6% real estate agent or $300 Flat Fee Transactional Broker?

[Brant Hampton]

I am about a week away from finishing a very larger rehab project and want to ask if its worth it to use a traditional listing agent or to go with a flat fee transactional broker? I understand that no matter what I will be paying a commission to a buyers agent and I am fine with that. The home is going to be listed somewhere around $425k so the listing agents commission will be around $13k. Or I could choose to list the home on the MLS for $300 + the cost of hiring a professional photographer to take photos + the cost to buy my own for sale sign + supra rental from the transactional broker. So roughly $13k vs $500. After pouring my soul into this property and literally renovating every square inch it pains me to think of relinquishing control and losing/spending another $12k so I can close a deal.

• Do buyers expect the seller to have an agent for homes that trade around $400k+?
• What "marketing" will the agent do that I wouldn't think to do on my own?
• Have you used a flat fee transactional broker?  What was your experience like?
• Why hasn't a company like Uber stepped in to modernize the selling process and reduce selling costs?