replacing commission with

The seller never did.  Buyers bring money to closing, not sellers.  There was recently a lawsuit involving the National Association of Realtors that was settled (learn more here) that has finally forced all brokerages to correctly explain to their clients how they get paid.  We saw the error a long time ago and proactively corrected it in house, so in short, everyone else just arrived at the party we have been at for a while.

Do you need one? No.  You also don't NEED to go to the dentist. 

 You should go to the dentist & you should absolutely not buy a home without an expert working solely for your interests.

The seller will have a listing agent whose sole job is to sell the house for as much money as possible.  The purchase contract is over 6500 words long spanning 11 pages.  There are special contingencies for financing, appraisals, escalations, inspections, insurance & much more.  The entire process typically takes 30-45 days from contract to close & requires a minimum of 6 people at different companies & in different industries to all be working in unison to accomplish your goals.

Should you overpay to have an agent? Of course not.

Should you pay fairly to have an agent? Exercise some common ¢ents.

Yes.  We can request in contract negotiations for "seller paid closing costs" which can be used for lending charges as well as real estate fees.  While this reduces the "net" value to the seller of your offer, it can reduce the amount of cash you will need to purchase your home.

Seeing 50 homes at $150 each using Common Cents would run you $7500 in showing fees alone.  That would be a ton of money & is also something you don't have to worry about.  Showing fees are capped at $3000, so if you need to see 50, see 50.  In reality, most clients find their dream home before they even see 5.

We charge a retainer of $500 when we set up our agency agreement for Common Cents.  We charge a retainer of $100 for our “Traditional Agency” option.  The retainer is deducted from final charges at closing, so if your final bill is $3150, at closing you will be charged $2650. 

Of course.  We are committing to put your needs before our own so we will all sign an agency agreement that we plan to work together for a specific period of time to secure your dream home.

Good news, you will save a ton of time not looking at any houses.  

Bad news, you're not getting a new home.  

Legal changes now require any agent at any brokerage to have a signed agreement PRIOR to showing any home.  Now if you are not ready to commit to an individual for all of your home search needs, an agreement can be drafted for a specific property only allowing you to see it and only being bound if you choose to purchase that property.  

For Traditional Agency, no.  For Common Cents, up until we place an offer on a home, any unused amount of the retainer is refundable (less any incurred showing charges).  Once we begin placing offers on homes, the retainer is no longer refundable.