Selling a home...big realtor or Redfin

[usctrojancpa]

We had friends who recently sold in WB and ended up with Jenny after trying the discount route.  The discount route is great if you are good at staging and getting professional pics.  As soon as Jenny got involved, she politely forced them to rearrange their house like moving the dining table back to where it belongs (they were using as a playroom) and putting some staging pieces with pro pics.  It had offers in a week and closed in a month.  My friends were happy but they realized Jenny's value is marketing, presentation and driving people to the open houses.  With some time and energy, they could have done this and saved a ton. 

I think I remember seeing this listing in Woodbury.  I've seen this happen with other listings as well.. Seller goes with no name agent (most likely for the lower commission) and then switches to a "specialist" agent after a month or two.  What I can't understand is why there are so many agents who don't bother with professional pictures and staging the property.  When I saw staging, I just mean, move the crap out of the house and convert kids play rooms to the actual room it was designed for.  Professional pictures are a few hundred bucks.  It's crazy that some agents don't bother with any of this. 

Those are lazy realtors that should be purged out of the system IMHO.  Professional pictures is the #1 best marketing in today's internet world.  People are visual creators and if the professional pictures make the property good great that means more foot traffic which will result in a quicker/higher priced sale. 

 

[rkp]

If you pay the MLS flat fee , why do you need to pay for the selling agent?

You have to pay commission to the listing agent and the selling agent.  The selling agent is the buyers agent typically.  The thought is that the commission has to be good enough to entice the selling agent to bring their buyers and that selling agents will not show the house or recommend it if it has too low of commission.  I find it odd though as the selling agent should be looking out for you and not their pockets.  Personally I think many Irvine buyers looking at neighborhoods like Woodbury are tech savvy and searching on RE sites so the selling agent commission isn't really that critical as long as it's in range.  Would be curious to see if 1 or 1.5% closed at lower prices or took longer time. 

On the flat rate, you can have them write up offer and represent both for a similar flat fee.  But buyer has to find listing agent or you the seller.  I think MLS doesn't allow any contact info directly in listing. It's not hard but you would be surprised how many agents don't have good Google optimized pages or poor contact info on BRE lookup site.

Why not try discount method for a couple weeks and if it doesn't pan out, go for full service?

 

[rkp]

Considering you can get realtors for 1% commission you'd only save $6,750.

It's funny how big numbers seem insignificant when mixed with bigger numbers. 

 

[bones]

We had friends who recently sold in WB and ended up with Jenny after trying the discount route.  The discount route is great if you are good at staging and getting professional pics.  As soon as Jenny got involved, she politely forced them to rearrange their house like moving the dining table back to where it belongs (they were using as a playroom) and putting some staging pieces with pro pics.  It had offers in a week and closed in a month.  My friends were happy but they realized Jenny's value is marketing, presentation and driving people to the open houses.  With some time and energy, they could have done this and saved a ton. 

I think I remember seeing this listing in Woodbury.  I've seen this happen with other listings as well.. Seller goes with no name agent (most likely for the lower commission) and then switches to a "specialist" agent after a month or two.  What I can't understand is why there are so many agents who don't bother with professional pictures and staging the property.  When I saw staging, I just mean, move the crap out of the house and convert kids play rooms to the actual room it was designed for.  Professional pictures are a few hundred bucks.  It's crazy that some agents don't bother with any of this. 

I don't doubt there are some lazy realtors out there but there are also uncooperative sellers. Some sellers just flat out refuse to do any staging/purging/reorg.

 

[irvinehomeowner]

Whether you go no-name or brand, I think one of the things that sells a house is staging.

People will always find negatives for your home, whether it be location (close to a main road, freeway... or cemetery), lack of 3CWG, small lot, school district etc so you want to give them less things to QQ about.

A properly staged (and decluttered/depersonalized) home will have an impact on a buyer just like the new homes do. And "decluttered" doesn't mean remove all the furniture and just have clean empty rooms, model homes don't do that. People like to see what a space can be used for.

For example, when we sold our 4-br home, the downstairs room was an office. Our stagers (paid for by IrvineRealtor) made it into a bedroom to show that it was a 4-br home and that it could be used as the infamous FCB-in-law suite.

