MySecretAgent's flat fee packages offer the same exposure, tools and assistance as a traditional agent for a fraction of the cost. Compare our services to a traditional listing agent
Monday, July 23, 2012
Compare: Traditional Lisitng Agent VS Flat Fee Brokerage
MySecretAgent's flat fee packages offer the same exposure, tools and assistance as a traditional agent for a fraction of the cost.
Flat Fee Brokerage
Listing your home with a flat fee brokerage, also known, as a discount brokerage is not much different than listing with a traditional agent. Selling your home through a flat fee broker will get your home listed on the Multiple listing Service (MLS) to gain maximum Internet exposure, and provide marketing tools, all for a one time flat fee. A traditional agent will do the same and not much more for 6%! Using a flat fee listing broker the For Sale By owner (FSBO) is in control of their listing 100% of the time. Be cautious when comparing flat fee services, some of the other companies less expensive packages will not include a listing on the local MLS, only on their own website. With MySecretAgent your home will be listed on the same MLS as with any traditional agent! All of our packages include the MLS listing.
MySecretAgent allows all FSBO sellers to be in control of their listing 24 hours a day via online account. You can change the price, photos, description, etc. at any time. You will handle showings by appointments, control access and answer questions about the property. Who knows a home better than you? Is that worth 6%? We at MySecretAgent don’t think so! Any homeowner selling on their own can do this with the help of the MLS listing by MySecretAgent.
Traditional Agent
How many of you had agents promise they can sell your home better than the next? When they did get your listing you were not getting the result they promised. Yes, they may have a different approach to marketing within their network, but the main tool they use is the MLS. When a traditional agent, as well as a discount broker gains your listing, they place it on the MLS. The MLS plays a huge role in both agent’s network and marketing.
A traditional agent’s main goal is to list your home on the MLS to expose it to other agents and buyers, leading them to show your home and eventually sell it. If another agent brings a buyer the 6% commission is split between the listing agent and the buyer’s agent. For example, on a $200,000 property $12,000 is paid to the agents involved (6% commission), even if a buyer contacts you directly. The listing agent will list your home on the MLS, place a yard sign in your front yard, host 1-2 open houses and assist in paperwork. Most sellers are capable and feel comfortable doing this on their own. State laws require a licensed agent to list a property on the MLS therefore giving traditional agents the upper hand over FSBO sellers. When analyzing the role of a traditional agent it is hard to justify paying thousands in commissions when you can get the same result listing with MySecretAgent, a top discount broker.
My Secret Agent
MySecretAgent.com, a top discount real estate brokerage, allows savvy home owners to sell their home without paying a 3% listing commission fee, maximizing local and national Internet exposure through the MLS (State Accredited Multiple listing Service), and stay in control of the home selling process. MySecretAgent.com provides the tools and customer service to the For Sale By owner (FSBO) sellers to effectively sell a home and maximize the their equity. Check out the comparison chart showing the differences and similarities of a flat fee brokerage and a traditional agent with one Big difference: the amount you will save with a flat fee broker is significant!
Listing your home with a flat fee brokerage, also known, as a discount brokerage is not much different than listing with a traditional agent. Selling your home through a flat fee broker will get your home listed on the Multiple listing Service (MLS) to gain maximum Internet exposure, and provide marketing tools, all for a one time flat fee. A traditional agent will do the same and not much more for 6%! Using a flat fee listing broker the For Sale By owner (FSBO) is in control of their listing 100% of the time. Be cautious when comparing flat fee services, some of the other companies less expensive packages will not include a listing on the local MLS, only on their own website. With MySecretAgent your home will be listed on the same MLS as with any traditional agent! All of our packages include the MLS listing.
MySecretAgent allows all FSBO sellers to be in control of their listing 24 hours a day via online account. You can change the price, photos, description, etc. at any time. You will handle showings by appointments, control access and answer questions about the property. Who knows a home better than you? Is that worth 6%? We at MySecretAgent don’t think so! Any homeowner selling on their own can do this with the help of the MLS listing by MySecretAgent.
