St. Louis, MO 314.726.3174
Illinois618.222.1360
About Johnson Realty
How does Johnson Realty work?
Why does Johnson Realty work?
What advantages does Johnson Realty offer as compared to a traditional Realtor® or For Sale By Owner?
So why do so many people still list with agents charging 6%*?
If I am going to show the home and do the open houses, why do I need Johnson Realty?
Do you also represent buyers?
How can Johnson Realty charge such low fees for its services?
If your business model is so beneficial to clients and you alike, why aren't other brokers doing it?
Am I locked into a 6-month listing contract with Johnson Realty?
Real estate lingo
What is MLS?
What is REALTOR.com?
What is "full service?"
Are you a "discount" broker?
The sales process
How should I price my home?
Will a yard sign be provided?
What are open houses? Are they necessary?
We work all day. How can we show our property?
What happens when I receive an offer?
How does Johnson Realty help me with the paperwork and legal steps?
Commissions
How much commission do I have to pay?
Are there any hidden fees that I don't know about?
If Johnson Realty brings me a buyer and sells my home, then will I owe a commission to them for bringing the buyer?
Relationship with other agents
Won't buyer's agents boycott my listing?
How do other Realtors® show my home?
Will my listing look the same as those who have agreed to pay a full listing commission to a traditional agent?
How does Johnson Realty work?
We are a full service brokerage dedicated to ongoing service to sell your home. We give you accurate snapshots of market data, staging advice, pricing strategy, expert contract negotiations, inspection negotiations, closing assistance and are your sounding boards for any other questions you have during your home selling process.
Your home is offered to local realtors in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) for St. Louis and/ or Bagnell Dam MLS so they can show and sell your home. If they sell your home, you pay a low Johnson Realty fee and you pay the real estate professional that brings the buyer the fee you agreed to and quoted in the MLS listing.
You will still save thousands... No matter how it sells or who sells, you save
Why does Johnson Realty work?
Johnson Realty works because nearly all buyers and buyer's agents are using the Internet to search for a home. In fact, thousands of buyers visit our websites each month. We cover your bases with effective marketing and work directly with the real estate community because the local agents are fully protected by the MLS system.
What does that mean? When you list your home in the MLS, we run comparables on commission just like would on sales price and amenities. Based on the commission comparables of like properties around you, we advise you on the best commission to offer for your home. There is no such thing as a "standard commission. Once we select your commission, it's entered into the MLS. When agents show your home, they know what commission they will receive at a successful closing. This is called "protecting agents."
We provide services that make the process seamless because our licensed consulting team understands who your buyer will be. We assist you in marketing to the demographics of your future buyer. We sway staging, photos, marketing and even verbiage to the aspirations of your future homeowner.
Once we have an offer, we help you negotiate it. We advise you on many more aspects of the contract than the sales price. We look at terms, financing, earnest money, verbiage and closing dates that all have value in an agreement. We help craft contracts that will be advantageous to our clients. As our client, it is important to know that you have professional help throughout the entire process.
What advantages does Johnson Realty offer as compared to a traditional Realtor® or For Sale By Owner?
1.) First and foremost- You Save Thousands! By selling your home with Johnson Realty instead of with brokers who charge a 6%* commission. You can use your savings to reduce the sales price, or provide financing incentive options to the buyers, make repairs that come up in inspections, bring less money to close if you are "underwater" in your payoffs. All of which will speed up the selling process.
2.) Johnson Realty is a high-volume broker. We are the Wal-Mart of real estate. We sell a ton of homes for less money so our volume is greater than your average real estate broker. That means we can see changes in market conditions, lending trends and buyer behavior months before anyone else has a chance to integrate the changes into their negotiation strategy. Our speed and efficiency is your advantage.
3.) Johnson Realty's proprietary technology allows you to obtain up-to-date information about your home sale quicker and more efficiently than a traditional listing agent. In fact, with our technology, you can be anywhere in the world and learn about the latest activity on your home.
4.) Johnson Realty works nearly all hours. We are here for you giving you quick responses and communicate via text, phone and email. Our contracts are signed online and can even be signed at a stop light. The market moves quickly- and so do we.
So why do so many people still list with agents charging 6%*?
The big real estate companies spend a lot of effort training their agents to push the service-side perception of their offering and avoid the issue of fees. To defend their traditional pricing structure, many agents will argue that "if you pay less, you will get less." It's all a smokescreen, of course. There is no shortage of unhappy sellers who paid 6%.
