A lot of people are surprised to learn that a survey is NOT required when you’re purchasing a home. In the 16 years that I’ve been doing this, I’ve only ever had one situation in which it was required.

When I’m ready to list a house, I ask if the seller has, by chance, a survey of the property. Nine times out of ten they shake their head but tell me that they can point out exactly where the line is. I then find myself ushered to a side window. The seller’s finger points towards the glass & says, “See that shed over there? That’s my shed & it’s about a foot away from my neighbor’s property.” A shed is only slightly better than the notorious & almost-invisible mowing line.

This is a cautionary tale not to trust the trees.

About 15 years ago, my husband & I befriended a couple who had recently purchased the house across the street. The home had been vacant for years & years & years. Very shortly after they finished the inside & moved into their newly renovated colonial, they decided to work on the exterior.

New siding – check! Reconstruct the front porch – check! New gutters – check! Next on the list – a fence.

Have you ever heard the saying “Fences Make Great Neighbors?” Hmm…

There was a straight line of lilac bushes between their home & the home of their Westward neighbors. For as long as anyone could remember, that row of bushes was taken for biblical truth indicating the property line.

Our friends were eyeing up the bushes one day when the neighbor strode out with great confidence. He personally walked our friends right along the line from the street, past the houses & all the way to the back alley. After relaying the story of the property line as it was told to him a couple of decades earlier, the neighbor nodded & strode back into his house. He obviously felt that the brief tour solidified the property line agreement.

A few days later, the neighbor was outside in his bathrobe to water the lilac bushes & panicked at the sight of survey flags. The flags weren’t in line with the lilac bushes but were rather 2 feet closer to his house. That’s not the big surprise of the story, however.
The neighbor marched up to our friend’s house. From my open window across the street, all I could make out from the commotion was a few intermittent words & phrases: “Surveyor.” “Bushes.” “For 20 years…” “Ridiculous.”

Eventually, the truth came out. The neighbor wasn’t so much concerned over him having two less feet of grass to mow but rather that he had been burying two decades of dead pets knowingly just off of his property in his neighbor’s (our friend’s) front lawn.

He was so distraught over the thought that a post-hole digger was going to be anywhere near his former fur-babies that he personally exhumed his animals & reburied them on the correct side of the survey flags.

The fence went in, but it didn’t make for a more neighborly relationship.

Katina Hunter
Team Lead for the Katina Hunter Team with Coldwell Banker
724-888-9020
Katina.Hunter@PittsburghMoves.com

During my first years in the real estate business, I worked almost exclusively in the Ellwood market. Here’s what my typical transaction looked like:
– Mrs. Seller has a 100-year old house. We have it listed at $60,000, & it’s being sold “as-is” – flaws & all!
– Mr. Buyer loves the house. He has an FHA loan which means that this is a type of loan that requires the house be in relatively good condition for him to get his financing.
– Even though he has been saving every last penny, he may be about $1,000 short & needs Mrs. Seller to help him with some closing costs.
We have an old house, a picky loan & neither the buyer nor the seller have much financial flexibility. This scenario is peppered with red flags. Many agents… (correction: MOST/THE VAST MAJORITY of agents… ) aren’t willing to get onto that bumpy road that may not lead to the closing table.

A newly-licensed Realtor is totally in over their head here. Even an experienced Realtor who only buys & sells in higher-priced markets, would avoid this transaction like I avoid turtlenecks.

It was being in those exact situations over & over & over again & keeping those deals together that sharpened my negotiation pencil. Here’s some of the ways I counseled my clients to get them through these situations.
We’re going to TAP – T.A.P. – into my top negotiating tips.

1. Terms
2. Approachability
3. Preferences
TERMS:
It seems obvious that you would negotiate on terms. However, you’d be surprised at how many times the ONLY term that Realtors tend to negotiate is price. The agreement of sale, or sales contract, is 14 pages filled with various terms. There are over 800 line items in this contract, & the sales price is only 1 of them.

I recently had a deal that the buyer came in under the asking price by $5,000. My sellers were hell-bent on getting their full asking price, & the buyers were hell-bent on getting $5,000 off. So many other Realtors would have seen this as a stalemate & after going back & forth a couple of times would have encouraged their buyers to move onto another home.
However, by focusing on some other terms – I was able to cinch up the deal.

