Q: How does it work?
A: As buyer agents, we work following the same process as a traditional agent, yet we are compensated differently. Normally, buyer agents are paid 3% of the total price as commission at closing. Instead, we charge $7,000 flat fee at closing.
Q: Are commission rebates legal?
A: Yes, commission rebates are legal in 40 states, including Texas. The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) clearly allows rebates.
Q: How is the rebate paid?
A: The rebates will show as a credit on your settlement statement at closing and/or show as price reduction. Price reduction may help the loan approval rate and reduce property tax in the future. Rebates should be disclosed to all parties, especially your lender. The credit can be used to pay the closing costs, which will reduce the amount of money you need to bring to closing. Most lenders limit the percentage a borrower can receive from other parties, especially for investment property, new construction, or VA loans. We are not allowed to send you a check after closing to compensate the unused credit.
Q: What is your position in the market?
A: The majority of buyer agents in the market take a 3% commission at closing without any rebate. Most large broker firms do not allow their sales agents to offer rebates. A small percentage of buyer agents offer rebates based on house price. The rebate amount normally ranges from 0.5 to 2%, though a 2% rebate is very rare. Other agents charge a flat fee based on their services. We are the exceptionally rare third type. We believe that people should pay only for the services they receive – no more, no less.
Q: What don't we get?
A: We cover every service that traditional buyer agents provide.
Q: Can I switch from you to other agents?
A: Yes. If for any reason you want to use other agents, please feel free to do so. You do not even need to notify us. We do not require our clients to sign buyer/agent contracts. Using our buying service is low-risk, and our buyers won't face the dilemma of getting stuck with a certain agent. You are in control.
Q: Can I switch from other agents to you?
A: We do not solicit business from other fellow agents. You are certainly welcome to use us if you terminated your relationship with other agents or your term has expired.
Q: Can you make an offer on a house that other agents showed me before I met you?
A: With your best interests in mind, we do not make offers on houses that you have seen previously through other agents.
Q: Can other agents make an offer on a house that you showed to me?
A: Yes. You are free to ask other agents to make an offer for you on houses that we showed you.
Q: Can you represent us to purchase new homes?
A: Yes. You can visit new model homes with or without us. To get a rebate, please let the builder know that we represent you and give them the following information:
Broker: AAXY Services LLC dba All Side Realty, 13284 Pond Springs Road, #405, Austin, TX 78729, 512-377-6580, License # 537407.
Agent: Huiming Gu, 281-223-6538, hgu@loc.com, License # 665904.
Q: How do I get started?
A: Please click here to start.
FAQs for Sellers
Q: How does it work?
A: As seller agents, we work following the same process as a traditional seller agent. The only difference is that we charge a flat fee of $7,000 as our seller agent commission while the traditional seller agent charges 3% of the sale price.
Q: How do you market the listings?
A: Like most agents, we market your property by listing it on MLS and put a For Sale sign on your property. The listing on MLS will be syndicated to major real estate websites, including har.com, zillow.com, trulia.com, realtor.com, and others. In today's market, more than 99% of the sales start from searches via major real estate websites, open house, or sale sign on property. In addition, we give extra 3% off to unrepresented buyers, which is a very strong selling point. In our knowledge, we are the only real estate agents offer this.
Q: Will other real estate agents avoid our listings?
A: No. We offer the buyer's agent the same 3% commission. Therefore, they have no motivation or reason to avoid our listings.
Q: What don't we get?
A: We work the same way as traditional agents, but we do not print or distribute flyers because in today's market, flyers have no impact on marketing a property. From our research, we believe it is a waste of time and money to print flyers.
Q: What is your position in the market?
A: There are approximately three basic types of seller agents in the market. The most common are the traditional agents who charge a commission based on the percentage of the sale price paid on closing. That commission percentage is normally 6%. In some cases, seller agents may charge percentages as low as 4%, which is very rare. Another type of seller agent is the so-called flat-fee agent. They normally charge a few hundred dollars for the listing fee upfront. The services of these flat-fee agents are normally very limited; their main service is listing your property. Many won't even list your property on MLS, which is the main marketing channel. We are the third type of seller agent; we provide full services and charge a flat commission fee at closing.
Q: When is the commission paid?
A: The commission is paid at closing. There is no upfront cost to you as a seller.
Q: How can I get started?
A: Please click here to start.
Other FAQs
Q: What area do you cover?
A: Currently, we serve The Woodlands, TX and the surrounding areas.