Traditional Agent
How many of you had agents promise they can sell your home better than the next? When they did get your listing you were not getting the result they promised. Yes, they may have a different approach to marketing within their network, but the main tool they use is the MLS. When a traditional agent, as well as a discount broker gains your listing, they place it on the MLS. The MLS plays a huge role in both agent’s network and marketing.
A traditional agent’s main goal is to list your home on the MLS to expose it to other agents and buyers, leading them to show your home and eventually sell it. If another agent brings a buyer the 6% commission is split between the listing agent and the buyer’s agent. For example, on a $200,000 property $12,000 is paid to the agents involved (6% commission), even if a buyer contacts you directly. The listing agent will list your home on the MLS, place a yard sign in your front yard, host 1-2 open houses and assist in paperwork. Most sellers are capable and feel comfortable doing this on their own. State laws require a licensed agent to list a property on the MLS therefore giving traditional agents the upper hand over FSBO sellers. When analyzing the role of a traditional agent it is hard to justify paying thousands in commissions when you can get the same result listing with MySecretAgent, a top discount broker.
My Secret Agent
MySecretAgent.com, a top discount real estate brokerage, allows savvy home owners to sell their home without paying a 3% listing commission fee, maximizing local and national Internet exposure through the MLS (State Accredited Multiple listing Service), and stay in control of the home selling process. MySecretAgent.com provides the tools and customer service to the For Sale By owner (FSBO) sellers to effectively sell a home and maximize the their equity. Check out the comparison chart showing the differences and similarities of a flat fee brokerage and a traditional agent with one Big difference: the amount you will save with a flat fee broker is significant!
Friday, July 20, 2012
5 Home Improvments to Entice a Buyer For Your Home
Space- Re-evaluate room use: A rarely used guest bedroom can be converted into a den or office space. Fill in empty corners: Place a large potted tree in the corner. Lighten up the corner by positioning a canister light on the floor behind the plant, pointing upwards into the plant or toward the ceiling.
Flow- Make it easy for buyers to walk through your home with flow. Rearrange furniture to make the walk easy from the door to a window in the master suite or from the hallway to a living-room sofa.
Focal Points- Reds and yellows are “advancing” colors; blues and greens are “receding” ones. Remember that, and you’ll be able to control your audience’s gaze. Elegant granite countertop? Place a bowl of red peppers on top. Beautiful fireplace? Hang a yellow painting above it. Dreary corner? Put a plant there.
Lighting- Replace stark daylight bulbs in the bathrooms with warmer ones, especially near mirrors.
Quiet The Set- Don’t distract your audience with creaky doors or floors. A noisy set makes people question the integrity of what they’re seeing.
Testimonial
WOW, we always get the best feedback but it is nice to see it in writing. Our mission is to give the best possible service to sellers during the entire selling process. We acknowledge that we are entirely responsible for MySecretAgent's reputation. We pride ourselves in providing professional assistance by phone or e-mail to help homeowners make informative decisions throughout the home selling process. Because we rock, MySecretAgent is a top "Flat Fee MLS" and "For Sale By Owner" Brokerage.
Here is what Carol and Brian wrote:
Beata / My Secret Agent,
Here is what Carol and Brian wrote:
Beata / My Secret Agent,
We are amazed at how easy My Secret Agent made the whole process. Everything was completed in a very timely manner and as explained on your web page. You were available to answer our questions and replied to messages immediately.
The response we got on our home was overwhelming. We listed on a Monday and sold it that Wednesday. If we had tried to sell our home on our own, that never would have happened. Listing through you gave us the necessary exposure, which made all the difference. We received nearly all of our calls through the MLS.
As soon as you heard we were signing papers you called us with a personal "Congratulations!" We appreciate having had the opportunity for you to represent us in the sale of our home and saving us over $9,500.00. Thank you very much, Beata, we will highly recommend you.
