Discount Brokers

Discount brokers are the middle ground between a full-service listing agreement with a traditional real estate agency and a strictly FSBO effort. These entrepreneurs have taken the full package of services traditionally available to home sellers and "unbundled" the services into flat fee, reduced commissions and/or a menu of options for home sellers. 

Sellers are usually given the option of placing their home into the MLS for ad additional fee or letting the discount listing firm sell it on their own at no additional fee.

Flat fees or reduced commissions of 1-3% are common and some discount brokers keep the door open to a full-listing service through a menu of options.

A discount or flat fee broker may have separate fees for a yard sign, advertising, Open Houses, mortgage financing assistance for buyers, MLS placement, negotiation assistance, and closing paperwork.

Massachusetts has attracted some discount brokers such as List For Less, Inc., Assist2Sell, Home CoOp as well as individual agents who are now marketing unbundled services.

Traditional real estate agents may not be eager or willing to help buyers identify and purchase these type homes because they do not have the structure in place in their offices to handle such transactions.

Buyer's agents, on the other hand, are eager to work with Discount Firms, FSBO sellers, and properties not even on the market. 

If you want an agent to show you all of the available properties out there, you are best served by hiring a Buyer's Agent to show you more than the active MLS properties.