What is a private realtor? This is the category of people who are designated in advertisements for the purchase and sale of real estate by the phrase “intermediaries are not interested”, or “without intermediaries”, or are implied by the expression “direct seller” or “direct buyer”. That is, this is a broker specializing in real estate transactions, who is not an employee of a real estate agency.
Any agency, when asked about a private realtor, will definitely say that this is evil, you should not contact such “figures”, these are high risks, low professionalism, and so on. The real estate agency will competently justify its point of view, presenting many reasons why its opinion of the private realtor is so low.
However, you should not blindly trust the agency. After all, a private realtor for him is a direct competitor, in a very real way snatching a piece of bread out of his mouth. Well, what good can you say about your competitor? That's it.
As for professionalism, a private realtor usually has very good experience working in a real estate agency, or is even an existing employee who decided to “go to the left” in search of additional income. Some of the private realtors “go to the left” all their lives, others, having gained experience in the agency, completely go free. At the same time, both agents and managers, and in some cases even heads of departments, are hunting for “left money”.
True, there is a nuance here. It is almost impossible to check the professionalism of a private realtor when meeting someone. Only the result of his work will demonstrate how competent a specialist he is and whether he is loyal to the client.
After all, a fraudster can pose as a private realtor. Or an inexperienced young man who decided that this way he could easily make money. Of course, these are not “real” realtors, but it’s not written on them. The company has premises, a legal address, a telephone number, an official contract is concluded with it, and this is a document with which you can apply to any authorities if suddenly the relationship with the real estate agency is not the best and the quality of work is not satisfactory. A private realtor will only present a passport, and this document, alas, is valuable only if it is possible to verify its authenticity, and only when in front of you is a truly private realtor. If it’s a scammer, then no passports will help, it could be an elementary fake.
By the way, a private realtor and a so-called “black broker” are often confused. The fact is that in modern times, private realtors are registered as individual entrepreneurs, with whom it is possible to conclude an official contract. But black brokers are not registered anywhere, transactions with them are not formalized in any way, and if anything, the black broker did not make money from the client at all, he simply “helped a good friend buy an apartment, absolutely free!” Of course, if we are talking about ordinary fraud, then a black broker and a private realtor merge into one figure. But you can also add real estate companies to it - after all, fraud on their part is also possible!
The company has another advantage compared to a private realtor: a variety of specialists. There are agents, lawyers, and document preparers. A private realtor is a free bird, and therefore is forced to work for everyone at once. And the Swede, and the reaper, and the trumpet player. True, if this is a real private realtor, then he can replace the entire staff of a real estate agency (of course, only for one client, but the client doesn’t need anything more). He is a universal specialist, which greatly speeds up the transaction, because there is no need for additional consultations, running around in different offices, each of which answers one question, and so on. So, when checked, it turns out that the company’s plus actually turns out to be a private realtor’s plus.
In addition, the overhead costs of a private realtor are minimal. He does not rent any offices, does not pay salaries to employees, and, strictly speaking, taxes too. He advertises himself either through word of mouth (that is, using the OBS system - one woman said), or even simply by calling advertisements about real estate transactions, and such advertising may take time, but does not take away money. You also need to take into account that the entire profit from the transaction goes into the pocket of a private realtor, but if the realtor is an employee of the company, then he only gets 25-30%. So a private realtor can ask much less for services than a company. You can bargain with him. The company is more bound by additional expenses and attempts not to fall below the “equilibrium point” (when income equals expenses).
This is the main attractiveness of a private realtor: he is cheaper, he can afford to work for money that will simply be unprofitable for the company, but he will be profitable. But you really want to save money...
As a matter of fact, the most important disadvantage of a private realtor is that he can turn out to be anyone: either a realtor or a scammer, an experienced specialist with solid experience, or a beginner who “decided to try.” But if “word of mouth” represented by your friends and acquaintances claims that this person is truly a professional, and has a number of successful transactions on his account, then such a recommendation confirms his qualifications.
And, by the way, not all real estate agencies are a collection of professionals. Here, too, depending on your luck. And a recommendation from word of mouth is also required.
Sofia VARGAN
Individually working realtors (aka private brokers) cannot complain about a lack of attention to themselves. The attention, however, turns out to be somewhat one-sided: various publications constantly publish articles attacking them with angry revelations. Which, in general, is no wonder: private owners are serious competitors for large real estate agencies, and these same agencies are also “part-time” advertisers for the media.
This article is a reference and information material; all information in it is presented for informational purposes and is for informational purposes only.
Portal decided to restore social symmetry to some extent. We collected the most common “horror stories” about private brokers and asked private brokers themselves to comment on them. This is what came out of it all.
Stamp No. 1: unprofessionalism
The most common reproach hurled at private brokers. “Yesterday he was sweeping the streets, and today he is a real estate specialist!” - this is how one of the “official” realtors elegantly formulated this claim.
In fact, it's hard to imagine anything further from the truth. The fact is that All private owners have experience working in agencies - the author has simply never seen anything else in his many years in the real estate market. “Our life path is standard,” says Natalia(name changed), a private broker with approximately 15 years of experience in the market. “First, a person works in an agency, and then, feeling the strength to work independently, he goes on an “autonomous voyage.”