Sincerely,
Brian & Carol
Thursday, July 19, 2012
13 Tips for Selling Your Home
Its a sellers market- use the 13 tips below to sell your home. Read Full Article
Audit your Real Estate Agent- 92% of homebuyers start their house hunt online. Make sure your listing agent will market your listing hundreds of online websites (MySecretAgent will list your home on hundreds of local and National sites :) )
Post a video love letter about your home- Walk through your home AND your neighborhood, telling prospective buyers about the best highlights of your home. MySecretAgent will post the link to your MLS listing allowing buyers to access it.
Get Your Neighbors Involved- If you belong to neighborhood online message boards or email lists, send a link to your home’s online listing to your neighbors.
Social Networking- Facebook is the great connector of people these days. If you have 200 friends and they each have 200 friends, imagine the power of that network in getting the word out about your house! MySecretAgent will post your listing to Facebook, Twitter and Google+ for maximum exposure.
Leave some good stuff behind- We’ve all heard about closing cost credits, but those are almost so common now that buyers expect them – they don’t really distinguish your house from any of the other homes on the market anymore.
Beat the competition- In many markets, much of the competition is low-priced foreclosures and short sales. As an individual homeowner, the way you can compete is on condition. Consider having a termite inspection in advance of listing your home, and get as many of the repairs done as you can – it’s a major selling point to be able to advertise a very low or non-existent pest repair bill.
Stage the exterior of your home too. Stage the exterior with fresh paint, immaculate landscaping and even outdoor furniture to set up a Sunday brunch on the deck vignette. Buyers often fantasize about enjoying their backyards by entertaining and spending time outside.
Access is essential- Don’t make it difficult for agents to get their clients into your home – if they have to make appointments way in advance, or can only show it during a very restrictive time frame, they will likely just cross your place off the list and
Get real about pricing- Today’s buyers are very educated about the comparable sales in the area, which heavily influence the fair market value of your home. MySecretAgent offer free CMA's to determine a listing price. We also provide free broker help during the entire selling process.
Get clued into your competition- Work with your broker or agent to get educated about the price, type of sale and condition of the other homes your home is up against.
De-personalize- Buyers want to visualize your house being their house – and it’s difficult for them to do that with all your personal items marking the territory as yours.
De-clutter- This will help potential buyers visualize themselves living in the home.
Audit your Real Estate Agent- 92% of homebuyers start their house hunt online. Make sure your listing agent will market your listing hundreds of online websites (MySecretAgent will list your home on hundreds of local and National sites :) )
Post a video love letter about your home- Walk through your home AND your neighborhood, telling prospective buyers about the best highlights of your home. MySecretAgent will post the link to your MLS listing allowing buyers to access it.
Get Your Neighbors Involved- If you belong to neighborhood online message boards or email lists, send a link to your home’s online listing to your neighbors.
Social Networking- Facebook is the great connector of people these days. If you have 200 friends and they each have 200 friends, imagine the power of that network in getting the word out about your house! MySecretAgent will post your listing to Facebook, Twitter and Google+ for maximum exposure.
Leave some good stuff behind- We’ve all heard about closing cost credits, but those are almost so common now that buyers expect them – they don’t really distinguish your house from any of the other homes on the market anymore.
Beat the competition- In many markets, much of the competition is low-priced foreclosures and short sales. As an individual homeowner, the way you can compete is on condition. Consider having a termite inspection in advance of listing your home, and get as many of the repairs done as you can – it’s a major selling point to be able to advertise a very low or non-existent pest repair bill.
Stage the exterior of your home too. Stage the exterior with fresh paint, immaculate landscaping and even outdoor furniture to set up a Sunday brunch on the deck vignette. Buyers often fantasize about enjoying their backyards by entertaining and spending time outside.
