The Future of Real Estate Agents

Will real estate agents follow travel agents and disappear from the high street? A new company of estate agents believe they will in the next few years.

The company's business model is based on the results of a survey conducted by Hunters, a large chain of estate agents based mostly in the north of England. The survey interviewed buyers and tenants who had bought or rented property through them. The survey found that fewer than 5% of house buyers and tenants actually went into one of their high street premises, an astonishing figure. Instead buyers searched the internet and toured the local area to look for 'For Sale' and 'To Let' boards and compiled a short list of properties. They then telephoned the agents to arrange a viewing. Negotiations that follow once the buyer has found a suitable property can easily and conveniently be conducted by telephone.

So why have a high street shop or office? Or, more to the point, why should sellers and landlords pay for the cost of such premises through high fees?

High street shops and offices do have high running costs. By doing without such premises it is possible to reduce fees and still make a good income.

We do have an office - one office which copes with the paperwork of the company's franchisees throughout the country who all work from home. Bookings for viewings are also dealt with by head office, enabling the local agent to spend much of his or her time meeting sellers, landlords, and potential buyers and tenants. This means that anyone seeking a viewing or an appointment with the agent doesn't have to talk to an answer phone.

Sellers though are still wary. There is still a mistaken viewpoint that you get what you pay for and many sellers still prefer to pay high street agents' inflated fees.

Maybe these sellers are concerned at missing out on the fewer than 5% who actually do go into an agent's high street shop! Although if the shop did not exist this tiny minority would surely find a way to discover which homes were available to buy or rent.

Predicting the future with any accuracy is of course difficult or impossible. However, the ever increasing influence of the Internet suggests that our prediction has a good chance of happening.

Sell Home Quickly Without Real Estate Agent

When you need to sell a home quickly — and we mean quickly, as in days or weeks, not the months it can take today in many areas — consider selling it to property investors. These are the folks whom you see advertising in your town or city with an ad that goes something similar to: “We’ll, pay cash for your house immediately, no matter the condition.” This is a great way to get quick cash for a home.

Most people automatically think they must sign up with a real estate agent to sell their home. This whole process can take weeks, if not months. You must interview different agents, you need to get comparables (the prices of homes sold recently in your neighborhood so that you can get decide on a starting listing price for your home). Your agent probably will recommend that you fix up your property, inside and out and hold open houses. You’ll then more than likely wait (and wait and wait!) for an offer, then negotiate the sales price, complete the legal paperwork, and much more.

And then, don’t forget, home sales often do end up falling through (your buyers couldn’t sell their house, they couldn’t get approved for a home loan, they change their mind right before closing escrow) and so you’ll have to go through the whole process again!

Selling your home to a property investor is a simple and easy way to get quick cash for a home. Property investors will offer to purchase your home fast, regardless of its condition (which can save you a ton right off the bat because you won’t have to spend money on new paint, carpeting, grass, etc.).

This can really be a great deal for both you and the property investment company.

You get cash for your home in mere days and the company that gives you quick cash for a home buys the house at a discount.

The only possible downside to selling your home for cash to a property investor is that you might get less for your home than you would if you sold it the “traditional” way, with a real estate agent. However, considering the amount of money you’ll lose in Realtor commissions, the price you get with a quick cash for home buyer may not be that much different than the amount you’d receive after paying your agent his or her commission.

Obviously, the better shape your home is in, the more money a property investor will pay. In addition, depending on the reason you need to sell a home quickly — you’re in danger of going into foreclosure, or you need to move to another state fast in order to take advantage of a new job or job promotion — an investor has several purchasing plans to help you. The company can give you a lump sum, quick cash for home payment; it can take over your mortgage payments; it can give you an upfront payment and then pay you the remainder of any equity you may have in payments when it resells your home; among other plans.

You needn’t be “afraid” of selling your home without a real estate. Instead, doing so can be one of the smartest financial moves you could make if you need to sell a home quickly.

Rodney West is the owner of Sell Homes in AZ, cash for home buyer in Arizona. Rodney’s experience in selling homes for cash in Arizona comes as a valuable asset for homeowners looking to sell homes quickly.