Our philosophy is to give people a fair deal. We back that up by providing our services at one of the most reasonable rates in the entire industry.
It makes sense to use an agent today though because a trained and experienced salesperson can and should get a better result than someone who has not made it their business to sell real estate. That's why we keep working on our skills by reading, studying and listening to experienced and successful people. We make it a high priority to listen well, and to present properties attractively to people. By really listening to the needs of clients and customers we can help them to get a better result, and that is satisfying.
We don't see the need for the ultra-high fees that are "standard" in this industry. By cutting out the fat we can still earn a really great living doing what we enjoy. There's no need for franchise fees, shop fronts, expensive newspaper advertising and spending a fortune in marketing materials trying to raise our own image. We can spend more time selling homes and providing actual service rather than chasing listings by offering similar deals to what has been around for many years anyway.
How and Why Traditional Agencies Have a powerful incentive to work for the buyer, not the seller
YOU NEED TO READ THIS!
The objective of the typical agent is to make a sale - not at the highest possible price, but at any price. The typical agent doesn't get paid to WORK, but only to make a sale. If a prospective buyer offers less than the owner wants to accept, the typical agent won't make any commission unless he can get the vendor to accept. Therefore, rather than risk getting no commission at all, the agent will tend to put pressure on the vendor to come down on price, rather than risk everything and work skillfully to get a better offer from the customer.
Because we at Happening Real Estate get paid some money to work, we are not under the same pressure as the average agent to work AGAINST your interest.
Here's how it works. Suppose the sellers want $410,000. If a buyer offers $400,000, the agent will earn $10,000 (at 2.5%) if the sellers accept. If the agent could get the price to $410,000 - he will earn $10,250. For the agent, the difference here is just $250 if he succeeds in raising the price. But for the vendor, it is a $10,000 gain. Now, if the agent fails to get the sale by insisting on a higher price, he gets nothing (a potential loss of $10,000 for the agent). Therefore, the way the system is normally set up, the agent is rewarded for pressuring the vendor down and getting a quick sale. It may be illegal for the agent to succumb to this pressure, but experts say it happens all the time. I have heard professional property investors state that 99% of the agents will sell out their vendor under the right conditions.
Entire books have been written warning about this kind of practice.
Because we get paid for our work, as well as for a successful sale, we are not under pressure like other agents to push the price down. We can afford to be patient with you and with the sale process, if indeed you are not under time pressure. No matter what your situation, we can work to help to get the best result in the situation.
Don't Believe that Good Agents Always Charge Maximum Commission
House prices have doubled, but I don't think that means real estate commissions should double. The same amount of work is involved anyway. That's why we offer deals well below industry standard rates, including capped commission / flat fee / fixed fee real estate services.
Some people argue that a good agent knows how to charge for himself - he "negotiates" or rather refuses to negotiate commission levels, and that is given as some kind of proof that he will negotiate better for you. But just because a discount agent doesn't charge as much as someone else, doesn't mean he could not do it. I myself have negotiated higher commission levels for certain sales at certain times.
I have met real estate principals who were dominating their area at a full REIQ commissions, who now sell at a discounted flate rate. Quite a few agents who formerly worked for others and successfully charged people maximum commission are now working as discount agents. Why? Some tell me that they want to be able to sleep at night with a good conscience. They want to be able to live with themselves. Its hard to do that if you know in your heart of hearts that you are pumping out "balderdash" in order to charge the maximum possible commission to trusting people. Other agents have begun discounting because they see that this is the way the industry is going and they want to be ahead of the curve.
We really believe in the importance of ethics. We always seek to treat people right, according to the principle "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." That's why we look for a winning result for each and every one of our clients.
Our goal is for you to end up with more money for your property than if you had gone with any other agent or if you had sold your property privately. YES, we honestly believe that you will end up with more money under any of our packages than if you were to "go it alone" on a private sale or FSBO basis. And for us to be happy in our work, you have to be happy.
We do look forward to working for you and being of service to you.
Michael Fackerell
Our Best Deals for You (including GST)
Please check the menu bar above under OUR DEALS to see our current deals.
We welcome your email enquiries also. For a free consultation and/or market appraisal, please send an email with your name and property details to 
Yours for a Better Result
Michael Fackerell
Principal Licensee
Licence # 3208273
