How to Buy w/out a Realtor?

[matt-waiting]

Geez – what started out as a simple question (Can a buyer’s agent justify their value?) turned into WW3.

I wonder why such a simple question made urbanrealtor, normally a thoughtful poster, turn into a raging lunatic?

My impression is that asking for a rebate from a good buyer’s agent may be the best way to go, although the good Dr. has shown that a) a buyer’s agent provides little value for a buyer with half a brain and b) RE agents will result to petty insults to protect a faulty system (except SD Realtor – Who seems to have formed a reasonable opinion on his own.)

SDR – interested in agreeing to a 1% rebate?

[sdrealtor]

Just checked back on the thread and I couldnt find any petty insults under my posts. Plenty of tough, straight talk and a few graphic analogies but no direct insults.

That is a good way to go. Dr B bought a home in an area he grew up in and has tracked for years. I dont doubt he did OK, maybe even great or maybe just average. However, it is no appropriate to extrapolate what he did to the average Joe (or Matt).

Dr B is trying to throw out the baby with the bath water. For all the problems with the system there are plenty of benefits. The calls for new models are misguided because options exist and have for a long time. They arent mainstream because they dont work for the mainstream. I’m sure all the agents on this board have and would provide rebates. My advice would be to find one who knows the area you are looking in or has the time/ability to dig and find out. I dont know where you are looking but you have no idea how shark infested the waters can be out there. Unrepresented buyers can get severely hurt around here. Of course represented buyers can also but if you find yourself a good one you will mostly be far better off than going it alone. Thats just my opinion and as I always like to say, success in RE purchases comes from being well informed and opportunistic. A good agent will help you become better informed and will help you spot/exploit the best opportunties.

Best of luck and I mean it…

sdr

[sdrealtor]

Just checked back on the thread and I couldnt find any petty insults under my posts. Plenty of tough, straight talk and a few graphic analogies but no direct insults.

That is a good way to go. Dr B bought a home in an area he grew up in and has tracked for years. I dont doubt he did OK, maybe even great or maybe just average. However, it is no appropriate to extrapolate what he did to the average Joe (or Matt).

Dr B is trying to throw out the baby with the bath water. For all the problems with the system there are plenty of benefits. The calls for new models are misguided because options exist and have for a long time. They arent mainstream because they dont work for the mainstream. I’m sure all the agents on this board have and would provide rebates. My advice would be to find one who knows the area you are looking in or has the time/ability to dig and find out. I dont know where you are looking but you have no idea how shark infested the waters can be out there. Unrepresented buyers can get severely hurt around here. Of course represented buyers can also but if you find yourself a good one you will mostly be far better off than going it alone. Thats just my opinion and as I always like to say, success in RE purchases comes from being well informed and opportunistic. A good agent will help you become better informed and will help you spot/exploit the best opportunties.

Best of luck and I mean it…

sdr

[sdrealtor]

Just checked back on the thread and I couldnt find any petty insults under my posts. Plenty of tough, straight talk and a few graphic analogies but no direct insults.

That is a good way to go. Dr B bought a home in an area he grew up in and has tracked for years. I dont doubt he did OK, maybe even great or maybe just average. However, it is no appropriate to extrapolate what he did to the average Joe (or Matt).

Dr B is trying to throw out the baby with the bath water. For all the problems with the system there are plenty of benefits. The calls for new models are misguided because options exist and have for a long time. They arent mainstream because they dont work for the mainstream. I’m sure all the agents on this board have and would provide rebates. My advice would be to find one who knows the area you are looking in or has the time/ability to dig and find out. I dont know where you are looking but you have no idea how shark infested the waters can be out there. Unrepresented buyers can get severely hurt around here. Of course represented buyers can also but if you find yourself a good one you will mostly be far better off than going it alone. Thats just my opinion and as I always like to say, success in RE purchases comes from being well informed and opportunistic. A good agent will help you become better informed and will help you spot/exploit the best opportunties.

Best of luck and I mean it…

sdr

[sdrealtor]

Just checked back on the thread and I couldnt find any petty insults under my posts. Plenty of tough, straight talk and a few graphic analogies but no direct insults.

That is a good way to go. Dr B bought a home in an area he grew up in and has tracked for years. I dont doubt he did OK, maybe even great or maybe just average. However, it is no appropriate to extrapolate what he did to the average Joe (or Matt).

Dr B is trying to throw out the baby with the bath water. For all the problems with the system there are plenty of benefits. The calls for new models are misguided because options exist and have for a long time. They arent mainstream because they dont work for the mainstream. I’m sure all the agents on this board have and would provide rebates. My advice would be to find one who knows the area you are looking in or has the time/ability to dig and find out. I dont know where you are looking but you have no idea how shark infested the waters can be out there. Unrepresented buyers can get severely hurt around here. Of course represented buyers can also but if you find yourself a good one you will mostly be far better off than going it alone. Thats just my opinion and as I always like to say, success in RE purchases comes from being well informed and opportunistic. A good agent will help you become better informed and will help you spot/exploit the best opportunties.

