Selling

Apt4sale -- I would say if you are going to go with a broker willing to do it for 4% you should do it on your own. The co-broking aspect of selling an apartment is what's missing as a FSBO not necessarily the marketing. At 4% you are only offering the buyer's broker 2%. I would say 95% of the listings on our system from all brokerages are at 5-6% which works out to a 2.5-3% split for the co-broker, at 2% (unless you have an amazing home unlike any other that fits a client's particular need) there is not a lot of incentive for a broker to bring the buyer to your listing over another similair listing. The broker that will do this for 4% is likely aiming for a direct deal which does nothing to help the seller. If at some point you decide to go with a broker you should interview 3 different firms hear exactly what they can do for you and pay very careful attention to how they determine your price. I know commission is important to all sellers but there is a reason most of the major firms and notable boutique firms have listings at 5-6%. Hope this helps.

Nicole Elyse Paikoff
Senior Associate/Corcoran
npaikoff@corcoran.com

Jim all i can say is the reason there are not so many is the reason that has been stated over and over again, there is always a broker getting in the middle. would you send someone to see an FSBO knowing you will not get a commission, of course not. you will call the FSBO see if they will cut you in for a few percent then tell your client about them. otherwise it could be the perfect apartment for them and you would let it pass by.

it is not that it is so damn easy. It is pretty easy to decide to sell, pick a price and advertise on here, nytimes, etc. then you need to pay someone to get into the real estate system. but then the problems come about because a buyers broker gets involved.

most people could negotiate for an apartment, brokers actually make it harder because the two parties do not talk and never know if the truth is being told.

want to argue that. I will let you call the broker who told me that /the sellers broker got an offer close to ask, i said really even with the comp, saying it shoudl be 830k not 899k, he says that is what broker says. Well 2 months later the sale posted and guess what i was right and it sold at 830k. are you telling me that 7% is close to ask? he told me that it meant 2% off. So the question i ask myself is did he know what was offered or did he just want the commission to be higher? either way i did not buy, but it tells you that it is more then possible that a broker is looking out for their interest, not yours.

mikev, i can't be bothered reading all of your longwinded bullshit. honestly. be succinct. however, in adressing your first two of four paragraphs:
if i ever chose to work the buyside of a deal (i don't, sellers only, refer to the rest) i would be glad to send the clients on their merry way to meet these fsbo's. why? the chances of them buying are very very very very very small. if they do? good for them. i'll send a christmas card once a year. the market being transparent makes any other choice impossible.

if the buyers brokers didn't get involved, the sucess of fsbo's would be even lower than it actually is.

most people in this city who represent the qualified buyers in this city can't be bothered to pick their pets shit up off the street, to pick up their dirty underwear, to cook and clean for themselves, to wash, iron and fold their own clothes. they know better than to self-diagnose their own illness', represent themselves in court, file their own taxes and try and sell/buy real estate.