Get a lower real estate fee
It's not a great time to sell your home but if you are putting property on the market, cut your losses by negotiating a lower fee with your real estate agent. Some 71% of people who asked for a lower fee were successful, according to a Consumer Reports survey of 11,121 people.
Agents typically take 5% to 6% of the sale price, which is huge! Talk agents down using tips from this MSN Real Estate story. Start by interviewing several agents. "Tell them how much you are expecting to make from the sale of the house and ask if they will lower their commission to the percentage you want," the story says.
"No one gets upset with you for asking," says Kasy Gott, a certified financial planner with Kochis Fitz, a San Francisco financial planning firm.
"If you're turned down, simply thank the agent for their report and let them know you'll be putting your home on the market with someone else in the next couple weeks. It might be enough to sway them."
Another option is to go with a realty company that charges reduced fees, like RedFin.com or ZipRealty.com. Note, RedFin operates in eight metro areas across the county, including Los Angeles.
Or use flat-fee sites like Help-U-Sell Real Estate or ForSaleByOwner.com.
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About The Bargain Hunter
Daily News staff writer Julia Scott loves to find bargains on everything from groceries to Gucci. Her tips will help keep your hard earned cash where it belongs - in your pocket.
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I'd have to disagree on this. Good agents are worth every penny spent on commission: they know the market in your area, on average spend several months now with a client, and end up getting you more money than with a discount broker. It's a lot of work nowadays to succeed in closing a deal. You really get what you pay for.