I have a headache and it’s not because of the extra glass of wine that I drank last night. Rather, once again, it is from real estate agent gibberish except this time I am beyond amazed, beyond astonished … Basically, I need advil.

It all started on Trulia. I was minding my own biz answering a sellers question about extra resources for FSBO’s when I notice this response from Mr Melby from Milton (seriously, that’s his name):

“… Fourth, many real estate brokers also skip showing listings that offer only 2%. Why waste a buyer on 2% if other properties are offering 2.5% or 3%?”

I find this answer to be absolutely hideous especially coming from someone who calls them self a real estate PROFESSIONAL - although I am not at all surprised (hence the birth of Territory RE in 2006) - so, what do I do? Duh, respond with vigor. And then Bam! in comes Jonathan another real estate PROFESSIONAL who makes the following statement:

“I usually show “Entry Only Listings,” which your listing qualifies as, only when specifically requested by my buyers, as a last resort or when the commission is at least 2.5%. Otherwise, I would rather show a listing listed by an actual real estate firm with actual real estate agents. I suspect many other real estate agents feel the same way and employ the same tactic although they probably won’t tell you that. And it’s not just the money. I generally don’t like to deal with FSBO’s because many of the FSBO’s I have dealt with in nine years of selling real estate have been just flat out kooky.”

What isn’t wrong with this statement?!

Lets’s disect:

* On public turf - a place where he is clearly trolling for business - Jonathan [also] comes straight out and admits he is a commission chaser

* On public turf - a place where he is clearly trolling for business - Jonathan comes straight out and admits that he doesn’t show his buyer clients FSBO/entry only’s - even though that client has hired Jonathan to help find them a home - based on his own personal opinion and interests.

* On public turf - a place where he is clearly trolling for business - Jonathan calls FSBO’s “kooky”

I read this and found myself in a frenzy of both strange sounding (picture “one flew over the koo-koo’s nest) laughter and fury - at 1am nonetheless - so, obviously, I respond ( ).

And then Wham! back comes Mr Melby from Milton with another response that triggers the headache that now requires a rest on the couch with a cold rag on my forehead.

“Do you think that StairMaster will discount their $3000 machine to help me have a longer, healthier life? Do you think that the neurosurgeon thinks that my health is so important that he does the brain surgery for $1000? Do you think that the lawyer is so concerned that a DUI not impact my life that he represents me for free? Nonsense!”

This answer just baffles me … Stair Master doesn’t charge based on what street you live on and your neurosurgeon doesn’t charge you based on how tall you are!! Unlike traditional real estate firms who charge you just for adding an extra $0 onto your purchase price.

GGGRRRRR. The nerve and, quite frankly, the stupidity. No one said you shouldn’t try and make a $ living. Hello!, we live in a capitalist country clearly we all need and want to make money. But people look to make money with some validity and charging a % commission and therefore making more money when your buyer client - someone seeking the lowest price - pays more is nonsensical. The self-admittance that these agents aren’t incentivesed enough to show their clients properties because they aren’t making a big enough commission or because the person selling doesn’t have an agent is everything wrong about hiring a traditional agent and everything right about what we are building here at Territory. Call it pandering Jonathan but I call it TRUTH, actually I call it passion.

And the saddest part (I know, could it get any worse?), Courtney could barely get the good advice she was seeking because the agents were too busy bashing FSBOs (what she is) and exposing their commission chasing ways. So, as a Territory RE apology I am giving Courtney’s beautiful home in Wakefield a plug:

Click here to see a nicely maintained 3bed/1bath single family with a garage. The property sits on .67 acres and is walking distance to the train. It is currently priced at $359,900

So, anyway, all those reading, I stand by what we are building here because of days like today. In the words of the late Randy Pausch (RIP) - the genius behind The Last Lecture - “The brick walls are there for a reason … To show us just how badly we want something.” And we want it, and I’m confident we will get it.

(Back to nursing my traditional agent hangover)

This entry was posted on Friday, July 25th, 2008 at 7:05 pm and is filed under Massachusetts Real Estate, Territory Real Estate News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.