It may seem that as you navigate through my web site that lower commissions are all I am about. It isn't. I also provide experience and knowledge to sellers and buyers alike. But make no mistake about it; real estate commissions are the highest expense in any real estate transaction. The sad fact is that many sellers do not realize it until it is too late. They start to think, "Why did I pay $30,000 to sell a $500,000 home, that's a lot of money". They are right about it being a lot of money, but they still continue to scratch their heads.

It should come as no surprise to anyone that the way real estate is sold and purchased has changed. I have changed with it. For ten years I was in banking primarily financing commercial real estate. The next ten years I was a broker primarily focused on commercial real estate. I started observing at that time residential sales and the process of listing a home and closing escrow. About that time I was involved as a principal selling a residential property. I did not list the property myself primarily because my error and omissions insurance does not cover me in any real estate transaction that I am a principal. We closed escrow and guess what? I was the one now scratching my head while looking at my closing statement. The amount paid for commissions was like a neon sign. That is when I changed the direction of my real estate brokerage. I was already well aware that the Internet was having a profound effect on residential real estate sales and the way sellers and buyers acted. Information was now available to all of them, which for years had been hidden. 

Being a Real estate Broker is a business. In any business there is competition and many of you are in business. If you could figure out a way to offer the exact same product at a lower price than your competitors, would you do it? Of course you would. That is exactly what I am doing with my brokerage. I am in a position to offer a tremendous savings to not only sellers, but buyers as well. And one of the best parts about that is that I provide full service. That's right-full service, Not limited service.

The fact is that many sellers and buyers do not understand sales process. Whether it is a large brokerage or a small brokerage, we all do the same things when representing either a seller or buyer. Not one, I repeat, not one brokerage has an advantage over another in the sale process. But some of us do have an advantage over costs. I am one of those. When a listing contract is entered into there is an agreed upon commission. In most cases, that commission is split four ways. 50% of the commission is split between the listing agent and the agent's brokers. The other 50% is split between the selling agent and that agent's broker. That's a lot of splits. In BG Barnes real estate, I am the broker of record. I don't have to split my side of the commission with anyone. The selling side still has to split. So with BG Barnes real estate the split is 3 ways, not 4. Because of this important point, I can take less when listing property and still provide the selling agent a full commission. It is not complicate is it? 

As a broker there are a few things that I will not do. I will not represent a buyer when the home they want is a "sale by owner". I have nothing but respect for those sellers (they want to save money), but they do not know California real estate law, disclosures and the correct and legal way a real estate transaction is conducted. It could very well be a legal disaster for both the buyer and me. I also will not represent both seller and buyer in a transaction. That is known as dual agency. It is legal in California. As a seller or buyer, would you feel comfortable knowing that your agent represents both parties? That the confidential information that you have provided your agent could be accidentally or otherwise be provided to the other side?

Sellers and Buyers need to be represented by a competent real estate broker that has both knowledge and experience and can save you a lot of money.