October 2, 2007 by Joe Kennedy.

Last week I had a call from a gentleman here in Bellevue who was very excited about our $500 Flat Fee Listing program. We still haven’t officially announced or launched it, but he had read about it in a post on one of my blogs and gave me a call.

Apparently he has been trying to sell a family house as a FSBO (for sale by owner) for the past two or three months with no success. First of all, he should not feel all alone - there are many homes in our area that have been languishing on the market for months - and they are listed on the MLS and represented by agents!

I explained to him that it is very important for his property to be exposed to as many potential buyers as possible and that in my opinion, the best way to do this is by getting the house listed on the local multiple listing service (MLS). He agreed that’s what he needed to do and went to AAAListsHomes.com to get the forms to fill out to get listed.

A short time later, he called back to ask about the selling broker commission. With a Flat Fee Listing, no listing commissions are charged or paid, but the seller does need to offer selling brokers (or buyer’s agents) a commission for their work. Our FSBO didn’t want to pay the buyer’s agent at all - in his opinion that should be up to the buyer!

I explained that real estate commissions, while always being negotiable, are traditionally paid as a percentage of the sales price of a property - and from the sales price. That means the seller generally pays the sales side of the commission, even if that agent is working for the buyer. Another thing that I mentioned to him is that buyers are having a hard enough time finding financing, without having to come up with another big pile of cash to pay commissions.

AAA Properties is happy to be part of changing the real estate industry by eliminating listing commissions, but the fact is there are still thousands of agents out there who represent most of the buyers. We want those buyers agents to show our listings to our buyers, so we recommend that those who use our flat fee service offer a full 3% to any agent who brings them a buyer. This is truly the only way to make sure that your property gets full exposure to the market and will bring the best price possible.

In the end, it is unknown if our FSBO will be listing his house or not, whether he’ll choose to offer a selling broker commission, how long it will take him to sell the property or whether he will get a good price for his house. What would you do? What do think will happen in his situation?

Skidoodleski, Hair Farmer Joe

Posted in MLS, Residential, FSBO, Commissions, Listing, Bellevue | No Comments »

September 23, 2007 by Joe Kennedy.

AAA Properties is now offering $500 Flat Fee Listings with more personal service than is offered through the competition.  Instead of simply listing your property on the local multiple listings service, AAA also provides a yard sign, lock box and takes professional digital photos of your property for your listing.  A flat fee listing with AAA can be for up to a year, can be extended at no charge or canceled at any time.  As an added bonus, if your property is on the Eastside, AAA Properties will advertise your property in the print edition of Eastside Business until it is sold.

Currently covering most properties in Washington state and all properties in San Diego County, California.  To list your house or condo today, call 425-455-5478 or 800-441-LIST.

In order for a home seller to get to price for their property, it is necessary to expose the property to as many prospective buyers as possible.  THE way to do that is to have it listed on the local MLS, which is used by thousands of real estate agents to help find homes for their buyers.  It will cost you a $500 upfront list fee and a commission for the selling broker, but the amazing exposure provided through the mls will undoubtedly help you find the buyer who is willing to pay the highest price for your property.

If you are a buyer who wants to save money, AAA Properties offers a commission rebate program which enables buyers to put thousands of dollars of cash into their pockets at closing.  AAA Properties is currently developing real estate search sites for WA and CA at DeLuz.com and YourEastsideBroker.com - visit these sites today to see how many properties are for sale in your city.

Posted in Eastside Business, NWMLS, Commissions, Listing, Bellevue, Condos, SFR | No Comments »

May 28, 2007 by Joe Kennedy.

Here is an advance of an article that I wrote today for publication in the June issue of Eastside Business that I thought would be appropriate here:

Are you thinking about selling your home this summer?  Maybe you are finally ready to take advantage of the current real estate market.  Perhaps you are ready to sell and move up to a larger home or a different neighborhood.  Maybe your children have left the nest and its time to downsize.  Or quite possibly you are ready to move into a downtown condo with less maintenance – and a lot less driving.

Regardless of your situation, if you want (and/or need) to sell your home I can help – and work to make sure that you realize more of your equity than if you employed the services of another agent or broker.  I do this through lower listing commissions and tough, smart negotiating. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in Donations, Commissions, Listing, Bellevue, Uncategorized | No Comments »