Well we finally did it, changed to Keller Williams Realty from Coldwell Banker.  Why, you might ask?  Well frankly we need a change to be able to meet the needs of a ever changing market place.

We have always taken a lot of pride in providing excellent and total service to our clients and with Coldwell we have reached the point that we felt trapped inside a box of old school rules and limitations that fail to recognize the needs of the Real Estate Agents or the Clients we serve.

The market is changing and we feel we need to change with it.  One of the most noticeable changes is the advent of so many discount realtors.  While you get exactly what you pay for, "discount prices interrupt into discount service", there is no way around it.  When a Realtor has to pay the state annual license fees, and monthly MLS dues, association fees, then pay for visual tours, signs, web-sites and all marketing cost, it is impossible to provide the same level of service needed to market and sell your home at reduced prices.

With the cost of fuel going up and everything else going up, it is impossible to work the say way Realtors did 10 years ago or even two years ago.  Change is good for the client and the Realtor.  We have to rise to the occasion.

You need to know that of the traditional cost of selling a $100,000 has been 6% and that is split many ways.  Keep in mind the buyer pays none of that cost, it all comes from the seller #1.  Of the 6% ($6000)in our example, the buyer's realtor gets 3% or  half the fee, then the Broker for the seller and buyer realtors take from the realtor about 35% to 50% so the huge fee that the listing agent appeared to get from the seller, it is now down to $1950 of which the Listing Realtor has spent all the money for fees and marketing(estimated at about 50% cost), so there is very little left for the Realtor to live on.  Given all this example there is about $975 left for the realtor from the $6000 the Seller paid, and you see where it went.  Now at that rate if the Realtor sells one house a month his annual salary before taxes is $11,700, far below what the consumer may think.

How are we combating this, first we are focused on our web-site., you visiting here as it is how people shop for homes today.  That increase our volume and that increases our sale and that increases our income.

Second we are providing outstanding service so we stand out and we can charge 7% for our services and reduce it if we fail to sell the home quickly at a good price.  In other words we put our money where our mouth is.

Third, we list home for clients not at just 7% but we list with an agreement for flex marketing where the seller gets what service he pays for and at any time the results are not what the seller wants, he can change his plan and still only pay when it sells.  Again we must be flexible in this market, we are not discounting, we are providing service to get the job done and reducing service and cost at the sellers request, the seller is in control of his spending, still only payable at closing.

It is a difficult market but our pace has picked up lately, not gone down or stayed flat line.  Let us serve your needs at a cost you will appreciate and participate in.

Pete Stanley

Team Stanley