Commission Vs. Flat Fee Realtors
From online financial advisors to the new
fee-for-service brokers, the question is being asked, "Why should Realtors be
paid by commission?" After all, many brokers agree that the same steps must be
performed to get a home to close whether it is a $100,000 starter home or a
million dollar mansion. In fact, the starter home is often more difficult, so
why should the price of the home determine the Realtor's fee?
Just the fact that the question is being
asked and acted upon by emerging Internet companies should cause Realtors to
seek the ghostly handwriting on the wall. Realtors may soon quickly arrive at
the same place as the travel and stock brokerage industries - slashing prices
while turning over many of the chores of home buying and selling to the
consumer.
Consumerism, particularly by those who are
computer-enabled, is demanding lower costs to the real estate transaction from
all principles. Buyers can already apply for a loan (and ask online lenders to
cut the junk fees) and shop for a home online, putting the Realtor further down
the food chain. When asked, many Realtors are hard-pressed to justify their fees
to such pro-active customers who only want them to help them close the home.
That means Realtors are often asked to either reduce their commissions or to
provide select services at specific fees.
Commission is the fee structure of
tradition, but Realtors may find that tradition holds no stronger shield than it
did for the travel industry, particularly for agents. Consumerism and the desire
for lower fees drove tremendous changes in the airline industry, at the expense
of the travel agent, the airlines, and the passengers.
Less than three years ago, travel agents
were stunned to wake up one day and find their 10 percent commissions had been
cut to a $50 maximum per ticket by the airlines. Quickly taking the place of the
now obsolete travel agent are Internet companies run by third-party technicians.
These entrepreneurs found they could operate a travel business on virtual
cost-cutting, and many have been successful. The same is true of online stock
brokerages. The emergence of low-cost, low-ante stock brokerages has
revolutionized trading. From day-trading to ordinary Joes being able to
participate in IPOs thanks to their online trading companies, buying stocks will
never again be the domain of the wealthy only.
The real estate industry faces the same
situation with fee-for-service and discount brokerage which, I believe, will
make a stronger impact this year than ever before. The reason? Two well-funded
companies,
Homebid.com and
Homebytes.com, along with numerous independents including
zipRealty.com and
eRealty.com, are going to see to it that the MLS-listed home is going to be
inexpensive for sellers - as long as they pay up front and choose services
wisely.
These third-party companies are betting on
the consumer, not on the traditions of the industry. They are taking advantage
of the buyer-friendly aspects of the Internet to create services and attractions
that will capture the buyer's attention and loyalty. This flies in the face of
the traditional real estate practice in which the seller is sovereign.
The only way to beat back the competition
that third party companies and other discount brokers present will be in the
restructuring of fees, the clarification of agency relationships, and
improvement in service delivery. To stay ahead of the daily challenges posed by
Internet-enabled competitors, Realtors will have to go beyond continuing
education to proactive learning.
The increasing popularity of the Internet
delivers a clear message. Demand for online services, competitive pricing, and
better service will only increase. The best defense for an agent is to be able
to outline and assign realistic values and profit centers to their services.
This exercise could prove enlightening in a number of ways. Agents could quickly
learn where they are overspending their time and resources and which activities
bring more "rain" or revenues to their businesses.
Mortgage Glossary10