By suggesting that we move the closing date up by a week, that would help my sellers avoid another month of mortgage payments. By focusing on the closing date rather than the price, this brought the buyers & sellers much closer to what each wanted financially so that we could move forward.
In another recent deal, a seller was hesitant to work with our buyer because he had a VA loan. The seller had heard that this type of loan was likely to entail extra repairs to pass the appraisal. The sellers were trying to negotiate a higher price on the house to offset the cost of this possibility. Our buyer, however, obviously didn’t want to overpay based on something that may not even be a concern.
This could have been the dealbreaker. However, our buyer had previous construction experience so addressing minor repairs without having to hire someone was a massive perk! We shifted our focus away from the price, & came to an agreement. So long as the seller would agree to the buyer’s lower price & give the buyer permission to complete the work himself, the buyer was willing to address the repairs at his own expense.
The price is just one line item, there are many other terms to discuss when negotiating.
APPROACHABILITY:
Is there such a thing as being “too nice to be able to negotiate well?” I’ve received this feedback myself, & it keeps me up at night. If you’re looking for someone to scream into the phone at the other agent to get a deal done – kind of like what you see in the movies (“SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!!”) I’m not that person. I can typically stick to my preferred softer approach.
This approach enhances my success rate. I know that this is because my listing price vs. selling price ratio is an impressive statistic that I share with potential clients looking to hire me. This number is a good indication of how well I negotiate & advocate for my clients to get them what they need & want.
Being approachable is one of the best ways to get people to negotiate well instead of shutting down & backing away. Being approachable is an invitation for brainstorming & collaboration to come up with out-of-the-box ideas to keep a deal together. When other Realtors sense that we have some bumps in the road during a transaction, they know that a phone call to me is going to result in a cooperative effort to troubleshoot & often being able to circumvent an otherwise disastrous issue.
On the other hand, overly aggressive & combative agents also have a reputation. There are many of these agents out there that resort to yelling & bullying… just like in middle school… others don’t look forward to working with them because they don’t ‘play well with others.’

With these agents, each & every conversation is going to be stressful & unproductive. The other Realtor is then forced to try to maneuver through difficult situations alone without having the benefit of insight as to what the other side may be able to offer. If one party feels backed into a corner it grossly increases the probability of a termination.
Being approachable does NOT equal being a pushover. It’s actually a unique trait in our business that is key in fostering ideas & ways forward to mend gaps in the process.
Again, these negotiation tips can be remembered by “TAP”… T… A… P.
1. TERMS include a lot of different things in a contract – much more than just the sales price.
2. An APPROACHABLE Realtor instead of an uncompromising one will help foster communication & cooperative troubleshooting.
PREFERENCES:
That’s our T & A… P stands for Preferences.
Many agents come to me while we’re negotiating with one option, & my clients are asked to agree or disagree to that condition. Instead of a response of yes-or-no, I find much better success when I encourage a “this-or-that” scenario. It gets the other side into the mindset that they get to choose, but we’re controlling each scenario.
I recently had an offer come in on one of my listings. The house was listed at $200,000. The offer came in at $194,000 AND the buyer wanted the seller to pay $4,000 of their closing costs. This means that my clients are essentially coming down almost ten grand in the initial negotiations.
Most agents would reply with something 4 curt words: “$195,000. No seller assist.”
That tells the buyer, “Here are the terms I want. Take it or leave it. Yes or no.”
However, I’d encourage them to keep T.A.P. (Terms/Approachability/Preferences) in mind. Here’s how I would counsel my sellers to respond:

“Thank you so much for such a nice offer, Realtor Lisa. My sellers are really looking forward to working with your buyers. The offer, as it stands, stretches them a little too thin financially. If your buyers are willing to close a week earlier my sellers are willing to either:

– Give your buyers the $4,000 in seller assist, but they would need close to the full asking price at $199k.
OR
– If your buyers don’t need the seller assist, the sellers can come down to $195,000.

Which would work better for them?”
Both of the scenarios work out to net my clients practically the same amount. I included the fact that the sellers would like to bump up the closing date which is a different term that may help them financially without adding directly to the sales price. My response to the agent exudes cooperation & approachability & sets the tone for the rest of the transaction.