So all private traders have undergone training at agencies (although what kind of training is there, risum teneatis, amici!), they know the technology of agency work very well. Moreover, Natalya continues, the very fact of leaving “to free bread” speaks of a person’s professionalism. “Deciding to work independently is not an easy step,” she notes. – In an agency you will at least have a flow of clients coming from advertising. And when you work on your own, there is nothing but recommendations from those people who have already been your clients.”
Stamp No. 2: They don’t give guarantees and don’t check anything.
The second most “popular” reproach against private owners is that a private broker will screw you up, find a “scorched” apartment, and then you won’t find him and won’t make any claims.
The author agrees with this thesis in principle. The only problem is that “official” realtors behave in exactly the same way. For example, all agencies claim that they check the legal purity of the apartment being sold. However, in practice it turns out that the matter often comes down to verbal assurances that “there are no mines”, sleep peacefully, dear client. But they refuse to issue any document indicating that the inspection was carried out. And they are very offended by the very posing of the question: how dare you demand from us, serious and respected companies that are members of all sorts of associations and guilds, some pieces of paper?! Another consideration here: the “final” agreement (purchase and sale) always includes the seller and buyer of the apartment. And not a word about the fact that the transaction took place through the mediation of such and such a company. Now, as they say in a famous TV show, “attention is a question”: how does such a production differ from the work of a private owner? Where and how can I, the client, make any claims if the very fact that the service was provided to me is not confirmed in any way?!
“The real estate market once had professional liability insurance for professional participants,” says Vadim Volkov, private broker. “But today it is no longer mandatory. But even in the past case, when a real estate agency would bear real responsibility for the loss of its client's title, very little is known. It is much easier for a company to evade responsibility by changing its legal entity than to pay compensation. It’s no secret that most large companies operate either under a franchise system or using a scheme with several legal entities using a common brand... Most agencies explicitly state that their liability is limited to the commission paid, and insurance protection should be sought from insurance companies.”
The author can add on his own that SK is a topic for a separate song. In any case, queries like “The insurance company did not pay compensation” in Internet search engines yield wonderful results. Well, returning to the topic of our article, let’s admit that in terms of guarantees to clients, private traders and agencies are not fundamentally different.
Apartment inspection is a topic that is, in principle, a continuation of the previous one. “Although we do not give guarantees,” real estate agencies assure, “we have much more serious channels for checking the apartments for sale, which private owners have never even dreamed of.” This is usually followed by a significant puffing of cheeks and expressions of grief, from which the client concludes that such a serious company has long ago privatized the Kremlin and generally grabbed God by the beard. With such and such an administrative resource, all consumers of its services should sleep peacefully.
What can I say? First of all, in our country only one form of business’s view of government is possible: respectful and submissive. We all know well by name the people who, taking advantage of their fortune, tried to open doors in the Kremlin with their feet - as well as where they are now. There are no others, and those are far away: at best in London, at worst in Krasnokamensk. So the statements that the entire police and prosecutor’s office are in the pocket of our real estate company are, to put it mildly, an exaggeration.
“I left the agency six years ago,” Natalya laughs. – And I still use the same verification channels. I have a pleasant friend in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. I call her on her mobile and suggest we meet. At the meeting, I give a list of people who are interesting to me, and 1000 rubles each. for everyone. Three days later, she calls me back and at a new meeting gives me all the information - it includes data on property, and data on whether this citizen was registered in a psychoneurological and drug treatment dispensary.”
“Both private traders and agencies use the same verification channels,” agrees another private broker, Konstantin(name changed). - Moreover, sometimes it’s better to check with private owners - because you need more. And for agencies, especially large ones, all processes are very bureaucratic.”
In support of the last thesis, the author can tell a situation that he personally saw about five years ago. An apartment was for sale, and the realtor (from the agency) had a power of attorney from the owners to collect documents. The buyer expressed a desire to see in person who previously lived in this premises. And (to the groans of the realtor and her complaints about rheumatism) they went to the EIRC. There, the buyer began an active activity, trying to get not a simple, but an expanded extract from the house register - it records not only those living today, but also all those who were previously living. The passport officer weakly fought back (the current data is in the computer, but for the past ones you have to go through the paper cards in the safe), but, in general, she was inclined to give up. And then the realtor suddenly took the initiative: with her eyes bulging out for persuasiveness, she began to press... the buyer: “Why do you need this extended statement!”
These are the “secret inspection capabilities”...
It's no secret that a realtor in a real estate agency receives, depending on his qualifications, 25 - 40% of what he earned. The rest goes to the original employer. So there are actually two options. Or the services of an “organized realtor” will cost the client more – at least 2.5 times. Either you, the consumer, will pay the same amount, but the direct performer of the work (realtor) will receive proportionately less. Because of which, it is clear, his motivation to do his work will decrease somewhat.
If we talk about more specific figures, then the minimum for private traders is 40 - 50 thousand rubles for transaction support and from 100 thousand rubles for completing a transaction. Agencies - somewhere from 150 - 170 thousand. OFFERS to carry out a transaction are just beginning. But for this money, as practice shows, a realtor simply does not work. In a good way, you have to pay at least 250 thousand rubles.
