The NAR Settlement and You

As you are aware, there has been a flurry of commission related lawsuits over the last couple of years. The resulting settlement proposal now in place will mean big changes in the way we negotiate commissions and how we disseminate that information.

The following is a summary of the specific changes that will go into effect on August 17. As much of the onus for practical implementation and enforcement of the new requirements falls on Multiple Listing Services, we recommend that you pay particular attention to any communication from your Board or MLS about how to function in this new business environment.

Specific changes include:

  • Eliminate and prohibit any requirement of offers of compensation in the MLS between listing brokers or sellers to buyer brokers or other buyer representatives. Essentially, the buyer agent compensation fields will disappear from MLS input forms and data. The prohibition also applies to any ‘workaround’ for non-MLS property databases, including Internet aggregators like Zillow. To discover if compensation is being offered by the listing broker or seller to buyer brokers, a call will have to be made.
  • Reinforce that MLS participants must not filter or restrict MLS listings presented to clients by level of compensation.
  • Require compensation disclosures to sellers, prospective sellers, and buyers.
  • Require MLS participants working with a buyer to enter into a written agreement with the buyer prior to touring a home. This requirement is particularly challenging because a written agreement must be in place before showing the first home to a buyer. Again, seek clarification and implementation strategies from your Board or MLS, but it would seem that some kind of one-time-showing agreement would have to be executed for each home until a full buyer consultation and buyer broker agreement is signed.

It is possible, after an adjustment period, the changes will mean that sellers will compensate their listing agents and buyers will compensate their own agents. It will mean that we will have to earn the right to represent buyers by making a clear case for the value we bring to a transaction(the Buyer Consultation), and the reasonableness of our compensation proposal.

Bear in mind the agreement does not prohibit a seller from offering compensation to a buyer’s agent. It just prohibits the publication or advertisement of that information. However, we are already seeing savvy sellers balking at the high commissions that have been offered to buyers’ agents in the past. Fortunately, Help-U-Sell brokers have been operating for almost 50 years on a reasonable set fee basis, so the changes will probably be less painful for us than some of our competitors.

To learn more, come to Power Hour tomorrow, June 12 at 9am Pacific Time, Noon Eastern. Open the Zoom App OR go to www.zoom.us, click ‘Join a Meeting’ and enter Meeting ID: 963 5169 9809 Passcode: HUS123

April Top Producers 2024

“No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn. April is a promise that May is bound to keep, and we know it.” – Hal Borland

Outside of “April showers bring May flowers”, it also tends to be the last gasp of winter. So when winter elements are still in play, when things spring back to life exactly is a mystery.  

The real estate industry has no doubt been beset by some interesting hiccups and anomalies, with interest rates and concerns about inflation leaving many would-be buyers still on the sidelines.  As such, housing market activity for April declined by 1.9% from March 2024. Similarly, existing home sales also declined by 1.9% compared to April 2023.  Yet the median sale price went up 5.7% from a year ago. Across the country, unsold listings increased by 9.0% from last month, and it’s taking four more days to sell. Yet demand still currently outpaces inventory. Strange times!

In short, April was a bit tough. But the outlook gets a little brighter every day. Builders continue to create more homes. Innovators are revamping commercial properties into affordable living spaces, and of course, tiny homes remain popular.

Jack Bailey

Sides are blossoming in North Carolina, rain or shine. Jack Bailey and company at Help-U-Sell Greensboro are still number one. With 15 sides for the month, they make their own rain. 

Sprouting into second place, Patrick Wood of Help-U-Sell Prestige Properties, in Chino Hills, California. Patrick’s team had seven seller sides for April!

Third place thrives with Jeff Hedberg of Help-U-Sell Real Masters in Port Huron, Michigan, and Kimberly Zelena of Help-U-Sell Direct Savings Real Estate in Waynesboro, Virginia. Each office brought five sides.

Fourth place is flourishing with Danny Kettle of Help-U-Sell Legacy in Layton, Utah, and Debra Schmidt of Help-U-Sell Heritage Real Estate of Steele County in Owatonna, Minnesota. Both end the fourth month with four sides.