T.A.P.’ping into this approach with Terms, Approachability & Preferences goes well beyond negotiating a real estate deal. Use it on kids, the husband, car dealers! Give it a try, & let me know how that works for you!

I’m Always Here & Happy to Help!

Katina Hunter
Team Lead for the Katina Hunter Team with Coldwell Banker
724-888-9020
Katina.Hunter@PittsburghMoves.com

My team & I belong to each multi-list along Western PA. We look at 5 different statistical markers in 5 different counties. We’ll be tapping into specific details of Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence & Mercer Counties.

Being privy to this info gives you pretty good insight as to how the balance of power sits right now between buyers & sellers.

The way I’m interpreting this surprising mix of stats we have today is pretty interesting.

For property pricing, overall, I’m seeing that the median list price of homes as well as the average sales prices are up. However, the counteraction to this is that average listing price vs. selling price ratio are down.
The relation of these 2 markers indicate that sellers are still possibly overpricing their homes a touch, but the buyers are in a better position to flex those negotiation muscles more than in recent past.
There’s additional good news for our buyers! Inventory is creeeeeeping up… In my last few reports, the backlog of homes is building. Buyers have more & more housing options to consider when they’re ready to house-hunt, & homes are just not turning over as quickly as we’ve seen.
It’s not all bad news for our sellers. Sellers don’t worry! Even those buyers are in a position to negotiate more aggressively, we’re still seeing relatively higher sales prices.

I’m Always Here & Happy to Help!

Katina Hunter
Team Lead for the Katina Hunter Team with Coldwell Banker
724-888-9020
Katina.Hunter@PittsburghMoves.com

That’s the reality of today’s market, let’s talk about the reality of how real estate is portrayed on TV. Remember the movie “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids”? I LOVED that movie as a kid. 10/10 recommend! There’s a scene however that really bothers me as an adult.
Diane is standing in the backyard with her estranged husband Wayne. They’re struggling to make small talk, & she says, “Hey, I sold a house today!” Wayne then kindly congratulates her.
For the 8-year-old Katina who loved that movie as a kid – that line poses no problem. For the 40-year-old Realtor Katina who saw that part recently -BIG problem! If she were a REAL Realtor –she would have said:

“I got an offer on a house today.”
or
“I got the contract fully executed today.”
or
“I closed on a house today.”
or
“I got paid for that closing today.”

Realtors never sell a house in a day! The offer, signing of that offer, closing & getting paid for selling the house are all days or weeks apart from one another.
It’s like saying “Hey, I built a car today!” No… no, you didn’t.
You may have put the wheels on
or
you painted it today
or
you got the engine running
or
you drove it for the first time.
You did not, however, build the car today.

I tell my clients that they’re absolutely not allowed to watch any HGTV while they’re working with me. They laugh… thinking that I’m joking… but I’m not. Here’s why…
On the show “Love It or List It” homeowners complain about their house, & contractors come in & address their biggest complaints. Then, after all the remodeling is done, the sellers decide: Have they fallen back in love with current home… or… do they still want to sell it & find a new house.
Very interesting concept! I deal with that in the real world of real estate all the time. Sellers ask me to price their home, & they decide if they want to put some work in & stick it out at their house or if it would make sense to buy something new that has everything they’d want.
On the show, however, they record both endings – one ending in which the sellers gush over the improvements & decide to stay & another where they still make the decision to move. Whichever one makes a better episode is the one that makes the cut on the show – regardless as to whether or not that was the outcome in real life.

If you’re a fan of “House Hunters” brace yourself. None of the homes on that show are even for sale! The main characters of each episode have already purchased their new home. Yup, it’s bought… paid for… AND they’re already living in it.

