How do HomeGain, Realtor.com, Service Magic and other companies like this make money? These companies are called lead generation companies. They spend vast amounts of money advertising on TV, the Internet, radio, and in print so that you’ll go to their website to find information about real estate. When you click on a property and request information the company then either sells the lead at a fee ranging from $20-$50 for an unqualified lead or up to a 35% referral fee for leads that are more valuable.What does the company do for the fee charged? The answer might be pretty surprising. They don’t do anything, but forward the lead to a service provider. Yep, that’s right. You can search the MLS on any number of free websites so the website they provide is little more than a mechanism to get your information. Some people think agents, contractors, or other service providers are overpaid for what they do. Take a look at these companies and ask yourself if forwarding an email is worth $1500 (That’s the commission split they would receive on the sale of a $150,000 home.).Who pays the fees that these companies charge? For the most part, the Realtor, mortgage broker or other service provider pays for these leads. The laws of business provide that you can’t get something for nothing. This is very true. So by adding no value to the transaction and taking up to 35% of the payment for service, the middle-man is taking value from both the consumer and the service provider.Why is this bad for consumers? In real estate like many other service industries, the best Realtors obtain their business through referrals. The weaker, newer, less experienced agents typically buy leads from sources such as these. The next time you visit a site like these lead generators, think twice about giving them your information and go directly to the source. You’ll cut out the middle-man and get a better agent for your hard earned dollar.
Posts Tagged ‘Real’
Useless Real Estate Middle Men and How to Avoid Them!
Sunday, April 11th, 2010Alpine, San Diego, Real Estate Market Trends and Community Information, August 2006
Saturday, April 10th, 2010COMMUNITY INFORMATION
Alpine is a community situated in the eastern region of San Diego County within the state of California. There are approximately 19,227 residents in this Zip code (91901) and 6,597 households. The median age of residents is 38.92 years.
TEMPERATURE
The temperature in Alpine is relatively moderate. The warmest time of year occurs in August during which temperatures reach an average high of 76°F. The coldest time of year occurs in January with average temperatures falling to 54°F.
HOME AND REAL ESTATE PRICES
The housing options in Alpine include single-family homes and properties, condominiums, townhouses, and apartments. The price of housing is as follows:
·One bedroom townhouse/condominium start in the low $200,000s.
·Two bedroom townhouse/condominium start in the low $200,000s.
·Three bedroom townhouse/condominium start in the mid $300,000s.
·Two bedroom single-family homes start in the mid $300,000s.
·Three bedroom single-family homes start in the mid $400,000s.
·Four bedroom single-family homes start in the high $500,000s.
REAL ESTATE MARKET TRENDS
As with most products and services in the United States, price shifts in the real estate industry are subject to the forces of supply and demand. Whether it’s a buyers market or a seller’s market, it is useful to evaluate home sales data for the most recent month available (June 2006), compared against the same period in the previous year (June 2005).
The median price of single-family homes in June 2006 was $597,500, which represents a 10.2% decline from the previous year. The number of homes sold in June 2006 was 17, which was down 37% from the previous year.
Homebuyers and home sellers should keep in mind that the data above is simply a snapshot in time. Therefore, the data must be evaluated over a longer duration to understand enduring market trends.
Bonita, San Diego, Real Estate Market Trends and Community Information, August 2006
Saturday, April 10th, 2010COMMUNITY INFORMATION
Bonita is situated in the southern region of San Diego County within the state of California. There are approximately 18,396 residents in this Zip code (91902) and 5,986 households. The median age of residents is 40.45 years.
TEMPERATURE
The temperature in Bonita is relatively moderate. The warmest time of year occurs in July during which temperatures reach an average high of 70°F. The coldest time of year occurs in January with average temperatures falling to 57° F.
HOME AND REAL ESTATE PRICES
The housing options in Bonita include single-family homes and properties, condominiums, townhouses, and apartments. The price of housing is as follows:
·One bedroom townhouse/condominium start in the mid $200,000s.
·Two bedroom townhouse/condominium start in the low $300,000s.
·Three bedroom townhouse/condominium start in the low $400,000s.
·Two bedroom single-family homes start in the high $400,000s.
·Three bedroom single-family homes start in the mid $500,000s.
·Four bedroom single-family homes start in the low $600,000s.
REAL ESTATE MARKET TRENDS
As with most products and services in the United States, price shifts in the real estate industry are subject to the forces of supply and demand. Whether it’s a buyers market or a seller’s market, it is useful to evaluate home sales data for the most recent month available (June 2006), compared against the same period in the previous year (June 2005).
The median price of single-family homes dropped from $849,990 in June 2005 to $782,500 in June 2006, which represents a 7.9% decline. However, more homes sold in June 2006 (20 homes) than in June 2005 (7 homes). The average time to sell a home increased slightly from 68 days in June 2005 to 69 days in June 2006. The ratio between the asking price to the sales price increased over the past 12 months. On average, sellers obtained 93.6% of their asking price in June 2005, and 94.5% of their asking price in June 2006.
Homebuyers and home sellers should keep in mind that the data above is simply a snapshot in time. Therefore, the data must be evaluated over a longer duration to understand enduring market trends.