So whichever route you go, unless you live the Pottery Barn/Renovation Hardware lifestyle, make sure you stage your home.

 

[paperboyNC]

Considering you can get realtors for 1% commission you'd only save $6,750.

It's funny how big numbers seem insignificant when mixed with bigger numbers.

Actually my thought is that it's not hard for a seller's agent to be worth $6,750. All they have to do is get you a small amount more for your home. For instance, these two identical floor plans had terrible pictures and great pictures:https://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/25-Prickly-Pear-92618/home/45383137https://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/35-Sacred-PATH-92618/home/45383174

I'm sure you can guess which one sold for $33,000 more.

$6,750 isn't a lot to spend if you get $33,000 more for your home.

 

[Harajuku]

Our property manager pocketed easy 2% commission when our tenants bought  the rental home.  The PM/agent had the nerve to try to charge additional $400 for third party document coordinator at the end of escrow, which I politely refused to pay.  I don't know if 2% was too much considering there was practically no advertising/MLS/open house, etc, but anything below that seems disrespectful although Redfin agents only take 1.5%. 

 

[usctrojancpa]

Our property manager pocketed easy 2% commission when our tenants bought  the rental home.  The PM/agent had the nerve to try to charge additional $400 for third party document coordinator at the end of escrow, which I politely refused to pay.  I don't know if 2% was too much considering there was practically no advertising/MLS/open house, etc, but anything below that seems disrespectful although Redfin agents only take 1.5%. 

Keep in mind that the Redfin 1.5% commission is ONLY for the listing side.  You still have to offer up commissions to the buyer agent to incentivize them to show your home. 

 

[usctrojancpa]

Whether you go no-name or brand, I think one of the things that sells a house is staging.

People will always find negatives for your home, whether it be location (close to a main road, freeway... or cemetery), lack of 3CWG, small lot, school district etc so you want to give them less things to QQ about.

A properly staged (and decluttered/depersonalized) home will have an impact on a buyer just like the new homes do. And "decluttered" doesn't mean remove all the furniture and just have clean empty rooms, model homes don't do that. People like to see what a space can be used for.

For example, when we sold our 4-br home, the downstairs room was an office. Our stagers (paid for by IrvineRealtor) made it into a bedroom to show that it was a 4-br home and that it could be used as the infamous FCB-in-law suite.

So whichever route you go, unless you live the Pottery Barn/Renovation Hardware lifestyle, make sure you stage your home.

Staging/declutting is very important but even more important than that is doing a deep cleaning, including getting your windows washed.  You'd be surprised how much brighter and more inviting a home looks after it's been cleaned and clear windows which allow in maximum light. 

 

[rkp]

Considering you can get realtors for 1% commission you'd only save $6,750.

It's funny how big numbers seem insignificant when mixed with bigger numbers.

Actually my thought is that it's not hard for a seller's agent to be worth $6,750. All they have to do is get you a small amount more for your home. For instance, these two identical floor plans had terrible pictures and great pictures:https://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/25-Prickly-Pear-92618/home/45383137https://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/35-Sacred-PATH-92618/home/45383174

I'm sure you can guess which one sold for $33,000 more.

$6,750 isn't a lot to spend if you get $33,000 more for your home.

I believe you can get that $33K more without spending the $6,750.  Case in point, Jenny has two identical floorplans listed in WB and one sold super quick and the other is taking forever with a price drop.  Even a good agent can't change your location or color scheme or what ever reason people aren't attracted to it. 
https://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/54-Eclipse-92620/home/5958826https://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/28-Townsend-92620/home/5958458

Both identical floorplans.  Granted eclipse has larger lot but townsend has been on market forever even with another agent before Jenny and is priced pretty low related to comps.  Jenny made it look much better but I still think the elevation isn't that great and the pictures don't pop like they did on Eclipse.

 

[sgip]

Just to be clear since I have several dogs in this fight - working with the Agents here on-site as well as many friends over at Redfin - that this is not personal, just business.....

"Big Realtor or Redfin" isn't a real choice. Real Estate sales is a business of individual achievement and success and rarely determined by the company they work for. I can't stress enough how important it is to get a referral of a person who performs. I know plenty of "name brand Agents" who ought to have ankle bracelets on, warning everyone when they come within 100 yards of a homeowner just so the seller has a head start to get away. The bar is so low to become a realtor, you never know who you might be paired with. Screening is the key, but how?