The other 2 houses they view “for consideration” in the episode are actually homes of their family or friends who agreed to offer up their houses for the show. Then, the Schnitzel family pretends that they are potential buyers for their Aunt Martha’s house that isn’t even for sale & critiques it for the episode! (That would make the next Thanksgiving a little awkward.)
They have to rerecord things several times. The producers oftentimes don’t like the way the pretend buyers enter a room. So, they have to do it again & again & again to get the best fake reaction. As I was thinking about this, it means that the sales prices of each property are completely made up… fictitious… not real… pretend… they pulled those numbers out of thin air! The writers added the fake listing price because they found that it boosted ratings.
The inventory is made up. The numbers are made up. The outcomes are made up, & even the conversations are downright ridiculous.
I was watching a really bad movie on TV a while back, & the Realtor walks up to the door, knocks & introduces herself to the homeowners saying, “Hi, I’m Janet. I’m the Realtor who will be listing your home.” & then they invite her in saying, “Hi, Janet. It’s nice to meet you.”
Are you kidding?! Wow… yes… that is exactly how easy I would like it to be! Hollywood – I’m officially offering to be your TV/Movie Realtor! In real life, I’m talking to homeowners for weeks or years before I’m invited to see their home. We always have some sort of relationship before I step foot onto their property.
I may try that approach though… I’m going to just walk up to a house with a smile & an outstretched hand, “Hi, I’m Katina… I’m the Realtor who will be listing your home.” Then, they’ll invite me in, & we’ll live happily ever after!

I’m Always Here & Happy to Help!

Katina Hunter
Team Lead for the Katina Hunter Team with Coldwell Banker
724-888-9020
Katina.Hunter@PittsburghMoves.com

My team & I belong to each multi-list along Western PA. That means if you have questions about homes Washington County – we can help you. Erie County? I can help you there, too! Today we’re focusing on trends in the 5 closest counties: Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence & Mercer.

I typically look at 5 different statistical markers when I’m gauging our local trends. Each of these numbers give me a clue about how to guide my buyers & sellers.
I typically look at:
1. Average Sales Price
2. Median List Price
3. Ratio between Sales Price vs List Price
4. Number of Properties Sold
5. Months Supply of Inventory
If you wanted to know how much negotiating power buyers have right now. The best number to look at would be the average sales price vs listing price ratio. This shows how close homes are selling to the asking price. For a while, we were seeing 100% or above 100% – indicating that the sellers were getting their full asking prices & buyers were sometimes having to pay ABOVE asking to get their offers accepted. When a buyer pays above asking, that’s a strong indication that multiple offers are driving the prices up.
Right now, however, I’m seeing that homes are mostly selling for about 95% – 98% of the asking price. Multiple offers are still a thing, but not to the extent we’ve seen previously. Buyers are gaining a little more negotiating power here.
The average sales price is a little all over the place right now. Beaver, Butler & Allegheny Counties dipped a bit while Lawrence & Mercer counties have jumped up in their average sales price with 10% & 34% respectively. That’s huge & quite interesting because these are the counties that we typically see a lower sales price.
There could be so many reasons for this. Sellers have either undervalued their homes when putting them on the market or buyers are attracted to the reasonable property taxes of these areas & have gravitated there in an attempt to offset the rising interest rates.
Comparing the median list price with the average sales price is one way to see if there are more higher or lower priced properties selling in that area. For example, in Lawrence County there’s a $44,000 difference in average sales price & the median list price. This means that the recent numbers are showing us that there were quite a few higher priced homes that have sold from the market than we are used to seeing in these areas.
The trend I’m seeing all across the board has to do with inventory. Inventory is up! This is great news for buyers because they have so many more options to consider. For sellers, this just means that you’re going to have to navigate around more competition. If you’re listing your home soon, it would bode well for you to price your home reasonably or even (don’t kill me) underprice your property a touch to ensure that you’re attracting buyers to your property. If your home is already on the market, & your internet activity is still strong, but it’s not translating to showings – your Realtor should be suggesting a healthy price reduction to help gain some traction.

I’m Always Here & Happy to Help!

Katina Hunter
Team Lead for the Katina Hunter Team with Coldwell Banker
724-888-9020
Katina.Hunter@PittsburghMoves.com

Just this last week I was at a client’s house. They’re looking to move & needed to know how much I thought they could get for their home. UNLIKE the made-up prices on HGTV, I actually have to have a lot of information backing up the asking price I suggest.

It had been a few years since I helped these clients with their purchase, so I asked to take a peek around & refamiliarize myself with the house. “No problem,” they said. “We’ll be in the dining room whenever you’re ready.”

