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August 26, 2009

2

Are Real Estate Agents Ripping-off Their Own Clients?

by Bob Schwartz

real estate fees

real estate fees

With over three decades of real estate experience, I have a perhaps old fashioned perspective on the real estate business. Personally, I’ve never used a transaction coordinator. I’m a hands-on broker who feels that if you want to ensure something gets done right, you should do it yourself. With that said, I can see the benefit of using a TC especially for very busy agents, as well as new agents who may not be fully aware of the required timelines and forms required to ensure a timely close.

To me, it’s always been the broker’s duty and responsibility to not only negotiate the sale, but to ensure the escrow runs in a timely manner.  If you delegate part of your responsibilities to a pseudo-employee, it only seems reasonable that you should pay for this service.  After all, you cannot delegate away the responsibility for insuring the quality of the work by the TC.

Oddly, the majority of brokerages think the TC cost is something that should be paid for by the client. If this is properly disclosed in the listing agreement or in the buyer’s representation agreement, technically there is nothing wrong with it.  Recently I noticed these fees have been escalating to $500-$600 and more per transaction side and I feel a little uneasy.

I’m not foolish enough to think that I can buck what is now an industry standard, but I use my refusal to charge my clients for a TC, to my advantage.  The majority of my brokerage business is listing properties. In my listing presentation I point out that I prefer to oversee the details of the transaction myself.  I won’t charge them for a TC and I won’t off load my responsibilities to someone else.

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2 Comments
  1. Aug 27 2009

    Somebody needs to go to jail. Regular folks would be in jail right now.

    Dallas attorneys

  2. Aug 27 2009

    We are licensed ONLY to help connect buyers and sellers of real property. If a lawyer gives our clients bad legal advice, the lawyer is at fault. If an appraiser overestimates the value of a house, the appraiser is at fault. If a plumber doesn’t fix a leaky faucet properly, the plumber is at fault………and last but not least
    If a lender puts a buyer in an inappropriate loan product or does not disclose to that buyer the risks of that product, the LENDER is at fault.
    And in many cases:
    The BUYER must share some responsibility!

    San Diego real estate brokers

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