There are plenty of people who won't fit within the Redfin business model requiring a considerable deal of hand holding throughout the process. It's not a process everyone can warm up to. To each, their own.

The deciding factor between these two choices should be conversations with the last 3 buyers/sellers they worked with. Get on the phone and ask "what would you do differently?" That will tell you more than anything else who to go with. The smallest broker still gets nationwide exposure via Zillow/Redfin/Realtor.com so it's not size that matters, or even name brand. It's how the Realtor treats their profession. So few are serious about it making a customers job to find the right service provider that much harder.

If you can't get the phone number of the Realtors last 3 clients, time to find someone else. Don't take a "referral sheet" or "my reviews", but speak directly and find out "what's what". It's the best 30 minutes you'll spend in making your decision the right one.

Save a penny often costs a dollar to do so. It's not money in this case, nor exposure, but service.

My .02c

SGIP

 

[usctrojancpa]

Considering you can get realtors for 1% commission you'd only save $6,750.

It's funny how big numbers seem insignificant when mixed with bigger numbers.

Actually my thought is that it's not hard for a seller's agent to be worth $6,750. All they have to do is get you a small amount more for your home. For instance, these two identical floor plans had terrible pictures and great pictures:https://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/25-Prickly-Pear-92618/home/45383137https://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/35-Sacred-PATH-92618/home/45383174

I'm sure you can guess which one sold for $33,000 more.

$6,750 isn't a lot to spend if you get $33,000 more for your home.

I believe you can get that $33K more without spending the $6,750.  Case in point, Jenny has two identical floorplans listed in WB and one sold super quick and the other is taking forever with a price drop.  Even a good agent can't change your location or color scheme or what ever reason people aren't attracted to it. 
https://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/54-Eclipse-92620/home/5958826https://www.redfin.com/CA/Irvine/28-Townsend-92620/home/5958458

Both identical floorplans.  Granted eclipse has larger lot but townsend has been on market forever even with another agent before Jenny and is priced pretty low related to comps.  Jenny made it look much better but I still think the elevation isn't that great and the pictures don't pop like they did on Eclipse.

Eclipse also has better hardscaping and better curb appeal than Townsend.  Interior is sort of a wash.  That being said, being listing for over 30/45 days beings to a create a "what's wrong with this house" mentality with buyers so they'll already come to the home with a negative perception.  Hence why it is so important to price the home right and get it into escrow within 30-45 days.  In the real estate word, perception can become reality very quickly.

 

[rkp]

Just want to be clear that I am not saying IR2 or USCTrojan aren't amazing at what they do.  I think some properties generally demand more marketing and selling strategy.  But homogenous areas like WB tend to be based on price per sq ft and pics.  You get great pics and price it right, it should move very quickly. 

Also it depends if this is your first time selling or your 4th time and how much you know about the process. 

 

[irvinerealtor]

-IrvineRealtor

 

[lnc]

Whether you go no-name or brand, I think one of the things that sells a house is staging.

People will always find negatives for your home, whether it be location (close to a main road, freeway... or cemetery), lack of 3CWG, small lot, school district etc so you want to give them less things to QQ about.

A properly staged (and decluttered/depersonalized) home will have an impact on a buyer just like the new homes do. And "decluttered" doesn't mean remove all the furniture and just have clean empty rooms, model homes don't do that. People like to see what a space can be used for.

For example, when we sold our 4-br home, the downstairs room was an office. Our stagers (paid for by IrvineRealtor) made it into a bedroom to show that it was a 4-br home and that it could be used as the infamous FCB-in-law suite.

So whichever route you go, unless you live the Pottery Barn/Renovation Hardware lifestyle, make sure you stage your home.

Regarding to staging, here's some good tips.

6 Things Your Home Stager Wishes You Knew

There?s a big difference between designing for someone?s tastes and remerchandizing a home to appeal to as many people as possible, Getting it right is a critical and enigmatic art.

Prepping your home for getting the best offer possible means removing every shred of your personality from rooms, walls, floors, and ceilings so that potential buyers can imagine themselves in your place. Stagers favor neutral walls, simple layouts, and minimal artwork.