It is noteworthy that agencies do not even try to argue with commission figures. All their creativity is limited to the thesis that “free cheese only comes in a mousetrap” - a good idea in itself, but somehow not very fresh.
Stamp No. 4: no access to databases
Another argument that real estate agencies use to convince potential clients. It boils down to the fact that there are some “closed” sources of information that are inaccessible to private individuals. Consequently, they say, even if you save some money on services with a private owner, you will lose by buying a worse apartment.
It must be said that such a “closed” tool really exists - and it is called the Multi-Listing System (MLS). The data is provided there by professional participants in the real estate market, and only accredited players can use the information. And the data in MLS sometimes actually turns out to be better than in open sources. But the problem is that MLS exists not here, but... in the USA. But numerous attempts by various real estate officials to create something similar in our country have failed. The reason comes down to the fact that by limiting someone else's access to your offerings, you are also limiting your own chances that your product will be sold. Those. To follow these principles, realtors require very great corporate solidarity, a willingness to sacrifice their own interests for the sake of a common cause. Which, of course, is not the case in reality: for illustration, look at how representatives of two agencies sometimes bargain.
...One way or another, real estate agencies do not have any “exclusive” offers. The market is a place where everyone draws data from the same sources, and they are well known to everyone.
Stamp No. 5: They don’t value the client.
The last of the popular “horror stories” against private brokers boils down to the fact that they work dirty, “screwing” their clients in every possible way.
Of all the other reproaches, our private consultants considered this the most unfair. In their opinion, such an attitude is more typical for real estate agencies. The explanation is very simple: companies have image advertising that attracts a flow of customers. You can recall here how, at one event, the slightly drunk head of a large real estate agency cited figures: on average, it turned out that every Muscovite changes apartment only once every few decades. Therefore, every client who comes to us is unlikely to return again, and our task is to extract the maximum from him...
Individual agents who do not have image advertising simply cannot work like this. “Recommendations from former clients are the most important component of a private trader’s work,” notes Vadim Volkov. “Working honestly and not changing phones is simply beneficial for us.” “The basic principle of marketing: a satisfied client brings two, and a dissatisfied one takes away ten,” Konstantin fully agrees.
Resume from the portal
Of course, in disputes between private brokers and real estate agencies there is a lot of expression, mutual insults, and sometimes just insults. It is unlikely that we will be able to act as an impartial arbiter in this dispute. However, there is an obvious fact: for more than 20 years of the existence of our market, real estate agencies have not managed to squeeze private owners out of it. Moreover, today private brokers carry out, according to various estimates, 50 - 70% of transactions - so the question of who is squeezing out whom is still very controversial... And if private brokers are so popular among consumers, maybe they are not so bad?
Expert opinions:
Nikolay Tyulenev, managing partner, development director of the real estate agency "NEORIELTI", member of the expert council of the Moscow Guild of Realtors:
The size of a private broker's commission depends primarily on his workload. Therefore, the old virtuoso masters, to whom there is a queue of people suffering to solve the housing problem, will request payment commensurate with that declared by agencies today. But at the same time, not a penny will be added to the stated amount.
Alexander Ziminsky, director of luxury real estate sales department at Penny Lane Realty:
Private brokers, like all people, are different. Someone was fired for defrauding an organization, someone tried to deceive a client, someone, after a year of work, never learned how restitution differs from vindication and what categories of persons retain the right to use residential premises after its sale to another person. These are the most unpleasant and dangerous cases for clients. However, it happens that employees leave for other reasons. For example, someone could not get along in a particular team, someone psychologically cannot be an employee and come to the workplace every day at 9 am - he needs freedom of action, freedom to manage his time. Some people have difficult personal or family circumstances, which again require them to be their own boss.
Anna Levitova, managing partner of EVANS:
The realtor's guarantees are described in the contract concluded with the client. No additional documents are really required. Moreover, special certificates or guarantees about the “cleanliness” of the apartments of some network agencies are just a publicity stunt. No realtor can guarantee that in 1991 the apartment was not sold for the first time using forged documents, that one of the previous owners did not hide the marriage or mislead the former spouses, and so on. It's not a matter of guarantees or papers - they are meaningless, it's a matter of legal support in case of problems after the transaction, the correct conduct of the transaction and evidence of the buyer's good faith during the transaction. We had a case involving two years of litigation on behalf of our client who had purchased an apartment that was the subject of a legal dispute. We checked the apartment, and the proceedings were not related to any defects in the transaction or errors in checking documents, that is, it was not our fault that the legal proceedings arose. The trial ended in our favor, and the client has been working with us for many years and recommends us to all his friends, but I am sure that the vast majority of Moscow realtors would not represent the interests of their clients in such a situation for free, and private brokers simply could not provide assistance of such kind.
Olga Saukitens, head of the sales department of the Moscow Real Estate Agency:
A private realtor, of course, can be a good specialist, but it is very difficult for one person to take into account all the features of selling an apartment, while the agency has an established system for organizing the process, where several specialists take part in one transaction - an agent, a manager and a lawyer, who complement and protect each other. There are private realtors who are invited by recommendation. This may be a very experienced specialist, but if he suddenly gets sick and is unable to complete the deal, the client will be left with nothing and everything will have to start all over again. While in a similar situation in an agency, the transaction will be completed by another specialist without losing additional time and sometimes money.
