All Forum Posts by: Mike Miller

I forgot I had posted this 7 years ago.

Just an update, I end up joining an online brokerage that does not require local membership of an association to join their brokerage. But it is $40 a month if you're not an association member. (there is no monthly fee if you are an association member).

Which I know is $480 a year, but when I looked at other similar brokerages, they get you on the commission split either way. Or They charge much higher fees per transaction.

The one Im with for $40 a month, is 100% commission structure. They charge a flat rate of $600 per $1M in price.

My local association and MLS combined is about $1,600 for the year.

The only thing that I really miss is having access to the NAR forms or your local state forms, and the software to fill them out so easily, with Glide.com or Zipforms. etc... It makes it so much easier and faster to input everything and you have all the forms you need. Without membership association I lose access to the official forms and the software. But I guess it just depends on what you're doing and what you need.

I was curious if any REALTORS here have personally received an offer from another license agent, that was not on a Reatlor form? I understand First Tuesday provides a free popular purchase agreement form that many non-realtor agents often use.

Did you take it and copy it over to a REATLOR form for your client? Or how did you personally handle it?

Thanks guys! This has given me a lot to think about. To try to reply to everyone's post:

-How I find my properties without the MLS: I have been finding my properties for the past 4 years without EVER using an agent or MLS. Lots of methods and resources. It's always been off-market too.

-Obtaining disclosures/reports: I have never had trouble getting copies of disclosures and inspections, agents/sellers will just send it to me when I ask.

-What Form would I use without being a NAR member: That is a good point, I suppose I could join NAR, and just not the MLS. The MLS is the larger cost of the two that I truly don't need.

-Hanging my license as a referral agent: But then I can not write my own offers, only refer. But as Daniel Y mentioned, I could just ask someone to represent me and request a referral fee. At least get something extra from it. Perhaps I will go that route.

One of the reasons I wanted to get my license is that some of the properties I find off-market  have an agent representing the seller. They almost always refuse to accept any offer form other than the Association of Realtor forms.
I once had to scramble to find an agent to represent me on a time sensitive deal, but the agent demanded to view the property herself first before writing my offer. I then went to find another agent, but by that time, the seller accepted another offer. If I had a license, I could have done it myself and moved much quicker. I also could take 2.5% from the transaction. 

Thanks, I am certainly aware of the MLS benefits and agree. But I'm only curious about Brokerages that Do Not Require you to Join a MLS.

I got my license to write my own offers on my own rental properties I buy. I have no intention to represent sellers or buyers, or ever list a property. No need for the MLS.

Including the cloud brokers like REAL and EXP Realty- all the brokerages I've researched so far require to join a local MLS & NAR. As a company policy, not law. My local MLS comes out to $966 per year! It bundles CAR membership. I have no need.

Any brokerages you know of that don't require MLS membership?

 Well of course they're out there hustling, they want a commission. But that's besides the point. In this event, it was my inlaws home, they decided to transfer the house to their son, (my brother in law), through Prop 58. So there was no reassessment tax. 

So it's no longer going to be sold anyways, but neighbors and agents are still approaching them. Just was curious on the morality or legality of it. I thought such discussions would be confidential regardless of signing a listing agreement. Guess not

Say you interviewed two real estate agents that you we're considering to list your home with. You met them at THEIR OFFICE, they did not come over to your house. The agent does know your address though.

You have not signed or decided with either agent yet. One of the agents you interviewed then told outside parties about it, perhaps their friend or fellow agents in the office.

A couple days later, several neighbors are now aware of your intentions to sell, asking you about it, and other agents start approaching you saying they heard you are selling soon. 

Is that legal for agents to disclose their awareness of it with others like that? Or just not moral/ethical? 

Well you would still be easily identifiable. The LLC name is unique by law. So if someone wanted to report me, they could just go by my LLC name and the DRE could look it up to match it to me. You would not need my legal name to report me.

It's like LLC's, the actual Secretary of State's office has your real info, they can pull it any time. It's just not viewable to the public.

Basically all I am trying to say in a nutshell, is I was hoping that the DRE allowed agents to use a unique DBA name, and hide their legal name from the public. But clearly that is not how the DRE is set up. Legal name will be displayed online to the public no matter what. Got it.

^ Of course, no doubt. I'm only wondering about this specific scenario though. How DBA/LLC name's function with public visibility through DRE

LLC's are easy to mask though, because you can use an attorney or LegalZoom as your contact agent, and PO Boxes, so when people look it up, your name and info is not on any of the registration documents. The real ownership names are within the private documents that only they have and the state.

But as far as being a real estate agent and registering with the DRE, that's what I'm trying to figure out. Can we register under a DBA name and not reveal our legal name publicly. I know the DRE themselves would know my real legal name of course, but just publicly is what Im trying to figure.