I’m going through the house taking my measurements & notes. “I’m going to peek upstairs!” I announced & begin to climb the steps. Just before I enter the master bedroom, I hear her husband downstairs urgently whisper to his wife “Honey… the bedroom! She’s going into the bedroom!” I pulled my hand away from the bedroom doorknob hearing the wife bolting up the stairs after me & blocks the doorframe with her entire body.

I have noooo problem giving her a few minutes to hide whatever it is that’s been left out. It may just be dirty underwear on the floor. It may be….. uh… something else. I offer to look at the other bedrooms first.

She gives me a serious look & just shakes her head. “I love my husband. I love my husband.” she chants. My eyes get wider, & I offer an unsure smile. She never takes her eyes off of me. She slowly opens the door. She asks me not to be scared of their… pets.

I honestly never expected what I saw. Of all of the things to be sitting out on their dresser… this was petrifying. Creepy. Nightmarish. Alive!

Each, in their own separate tanks were 5 tarantulas. “Okay” I just repeated… “oh, wow… okay… okay.” The husband makes his way up the stairs, & once I found my voice, questions just tumbled out of my mouth.

I wanted to know why one tank was filled with webbing & the others weren’t. Do they ever take them out? Were the bigger ones older or were they just a different breed? Have they ever been bitten? What did they eat? Have they ever gotten lose?

I always say that even after 16 years in the real estate business, I’m always learning something new. Of all the things that I expected to learn that day, however, I didn’t expect to get a fascinating lesson on these (still) creepy but (a little) intriguing animals.

Katina Hunter
Team Lead for the Katina Hunter Team with Coldwell Banker
724-888-9020
Katina.Hunter@PittsburghMoves.com

As a Realtor, I could write a book about all of the craziness I’ve seen in this business. I’m not alone… today, I have a very special guest. Shannon Heffern has full access… & I mean FULL access… the woman can ruin me with just a few keystrokes – to everything that the Katina Hunter Team does behind the scenes. She is the Team’s Real Estate Assistant/Office Manager. She’s an investor & home-owner even before she became a vital part to our team. So, her vantage point is all encompassing! Even though she has claimed the seat to my left in the office… she’s my right-hand gal! “Hi, Shannon!”
Shannon: Hey everybody!
You & I met because I listed your home in Ellwood. How did I get to be on your radar?
Shannon: Long before I was in the market to sell my home… I came across some of your videos on facebook. I remember thinking that was a different approach as opposed to just posting pictures of a listing. I thought that if I were to sell then that’s what I would like – someone that was doing something new and eye- catching. I unexpectedly needed to sell my home and thought “I want the women who does the videos!”
I’m running out of titles to give you. You started as a “Real Estate Assistant” then got promoted to “Office Manager” but really… you’ve done some crazy things for me.
Shannon: Yes.. some I didn’t exactly see myself doing.. like picking out shoes.. cleaning the bathroom before closings, buying toilet paper, installing fire extinguishers.. to name a few..
I think I put on the job description “+ MORE!” so… I guess those are the bonus parts. There are perks though – mimosas on the first day of school (not for the children… for us adults in the office celebrating) & meetings on kayaks when we need a break from the office…

Shannon: Happy Hours! Just working outside of the office periodically is nice.
I hope that you feel extra appreciated because you ARE! I know that you’ve done many-a-things that are beyond your job description. I think that’s the nature of real estate… there are things that we do that no one really thinks about. What was the most surprising thing you realized a Realtor does that the average person doesn’t know?
Shannon: I guess I was most shocked at how much paperwork is done on a daily basis. If you buy a home then you know how many pages you sign but I don’t think most people realize how much time goes into the documents before you even see them or just how many offers can be written without the agent even getting a paycheck.
What do you think the hardest part of a Realtor’s job is?
Shannon: Honestly dealing with other agents. Unfortunately, not all agents are as experienced or knowledgeable… or even pleasant. You can work really hard and do everything right, even do part of their job but you can’t communicate directly with their clients so you’re always somewhat dependent on the other agent doing their part to get the deal done.

