’ sale shows what’s at stake. In all, the couple paid $5,434 to sell their house, including the commission, listing fee and $89 for an unlimited number of professional-looking lawn and other signs from the discounter, ForSaleByOwner.com. That was $6,686 less than the $12,120 they would have paid a full-service agent charging the usual 6% commission for their area — and most of the U.S. The savings were enough, Dawn Weinberger says, to pay for cherry hardwood floors and upgraded appliances in their new home.

Real estate groups aren’t happy with such deals. They’ve tried to enforce rules limiting access to the multiple-listing service. And they’ve lobbied states, sometimes successfully, to pass laws mandating minimum real estate services or barring commission rebates. The Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department took an interest three years ago.  "We see no reason for limited-service brokerage restrictions — no evidence that any consumers have been harmed" by using discount brokers, said Maureen Ohlhausen, director of the FTC’s Office of Policy Planning.

Out in the trenches, real estate agents are less concerned about matters of principle than they are about preserving a way to make a living.  "When discount agencies get involved, the commissions go down," complained Diane Saatchi, vice president of Corcoran Group, a full-service firm in New York City and the Hamptons on Long Island. Other agents say if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Times are changing. People are mad about having to pay $20,000 to $30,000 to sell their house. Either we come up with ways to assist these people, or they will find a way to get around us.

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NAR Report Refutes Claims of Anti Competitiveness

Real Estate Industry

In recent years, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) has been under a lot of pressure from the Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding competition in the real estate industry. The report entitled: "Structure, Conduct, and Performance of the Real Estate Industry" fires back that residential real estate "closely resembles a perfectly competitive industry structure."

The report states that there are 2.5 million licensed real estate agents in the U.S. actively competing with each other for a piece of the real estate pie. Most agents work as independent contractors. Accordingly, "any collusion to set commission rates at the agent level is impossible." Any attempt by one firm or agent to artificially set rates at a higher level would automatically be met by resistance in the marketplace as other agents would simply undercut the competition in the clash for more business.

The report fails to address why commission rates seem to be consistently uniform throughout the country. And, what seems to allude the NAR is the entrenched anti-competitive behavior that exists from traditional brokerages towards newer discount and flat rate business models. Traditional brokerages offering bundled services for commissions ranging in the 5-6% range, almost without exception, form the leadership of NAR, state level Realtor Associations and local real estate commissions that control the rules and regulations affecting the industry. More importantly, these forces most often control the Multiple Listing Services (MLS) that provide the backbone of the residential industry.

Several key issues have been brought to the public’s attention over recent years by the efforts of the DOJ and Federal Trade Commission as well as Congressional Representatives Michael Oxley and Barney Frank. One, that the MLS is the "de facto" market for real estate within any given community. Two, rules that have been established by NAR and/or local REALTOR associations form a pattern of discrimination against discount and limited service companies. Three, that left to their own devices, there is little incentive for NAR leadership to discourage anti-competitive behavior among traditional agents against their discount and limited service competitors.

While the most recent NAR report makes salient points regarding the overall competitiveness of the real estate industry, it fails to address the concerns of those who would offer innovative business approaches to an industry steeped in inefficiency. There seems to be no attempt by NAR to discover if, in fact, discrimination is taking place against newer business models and whether or not such discrimination is anti-competitive or anti-consumer. With "ostrich with its head in the sand’ aplomb, the party line is that no problems exist within the real estate industry and no outside (read DOJ) pressure is needed.

See Also

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Real Estate Investing for Fun and Profit

Buying homes still the path to wealth for many

Real estate has proven to be a steadfast and consistent way to build wealth in the U.S. That’s because in spite of the fact that the real estate landscape is constantly changing, they still aren’t making any more of it. Homes are a precious commodity with no two pieces of property exactly alike.

Fast buck investors and "flippers" are likely to get out of the market as interest rates rise and market conditions worsen. This can provide a perfect time for the long term investor who is willing to nuture a property by putting a little time and work into improving their asset.

Real estate investing in single family homes, townhomes and condos can provide the savvy investor with a profitable  portfolio, but it doesn’t happen the  way infomercials promise on late night TV. Smart real estate investment takes patience and hardwork. Finding the right distressed property takes due diligence, and it helps if you have a good buyer’s agent.

The real estate investment market is competitve. Unless you have the time and ability to stay on top of new homes for sale from a variety of sources such as the Multiple Listing Service, foreclosures, for sale by owners, etc. by painstakingly reviewing new postings on a regular basis, you are probably going to get beat to the punch. A good buyer’s agent can help you by providing you with daily updates on new listings.

And once you are ready to buy a home for investment, a buyer’s agent can act as your representative negotiating the best possible price and terms on your behalf. It takes experience and good information to know how to get the best deal. Getting the help of professionals, doing some research and then rolling up your sleeves is the proven path to real estate wealth.

See Also

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