New Model for Brokerages?

Each week I receive a new emailed newsletter from Realtor.org with topics such as Top 10 Things Buyers Should Know Before They Purchase, or 6 Hidden Secrets To Increase the Value of Your Home. This week I received one that kind of caught my eye, it is titled Does Your Brokerage Have A New Model? They are conducting a survey on topics such as the following.

"Is your brokerage giving customers the opportunity to obtain services on a fee basis?"

Hmmmmm, now what kind of services would those be? Stick a yard sign in the ground of a sellers home and just slap it in the MLS for $300? Or maybe they want a lock box for an additional $50? We can print out 100 copies of a listing packet for .25 a piece? I tell you what I think would be a great idea... $150 hr for an Open House and $100 for each property shown! What happened to the days of Buyer Representation? Where are we going with these "new era concepts"?

Is your brokerage going virtual, with sales associates working mainly from their home office?

Ummmm, let's go with ya? How often do you need to go into the office to check your email, pull up listings, check your messages or to make a long distance phone call? Do you have to meet your client in the office or would a local Starbucks be sufficient?

Times have changed and corporate brokerage offices should be down sizing immediately. The overhead alone for rent, phones, copiers, 100+ phone extensions, desks, chairs, full time secretaries, etc.. can run anywhere from 20-40K+ per month! All this expense gets passed onto to the agent with commission splits ranging from 50/50 to 80/20 because of all the overhead and expenses. Many brokerages are shoving down your throat the fact that you must use their title and settlement companies in order to receive their company perks and benefits. Don't believe me? Call one of the large corporate chains and listen to how they answer their phone.

You'd swear they also have a tanning salon in there somewhere too...!