Best of luck and I mean it…

sdr

[sdrealtor]

Just checked back on the thread and I couldnt find any petty insults under my posts. Plenty of tough, straight talk and a few graphic analogies but no direct insults.

That is a good way to go. Dr B bought a home in an area he grew up in and has tracked for years. I dont doubt he did OK, maybe even great or maybe just average. However, it is no appropriate to extrapolate what he did to the average Joe (or Matt).

Dr B is trying to throw out the baby with the bath water. For all the problems with the system there are plenty of benefits. The calls for new models are misguided because options exist and have for a long time. They arent mainstream because they dont work for the mainstream. I’m sure all the agents on this board have and would provide rebates. My advice would be to find one who knows the area you are looking in or has the time/ability to dig and find out. I dont know where you are looking but you have no idea how shark infested the waters can be out there. Unrepresented buyers can get severely hurt around here. Of course represented buyers can also but if you find yourself a good one you will mostly be far better off than going it alone. Thats just my opinion and as I always like to say, success in RE purchases comes from being well informed and opportunistic. A good agent will help you become better informed and will help you spot/exploit the best opportunties.

Best of luck and I mean it…

sdr

[all]

[quote=urbanrealtor]Also:
To those who are bragging about having bought without an agent:

I dare you to post an address (or pm it).
I will share it with other agents on this board and in my office and we will tell you if we think you actually got a good price or not. (you may or may not have).
We will not post the address if you would prefer.

If you don’t have the courage to give us that, then I submit you are a coward without the courage of your convictions.

I am calling you out.

Reply if you’ve got a pair.

Otherwise step off.[/quote]

Sent you a message.

I was not bragging, I simply shared my limited first-hand experience. I did not do anything extraordinary and I used no skill beyond what everybody on this board possesses.

[all]

[quote=urbanrealtor]Also:
To those who are bragging about having bought without an agent:

I dare you to post an address (or pm it).
I will share it with other agents on this board and in my office and we will tell you if we think you actually got a good price or not. (you may or may not have).
We will not post the address if you would prefer.

If you don’t have the courage to give us that, then I submit you are a coward without the courage of your convictions.

I am calling you out.

Reply if you’ve got a pair.

Otherwise step off.[/quote]

Sent you a message.

I was not bragging, I simply shared my limited first-hand experience. I did not do anything extraordinary and I used no skill beyond what everybody on this board possesses.

[all]

[quote=urbanrealtor]Also:
To those who are bragging about having bought without an agent:

I dare you to post an address (or pm it).
I will share it with other agents on this board and in my office and we will tell you if we think you actually got a good price or not. (you may or may not have).
We will not post the address if you would prefer.

If you don’t have the courage to give us that, then I submit you are a coward without the courage of your convictions.

I am calling you out.

Reply if you’ve got a pair.

Otherwise step off.[/quote]

Sent you a message.

I was not bragging, I simply shared my limited first-hand experience. I did not do anything extraordinary and I used no skill beyond what everybody on this board possesses.

[all]

[quote=urbanrealtor]Also:
To those who are bragging about having bought without an agent:

I dare you to post an address (or pm it).
I will share it with other agents on this board and in my office and we will tell you if we think you actually got a good price or not. (you may or may not have).
We will not post the address if you would prefer.

If you don’t have the courage to give us that, then I submit you are a coward without the courage of your convictions.

I am calling you out.

Reply if you’ve got a pair.

Otherwise step off.[/quote]

Sent you a message.

I was not bragging, I simply shared my limited first-hand experience. I did not do anything extraordinary and I used no skill beyond what everybody on this board possesses.

[all]

[quote=urbanrealtor]Also:
To those who are bragging about having bought without an agent:

I dare you to post an address (or pm it).
I will share it with other agents on this board and in my office and we will tell you if we think you actually got a good price or not. (you may or may not have).
We will not post the address if you would prefer.

If you don’t have the courage to give us that, then I submit you are a coward without the courage of your convictions.

I am calling you out.

Reply if you’ve got a pair.

Otherwise step off.[/quote]

Sent you a message.

I was not bragging, I simply shared my limited first-hand experience. I did not do anything extraordinary and I used no skill beyond what everybody on this board possesses.

[Anonymous]

The easiest way to avoid the rediculous realtor commissions is for the seller to use a discount agent. When I sold my condo years ago my agent charged .9% and handled all the paperwork, put the property on MLS (most important thing), set up lock box, etc.

The only reason this isn’t “mainstream” is that the public is largely ignorant about this option. You can thank the brainwashing by the real estate lobby for this.

When you sell a property via discount agent the ideal is to find a buyer without an agent therefore the combined fees are only .9%. Unfortunately as I found out it is nearly impossible to find a buyer without an agent. But in those days the MLS wasn’t available to the public via Internet like it is today.

