Saturday, February 18, 2012

Buying and Selling Luxury Homes in the Internet Age

Nearly 90% of home buyers today use the internet to search for their dream home. While seller's agent commissions still exist, many sellers - even those selling luxury homes - are using fixed fee brokers, knowing they can sell their house quickly while saving on commissions. No longer are fixed fee brokers excluded from the valuable Multiple Listing Service databases, and today's most successful real estate agents work with this reality instead of trying to go back to the old way of doing things.
Using the Power of the Web
Real estate agents use the web to inform buyers about great properties for sale, so they know well just how powerful a marketing medium the internet is. Sellers today are taking the initiative, listing their properties, creating websites, and putting together online brochures showing buyers all the great features of their property.

New Services Offered by Brokers
Many brokers today offer "à la carte" choices like flat fee listings in Multiple Listing Service databases and advertising packages that take advantage of online and traditional media. Brokers today know that bringing prospective buyers to properties sold by owners and through fixed fee brokerages are great bets for earning commissions. This is terrific news for sellers as well.

How These Services Help Buyers
Today's real estate broker must be flexible and willing to show buyers properties that are not listed with traditional sellers' agents. Buyers benefit when they know that only a 3% buyer's agent commission is at stake (rather than the traditional 6% commission that was traditionally split between the buyer's agent and the seller's agent). Negotiations can be more straightforward, and smaller commissions generally mean buyers get a better price.

How These Services Help Sellers
Avoiding a selling agent commission allows sellers to offer a better price than they would otherwise. Sellers are able to put their property listing in front of more potential buyers than ever before, and they can often do it by paying a flat fee rather than a percentage of the sale price. That means a faster sale and simpler negotiations with buyers.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Finding West Palm Luxury Properties at Competitive Prices

How Flat Fees Help Sellers
If you haven't sold a house in several years, you may not realize that many sellers now use flat fee real estate services to sell their houses quickly while saving on commissions. Sellers benefit from paying a low flat fee for listing and marketing. This type of listing allows them to price their West Palm luxury properties competitively and sell quickly with a minimum of hassle.

How Flat Fees Help Buyers
Buyers benefit from flat fee listings because they enable sellers to offer more competitive pricing. For the person looking for a West Palm luxury property, knowing that a seller doesn't face tens of thousands of dollars in seller agent commissions gives them the peace of mind of knowing they can find a great property at the best possible price.

How MLS Listings Accelerate Sales
Flat fee listings include representation in local MLS databases, so that agents and buyers from the selling region will see the listings. Up to 90% of houses sold have an MLS listing, and it is still one of the most widely used resources of buyers and agents. An MLS listing takes a great West Palm luxury property and gives it maximum exposure for a timely sale.

Luxury-Focused Marketing Gets Properties Noticed
With flat fee services geared toward luxury properties, marketing aimed at those seeking luxury properties means that sellers can be certain their properties are noticed by those who are most likely to be searching for it. A comprehensive marketing plan that includes both online and offline marketing geared toward luxury buyers means that properties sell quicker and at a price that buyers and sellers can be satisfied with.

You Don't Have to Settle for Less
Flat fee real estate services offer sellers and buyers a level of service equal to that of traditional commission-based agencies. The difference is that the process is more high-tech and more streamlined, yet buyers and sellers have access to all the services they need. Whether you're buying or selling, you'll find that today's flat fee agencies for luxury properties get the job done with minimum hassle and at prices all parties can be happy with.