Our service helps consumers, we save you money and put you in touch with the best real estate agents in your area.
We ask you to rate and comment on the service you received from the real estate agent at the end of your sale.
We are building up an accurate record of real estate agent service levels based on consumer feedback.
This information will be very useful for future real estate consumers as it is based on real customer experiences.
So our consumer service helps you 2 ways
- Saves you money off real estate agents selling fees with our real estate refund service.
- We also helps you to select the best real estate agents to interview when you are starting the selling process.
Why are real estate agent selling fees so high ?
The big change in the real estate industry in the last 20 years in Australia has been the massive increase in property prices.
Every property owner is better off financially because of this increase in values.
When you consider according to the Reserve Bank of Australia the median house price in Australia has risen by approximately 200% since the mid 1990's to 2010 ,this is compared to an increase in the CPI ( Consumer price index ) during the same period of a little over 30%.
This has created a situation where real estate agent commissions have risen substantially.
This is because Australian real estate agent commissions and selling fees are linked to property prices.
In most instances the real estate selling fee or the amount the real estate agents charge to sell your property are calculated as a percentage of the total selling price.
You would expect wages and charges to have risen over this 20 year period but if you look at real estate agent commissions i think you will see the rise in commissions and charges has been far above normal wage increases.
As a simple example : if your property sold for $450,000 and the real estate agents fee might be 2.7% of the sale price then the agents fee would be worked out to be 2.7% of $450,000 that is $12,150.
When you consider the average property value across Australia in 2009 is being quoted at around $470,000 you can see why the real estate agents are being paid very well.
Compare this to say 1990, when in Australia the average property sale price was around $160,000 even if the real estate agent charged 3.3% of the sale price to sell your property then you can see the real estate fee would then have been $5,280.
Has the levels of customer service in the real estate industry risen to match these increase in charges ?
The charges associated with marketing a property have also risen, with real estate agents pushing consumers for contributions towards advertising costs.
Australian real estate consumers have accepted these increase in charges as the net sale amounts have been so much higher, but the point is we can get you a big saving, who wouldn't want to get a refund of approximately $1,500.00 ?
Why use a real estate agent ?
In most instances you really are better off selling with a real estate agent rather than trying to sell without one.
The reason is a good real estate agent provides you with a professional negotiator to act on your behalf in a negotiation that involves hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Employing a good real estate agent will also provide you with a buffer between yourself and the buyers.
Many times selling real estate can be a trying experience with so much money involved both the sellers and the buyers are exposed to emotional and financial strain.
Having a good real estate agent to oversee and guide the transaction in most instances is a wise move.
The qualifying statement in all this is that the agent is a good real estate agent.
You want a real estate agent who knows what they are doing, they going to be paid very well so they had better demonstrate how they deserve their high pay.
Our service simply aims to provide individual consumers with some inside knowledge on the real estate industry.
We identify the best agents to interview
We identify the best real estate agents to speak with when conducting your initial interviews or getting your property valued.
We recommend you talk with two or three real estate agents to get your property valued.
To start with we give you advice on who may be the best real estate agents based on past experiences.
Remember that the average real estate agent fee in Australia is now quoted at above $10,000, so make sure you are speaking to the best agents at the beginning.
Our rating system records which agents are providing the best customer service, based on genuine consumer experiences.