What Do Realtor Service Fees Cover?

Central Iowa Real Estate Podcast with Misty Soldwisch

Want to know how much it will cost to sell your home? Ask different agents about their Realtor service fees and what those fees cover.

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There are several different fees that you will encounter during the home selling process. I have gone over a few on my blog already. Today I am discussing Realtor service fees and what they cover.

People often call our office wanting to know how much we charge. That is totally understandable; after all, if you want to calculate how much it will cost to sell your home, you should compare the prices of different Realtors.

However, it’s important that you understand exactly what each Realtor is offering for that cost. There are many different providers in our market that have different charges and fees. Here at the Misty Soldwisch team, I can tell you that we do not have the lowest cost in the metro area, but there is a good reason for that.

We feel that it is important to make sure that we understand what your goals are in selling. We want to know what you want your bottom line to be. As part of our service fees, we will give you advice and strategies to maximize your sales price.

"Flat rate brokers may not be able to net you as much money as we can."

We have worked again and again with sellers whose homes failed to sell because they worked with a discount or flat rate broker. Through our advice, we reposition the home at a higher price and help these sellers sell the home because of all of the different things we offer as part of our service fees and marketing. Ultimately, the seller walks away with more money than they anticipated.

Part of these service fees go to our marketing and our expertise, and another part goes to compensate the buyer’s broker. As part of the Des Moines Association of Realtors, we participate in the MLS, which shows other agents that we are willing to cooperate with them. They bring buyers to your home and we compensate them through the fees you pay us.

As I said, Realtor service fees are only part of the cost of selling your home. If you have any other questions about the cost of selling your home or about real estate in general, give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!