OfficeSellerBuyerTotal
Help-U-Sell Greensboro8715
Help-U-Sell Prestige Properties707
Help-U-Sell Real Estate Masters325
Help-U-Sell Direct Savings Real Estate415
Help-U-Sell Legacy314
Help-U-Sell Heritage Real Estate of Steele County Inc.224
Help-U-Sell 951 Realty112
Help-U-Sell Honolulu Properties202
Help-U-Sell Bakersfield Equity Savers112
Help-U-Sell The Powell Group112
Help-U-Sell Edmond/OKC112
Help-U-Sell San Antonio Hill Country202
Help-U-Sell Keystone Realty112

On the Gross Sales Volume Report, we flip the script for first and second place. 

Patrick Wood of Help-U-Sell Prestige Properties (Chino Hills,California), springs into first place with $9.9 million for April.

Which means we find Jack Bailey of Help-U-Sell Greensboro in second place, tending tenaciously to create a $4 million month. 

Jack Bailey

Danny Kettle of Help-U-Sell Legacy, cultivated $2.2 million for the month. Utah continues to growing.

Thank you to April for the rain. We always look forward to the flowers.

OfficeGross Sales Volume
Help-U-Sell Prestige Properties$9,912,888
Help-U-Sell Greensboro$4,000,500
Help-U-Sell Legacy$2,200,300
Help-U-Sell Real Estate Masters$1,767,400
Help-U-Sell 951 Realty$1,650,000
Help-U-Sell Honolulu Properties$1,625,000
Help-U-Sell Heritage Real Estate of Steele County Inc.$1,230,000
Help-U-Sell Bakersfield Equity Savers$1,168,500
Help-U-Sell The Powell Group$1,166,500
Help-U-Sell Direct Savings Real Estate$1,139,900

Top Producers Q1, 2024

“In Winter, I plot and plan. In Spring, I move.” – Henry Rollins

In what is surely one of the weirdest real estate markets yet (and that is saying something), we have arrived at the end of  the first quarter. As ever, current extremes are not applicable to all markets. It’s safe to broadly say that homes are sitting on the market a bit longer now before moving into escrow. Otherwise, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of commonality between markets.

That being said, for many years Spring has been accepted as the “best” time to sell and buy a house. Statistics and reports support the notion, but other factors besides cold weather are in play. So Winter might have created some slow down, but between the March report and Q1, it does look like sales are potentially blossoming for the warmer months. So we move!

Jack Bailey

It is no surprise that Jack Bailey of Help-U-Sell Greensboro in North Carolina is at the top of Q1 Top Producers. With 34 sides, and a whopping 25 sides coming from sellers, there’s nary a dull moment.

Taking second place with 15 sides is Debra Schmidt of Help-U-Sell Heritage Real Estate of Steele County in Owatonna, Minnesota. The word “Minnesota” is a Dakota Indian phrase, meaning “sky-blue waters.” For Debra’s team, we take that as a sign of “the sky is the limit”. 

Jeff Hedberg of Help-U-Sell Real Masters in Port Huron, Michigan pulls into third place with 17 sides. The spring thaw and savings will no doubt motivate people to get ready to spruce and sell for Spring.

Fourth place is a tie between Patrick Wood of Help-U-Sell Prestige Properties, in Chino Hills,California, and Danny Kettle of Help-U-Sell Legacy in Layton, Utah. Lucky 13 was the magic number.

OfficeSellerBuyerTotal
Help-U-Sell Greensboro25934
Help-U-Sell Heritage Real Estate of Steele County Inc.15621
Help-U-Sell Real Estate Masters13417
Help-U-Sell Prestige Properties9413
Help-U-Sell Legacy7613
Help-U-Sell Honolulu Properties8412
Help-U-Sell Direct Savings Real Estate538
Help-U-Sell Metropolitan538
Help-U-Sell Keystone Realty426
Help-U-Sell The Powell Group426
Help-U-Sell Julian Team505

The Gross Sales Volume report for the first quarter of 2024 may not be bringing big surprises, but it’s bringing big numbers.