I don’t recall the exact details but for whatever reason the buyers agent was compensated 3% in my transaction, not sure the legalities. But still my fees were 4.9% vs. 6%.

So the point is, in all the examples given in this thread by the realtors it would appear dubious if there is any signifacant price advantage for a buyer to go in without an agent. This may be true in the standard arrangement. However, if the seller is using a discount realtor, then there may be significant price advantage.

My recommendation for a buyer would be to start withoug an agent, use the on-line tools to search for properties and contact the sellers directly to visit the properties of interest. Then later if you are very interested in a property, re-assess the situation. Depending on the nature of the sale, you may decide it is better to go with an agent so you can hire one at that time.

By the way, I have no idea what (if any) benefit these discount agents provide as a buyers agent. Anybody have experience with this?

[Anonymous]

The easiest way to avoid the rediculous realtor commissions is for the seller to use a discount agent. When I sold my condo years ago my agent charged .9% and handled all the paperwork, put the property on MLS (most important thing), set up lock box, etc.

The only reason this isn’t “mainstream” is that the public is largely ignorant about this option. You can thank the brainwashing by the real estate lobby for this.

When you sell a property via discount agent the ideal is to find a buyer without an agent therefore the combined fees are only .9%. Unfortunately as I found out it is nearly impossible to find a buyer without an agent. But in those days the MLS wasn’t available to the public via Internet like it is today.

I don’t recall the exact details but for whatever reason the buyers agent was compensated 3% in my transaction, not sure the legalities. But still my fees were 4.9% vs. 6%.

So the point is, in all the examples given in this thread by the realtors it would appear dubious if there is any signifacant price advantage for a buyer to go in without an agent. This may be true in the standard arrangement. However, if the seller is using a discount realtor, then there may be significant price advantage.

My recommendation for a buyer would be to start withoug an agent, use the on-line tools to search for properties and contact the sellers directly to visit the properties of interest. Then later if you are very interested in a property, re-assess the situation. Depending on the nature of the sale, you may decide it is better to go with an agent so you can hire one at that time.

By the way, I have no idea what (if any) benefit these discount agents provide as a buyers agent. Anybody have experience with this?

[Anonymous]

The easiest way to avoid the rediculous realtor commissions is for the seller to use a discount agent. When I sold my condo years ago my agent charged .9% and handled all the paperwork, put the property on MLS (most important thing), set up lock box, etc.

The only reason this isn’t “mainstream” is that the public is largely ignorant about this option. You can thank the brainwashing by the real estate lobby for this.

When you sell a property via discount agent the ideal is to find a buyer without an agent therefore the combined fees are only .9%. Unfortunately as I found out it is nearly impossible to find a buyer without an agent. But in those days the MLS wasn’t available to the public via Internet like it is today.

I don’t recall the exact details but for whatever reason the buyers agent was compensated 3% in my transaction, not sure the legalities. But still my fees were 4.9% vs. 6%.

So the point is, in all the examples given in this thread by the realtors it would appear dubious if there is any signifacant price advantage for a buyer to go in without an agent. This may be true in the standard arrangement. However, if the seller is using a discount realtor, then there may be significant price advantage.

My recommendation for a buyer would be to start withoug an agent, use the on-line tools to search for properties and contact the sellers directly to visit the properties of interest. Then later if you are very interested in a property, re-assess the situation. Depending on the nature of the sale, you may decide it is better to go with an agent so you can hire one at that time.

By the way, I have no idea what (if any) benefit these discount agents provide as a buyers agent. Anybody have experience with this?

[Anonymous]

The easiest way to avoid the rediculous realtor commissions is for the seller to use a discount agent. When I sold my condo years ago my agent charged .9% and handled all the paperwork, put the property on MLS (most important thing), set up lock box, etc.

The only reason this isn’t “mainstream” is that the public is largely ignorant about this option. You can thank the brainwashing by the real estate lobby for this.

When you sell a property via discount agent the ideal is to find a buyer without an agent therefore the combined fees are only .9%. Unfortunately as I found out it is nearly impossible to find a buyer without an agent. But in those days the MLS wasn’t available to the public via Internet like it is today.

I don’t recall the exact details but for whatever reason the buyers agent was compensated 3% in my transaction, not sure the legalities. But still my fees were 4.9% vs. 6%.

So the point is, in all the examples given in this thread by the realtors it would appear dubious if there is any signifacant price advantage for a buyer to go in without an agent. This may be true in the standard arrangement. However, if the seller is using a discount realtor, then there may be significant price advantage.

My recommendation for a buyer would be to start withoug an agent, use the on-line tools to search for properties and contact the sellers directly to visit the properties of interest. Then later if you are very interested in a property, re-assess the situation. Depending on the nature of the sale, you may decide it is better to go with an agent so you can hire one at that time.

By the way, I have no idea what (if any) benefit these discount agents provide as a buyers agent. Anybody have experience with this?

[Author]

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