Commission Splitting- When 6% real estate brokers explain the 6% commission structure, we almost always here that they don't keep all of the money. That is true. Approximately half of the 6% goes to the buyer's agent. The other goes half is split between the listing agent and their brokerage. So in actuality, the listing agent many only be getting around 1.5% of the commission.
Our question is very simple. Why do you care about this? Your check is still for 6%. Don't let the 6% real estate agent's problems become yours. No matter how the money is split, the check you cut at closing is still 6% of the sales price of your home. It could also be 100% of your profit or a good chunk of your equity. You bear all the risk of homeownership, why do a chain of people you don't know get such a huge cut of your money?
Loyalty - When sellers prepare to sell their home, they first think of the agent that sold them their home. Because of their past relationship, they often find it difficult to "arm wrestle" commissions when they didn't have to as a buyer. Keep in mind that the Seller pays the real estate commissions directly and not the Buyer.
Education - Most people do not realize commissions are negotiable and rely on advice from a friend or relative in the real estate business. Many people think that For Sale By Owner or traditional agencies are their only options.
Most people are unaware that an alternative exists.
If I am going to show the home and do the open houses, why do I need Johnson Realty?
The #1 reason sellers use Johnson Realty is for our marketing & expertise. We counsel you on pricing your home, marketing your home, and most important, managing your transaction through closing to make sure that all of the paperwork is done correctly and that all required legal documents are included.
In addition:
1. We guarantee in writing to advertise your property as needed.
2. We use our exclusive marketing system to get you buyers.
3. We discuss the "Bad" and the "Good" in all offers and negotiate to get you the best possible price.
4. We can help pre-qualify your buyer and help them obtain financing. We go through your closing costs and leave you with an estimate of your net proceeds.
5. We help you avoid problems, assist you should any arise and work to save you money in all the hidden parts of the transaction.
6. We coordinate for you with the contractors, appraisers, inspectors and other professionals.
7. We handle all negotiations, paperwork, contracts, any counterproposals, manage your transaction through the closing and attend the closing.
Do you also represent buyers?
Yes. Many of our sellers were once buyer clients, and of course, many of our sellers also want to buy again. We also have buyer agents who specialize in working with buyers.
What happens if a buyer calls Johnson Realty directly to request to see my home?
We show it! We are a full-service agency. We firmly believe a successful real estate brokerage must be constantly in contact with the public- Buyers, Sellers and even people just entering, or thinking about entering a real estate transaction.
How can Johnson Realty charge such low fees for its services?
We have streamlined the process of selling a home and identified how much time each service takes within the sale. This has allowed us to create low fees based upon the amount of time our real estate professionals will have to dedicate to the sale of your home. We are quick, efficient and know what it takes to entice buyers to sell homes.
If your business model is so beneficial to clients and you alike, why aren't other brokers doing it?
Traditional real estate brokerage is pretty entrenched, very conservative and industry change is slow. The Internet has really shaken things up, and changes are appearing slowly but surely.
Large national chains are even starting to tinker with the traditional model, there have been several Internet start-ups taking a stab at simple discount brokerage. We expect that the rate of change within the industry will increase, bringing new choices to consumers. Instead of seeking to "jump on the bandwagon", Johnson Realty is proud of doing our hybrid approach from the start.
Am I locked into a 6-month listing contract with Johnson Realty?
This totally depends upon the agreement you make with your Johnson Realty Real Estate Consultant. All of our contracts are transparent. We are very clear on what we do, what our obligations are to you and what to expect.
What is MLS?
MLS® (Multiple Listing Service) is the most comprehensive computerized database of homes for sale, with over 1.5 million listings nationwide. This database is used by Realtors® to market and promote their own listings and to cooperate with other Realtors®. Realtors®, in turn, are compensated with part of the commission.
A large portion of real estate transactions are a result of direct MLS exposure. By having your home in MLS, it will be exposed to thousands of local real estate agents who otherwise would not have known that your property was for sale and would not have shown it. This is the same MLS used by a traditional broker who would charge you a full cost listing commission.
What is REALTOR.com?
REALTOR.COM is a leading Internet site where buyers can search for homes. Technically, it is the official Internet site for the National Association of Realtors®. REALTOR.com's millions of home listings are provided by participating REALTOR® Multiple Listing Services. This is one of the advantages of listing your home on the MLS - your home will then be copied to the REALTOR.com web site and will be accessible to individuals and Realtors® via the Internet. This includes color pictures, tours and all pertinent information (price, location, square footage, contact information, etc.)