Must be something special in Chino Hills! First place goes to Patrick Wood of Help-U-Sell Prestige Properties in California. The team brought in just over $11 million for the first three months of the year. 

Jack Bailey and the crew at Help-U-Sell Greensboro in North Carolina are in second place for Q1. The number that brought them here is just over $8.9 million.

Jack Bailey

 

Richard Cricchio of Help-U-Sell Honolulu Properties

Taking third place is Richard Cricchio’s team at Help-U-Sell Honolulu Properties in Hawaii. The first quarter brought just over $6 million in gross sales volume.

In fourth place is Danny Kettle of Help-U-Sell Legacy in Layton, Utah. With $5.9 million for Q1, he continues to demonstrate Utah’s unique market.

OfficeGross Sales Volume
Help-U-Sell Prestige Properties$11,041,817
Help-U-Sell Greensboro$8,960,340
Help-U-Sell Honolulu Properties$6,060,200
Help-U-Sell Legacy$5,985,899
Help-U-Sell Heritage Real Estate of Steele County Inc.$4,699,700
Help-U-Sell Alpha Paladins Realty$4,375,000
Help-U-Sell Real Estate Masters$3,033,800
Help-U-Sell Julian Team$2,996,000
Help-U-Sell Wright $2,526,000
Help-U-Sell Direct Savings Real Estate$2,279,300
Help-U-Sell Keystone Realty$1,666,900
Help-U-Sell 951 Realty$1,662,500

March Top Producers 2024

“March, when days are getting long, let thy growing hours be strong to set right some wintry wrong.” – Caroline May

It seemed fitting to call on something about growing hours and righting “wrongs”, as indicative of the troubles besetting the real estate market in different facets. Fewer houses on the market? Check. Higher mortgage rates scaring off buyers? Check. Headlines brimming with commission scandals and lawsuits against NAR and traditional real estate brokerages? Check. Inflation concerns tempering the impulse to buy? Check. Sellers fear selling because of a lack of inventory to move into after selling? Check. 

Despite the challenges, we still sell. Help-U-Sell Real Estate experts know who we are and what we do. We continue to make moves that get results regardless of the market, because helping people with fairness and transparency is what we do, and have always done from the beginning, for 48 years.

Jack Bailey

First place for Top Producers in March brings us to North Carolina. Jack Bailey of Help-U-Sell Greensboro, and the rest of his team cleared 15 sides, with ten of those sides coming from sellers. 

Debra Schmidt of Help-U-Sell Heritage Real Estate of Steele County in Owatonna, Minnesota, brings her team to second place with eight sides. 

Third place travels all the way to Chino Hills, California, where we find Patrick Wood of Help-U-Sell Prestige Properties. Patrick’s team brought in six sides for March. 

Staying in California for fourth place but headed over to Palmdale, we greet Gary Julian and his son, of Help-U-Sell Julian Team. They break into a top spot with four sides. 

OfficeSellerBuyerTotal 
Help-U-Sell Greensboro10515
Help-U-Sell Heritage Real Estate of Steele County Inc.628
Help-U-Sell Prestige Properties606
Help-U-Sell Legacy235
Help-U-Sell Julian Team404
Help-U-Sell Alpha Paladins Realty112
Help-U-Sell Gulf Coast202
Help-U-Sell Honolulu Properties022
Help-U-Sell Sims Realty112
Help-U-Sell Keystone Realty112

The Gross Sales Volume report has a few different offices from the usual in our top four.

In first place, the busiest man on the West coast: Patrick Wood of Help-U-Sell Prestige Properties, in Chino Hills,California. Patrick’s terrific team brought just over $6 million for March.

In second place is the busiest man on the East coast: Jack Bailey’s team at Help-U-Sell Greensboro in North Carolina. They have $3.5 million reasons to be happy about March’s outcome.

Jack Bailey

Third place takes us to California once more to see Melissa Chan at Help-U-Sell Alpha Paladins Realty in Santa Clara. Melissa’s office clears the third month with $3.2 million.

