ISYM
New Member
Interested, I fail to see what you mean by streamlined if the actual client was paying unless you mean to say they'll cut corners. I have no doubt of that. But to your other point, would you want your lawyer to cut corners? Do you presume that this seller would have even made what they did had I cut corners?
And to the other point you're trying to make. That was a purchase not a sale, you opted to use that person whose brokerage had a contract with the seller to receive either X commission if a different buyer brokerage was involved or X commission if one was not. That has entirely nothing to do with the amount of commission you think she earned. That's the seller's choice. If that unit had been sitting on the market for nine months listed by that REALTOR would you be advocating she be paid more? I don't think so.
And by the way, the sellers did buy with me and to give just a small sampling of costs. 752 kilometers, 15 properties, 3 offers, another $500 for a decorating consultation, three trips to the lawyer's office, several conversations with him plus another dozen or so emails and a few more conversations when the search on the first accepted offer turned up a whopping lien registered on title the day after the offer was accepted. Four days later we had to kill the deal. Seller sued the party placing the lien on the property, it took them a year to clear it up.
The lien was so absurd it made the newspapers - twice, for the first court case and again after the appeal.
I was going to answer your other post on fiduciary duty but I'll simplify it here instead.
Your lawyer can never opt out of fiduciary duty. That REALTOR you used was reduced to limited fiduciary duty meaning that all the negotiations, decisions, choices were yours and the seller's to determine on your own because she is not allowed to give negotiating advice to either party. Hire a mere listing brokerage and they opt out of all fiduciary responsibility.
It's all relevant you know interested, you can choose to complain about a REALTOR who makes $35 bucks an hour for their time spent because the total bill amounts to 12 grand, but I've yet to see anyone complain about the $750 fee to post a mere listing and establish all the necessary office paper work all of which takes no more than 2 hours.
Look, I really hold no grudge against anyone who chooses to either sell privately or opt for reduced services. Just as I don't care if someone prefers to shop at Loblaws or No Frills. You can hire a lawyer to close a deal for $500 or for $900, a travel agent to book your trip to Europe or to do it yourself online, a trader for your stocks or seek out your buddy's online expertise, an insurance broker who collects between 12 and 18% commission every year on your premium or go direct and think you're saving money but the insurance carrier is keeping that 18% fee. What I don't understand is why when consumers have these choices they insist on telling people that the amount of money others are freely paying them is more than they're worth.
We're not forcing you to hire us.
I do believe Interested, that the fsbo seller I mentioned couldn't look either me or my sellers in the eye and tell us the commission they paid wasn't worth it. But you are.
And to the other point you're trying to make. That was a purchase not a sale, you opted to use that person whose brokerage had a contract with the seller to receive either X commission if a different buyer brokerage was involved or X commission if one was not. That has entirely nothing to do with the amount of commission you think she earned. That's the seller's choice. If that unit had been sitting on the market for nine months listed by that REALTOR would you be advocating she be paid more? I don't think so.
And by the way, the sellers did buy with me and to give just a small sampling of costs. 752 kilometers, 15 properties, 3 offers, another $500 for a decorating consultation, three trips to the lawyer's office, several conversations with him plus another dozen or so emails and a few more conversations when the search on the first accepted offer turned up a whopping lien registered on title the day after the offer was accepted. Four days later we had to kill the deal. Seller sued the party placing the lien on the property, it took them a year to clear it up.
The lien was so absurd it made the newspapers - twice, for the first court case and again after the appeal.
I was going to answer your other post on fiduciary duty but I'll simplify it here instead.
Your lawyer can never opt out of fiduciary duty. That REALTOR you used was reduced to limited fiduciary duty meaning that all the negotiations, decisions, choices were yours and the seller's to determine on your own because she is not allowed to give negotiating advice to either party. Hire a mere listing brokerage and they opt out of all fiduciary responsibility.
It's all relevant you know interested, you can choose to complain about a REALTOR who makes $35 bucks an hour for their time spent because the total bill amounts to 12 grand, but I've yet to see anyone complain about the $750 fee to post a mere listing and establish all the necessary office paper work all of which takes no more than 2 hours.
Look, I really hold no grudge against anyone who chooses to either sell privately or opt for reduced services. Just as I don't care if someone prefers to shop at Loblaws or No Frills. You can hire a lawyer to close a deal for $500 or for $900, a travel agent to book your trip to Europe or to do it yourself online, a trader for your stocks or seek out your buddy's online expertise, an insurance broker who collects between 12 and 18% commission every year on your premium or go direct and think you're saving money but the insurance carrier is keeping that 18% fee. What I don't understand is why when consumers have these choices they insist on telling people that the amount of money others are freely paying them is more than they're worth.
We're not forcing you to hire us.
I do believe Interested, that the fsbo seller I mentioned couldn't look either me or my sellers in the eye and tell us the commission they paid wasn't worth it. But you are.
ISYM,
Thank you . You just made my point with your example. I am sure that 130 hours spent if the actual client was paying would have been stream lined.
I bought in Florida in our building calling up the agent to put in the offer. Time spent. 1 hour. Commission to my agent (her share over $10K) 1 hour.
I knew which building and which unit I wished. Waited a year. When a unit acceptable came up, I called the agent and told her to put in the offer.
I understand that your client may have never bought.
My point is that one should pay for service that one receives, not justify having those who actually use the service responsibly pay an excessive amount to "make a reasonable income" available to the realtor. While I appreciate realtors as everyone else need to make a living, the housing market does not exist primarily to serve this purpose.
As for your more accurate numbers, I will not dispute them other than to say that everyone else who runs a business has seen expenses rise. In many cases, people are making less than they were before take home. I am not saying this is right, just saying it is happening. There are obviously cases where people are making way more e.g. Bank Chairmen .
You have with due respect misinterpreted my thought process when you suggest that I do not allow for rising costs or for a cost of living increase for the realtors.
However, I feel the defense is a little too spirited and clearly is hitting a nerve so I will simply apologize to you for causing the grief.
Suffice to say that we can play with the numbers all we wish. I could provide numbers that would counter yours. One thing you did not mention which is worthy is that real estate is a business conducted at night and weekends (as well as weekday daytime hours) and there is a tremendous sacrifice in that regard by those in the field.