This is an awesome FREE service!

[yvetterydman]

To those of you who are engaging an agent to sell their property and are not sure of which one to go with, I can highly recommend findmeanagent.com.au

These guys are great. It is a FREE service, and you even get money back at the end if the agent you choose through their recommendation actually sells your property.

I was a bit skeptical but filled out my details and sent them off. Vicky, the client services manager, researched about 12 agents to find her top three. She then sent me out an agent report on the top three so I could make an informed decision. Then, it was up to me to contact the three agents and decide which one I would prefer.

Check out the website and have a look at it. I just wish I had found it about three months ago before we listed our house - in the hands of the right agent, it could have been sold by now!

YR

 

[Aaron Sice]

kudos kudos kudos kudos kudos

 

[hobo-jo]

Interesting idea, however the obvious potential flaw here is that they might be narrowing it down to the agents that will pay the highest referral fee (rather than the best agent)...of course you would also benefit from this with a higher amount paid to you (if your house sells).

Thanks for sharing this one!

 

[BayView]

Look, it's probably very good, but as I was reading I had to laugh, because us fools have now created yet another layer of other people to get involved in the transaction of me....selling my house to....you.

I had a cold call yesterday from a crowd who offered to give me advice and services to make sure my books were all ok before I took them to the accountant before he does them to send to the ATO to avoid being audited.

So now I need a pre-accountant accountancy firm.

 

[Dazz]

yet another layer of other people to get involved in the transaction of me....selling my house to....you.

Oh I dunno Bayview, I reckon it couldn't hurt and no-one would notice if you added a few more layers in between Vendor and Purchaser. Spread the commish around a bit more. You can never be too careful !!!


Of course, the people who are recommending the extra levels are the people who benefit from it.....and the extra levels of protection are only needed against the very people who are recommending it. Hmmmm.




Vendor

Vendor's Directorship

Vendor's Corporate Trustee

Vendor's Trust

Vendor's Pre-checking Agent service

Vendor's Agent x 3

Vendor's Agent's principal

Vendor's Solicitor

-----------------------------

Purchaser's solicitor

Purchaser's Insurance solicitor

Bank's solicitor

Credit Sign off guy (not to be spoken to or ever met)

Bank Business Manager

Purchaser's Finance Broker

Purchaser's accountant

Purchaser's Buyer's Agent

Purchaser's Trust

Purchaser's Corporate Trustee

Purchaser's Directorship

Purchaser


--------------

 

[marg4000]

My concern would be that they would only consider agents who would pay them commission, hence their ability to give you money back.

I hope they disclose their commissions to you.
Marg

 

[yvetterydman]

Haha. You lot are so cynnical (and all well and good, too!) I am not going to benefit from their business by getting any referral fee back, as I had already talked to many agents in my area anyway. Findmeanagent.com.au didn't want to approach the agents that I had already been in touch with as they were not comfortable with asking for a fee since I had already found that agent, so to speak, myself.

Basically they told me that the agent that I had chosen anyway had almost the best sales record etc in the area, and there was one other that had about three more sales, but my husband and I didn't like their sales methods as they were who we purchased the property through. I was just happy to get that sort of feedback as I want my house to sell, and being in the hands of a successful agent is a good start.

Even if they do get a higher finders fee than others, they only get it when the property sells, so it is in their best interest to find a good agent with good sales records etc.

Anyway, I just wanna sell my damned house and I've done all I can (am still in the process of doing, actually) but figure that it will sell better in the hands of a good agent, rather than an average one!

YR

 

[JamesGG]

My concern would be that they would only consider agents who would pay them commission, hence their ability to give you money back.

Agreed. As disclosed on their website, they aren't the first to have an idea like this; vendor advocacy firms have been around for awhile now.

Back when I took a brief spin in the real estate sales game, we found that the better and more successful agencies simply wouldn't deal with the advocacies. Why would they agree to split a commission when there's so many deals on the table that they can earn the full amount from, instead?

 

[yvetterydman]

Hmmm well I thought it was a good idea, anyway. Maybe I'm naieve but I'm happy to know that the agent I have chosen to replace my current one has got a great sales record. I was going to choose her anyway, but just waited to see what findmeanagent had to say about it.

 

[Jacque]

Agreed. As disclosed on their website, they aren't the first to have an idea like this; vendor advocacy firms have been around for awhile now.

Back when I took a brief spin in the real estate sales game, we found that the better and more successful agencies simply wouldn't deal with the advocacies. Why would they agree to split a commission when there's so many deals on the table that they can earn the full amount from, instead?

Hiya James
Vendor advocacy certainly is alive and well, and, much like mortgage brokers, having a "panel" of selling agents who agree to give part of the sales commission to the referral source (most often buyers agents) is not a new concept, especially in Victoria! Naturally full disclosure is required but referral fees between agents are certainly not uncommon, even between selling agents. I guess 80% of something is better than 80% of nothing