Oleg Samoilov, General Director of RELIGHT-Real Estate:
I would not say that “you cannot use the services of private owners under any circumstances.” This is a question that each client decides for himself. But whose help I would categorically not recommend resorting to are those agents who, while working in real estate agencies, are simultaneously engaged in private practice. The reason for my categoricalness is obvious: these people are thieves. In real estate language, such a private practice is called “leftist”. A person who practices such methods is essentially stealing customers, and therefore money, from his company. Consequently, there can be no question of decency in this situation. If you think that the agency does not help in any way, but only demands to share, quit and become a private owner, but do not steal.
Dear readers, what do you think? Whose point of view is closer to you – private citizens or agency representatives? Share your opinion, leave your comment on our website.
Instructions
It is believed that only an enterprising person can be successful in the real estate business. It's not bad to have an entrepreneurial spirit. But the main thing is to have a goal to achieve a lot and go towards this goal. Then your business will be . It’s good if you are sociable, tactful, and know how to listen. Don't relax after achieving your first successes. You might get the impression that it’s simple, since everything works out so easily. But this, of course, is not true. Be prepared to face challenges and overcome them, and you will become a great real estate professional.
Of course, you will need some knowledge of theory. It is necessary to study legislative acts, documents and instructions. It's great if you have a legal education. If not, no big deal. You can use other people's experience. Read blogs and forums. Look through books, videos. Ideally, you need to learn constantly.
The best way to start working as a realtor is to get a job with a real estate agency with an excellent reputation. Find an agency partner with good experience. He will help you understand the intricacies of the work. Of course, in this case you will have to agree to a lower income. But the experience you gain is priceless. If you plan to work alone, be prepared to face possible mistrust from clients. Don't type a large number of options at once. Don't start multiple trades. Start not with selling, but with renting real estate. Take 2-3 rental properties and work with them.
Even if you prefer to work in an agency, there is a need to find clients. Take advantage of all available methods: newspapers and booklets with advertisements, posting advertisements, distributing business cards. The Internet provides a lot of opportunities: from posting ads to creating your own website. A very effective way to find clients is to create a group on a social network. Leave as many contacts as possible: mobile and landline phones, Skype, ICQ, addresses of pages on the Internet where you can be found.
Create a client file. Add everyone who called or wrote to you there. Write down basic information. Make notes about what your clients want so you can quickly remember what you were talking about. Even if you are very busy with other clients at the time of the call, do not forget about the callers. As soon as you complete the transaction, be sure to call back.
Sources:
Not so long ago, it was mostly middle-aged women who became real estate specialists. But now everything has changed. Increasingly, young, energetic people are becoming realtors. As before, it is mostly women who enter this field. This is due to the fact that women are more patient and sociable. But men do not see opportunities for career growth in this area. In addition, women are more trusted.
But the fact is that not everyone can become a realtor. To do this, you must have the following necessary skills:
But just becoming a realtor is not enough. To stay there you need to work hard. Many people become realtors because they have a flexible work schedule. But in reality this means rather irregular working hours. Your schedule is flexible in the sense that you can be busy at any time of the day and for an indefinite period of time. Of course, you don't have to stay there all day. The realtor adapts to clients who are free mainly after the end of the working day. The rest of the time, the realtor is forced to do other things: searching for new clients, selecting options, and collecting documents.
The only advantage of such a schedule is the ability to independently plan your working day. No one will force you to work except yourself. A realtor who knows how to properly organize his time will always be not only wealthy, but also in demand.
One of the important points is that many people count on part-time work in real estate, since the realtor’s schedule is free. But they are mistaken. This doesn't seem possible. After all, clients won’t call you when it’s convenient for you. They call at a time convenient for them. In addition, you will have to constantly improve your professional level in order to achieve tangible success in the real estate industry.
When choosing the profession of a realtor, think carefully about whether it is right for you. You will never have a clear work schedule. You will have to work on weekends and holidays, choosing interesting options for the client until late. But in the end, if it's yours, you will feel satisfaction not only from the interest you receive, but also from the fact that you live this way.
Video on the topic
Sources:
The work of a real estate agent can either promise mountains of gold or be very unprofitable. At the same time, it does not always depend on the realtor himself how much income the transactions he organizes bring him. At the beginning of a real estate agent's career, the reputation of the agency and its leader often comes to the fore.
Instructions
Collect a database of real estate buying and selling agencies in your city - even after you successfully get a job in one of them, this data may be useful to you more than once. Realtors are needed in many of these agencies - job advertisements can often be seen right at the entrance to their offices - but this is not yet a reason for optimism. Find out well about the conditions that each company offers, try to find about the agencies, information about their current affairs.
Be interviewed as a candidate in several, reserving the right to make the final decision. Personally meet agency heads, negotiate terms of cooperation with them, and look for the most acceptable option. Do not try to be considered an expert in the field of transactions with - almost all managers of such companies are afraid that they will “crank out” transactions without their knowledge and put commissions in their pockets. That is why the staff of a real estate office is constantly replenished with inexperienced, “green” agents who have not yet penetrated all the secrets of the real estate business.
