At VerraTerra, our number one goal is not only sell Seattle area houses, but change the way the industry does business and how the public views our industry.
For the most part, the current view of real estate agents is not highly favorable and many of the complaints revolve around poor service and insanely high cost. A very common question from consumers is what do agents actually do to justify that kind a cost? It was this question that we set out to answer.
Why is the agent’s compensation tied to the value of the house you’re selling? Well, the only explanation we could honestly come up with is the way the industry sells itself to the public. The old real estate model revolved around the idea that Seattle area real estate agents do all this work and spend all this money on marketing your Seattle area real estate property and you (the seller) don’t have to pay a cent until the property sells. However, once it does sell – that’s where you (the seller) must ante up with the cost.
Perhaps this selling model made more sense decades ago when the average for Seattle area homes for sale were around $100K. Back then, the ONLY way to market Seattle area real estate property was through print advertising, which if done broadly and weekly, could get pretty expensive for the agent who was paying these cost out-of-pocket.
However, times have changed, thanks to the Internet. Nowadays, reaching even more people than before costs very little if you recognize where Seattle area real estate buyers are going to find their homes. They are not 
looking in the newspapers or magazines. Buyers are looking online where there is plenty of pictures and information about homes for sale in the Puget Sound area and where they have access to listings 24 hours a day.
Online advertising is extremely low cost, simple and immediate and most agents have migrated to the new advertising mediums. When you list your Seattle area real estate property in the MLS, the house gets onto every major regional real estate listing site (by default), which is where the majority of buyers find Seattle area homes for sale.
The bottom line is that agent financial risk has gone way down and it’s no longer necessary to spend anywhere near the amount of money on advertising that once was required (unless they’re still dumping and wasting money on extensive print advertising). So, wouldn’t it make more sense that agent compensation be adjusted as well?
In reality, property values have historically gone up (except the last few years), which means that with the traditional percentage model, the agent is actually getting paid MORE over time while taking on LESS risk for doing LESS work. How is that right?
Selling with VerraTerra
We recognize that the role of agents has changed, yet real estate practices are not keeping up with the times. At VerraTerra, we find it difficult to justify the traditional percentage based costs associated with selling real estate in the Seattle area, mainly because the financial risks of the past are no longer a valid.
Seller Plan Choices
We think outside the box and would like to introduce to you the VerraTerra way. We offer two seller plan choices, the sellSmart! listing plan and the FSBO Assist listing plan, so that our clients can pick the plan that’s best suited for them. These plans represent our answers to the flaws we found within the industry.
- sellSmart! Listing Plan - designed for any home seller who wants end-to-end service and support, as well as high quality and effective marketing for a fair and justifiable cost that isn’t based on the value of your house. It is most comparable to a traditional listing service, except we have made optional the services that are both expensive and usually ineffective. This plan does not apply to short sales, bank owned or new construction developments.
- FSBO Assist Listing Plan - is best for home sellers considering a For-Sale-By-Owner solution. VerraTerra will publish your listing in the NWMLS and provide you with the materials necessary to have your listing look as professional as a sellSmart! or competitor’s traditional listing. Afterwards, the seller is responsible for further marketing, negotiating offers and managing the entire closing process. Sellers choosing this plan should have thorough knowledge of real estate contracts, be comfortable handling negotiations, conducting market research for pricing, and be willing and able to successfully deal with a wide range of buyers and their agents. We do not recommend the FSBO-Assist Listing Plan for people who have never sold a home before.
Greater Puget Sound Area Real Estate Specialists
When we list and sell Seattle area homes for our clients, we strive to make their experience a pleasant one. Our mission is to provide outstanding customer service while utilizing the best practices and systems available.
VerraTerra specializes in Greater Puget Sound area real estate including:
- Seattle Real Estate - Seattle waterfront homes, Seattle, luxury homes, Seattle single-family homes, Seattle townhomes and Seattle condominiums
- Bellevue Real Estate - Bellevue waterfront homes, Bellevue luxury homes, Bellevue single-family homes, Bellevue townhomes and Bellevue condominiums
- Bothell Real Estate - Bothell waterfront homes, Bothell luxury homes, Bothell single-family homes, Bothell townhomes and Bothell condominiums
Kirkland Real Estate - Kirkland waterfront homes, Kirkland, luxury homes, Kirkland single-family homes, Kirkland townhomes and Kirkland condominiums - Redmond Real Estate - Redmond waterfront homes, Redmond luxury homes, Redmond single-family homes, Redmond townhomes and Redmond condominiums
- Mukilteo Real Estate - Mukilteo waterfront homes, Mukilteo luxury homes, Mukilteo single-family homes, Mukilteo townhomes and Mukilteo condominiums
- And all surrounding cities
If you would like more information about our sellSmart! listing plan or FSBO Assist listing plan, please fill out the online contact form or give us call at 425.223.4828. Let us know how we can best serve your Seattle area real estate needs!
