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The
Multiple Listing Service is a cooperative marketing system set up by
Realtors to facilitate real estate transactions. Under this arrangement,
Realtors register all of their listings in a central index. With this
index, any Realtor, regardless of their agency affiliation, is able to
sell any house listed by any agency.
Let's
assume you are a prospective homebuyer and you have been working with a
Realtor. This is "your Realtor." You like them and you feel they have
been working hard to find you a property. They understand your situation
and they know what you want. Your Realtor should always be the one you
call for information on any house you see, regardless of whose "For
Sale" sign is in front.
Occasionally, a buyer who is working with a Realtor they like will call
the telephone number on the sign of a house that they have driven by and
are curious about. Their intention is to "not bother" their Realtor
until they first see if they like the house. They plan to put their
offer in through "their" Realtor after seeing the house with another
Realtor.
Your
Realtor will probably not be permitted to enter the transaction at that
time. According to the rules governing Realtor activity, it is very
important which Realtor first actually takes the buyer into a house.
Therefore, if you are working with a Realtor and you would like them to
be involved in the transaction, the best way to find out about any house
is to call your Realtor with your questions and have your Realtor be the
one to show you the property.
You
might wonder if you could pay a little less for a house by calling the
listing agency, rather than involving your Realtor. The answer is no,
you cannot get it for less. The brokerage fee is agreed upon between the
seller and the listing agency when the property is initially listed, and
will not be reduced even if the property is sold through the listing
agency. The sellers pay the same commission, whether your Realtor is
involved or not. So when you drive by a house or see an advertisement
for a property that interests you, it is always best to contact your
Realtor and let them make the arrangements to show you the property. |
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Scott