Accept the offer only after carefully analyzing all the information received; ideally, you need to check the correctness of your decision in a conversation with one of the former or current employees of the company. Also check out the agency's current offers, see what types of objects they work with the most. It would also be good to find out how the agency distributes incoming orders among realtors, to see if it turns out that a young employee will be forced to sell only the most hopeless positions. Even having found the optimal conditions for “real estate” work, be prepared to often move from one office to another, since, alas, a real estate agent rarely manages to sit in one place for a long time.
Video on the topic
Helpful advice
Before you start talking about the advantages of the location of a particular property to others, thoroughly study your city yourself - this kind of knowledge will definitely be useful to you in your work, and will also be appreciated by your future bosses.
Sources:
The field of activity of a realtor is searching for clients, supporting transactions in the real estate market, concluding contracts. A good specialist must be strong in psychology, economics, mathematics, have communication skills, be able to persuade and be stress-resistant.
Instructions
First, evaluate your abilities. The surest way to find out about professional suitability is to try yourself in direct training. If you do not focus on customer refusals, know how to restrain yourself, and remain in a good mood throughout the day, regardless of the result, then you will be able to handle the job quite well.
You must have an alternative source of passive income for at least the next six months after starting your business. If you have no experience in making real estate transactions and have blind spots in theory, at first you will have to intensively master both. But combining a new profession with any other main job is extremely difficult, and many large real estate agencies are not ready to cooperate with people on a part-time basis, unless, of course, we are talking about professional realtors with an established client base.
Submit your resume to reputable job sites. This is where recruiters from well-known companies prefer to look for personnel. Real estate specialists are always needed, so everyone has a chance to become a successful professional if they have the necessary personal qualities and sufficient potential.
Video on the topic
Sources:
Real estate business is a fairly common type of entrepreneurial activity. Mediation in the purchase and sale of houses and apartments brings good income if the work of a real estate agency is properly organized. Everything matters here: from the location of the company’s office to the selection of personnel and the size of the client base.
Instructions
The interior of the office should be spacious enough so that the realtors’ workplaces are comfortable and allow clients to sit comfortably. Designate separate areas for the legal department and the director's office, design a separate meeting room, and provide an office area so employees can have a snack and a cup of coffee.
When selecting employees, pay attention not only to work experience. The main thing is a positive positive attitude, honesty, healthy ambitions and determination. The specifics of the work are such that success often depends on human qualities. Sometimes experience is even a hindrance, because it is easier to train an employee from scratch than to retrain someone whose established methods of serving a client do not suit you.
It is impossible to organize the work of a real estate agency without creating your own client base. At the beginning of your activity, you can contact other realtors and sell their properties, sharing the commission. Study advertisements in newspapers and on city Internet sites, offer your services. Post your ads on forums and social networks. Ask your friends and acquaintances to recommend your company to those who may need real estate services. Arrange presentations of your company or organize consultation points where there are large crowds of people - in places of mass holiday celebrations, in city parks on weekends, in shopping centers.
Instructions
Steady demand in the real estate market has existed for many years, inevitably generating supply. The intermediary business that real estate agencies engage in is considered one of the most profitable, but the work of a realtor is not so easy. Before you start making money, you need to collect a fairly extensive database and a wide range of clientele. The database contains information about the owners of rights to real estate, their contact numbers, type of right and type of offer, i.e. how the copyright holder intends to dispose of the apartment or house - sell it, rent it out or rent it. In addition, technical information about the object is entered into it: type (apartment or house), number of rooms, floor or number of floors in the house, condition of housing, cost. The database also contains information about the demand for housing: contact details of individuals and legal entities - those who want to buy, rent or rent real estate, as well as the requirements that they place on the parameters and condition of housing.
The task of the management of these agencies is to sell them at a higher price. As a rule, there is no fixed percentage, since there are cases when the client is ready to pay an amount greater than the standard 10% for intermediation established for purchase and sale transactions. When it comes to renting or renting apartments, the standard payment for real estate agency services is 100% of the cost of the monthly rent. In this case, the agent who directly found the option suitable for the client receives, at best, only 50% of the transaction amount, the rest goes to the agency. When several agencies use a common database, a portion of the amount may be transferred to the account of the agency that placed the client information in the public information resource.
Video on the topic
Individually working realtors (aka private brokers) cannot complain about a lack of attention to themselves. The attention, however, turns out to be somewhat one-sided: various publications constantly publish articles attacking them with angry revelations. Which, in general, is no wonder: private owners are serious competitors for large real estate agencies, and these same agencies are also “part-time” advertisers for the media.
This article is a reference and information material; all information in it is presented for informational purposes and is for informational purposes only.
Portal decided to restore social symmetry to some extent. We collected the most common “horror stories” about private brokers and asked private brokers themselves to comment on them. This is what came out of it all.
Stamp No. 1: unprofessionalism
The most common reproach hurled at private brokers. “Yesterday he was sweeping the streets, and today he is a real estate specialist!” - this is how one of the “official” realtors elegantly formulated this claim.
