In the current real estate market two new build homes sell for a combined total of just under $1,000,000.  Both are located on Sweet Road, East Aurora.  One sells for $445,000 and the the second, 600 square feet larger, for $489,000.  The total cost to sell?  At 7% the cost is $65,000.  At 6% it is $56,000.  Both sell quickly, with lots of action.  The real estate companies work hard to bring buyers and work through the process.   So, $56,000-$65,000 seems like a reasonable fee to you?

 Interested in knowing the actual cost to sell?  The total cost of commissions and real estate fees to sell these homes is $16,460.  Yes, $16,460 total.  That is 0.18%.  That is less than 2%.  The sellers received every conceivable service and exposure and sold for less than 2%. 

Let me show you exactly how it worked and what the sellers paid.   Jim Seiner, seller of 1036 Sweet Road sold on March 18, 2008 for $445,000 and paid 0% commission.  The home was marketed through  America’s Choice.  Jim chose our top of the line $1,295 package.   At the same time Jim chose to go on the MLS and offer a commission to real estate agents through the exclusive agency program offered by Real Estate Direct.   Mr. Seiner let us know that he received incredible interest from buyers directly through America’s Choice and from agents through Real Estate Direct.  Since Real Estate Direct does not charge to enter the MLS and the home sold directly to the buyer, the total cost to Jim was $1,295.  That is it.

Mike Farrell, the seller of 1040 A Sweet Road, East Aurora, chose to market through America’s Choice and he picked the $495 pay as you go package.  At the same time he chose to list with Real Estate Direct’s exclusive agency program for America’s Choice customers.   He chose to list at  3%.  Real Estate Direct offers 2% of the 3% to agents working for buyers (If Real Estate Direct sells it themselves, then the commission is reduced to 1%).   The buyer was working with a buyer’s agent and had expressed interest in 1036 Sweet Road but had not moved quick enough.   Mike just sold this home to this buyer for full price at $489,000 at 3% total commission (1% to Real Estate Direct and 2% to the buyer’s agent).    Barbara Murie, our agent at 2.5% Real Estate Direct, handled the negotiations for Mike.  She was able to obtain a full price offer and negotiate particular terms associated with the completion of the home.   All of this for a total of 3% and $495.   So Mike’s total cost to sell his $489,000 home is $15,165.

Here the sellers received the absolute best exposure directly to the public through America’s Choice, the advantages of exposure to buyers through the MLS, the ability to offer a lower commission to buyer’s agents through the MLS, and complete support through the America’s Choice Purchase Assistance Center or through their own real estate agent at 2.5% Real Estate Direct.

We are making a difference in this market.

We are working hard to get the public to understand and believe in our system.   Sometimes sellers just don’t believe it even when they see us sell homes all around them.  An example is Hunt Club Drive, in Mendon, just south of Rochester.  America’s Choice helped the homeowner of 14 Hunt Club Drive sell for over $500,000 and the owner of 15 Hunt Club Drive sell for $469,000.  The  seller of 15 Hunt Club Drive wrote to us to let us know this was the third home he has sold through America’s Choice, all successes, and all at no commission.   The neighbor up the street called us in September 2007 to inquire about selling with America’ s Choice.  Notwithstanding the sales by his neighbors and all our programs, we see that the neighbor listed with a traditional 6% real estate company in October 2007.  He is still on the market.  I surmise that the seller will remain on the market because he is holding to an optimistic price in an attempt to recoup the almost $25,000 in commissions he will owe.  Just doesn’t make sense in this market.

Good news in Rochester.  Recent sales include 97 Sparrow and 17 Branchbrook in Henrietta, 188 Sawmill in Penfield, 57 Bartholf and 100 Timarron Trail in Greece, 172 Colebourne and 6726 Woodbroooke in Victor.  We are reaching all surrounding areas of the Greater Rochester area.