Access is essential- Don’t make it difficult for agents to get their clients into your home – if they have to make appointments way in advance, or can only show it during a very restrictive time frame, they will likely just cross your place off the list and
Get real about pricing- Today’s buyers are very educated about the comparable sales in the area, which heavily influence the fair market value of your home. MySecretAgent offer free CMA's to determine a listing price. We also provide free broker help during the entire selling process.
Get clued into your competition- Work with your broker or agent to get educated about the price, type of sale and condition of the other homes your home is up against.
De-personalize- Buyers want to visualize your house being their house – and it’s difficult for them to do that with all your personal items marking the territory as yours.
De-clutter- This will help potential buyers visualize themselves living in the home.
Listen to your agent. If you find an experienced real estate agent to list your home, who has a successful track record of selling homes in your area, listen to their recommendations! Find an agent you trust and follow their advice as often as you can.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
It's A Sellers Market
Multiple offers return as buyers are back: buyers are back but sellers aren’t. Inventory is tight making it difficult for the amount of buyers looking to buy. This is creating a bidding war in markets that haven’t seen buyers battle over homes in six years. Read Full Article
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| MySecretAgent is a top "Flat Fee MLS" and "For Sale by Owner" brokerage. |
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Tips To Declutter Your Home
Read the full Article on the week by week plan to a clutter free home, minus the hassle.
Attack the Obvious: Begin with the area that’s motivated you to declutter in the first place.
Bathrooms: Bathrooms are easy to organize and will give you immediate sense of accomplishment.
Public Rooms: Areas that guests see are often a lot easier, emotionally, to go through and sort out.
Kitchen: This is one of the trickiest spots because it tends to be packed full of items that you could use, like that bagel cutter or extra plastic containers. Store them in the garage. If you really need something, it’s right there. Donate everything you haven’t used in six months.
Bedrooms: Bedrooms are often home to mementos, photos and family items that may be irreplaceable, so schedule a friend to sit with you to help you make quick decisions.
Attic, Basement, Garage and Home Office: These rooms are harder to organize. Start from back to front beginning in the back coroners and moving toward the middle of the room.
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| MySecretAgent is a top "Flat Fee MLS" and "For Sale by Owner" brokerage. |
Monday, July 16, 2012
Ways To Save A Failed Real Estate Deal
Anything can happen when negotiating an offer. Sometimes a buyer can't secure approval for a loan or a seller won't make repairs the buyer insists are necessary. According to the National Association of Realtors these are common problems. These problems can be stressful, but with a little creativity and a lot of patience you may be able to save the deal.
Financing: If the buyer can't secure financing because of a job loss, credit-score hiccups or inexplicable delays by a lenders. Slow down and communication is key. Buyers need to stay in touch with their loan officers and buyers, and sellers need to be patient. Many borrowers eventually do get a loan approval.
Short Sales: The slow pace at which lenders approve short sales is another common problem. Many sellers of a short sale have many mortgages. All the banks have to approve the price of the short sale and it is difficult to get approval with so many banks involved. Once again, patience and persistence are rewarded as paperwork comes together and eventually a deal closes.
Low Appraisals: This situation can be a headache, especially for sellers. To overcome a low appraisal, the seller must persuade the appraiser to reconsider or negotiate a price that's acceptable to the buyer. The key is to let the appraiser know of all the features of the home and so some research of your own and submit your own comps to the appraiser. Besides, you know you home better than anyone else!
Home Repairs: Buyers want to get the most for their buck and purchase a house that's in good condition, while sellers usually don’t want to spend a lot of money to fix up a house they've put on the market. In some cases the home repair list can be so long that it may be overwhelming for a buyer to purchase. A buyer may start asking for a lot of these items to be taken care of. The best solution for this is to get a professional to estimate the cost of repairs. Many times, a repair is not nearly as much as either party thought it was going to be.
Financing: If the buyer can't secure financing because of a job loss, credit-score hiccups or inexplicable delays by a lenders. Slow down and communication is key. Buyers need to stay in touch with their loan officers and buyers, and sellers need to be patient. Many borrowers eventually do get a loan approval.