We then buzz over to Utah for fourth place to see Danny Kettle of Help-U-Sell Legacy in Layton. March brought a gross sales volume of $2.9 million for his team.

OfficeGross Sales Volume
Help-U-Sell Prestige Properties$6,014,940
Help-U-Sell Greensboro$3,538,800
Help-U-Sell Alpha Paladins Realty$3,235,000
Help-U-Sell Legacy$2,940,000
Help-U-Sell Julian Team$2,557,000
Help-U-Sell Wright $2,100,000
Help-U-Sell Heritage Real Estate of Steele County Inc.$2,020,400
Help-U-Sell 951 Realty$1,662,500
Help-U-Sell Gulf Coast$1,250,000
Help-U-Sell Honolulu Properties$1,199,000
Help-U-Sell Sims Realty$765,000

February Top Producers 2024

“If January is the month of change, February is the month of lasting change. January is for dreamers… February is for doers.” – Marc Parent

Some days inspiration and motivation are harder to come by. Especially during a gray, overcast day where you may need that thicker sweater and an extra hot coffee to head outside to go and do.

The second half of our inspirational quote seems especially fitting: February is for doers. Anyone can utter promises on the eve of a new year. Taking goals seriously, with the plans and initiative to carry through takes real determination, because not every day turns out how you want or planned. Achievement means giving it your best as often as you can, trusting you will find your way there, or get a tad closer.

Here are the doers from February:

A triple tie in first place makes for a great game of Rock-Paper-Scissors. Debra Schmidt of Help-U-Sell Heritage Real Estate of Steele County in Owatonna, Jack Bailey of Help-U-Sell Greensboro in North Carolina, and Jeff Hedberg of Help-U-Sell Real Masters in Port Huron, Michigan, all share the top spot with six sides a piece. 

Second place brings another tie between two offices and gentlemen:Richard Cricchio of Help-U-Sell Honolulu Properties in Hawaii, and Danny Kettle of Help-U-Sell Legacy in Layton, Utah. With five sides each, they are making every week count with a closing.

Kimberly Zelena, Help-U-Sell Direct Savings Real Estate

Taking third place is Kimberly Zelena of Help-U-Sell Direct Savings Real Estate in Waynesboro, Virginia. Her team closes February with four sides.  

OfficeSellerBuyerTotal
Help-U-Sell Heritage Real Estate of Steele County Inc.336
Help-U-Sell Greensboro516
Help-U-Sell Real Estate Masters516
Help-U-Sell Honolulu Properties415
Help-U-Sell Legacy325
Help-U-Sell Direct Savings Real Estate224
Help-U-Sell Prestige Properties123
Help-U-Sell Metropolitan213
Help-U-Sell Bakersfield Equity Savers202
Help-U-Sell Keystone Realty202

On our Gross Sales Volume Report, competition makes for interesting changes.

Richard Cricchio of Help-U-Sell Honolulu Properties

Richard Cricchio of Help-U-Sell Honolulu Properties in Hawaii, returns to first place with another month in excess of two million. This time, it’s $2.2 million! Island time is always a good time to sell in Hawaii.

Another second place feather for the cap of Danny Kettle of Help-U-Sell Legacy in Layton, Utah. The second month of the year paved the way for $1.8 million in Gross Sales Volume. 

Third place is where we find Patrick Wood of Help-U-Sell Prestige Properties, in Chino Hills,California. Patrick’s team put $1.5 million on the board for February. 

Thank you for doing what you do.

OfficeGross Sales Volume
Help-U-Sell Honolulu Properties$2,232,000
Help-U-Sell Legacy$1,805,899
Help-U-Sell Prestige Properties$1,575,800
Help-U-Sell Heritage Real Estate of Steele County Inc.$1,560,900
Help-U-Sell Greensboro$1,540,000
Help-U-Sell Direct Savings Real Estate$1,274,300
Help-U-Sell Real Estate Masters$947,900
Help-U-Sell Capital City$800,000
Help-U-Sell Bakersfield Equity Savers$737,500
Help-U-Sell Keystone Realty$655,000
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