In fact, it's hard to imagine anything further from the truth. The fact is that All private owners have experience working in agencies - the author has simply never seen anything else in his many years in the real estate market. “Our life path is standard,” says Natalia(name changed), a private broker with approximately 15 years of experience in the market. “First, a person works in an agency, and then, feeling the strength to work independently, he goes on an “autonomous voyage.”
So all private traders have undergone training at agencies (although what kind of training is there, risum teneatis, amici!), they know the technology of agency work very well. Moreover, Natalya continues, the very fact of leaving “to free bread” speaks of a person’s professionalism. “Deciding to work independently is not an easy step,” she notes. – In an agency you will at least have a flow of clients coming from advertising. And when you work on your own, there is nothing but recommendations from those people who have already been your clients.”
Stamp No. 2: They don’t give guarantees and don’t check anything.
The second most “popular” reproach against private owners is that a private broker will screw you up, find a “scorched” apartment, and then you won’t find him and won’t make any claims.
The author agrees with this thesis in principle. The only problem is that “official” realtors behave in exactly the same way. For example, all agencies claim that they check the legal purity of the apartment being sold. However, in practice it turns out that the matter often comes down to verbal assurances that “there are no mines”, sleep peacefully, dear client. But they refuse to issue any document indicating that the inspection was carried out. And they are very offended by the very posing of the question: how dare you demand from us, serious and respected companies that are members of all sorts of associations and guilds, some pieces of paper?! Another consideration here: the “final” agreement (purchase and sale) always includes the seller and buyer of the apartment. And not a word about the fact that the transaction took place through the mediation of such and such a company. Now, as they say in a famous TV show, “attention is a question”: how does such a production differ from the work of a private owner? Where and how can I, the client, make any claims if the very fact that the service was provided to me is not confirmed in any way?!
“The real estate market once had professional liability insurance for professional participants,” says Vadim Volkov, private broker. “But today it is no longer mandatory. But even in the past case, when a real estate agency would bear real responsibility for the loss of its client's title, very little is known. It is much easier for a company to evade responsibility by changing its legal entity than to pay compensation. It’s no secret that most large companies operate either under a franchise system or using a scheme with several legal entities using a common brand... Most agencies explicitly state that their liability is limited to the commission paid, and insurance protection should be sought from insurance companies.”
The author can add on his own that SK is a topic for a separate song. In any case, queries like “The insurance company did not pay compensation” in Internet search engines yield wonderful results. Well, returning to the topic of our article, let’s admit that in terms of guarantees to clients, private traders and agencies are not fundamentally different.
Apartment inspection is a topic that is, in principle, a continuation of the previous one. “Although we do not give guarantees,” real estate agencies assure, “we have much more serious channels for checking the apartments for sale, which private owners have never even dreamed of.” This is usually followed by a significant puffing of cheeks and expressions of grief, from which the client concludes that such a serious company has long ago privatized the Kremlin and generally grabbed God by the beard. With such and such an administrative resource, all consumers of its services should sleep peacefully.
What can I say? First of all, in our country only one form of business’s view of government is possible: respectful and submissive. We all know well by name the people who, taking advantage of their fortune, tried to open doors in the Kremlin with their feet - as well as where they are now. There are no others, and those are far away: at best in London, at worst in Krasnokamensk. So the statements that the entire police and prosecutor’s office are in the pocket of our real estate company are, to put it mildly, an exaggeration.
“I left the agency six years ago,” Natalya laughs. – And I still use the same verification channels. I have a pleasant friend in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. I call her on her mobile and suggest we meet. At the meeting, I give a list of people who are interesting to me, and 1000 rubles each. for everyone. Three days later, she calls me back and at a new meeting gives me all the information - it includes data on property, and data on whether this citizen was registered in a psychoneurological and drug treatment dispensary.”
“Both private traders and agencies use the same verification channels,” agrees another private broker, Konstantin(name changed). - Moreover, sometimes it’s better to check with private owners - because you need more. And for agencies, especially large ones, all processes are very bureaucratic.”
In support of the last thesis, the author can tell a situation that he personally saw about five years ago. An apartment was for sale, and the realtor (from the agency) had a power of attorney from the owners to collect documents. The buyer expressed a desire to see in person who previously lived in this premises. And (to the groans of the realtor and her complaints about rheumatism) they went to the EIRC. There, the buyer began an active activity, trying to get not a simple, but an expanded extract from the house register - it records not only those living today, but also all those who were previously living. The passport officer weakly fought back (the current data is in the computer, but for the past ones you have to go through the paper cards in the safe), but, in general, she was inclined to give up. And then the realtor suddenly took the initiative: with her eyes bulging out for persuasiveness, she began to press... the buyer: “Why do you need this extended statement!”
These are the “secret inspection capabilities”...
It's no secret that a realtor in a real estate agency receives, depending on his qualifications, 25 - 40% of what he earned. The rest goes to the original employer. So there are actually two options. Or the services of an “organized realtor” will cost the client more – at least 2.5 times. Either you, the consumer, will pay the same amount, but the direct performer of the work (realtor) will receive proportionately less. Because of which, it is clear, his motivation to do his work will decrease somewhat.
