"Your clients describe your services as a
unique, special oasis in their lives and are universally
satisfied with your services. They describe
you in terms that are not used anywhere
in business today. You are selfless, honest,
hard working and you know your stuff. They
feel under supported in most ventures, however
the striking experience of someone working for
them is powerful."
56 Ninth Street
Steamboat Springs, CO 80487
Phone: (970) 870-8885
Toll Free: (877) 970-8885
Fax: (970) 870-8886 Email Us Today!
* Summary of client responses to the 2008 Brand Research Market
Study for Buyer’s Resource Real Estate of Steamboat, by Benya
Consulting.
May 18, 2012 Some Things Never Change by Ulrich
As progressive as we believe we are in today’s society there are simply some things that never change. Our Railroad system still operates in much the way it has for centuries. Certainly there are new innovations and integrated technologies but the way crews are handled smacks of a time before workers rights.
In Real Estate terms there is also a hesitancy to change some of the old norms. The Real Estate profession essentially has always represented the Seller of a property and not the Buyer. In the mid 1980’s a small consumer oriented group thought this needed to be changed and created Exclusive Buyer Agency. A concept dedicated to representing the Buyer through a Real Estate transaction. To accomplish this the Agency or Company itself could not accept any listings from Sellers and no one within that Agency or Company would ever represent a Seller of a property. This was met with great resistance as the dream of most Real Estate Agents is to “double side” a transaction allowing them to keep the entire commission instead of splitting it with the Agent who brought the Buyer. Did that Agent disclose to the people that saw and called on the for sale sign posted in the front yard that they had a contractual obligation to represent the Seller of the property?
This is the crux of the issue, disclosure. In today’s consumer protective environment it would only make common sense that how one is represented in a Real Estate transaction be disclosed. In most States agency disclosure is required but not immediately and hardly ever checked on. Only if the Agency is audited would this come to light. I find it interesting that in the State of Maryland a bill was recently introduced making it mandatory that an agency disclosure be presented and explained at the initial meeting. This bill was soundly opposed by the state Realtors and eventually never made it out of committee. Really?? Is our purpose as Realtors not to set a higher standard of service and ethics to the public?
So Exclusive Buyer Agency remains a small yet dedicated brand of Realtors who choose to forego half of a possible full commission to, instead, do what is morally and ethically correct in protecting the consumer. One day we hope to grow in numbers and become more of a force but in the meantime we will be comforted that we are helping and protecting Buyer’s of Real Estate.