So true… I think that takes up about 15 – 20% of my day. I think that’s why going for-sale-by-owner is so attractive … homeowners just can’t find the agent that’s the right fit. You tagged me recently in a facebook post about this. You’ve bought & listed many homes in your life… have you ever sold one For-Sale-By-Owner?
Shannon: No I haven’t.. Not necessarily because I thought it was a bad idea at the time… but because I didn’t have the time.. Now that I work in real estate.. I would never sell fsbo or advise anyone to do so. I have seen some deals not come to fruition or be very hard to put together. People don’t realize how much agents do to make a deal work. They are your representatives and are here to make sure that you get treated fairly during your transaction. They advocate for you and help you to navigate things as they come up. I also know a few people that have done it and after the experience they had wouldn’t do it on their own again.

You’re not licensed… & we’ve talked about this before, but I’m curious – why don’t you want to get your real estate license?
Shannon: Mostly because of the time involved. I am fortunate enough to have a great schedule that can accommodate my life with my kids. I watch day in and day out how much is required to do this and how hard agents work. Never say Never I guess but right now, with it just being me and my kiddos…I need predictability.. and Real Estate is anything but predictable.

If someone was interviewing a Realtor, what kinds of things would you tell them to look for?
Shannon: Personality- Just making sure that you mesh well with the person, feeling heard is important.. I’d also look into their marketing and reviews. With me it was just a gut feeling.. do you feel like this person genuinely has your best interest at heart? And will they fight for you? You want someone that will do what’s best for you their client… not someone who is just chasing a pay check.

Yup! People over a paycheck! If you focus on doing good by people on a daily basis, the money will come. What is your most favorite thing about being on the Katina Hunter Team.
Shannon: It would be impossible to pick one.. First and foremost the people- The people you work with/your work environment means a lot.. I enjoy their company. The flexibility- I am a single mom, time with my kids is important. Before this job, someone else put my kids on the bus and I got home just in time to put them to bed at night. Katina makes sure I don’t miss anything, whether it’s a school event, doctor’s appointment or even letting me work from home if someone is sick. And last but certainly not least the clients- I may not meet them all personally but I help each of transactions along.

One of the things I love about you is how emotionally invested you get in the team’s transactions. Many times you don’t even know what they look like until I release the “SOLD” picture of them in front of their new house. What are some of your favorite transaction stories?
Shannon: Most recently it was a lovely older couple who were struggling with their previous agent. They were so hoping to close on their home in a timely fashion because unfortunately the gentleman was very ill… he wanted to ensure his wife was set up well before he passed. His son asked Katina to take over their transaction… and after a very long bumpy road… they were able to close. And he was so very appreciative… his prayers were answered, and his sweet wife has one thing less to worry about. In general, though I get excited to see offers, see first time home buyers get the home they’ve dreamed of and I’m super nosy and love looking at pictures of our listings just as soon as our photographer posts them! I may not always meet the clients, but I almost always speak to them on the phone and I definitely have some part in bringing them to the closing table…so yes very invested!
I like the word “invested” better than “nosy.” It’s a good thing that your so invested because, Shannon, you make everything happen!

Katina Hunter
Team Lead for the Katina Hunter Team with Coldwell Banker
724-888-9020
Katina.Hunter@PittsburghMoves.com


My team & I belong to each multi-list along Western PA, so we have access to details in markets all the way from West Virginia all the way up to Lake Erie. Here are the trends that we’re seeing right now in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Lawrence & Mercer counties.

Okay, Mercer County is typically the ONE place that does things a little differently than the other counties on my radar. However, this week, they aren’t alone! When it comes to average sales price, Beaver, Butler & Lawrence counties have all experienced an increase. Mercer county, however, AS WELL AS surprisingly Allegheny County have had a decrease in this average: 24% & 12% respectively.

If you want to know if the buyers or the sellers have the upper hand in negotiating, we’re going to look at my favorite number. We’ve talked about this before, & the ratio between the listing price & selling price is what you need to focus on. Looking specifically at this data answers that very important question.

At this very moment, buyers are getting homes lower than the asking price! Well… it’s still very close to the asking price, but we’re seeing that they’re able to negotiate just a little, tiny bit, wee more. We’re seeing a very miniscule amount of sales price negotiating success in Butler County – on average, homes are selling for 99.9% of the asking price (I told you that it was still close to the asking price.) Buyers in Mercer County are getting properties for a little over 85% of the asking price there.

If you’re looking for a steal on a home, gravitate away from Cranberry Township & more towards Grove City.

