Do I have to pay your discounted fee before closing?
No. While there are many discount real estate brokers that charge you their fee upfront, we do not. You pay the Todd Hower Realty fair fee after your home is sold, closed, and funded.
Do you provide full service with your discounted fee?
Yes. We compete with the top listing agents in the Austin market and we've taken nothing away to accomplish the goal of selling your home.
You sacrifice nothing and get a local real estate broker with over 15 years of experience to represent and guide you through the overall process, local market knowledge, accurate list price analysis, exceptional photography and marketing, interested buyers and the best chance for multiple offers, contract negotiation, and a successful close.
What’s the difference between commission-based and discount real estate?
Commission-based real estate, the most common in the industry, is when your real estate broker and listing agent charge you a percentage of the sales price when they sell your home. For example: if they sell your home for $775,000 and you agreed to pay a 6% commission (3% to the listing agent and 3% to the buyer's agent), you will owe them $46,500 at closing.
Discount real estate is when you pay a lower dollar amount to your real estate broker and listing agent for their services, plus whatever you agree to pay the buyer's agent.
While there are many different versions of this, one of the most common is to pay a flat fee to have your listing published in the MLS. You do the rest of the work to get your home sold. Many of the flat fee MLS brokers operate in multiple markets and states because their model is based on listing a large volume of properties in the MLS but not providing any additional services.
Todd Hower Realty is not your cheap, high volume/flat fee real estate broker, or your high dollar commission-based listing agent. You can consider us the best choice to save you money without sacrificing full-service.
Do you charge any fees upfront?
Yes. Two fees are paid in advance, one for photography and the other for marketing.
Photography: Todd Hower Realty uses a third-party service provider for professional photography. We'll recommend a professional photo package to market your home. The prices range from $210 to $605, and the fee is paid directly to the photography company when scheduling the photo session.
MLS / Syndication / Marketing Fee: A fee of $595 is paid to Todd Hower Realty to initiate the marketing campaign, enter your property photos and detailed information into the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and syndicated sites (Zillow, Realtor.com, etc.)
Does your flat fee, full-service model work for luxury homes?
Yes. We have a track record of successful sales across all price points and up to six million dollars. Our close price average is $919,988, and our clients save an average of over $20,600 compared to listing with a traditional real estate agent that charges you 6%.
Do I have to pay the buyer’s agent a commission equal to 3% of the sales price?
No. While many of our clients do offer and pay the buyer's agent a 3% commission at closing, it is negotiable.
When representing our clients, and based on market conditions, we negotiate many different scenarios and commission structures with represented and unrepresented buyers.
To date, every seller we have represented has offered a commission to the buyer's agent. Regardless of how the buyer side plays out, our clients have saved from $500 to over $170,000 when compared to paying a 6% commission.
Will a buyer’s agent avoid showing a flat fee listing?
No. A buyer's agent does not have access to what the listing agent and seller have agreed on for compensation, so there is no reason for a buyer's agent to avoid showing a listing where the seller and listing agent have agreed on a flat fee for compensation.
Are you the least expensive real estate broker?
No. Numerous discount MLS brokers will charge you less and only list your home in the MLS. This can be a good option for you if you're more hands-on and looking to do a lot more of the work to save some money. Todd Hower Realty delivers a full-service product for a fraction of the price.
Other real estate agents say: “you get what you pay for.” Why do they say that?
It sounds like they're having a tough time handling your objection to pay them a commission-based fee. Click here to read what our clients have to say about "getting what you pay for" using Todd Hower Realty.