If we talk about more specific figures, then the minimum for private traders is 40 - 50 thousand rubles for transaction support and from 100 thousand rubles for completing a transaction. Agencies - somewhere from 150 - 170 thousand. OFFERS to carry out a transaction are just beginning. But for this money, as practice shows, a realtor simply does not work. In a good way, you have to pay at least 250 thousand rubles.
It is noteworthy that agencies do not even try to argue with commission figures. All their creativity is limited to the thesis that “free cheese only comes in a mousetrap” - a good idea in itself, but somehow not very fresh.
Stamp No. 4: no access to databases
Another argument that real estate agencies use to convince potential clients. It boils down to the fact that there are some “closed” sources of information that are inaccessible to private individuals. Consequently, they say, even if you save some money on services with a private owner, you will lose by buying a worse apartment.
It must be said that such a “closed” tool really exists - and it is called the Multi-Listing System (MLS). The data is provided there by professional participants in the real estate market, and only accredited players can use the information. And the data in MLS sometimes actually turns out to be better than in open sources. But the problem is that MLS exists not here, but... in the USA. But numerous attempts by various real estate officials to create something similar in our country have failed. The reason comes down to the fact that by limiting someone else's access to your offerings, you are also limiting your own chances that your product will be sold. Those. To follow these principles, realtors require very great corporate solidarity, a willingness to sacrifice their own interests for the sake of a common cause. Which, of course, is not the case in reality: for illustration, look at how representatives of two agencies sometimes bargain.
...One way or another, real estate agencies do not have any “exclusive” offers. The market is a place where everyone draws data from the same sources, and they are well known to everyone.
Stamp No. 5: They don’t value the client.
The last of the popular “horror stories” against private brokers boils down to the fact that they work dirty, “screwing” their clients in every possible way.
Of all the other reproaches, our private consultants considered this the most unfair. In their opinion, such an attitude is more typical for real estate agencies. The explanation is very simple: companies have image advertising that attracts a flow of customers. You can recall here how, at one event, the slightly drunk head of a large real estate agency cited figures: on average, it turned out that every Muscovite changes apartment only once every few decades. Therefore, every client who comes to us is unlikely to return again, and our task is to extract the maximum from him...
Individual agents who do not have image advertising simply cannot work like this. “Recommendations from former clients are the most important component of a private trader’s work,” notes Vadim Volkov. “Working honestly and not changing phones is simply beneficial for us.” “The basic principle of marketing: a satisfied client brings two, and a dissatisfied one takes away ten,” Konstantin fully agrees.
Resume from the portal
Of course, in disputes between private brokers and real estate agencies there is a lot of expression, mutual insults, and sometimes just insults. It is unlikely that we will be able to act as an impartial arbiter in this dispute. However, there is an obvious fact: for more than 20 years of the existence of our market, real estate agencies have not managed to squeeze private owners out of it. Moreover, today private brokers carry out, according to various estimates, 50 - 70% of transactions - so the question of who is squeezing out whom is still very controversial... And if private brokers are so popular among consumers, maybe they are not so bad?
Expert opinions:
Nikolay Tyulenev, managing partner, development director of the real estate agency "NEORIELTI", member of the expert council of the Moscow Guild of Realtors:
The size of a private broker's commission depends primarily on his workload. Therefore, the old virtuoso masters, to whom there is a queue of people suffering to solve the housing problem, will request payment commensurate with that declared by agencies today. But at the same time, not a penny will be added to the stated amount.
Alexander Ziminsky, director of luxury real estate sales department at Penny Lane Realty:
Private brokers, like all people, are different. Someone was fired for defrauding an organization, someone tried to deceive a client, someone, after a year of work, never learned how restitution differs from vindication and what categories of persons retain the right to use residential premises after its sale to another person. These are the most unpleasant and dangerous cases for clients. However, it happens that employees leave for other reasons. For example, someone could not get along in a particular team, someone psychologically cannot be an employee and come to the workplace every day at 9 am - he needs freedom of action, freedom to manage his time. Some people have difficult personal or family circumstances, which again require them to be their own boss.
Anna Levitova, managing partner of EVANS:
The realtor's guarantees are described in the contract concluded with the client. No additional documents are really required. Moreover, special certificates or guarantees about the “cleanliness” of the apartments of some network agencies are just a publicity stunt. No realtor can guarantee that in 1991 the apartment was not sold for the first time using forged documents, that one of the previous owners did not hide the marriage or mislead the former spouses, and so on. It's not a matter of guarantees or papers - they are meaningless, it's a matter of legal support in case of problems after the transaction, the correct conduct of the transaction and evidence of the buyer's good faith during the transaction. We had a case involving two years of litigation on behalf of our client who had purchased an apartment that was the subject of a legal dispute. We checked the apartment, and the proceedings were not related to any defects in the transaction or errors in checking documents, that is, it was not our fault that the legal proceedings arose. The trial ended in our favor, and the client has been working with us for many years and recommends us to all his friends, but I am sure that the vast majority of Moscow realtors would not represent the interests of their clients in such a situation for free, and private brokers simply could not provide assistance of such kind.