In general, the market has slowed a touch. I know this because the number of homes sold in each county is down from prior week. This could be because of the time of year. We typically see a temporary dip in house hunting when school starts up.

Adding to this is a rise in inventory across the board. We have more homes coming on the market… less homes being sold, so this means that inventory is evening out a touch… for the moment. We’ll see if this continues.

I’m Always Here & Happy to Help!

Katina Hunter
Team Lead for the Katina Hunter Team with Coldwell Banker
724-888-9020

Let’s crack open the topic that a lot of people are afraid to ask about: how Realtors get paid. Here’s how we get paid “THE BIG BUCKS.” (Insert only a very slight eye roll followed by a genuine smile.)

Starting out here are the very very very very basics: there are 2 sides of every transaction: the buying side & the selling side. Therefore, it’s typical that 2 Realtors are involved: One represents the buyer & one for the seller.

The listing agent is the Realtor that works with the sellers to market, or list, their home. At one of their first meetings, commission is going to come up. The listing agent negotiates with the seller the amount of commission associated with the entire transaction.

The seller can either pay a percentage of the sales price or sometimes a flat fee is agreed. The flat fee is typically for homes or property under about $60,000. At that price, even a reasonable commission percentage doesn’t often cover the costs of a Realtor handling the transaction. So, for homes around $60,000 or less – a flat fee is common.

The commission – regardless as to if it’s a flat fee or a percentage, typically comes out of the seller’s proceeds at closing. This commission not only pays the listing agent but also goes to paying the other side of the transaction: the buyer’s side. Essentially, the seller pays BOTH Realtors involved.

Let’s say that a seller decides that they are going to offer a 7% total commission on the sale of their home. The listing agent would likely market the property with a 3.5% commission (half of that total 7%) for the Realtor who brings the buyer. At closing, the total 7% amount will appear as a line item deducted from seller’s proceeds.

Let’s say that the listing agent actually has their own buyer who is looking for this exact home! She lists the house for the seller then shows her buyer the house. They love it & write up an offer that gets accepted. This Realtor is working as both the listing agent as well as the selling agent. She’s doing both sides of the transaction & would be due the full commission amount of 7%.

When people factor the commission off of the sales price, they don’t realize that we, the Realtors, don’t get this full amount. We have to hand that check directly to our broker. There are many many fees that get taken out. That amount gets portioned off between the broker, fees, insurance, marketing costs, multi-list fees & we then get paid the rest.

A Realtor is an independent contractor, so I have to reserve a portion of my take-home for taxes as well as health insurance. Those don’t come out of my check automatically.

The biggest fee typically deducted are referral fees. One of my Realtor friends moved out of state & still had a nice book of established business in our area that she couldn’t service. Whenever one of her former clients reaches out to her, she puts them in touch with me. I then pay a referral fee to this Realtor for the lead. Referral fees can be anywhere from 20% to more than 35% of my take-home.

Some people think that our offices, like Coldwell Banker, pays us to show properties to buyers. That’s not the case. We don’t get paid to show homes. We ONLY get paid after a closing & can ONLY be paid by our broker.

There have been many times that we will show 15, 20 or even over 30+ homes to a buyer. Then… they decide to rent. I’m supportive of whatever situation makes sense for my clients. But, there’s no compensation for the time or gas that we spend if a buyer decides not to purchase a home. That’s the risk we take in this business.

On the flip side, I’m working with some out-of-state buyers. Just this week, I showed 3 properties in the high $300,000 range via video. The first time out, they saw the home for them, submitted an offer, got it accepted, & now we’re progressing to closing. We have a lot of hurdles to go through as we move along, so my paycheck isn’t guaranteed until it actually closes. Again…that’s the risk we Realtors take in this business.

One of my recent transactions was for a $125,000 home that I listed. As always, I pull out all the stops. Yes, I hire a professional photographer even for homes that are $125,000! I had paid for photography, videography, marketing, mailers – all that fun stuff – even before we get any offers. That’s the risk we, as Realtors, take. We spend money in hopes of making our clients money.

It paid off! We got nice interest on the home, & it closed for $130,000. It sold for $5,000 above the asking price! My seller was thrilled. At this point in the transaction, however, I’m already in the red, & I have about a month & a half to go before I get paid.

