Commission VS Fee-for-service
(Blanche Evans - 01/07/2000)
Commissions Aren't Dead Yet
Posted By: Jim Bello - 01/07/2000 03:29 PM
There is a definate change brewing in the Real Estate Industry but it will take some time before we know what that change will be. It seems to me that the easiest approach is to change the way we handle the Commission Structure.
Traditionally theSeller pays the total commission and the Listing and Selling Agents then split that commission. It has been argued that the Buyer actually pays for the entire Commission in the price of the house and quite frankly that argument does have merit.
I think that the Seller should pay only the Listing Agent. That agent can charge whatever he wants, either a fee or a commission for the services he wants to provide.
I believe that the Buyer should pay the Buyer's Agent. That Buyer's Agent can charge whatever he wants either a fee or a commission.The first immediate problem that some Agents will voice is: what about first time Buyers who have barely enough money for a down payment (caused by this Country's wonderful tax code but that's another story.)
Buyer's Agents will have to counsel the Buyer that there are two ways to buy anything in this country: cash or finance. They can pay cash up front ( a fee) or If they do not have the upfront cash necessary to pay the Buyer's Broker, then that Agent will have to explain that the Buyer can get the Seller to pay the Buying Agent's Commission or fee, but he may have to raise the price of the house to reach that goal, thus allowing the Buyer to pay the Buyer's Agent's Commission over the life of the Loan. (Finance)
Is there a danger that the Buyer may not want the services of a Buyer's Agent? Absolutely! That is where professionalism and salesmanship inter into the picture. The Buyer's Agent will have to give a Buying Presentation about the Advantages of Representation and the services each individual agent provide.
I think this approach will allow the Commission to be around for a long time. It is fair to all involved in that the Buyer pays for the services he desires and the Seller pays for the services he desires, and the Agents can charge whatever they want to run their business.