Who Are We & What Makes Us Different?

"You talked and we listened"

We have been listening to what our clients have been saying about what they want and need and have found that the traditional way of doing business no longer meets what our clients are demanding. The traditional commission system works on risk versus reward. In real estate, the agent takes all the risk and therefore receives a large reward if successful. In fact, that large reward does not just compensate the agent for that transaction; it has to compensate them for all the transactions that don’t happen. We have found that many home sellers feel that it is unfair for them to subsidize transactions that don’t close. Research has found that:

1. Consumers don’t mind paying for professional real estate assistance; they just don’t like the way they have to pay. . . a predetermined percentage of the sales price.

2. They often feel that there is a conflict of interest when the agent is supposed to be working in their fiduciary interest, and yet, their compensation is tied to the sales price.

3. They want payment options (fee-for-service packages, ala carte services, or hourly consultation based on their needs and goals).

4. They want greater control of the transaction so that if they can assist the agent to get the job done, they can be rewarded by paying less.

5. They want a real estate professional that can help them analyze their goals and needs, and together as a team, figure out the most cost-effective way to reach them.

We have found that most home sellers would love to get professional help, especially in this ever-changing real estate market that cries for the expertise of someone who works in it day-to-day, if they could get that service for a reasonable cost. Unfortunately, up until now, the only choices available were to pay a full commission, or go it totally alone against the odds, or try one of those discount brokers that have been popping up all over, only to find out (when their house doesn’t sell), that they got discount service!

The solution is . . . Ala Carte Realty's Fee-for-Service programs, which allow the consumer to choose, and pay for, just those professional services they want and need without sacrificing the quality of service they receive. Perhaps the biggest misconception today in real estate is that unbundled fees (or bundled fee packages at different prices depending on what they include) are the same as discounting. In actuality, paying for real estate services by fee is the polar opposite of discounting!

To illustrate the difference between fee-for-service and discounting, let us use a pie shop as an example. . . .

This particular pie shop sells the most delicious, freshly baked pies. They use only the best ingredients and sell each pie (8 slices) for $12.00. But some people cannot use a whole pie, and some pieces would go to waste, if they purchased a whole pie. So, the pie shop also sells pies by the slice for $2.00 each. This way, customers only pay for the pie that they will actually use.

Sometimes, the pie shop doesn’t sell all of their pies that day. But by the next day, the pies are no longer fresh and delicious, so the shop must sell these pies at a discount. The customer pays a discounted price for the pie, but they get a discounted product.

Applying this illustration to real estate, it is easy to understand that buying a whole pie is like paying the traditional one-size-fits-all commission model. You have to pay for the whole pie, even though you may only use 5 of the 8 pieces. Buying the pie by the slice, is the fee-for-service business model. You only pay for the services you actually use, and nothing for what you don’t use. The day old pie sold at a discount, is the discount broker business model. You pay a discounted price, but you get an inferior product.

We know that consumers want choices without having to sacrifice quality. So, Ala Carte Realty offers a full array of real estate services. Our fee options include hourly consulting, fee-packages with an “ala carte” menu of services, as well as a traditional commission option. We have a program that meets your individual needs!