If you calculate the entire commission on this $130,000 property, it’s about $8,000. Not bad right? Ah, ah, ah! Not so fast! You have to pay the other agent. We’re down to $4,000 now. Don’t forget – you hand this check to your broker & all the fees are deducted AND there was a referral fee on this listing. That means that the lead came to me from another Realtor, & I agreed to pay them for this lead when it closed. This 2-month transaction, when the check made it to my bank account, was a little over $2,000.

I save half of my check for insurance & taxes. So, $1,000 goes into my savings account so I have those funds available when those payments are due, & $1,000 made it to my checking account.

Just a little fun tidbit… this transaction took place in 2022. My notes on this client started in 2017. I had talked to them for 5 years before they listed their home.

I’m very fortunate because my closing ratio is higher than the average agent. On average, 1 of every 6 transactions falls through & never closes. Then, the Realtor is starting back at square 1.

It’s like getting to the very tippy top of the Chutes & Ladder board & landing on that darn square with the longest slide that takes you all the way to the beginning. Yeah… sorry… I’m bringing up emotional childhood trauma that you had all but forgotten. I, to this day, HATE Chutes & Ladders.

Imagine that feeling with hours upon hours of invested time, nights & weekends away from your family & thousands of dollars on the line. Something completely out of your control takes you all the way back to square one. That’s actually the best analogy I think there is for being in the real estate business! It’s a big, expensive, emotional game of Chutes & Ladders!

Imagine if at your own job, every month & a half or so after you do all your work & the paycheck just doesn’t come. That’s the risk that Realtors take.

Obviously, I wouldn’t do this job unless it was financially beneficial. I’m very fortunate that I have a job that I LOVE doing! It’s not the get rich quick career that people portray on HGTV. It’s a grind… you gotta love it… & I. DO.

To recap:

• That commission negotiated between the listing agent & the seller will pay both the buyer’s & seller’s Realtor.
• Realtors do not get paid for showing homes.
• 1 out of every 6 transactions fall through before closing.
• Commission doesn’t go directly to the Realtor. The commission check goes to the brokerage where all the fees are taken out first before an agent is paid for the transaction.
• As independent contractors, we have to be very good at reserving a healthy portion of those funds for our insurance & taxes.
• It’s very feasible that an $8,000 commission turns into $1,000 of actual spending money in your pocket.

That’s the risk that Realtors take.

I’m Always Here & Happy to Help!

Katina Hunter

Team Lead for the Katina Hunter Team with Coldwell Banker
724-888-9020
Katina.Hunter@PittsburghMoves.com

As a Realtor, I could write a book about all of the craziness I’ve seen in this business. Several years ago, there was a man who had moved to Florida but was selling his home here in PA. As we’re getting closer to his closing date, & I had some pressing last-minute items we needed to get wrapped up.

I tried getting in touch with him, & he wasn’t getting back to me. This was a little out of character. After more time passed something in me just didn’t feel right.

Not to get in his personal business, but I happen to know that he was estranged from his family. I did some digging trying to find a local family member. Alas… I was able to reach his niece. I explained who I was, apologized for bothering her & said that I was having a hard time reaching her uncle. I just felt that I should let someone know. She politely said that she would see what she could do.

Fast forward to 11:00 that night, I’m fast asleep, & my phone rings. It’s the niece, & she’s panicked, “I’m so sorry for calling so late, but I wanted to let you know that my uncle was found dead in his apartment this evening.”

After I called her, she rang the Florida police who went to his apartment & relayed the sad, sad news of their discovery.

Oh my goodness… I felt so bad for this man… for his family… for the situation. I felt bad for my buyer who had already sold his home & now had no home to move into. I’ve never had anyone pass away during a transaction before, so I didn’t even if there was a way forward for my buyers.

My phone rings again around 11:30. It’s the niece again.

“HE’S ALIVE!!!!” She screamed! Apparently, the police got there in the nick of time! The seller had been moments from death & was in a diabetic coma.

So, I’m credited with saving this man’s life from several hundred miles away. Just another day in the life of a Realtor!

I’m Always Here & Happy to Help!

Katina Hunter

Team Lead for the Katina Hunter Team with Coldwell Banker
724-888-9020
Katina.Hunter@PittsburghMoves.com
www.HereAndHappyToHelp.com