Olga Saukitens, head of the sales department of the Moscow Real Estate Agency:
A private realtor, of course, can be a good specialist, but it is very difficult for one person to take into account all the features of selling an apartment, while the agency has an established system for organizing the process, where several specialists take part in one transaction - an agent, a manager and a lawyer, who complement and protect each other. There are private realtors who are invited by recommendation. This may be a very experienced specialist, but if he suddenly gets sick and is unable to complete the deal, the client will be left with nothing and everything will have to start all over again. While in a similar situation in an agency, the transaction will be completed by another specialist without losing additional time and sometimes money.
Oleg Samoilov, General Director of RELIGHT-Real Estate:
I would not say that “you cannot use the services of private owners under any circumstances.” This is a question that each client decides for himself. But whose help I would categorically not recommend resorting to are those agents who, while working in real estate agencies, are simultaneously engaged in private practice. The reason for my categoricalness is obvious: these people are thieves. In real estate language, such a private practice is called “leftist”. A person who practices such methods is essentially stealing customers, and therefore money, from his company. Consequently, there can be no question of decency in this situation. If you think that the agency does not help in any way, but only demands to share, quit and become a private owner, but do not steal.
Dear readers, what do you think? Whose point of view is closer to you – private citizens or agency representatives? Share your opinion, leave your comment on our website.
Often, resolving housing issues is practically impossible without the involvement of professional intermediaries. Today, people often ask the question: “Who should we cooperate with: a real estate agency or a private broker?” In order to solve such a problem, it is important to clearly understand what a particular intermediary does.
In the article below, our resource will tell you in as much detail as possible about private realtors, the conditions for working with them and their reliability.
Honest realtor. Photo No. 1
Selling, buying or leasing real estate is a fairly responsible undertaking that has a considerable number of subtleties and nuances. In order to carry out the procedure as quickly and profitably as possible, as well as to minimize all kinds of risks, citizens often resort to the help of professionals. The last ones are real estate agencies and specialists.
The main difference between them is the principle of work organization. The fact is that in a real estate agency, as a rule, several specialists deal with a transaction, while a private broker works alone.
Thus, a private realtor is a specialist in the real estate industry who provides intermediary services to citizens who have decided to conduct some kind of real estate transaction.
At its core, the work of such a broker is completely similar to the work of a real estate agency, because he is also responsible for:
Differences between a private realtor and a real estate company. Photo No. 2
It is important to understand that the cost of a private specialist’s services is noticeably lower than that of an agency. At the same time, the level and quality of the services provided may be even better. In many ways, this difference in price is due to the fact that a private realtor works alone and does not need to spend extra money on office rent, equipment, maintaining organizational documentation and similar things.
Many people believe that the risk of being deceived by a private broker is much higher than by an agency. This opinion is erroneous, since the selected specialist will not only work for less money, but will also be more reliable.
Taking this factor into account, we can say that working with a private broker can be even more profitable than working with an agency. In any case, the reliability and profitability of transactions with any intermediary depends on the correctness of his choice, so it is important to pay the greatest attention to this aspect.
Advantages and disadvantages of a private realtor. Photo No. 3
Now that the principle of work of a private realtor is known, let's look at the disadvantages and advantages of working with such a specialist. Let's start with the positives. Their list is as follows:
It is important to understand that the advantages presented above when working with a private realtor only occur if the specialist is selected competently and he really understands his area of specialization. Considering this factor, one disadvantage of such cooperation can be identified - the need to select the right specialist.
Of course, a similar principle applies to a real estate agency, but choosing a responsible and high-quality organization is a little easier than choosing an individual specialist. Now, knowing all the pros and cons of working with a private realtor, everyone will be able to understand without any problems whether they need such cooperation or not.
Expert lawyer's opinion:
In the age of modern computer technology, it is not so difficult to find a good private realtor.
An honest realtor will not hide information about his activities, his contacts and location. All information can be obtained from the Internet.
But before deciding on cooperation with a specific specialist, it is better to look for reviews about the work of this realtor. A conscientious lawyer will never work in conflict with the law, so he is most likely registered with the tax office as an individual entrepreneur. When agreeing to provide real estate assistance, it is necessary to conclude a written agreement indicating the services provided and its exact cost. The cost of services of a private realtor will be significantly lower than that of a law office, and the quality of document preparation will be at a fairly high level.
We should not forget that the state registrar of rights, recording the fact of transfer of rights, is vested with the authority to carry out a full legal examination of the provided package of documents, so that in the event of an attempt at fraud on the part of the realtor, the registrar will suspend the controversial transaction, indicating the reasons for the suspension.
What do you need to know when concluding a transaction with a private realtor? Photo No. 4
Summarizing the analysis of the personality of a private broker, it would not be amiss to consider the correct cooperation with this specialist. In fact, this procedure is not particularly complicated and consists of the following steps:
As you can see, a private realtor is a specialist who is quite convenient for cooperation. The main thing when working with such specialists is careful selection of candidates and proper organization of cooperation. In general terms, all these procedures have been covered above. We hope today's article was useful to you. Good luck working with realtors!
You can find out the answers to some questions related to the work of a private realtor by watching the video:
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10 Jun 2017
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