What is Zillow.com?
Zillow.com is a Internet site where homes are given an estimated price called a "Zestimate." A Zestimate is a controversial number in which algorithms are given to automatically value a home. Sometimes the numbers are accurate, sometimes they are way off. It's a great site to start but get a professional's opinion before purchasing or listing based off your Zestimate. We do advertise on this site and were one of the first in St. Louis to engage this site.
What is "full service?"
Most real estate professionals refer to their service as "full service." This means that they do everything it takes to sell your home: place it in the MLS, advertise it in the local paper and home magazines, provider a flyer, do open houses, show your home to potential buyers, handle the negotiations when you receive an offer, and handle everything through closing.
The question really should be, "What is full-cost service?" Sadly, some brokers (regardless of company) list homes and then just put them in the MLS and wait for a contract to come in with no service provided beyond that. Many times after these listings expire, we end up interviewing with these unhappy sellers. We explain carefully to them what we do and what we don't do.
Most clients realize they are getting more services than when they where paying 6% commission. We offer you a menu of expertise AND we back it up in writing by making the specifics of the service and the marketing we are obligated to provide part of the listing agreement.
Are you a "discount" broker?
No. What makes Johnson Realty different is that we are a hybrid company. We have determined a very competitive fee for each component of a real estate transaction and we offer that to the public in a "no haggle" environment. Unlike traditional real estate, you don't have to argue and bicker with us to get a super competitive rate! We don't attempt to make a fortune from each family we deal with; we sell a lot of homes.
How should I price my home?
We will provide you with a Comparative Market Analysis that will provide you with information regarding the price range of similar home sales in your area so that you can choose a price you feel is appropriate for your home.
Will a yard sign be provided?
Yes, a distinctive Johnson Realty Saint Louis yard sign will be provided that is conservative and does not indicate a discount or alternative listing.
What are open houses? Are they necessary?
Open Houses are typically conducted on Saturdays and/or Sundays. The idea is to let the buyers preview your home in a no-pressure, non-scheduled manner. Open Houses statistically are responsible for 1-2% of all home sales. We have virtual open houses 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. When a buyer is serious about seeing your home, WE SHOW IT!
We do offer the ability to have a Johnson Realty open house for an additional charge if you would like to entertain offers in a group setting.
We work all day. How can we show our property?
You don't have to! We do it for you and/ or we provide a lockbox for you that allows agent to show the home to their clients. Most buyers do not want the seller there when they are viewing the home. It makes the buyers feel like can't be honest and open in their viewings. They can't say how much they love the house and are ready to purchase and they can't say they don't like it and want to leave. It's always better to let the client be alone with their agent or let us show it so they are free to ask questions that may be critical.
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What happens when I receive an offer?
We will write the contract and handle the transaction thru to Closing.
How does Johnson Realty help me with the paperwork and legal steps?
Johnson Realty's licensed consulting team will help you execute your transaction through closing. Once you find a buyer (either directly or through a buyer's agent), simply call Johnson Realty and one of our licensed Real Estate Consultants will assist you with the creation of the purchase agreement and steps to closing. If your home is listed on the MLS, and you receive an offer from a buyer's broker or one of our Realtors®, then Johnson Realty will facilitate the transaction thru to closing.
What if I sell my home myself?
If you introduce the buyer to us, we write the contact and it closed, no buyer's agent commission is due. The only fee is the Johnson Realty fee, which is collected at closing.
Are there any hidden fees that I don't know about?
No. Johnson Realty identifies all fees up front.
If Johnson Realty brings me a buyer and sells my home, then will I owe a commission to them for bringing the buyer?
If a Johnson Realty agent brings a qualified buyer to you and they purchase your home, we are entitled to the buyers' agent's commission for selling your home since we are acting as the buyers' agent. When you sign your listing agreement with Johnson Realty, we will define exactly what this fee will be. We always put everything in writing so you have no unanswered questions.
Won't buyer's agents boycott my listing?
No. Buyer brokers are indifferent as long as they are being paid their due. Our listings have been sold by nearly every major real estate company in St Louis and we have excellent relationships with our colleagues.
We have been around for 12 years and have had much success in the area. This just isn't a problem.
How do other Realtors® show my home?
Other Realtors® will schedule a showing using the instructions in the MLS. Nothing will be different for them.
Will my listing look the same as those who have agreed to pay a full listing commission to a traditional agent ?
Yes. Nothing on the MLS tells what you are paying in the MLS to the listing agent.