Short Sales: The slow pace at which lenders approve short sales is another common problem. Many sellers of a short sale have many mortgages. All the banks have to approve the price of the short sale and it is difficult to get approval with so many banks involved. Once again, patience and persistence are rewarded as paperwork comes together and eventually a deal closes.
Low Appraisals: This situation can be a headache, especially for sellers. To overcome a low appraisal, the seller must persuade the appraiser to reconsider or negotiate a price that's acceptable to the buyer. The key is to let the appraiser know of all the features of the home and so some research of your own and submit your own comps to the appraiser. Besides, you know you home better than anyone else!
Home Repairs: Buyers want to get the most for their buck and purchase a house that's in good condition, while sellers usually don’t want to spend a lot of money to fix up a house they've put on the market. In some cases the home repair list can be so long that it may be overwhelming for a buyer to purchase. A buyer may start asking for a lot of these items to be taken care of. The best solution for this is to get a professional to estimate the cost of repairs. Many times, a repair is not nearly as much as either party thought it was going to be.
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| MySecretAgent, a top "For Sale By Owner" and "Flat Fee MLS" Brokerage. |
Friday, July 13, 2012
FHA's 203K Loan
Got a fixer upper? The FHA's 203K Loan may be the best loan to fix up your not so perfect home. This loan requires a down payment of 3.5%, as all FHA mortgage loans do, but the total loan amount will be based on the sale price plus the estimated cost of renovation. An appraiser will need to estimate the "as-repaired" value of the home as part of the loan approval process.
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| MySecretAgent, a top "For Sale By Owner" and "Flat Fee MLS" Brokerage. |
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Why a 30 year Mortgage is the Better Choice
Yes, the 15 year loan allows you to pay off your home in half the time while saving a significant chunk of money on interest. Although this is a huge benefit, a 30 year loan suits most homeowners today. The flexibility of a 30 year loan is the main advantage.
The payments of a 30 year loan are lower allowing you to save or invest the difference. Who knows if you will get laid off or if you will have an emergency. The lower payments will allow you to put money away for a rainy day fund.
Holders of 30-year loans can always make the extra payments required to pay them off in 15 years, should they choose to do so. Nonetheless, you are never obligated and can always change your mind. With the 15-year loan, you are desperately committed to giving that extra money to your lender whether you can afford to or not.
Lastly, inflation lowers the value of the dollar over time. For example, payments made during the last 15 years of a 30-year loan are much lower in real terms than the day you first get the loan. Every way you look at it, the faster inflation rises, the less sense it makes to pay off the mortgage early. With that said, a 30-year loan is absolutely a best decision to make.
Monday, July 9, 2012
10 Home Improvements You're Wasting Time and Money On
Home improvements can add function to your home but do not always add value. According to "The Street" the following is a list of home improvements in which the return on the investment is at best subjective and, at worst, a waste of money.
1. A Pool
2. Outdoor Kitchen
3. Master Suite Addition
4. Roofing Replacement
5. Garage Addition
6. Replacing a Fiberglass Entry Door
7. Bathroom Addition
8. Backup Power Generator
9. Sun- Room Addition
10. Home office remodel
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| MySecretAgent, a top "For Sale By Owner" and "Flat Fee MLS" Brokerage. |
Friday, July 6, 2012
Housing Market on the Rise
The housing market is on the rise! An article in the New York Times says it best " The housing market is starting to recover. Prices are rising. Sales are increasing. Home builders are clearing lots and raising frames." We have seen home prices on the rise for the third consecutive month. This is a good indicator that the market will not get much worse and the market is recovering.
Sell your home with the help of MySecretAgent and save on average $12,000. We are dedicated to help you sell your home but most importantly save you on listing commissions. Contact us today to see how much you can save and how easy it is to sell using our service!
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