Just Getting It Done Probably Costs Your Agent Far Less Than It Costs You.
One thing agents love to say when you hire them is that they “put your interests first.”
And above theirs.
Which is how it should be, of course.
I say it too — the difference is, I actually mean it and put it into practice.
Unfortunately, we can’t always say that about everyone else.
But here’s the good news: we can use this to our advantage.
If you understand what’s really driving many agents, you can often have the other side negotiating almost as hard for you as they are for their own client.
Most agents aren’t lying when they say they’ll put you first — they mean it at the time. But reality has a way of changing priorities.
The truth is, most agents don’t make anywhere near what they like to portray.
Here’s what that means in practice:
(Here’s where I say this isn’t financial or legal advice, I’m not an attorney or CPA, and all that. Talk to a professional in those fields before making any decisions)
Say you list your property at a negotiated 6% commission, where the listing agent most likely would get 3%. If the price goes $20K higher, you net about $18.5K more. The agent? Around $600.
And that’s ignoring any fees their broker takes. (I am the broker at my company, so I don’t always remember to factor that in.)
So what do you think happens when there’s a “bird in the hand” offer on the table?
Do they push for a few thousand more for you… or do they push to get it closed?
It’s why you’ve probably experienced an agent swearing your home is worth no less than X when pitching you to get the listing — then turning around and urging you to accept less once it’s listed.
Their goal is simple: get it closed.
That’s human nature, even if ethics say otherwise.
So what do you do?
First, work with someone who actually does what they say. (Hello.)
But just as important, work with someone who understands these incentives — and knows how to leverage them.
When we’re selling your property, it can feel tempting to compromise just to “get it done.”
But most of the time, if we hold tight, the agent on the other side will do the work for us — and sell their own client on making the deal.
You benefit from that a lot more than I do — at least in the short run.
Playing the long game means we both win.
And speaking of the long game — does it ever hurt to have the latest info on what your property could sell for today?
It puts you in the driver’s seat if someone comes along with an above-market unsolicited offer. Happens more often than you think.
Got a lot you might want to sell?
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(Commissions are always negotiable and examples are for illustrative purposes only.)
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