After buying and selling 3 previous home (in various states) through the traditional model, I sold my home through a service similar to Redfin and contrary to what most Real Estate Agents seem to be saying here, there is a lot to be said for doing some of the work yourself to say on commissions.

Just for the record I am not "...unwilling to move out their nasty couch or fix or paint their unit to get the best offer." Nor am I "penny wise, pound foolish". This is evidenced by our ability to sell our home in 93 days (Feb - April 2008) when other homes on our street were languishing for literally years through one traditional listing after another.

When we purchased we were forced to use a traditional agent due to traditional agents unwillingness to show homes to someone without an agent and unwilling to sign on with them. We went through 3 agents without finding the kind of dedication those who posted here claim to have and finally just resorted to searching out properties on our own and having her set up the appointments. She was equally useless during the frustrating process of negotiating buying a foreclosure (even though supposedly a "specialist").

Our experience confirms our long held feeling that there is little value to be gained by paying huge commissions.

Use qualified Realtor agents and broker ... rather than just on line real estate agents ... Realtors subscribe to the Realtor Code of Ethics, which can be and is enforced by the National Association of Realtors and local affilities.

As Realtors® we pledge to always promote and protect interests of our clients and to treat all parties honestly.

Harrison K. Long, Realtor agent and broker, Coldwell Banker Previews

Ryan, I congratulate you on your Redfin experience. I touched on this in previous comments on this general thread which has several strands. A local broker familiar with the area might have negotiated a 50k reduction in price rendering your 13 k rebate meaningless. I have zero knowlege of your area or market. I merely make the point the savings on the commission may not be the big benefit they are taken to be. If you are very smart about real estate, self motivated, willing to do a lot of research; then, a redfin type situation is probably great for you. If you know nothing of the area, do not understand real estate and do not want to learn about it. I hope you get a good BUYER's, in this case, agent who will go out and fight for you. Buyers and Sellers should not get overly caught up in the commission part of the transaction, it is important, but, their real bottom line is far more important and the picture is not always what it seems.

In your case Ryan, I hope the whole deal was great and I wish you all the best. Every format works for someone, but no format works for everyone.

We agree with James and recommend that you should not use Redfin or an online broker to help you buy or sell or home or property.

Why? Because Realtor agents will provide you with face to face consultation about value of your property and then help you sell it at the highest price possible, through maximum exposure, not just online marketing. Your Realtor agent will be your support person and group during time of sale of your home. Your Realtor agent will look out for your interest and advocate for you at most every step of the way ... until closing of escrow.

No online broker will be able to complete for the quality of service provided by an experienced Realtor agent in your area.

Harrison K. Long, Realtor and broker, Coldwell Banker Previews, Irvine, CA

For the best home and property search site that you will control, check out

I had a great experience in the city of San Francisco. I saved over $13,000 and the agent was very responsive and very helpful through the whole search process and offer/counter offers. The admin was diligent and thorough during the lead up to closing and the deal closed with zero probems.
It was superb value and I will use them again if I sell or buy.
The real estate office Realtor I first used did everything by e-mail, fax and imaging. I found the properties I was interested in by going to open houses then telling the agent what I wanted to do. Then they faxed and e-mailed back and forth.
What's the difference? $13,000 and no difference in service

Don't use Redfin...or any other "on-line broker" to purchase real estate!

Several companies are attempting to provide discount real estate brokerage services on-line which I think makes sense on its face. However, no one has found an on line business model that competes with the value provided by working with a local agent from a good reputable firm.

For example, Redfin combs the mls for updated information on listing however it isn't always timely. Just yesterday, another agent was reporting to her client that a property had gone into contract and Redfin listed the property as still on the market.

Use a local agent who comes highly recommended! It was save you time, energy, and a huge potential pitfalls.

Fancy websites can't replace human intelligence. Find an intelligent agent and get what the Seller pays for!

I have had buyer clients who used Redfin's site to look for properties, but would not go any further than that. Redfin seems to cover the Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego, Seattle, Washington DC and San Francisco areas.

However, I drilled into which agents actually cover San Francisco, as I have not personally met a Redfin agent yet in my six years of doing business in the city. Of the four listed, three cover the East and/or South Bay, and one lists San Francisco among her areas of specialization, along with Marin and the South Bay.

It is important that you hire an agent who knows the area and the market activity where you live. Buying and selling property doesn't happen online; at some point, you truly do need an agent who can guide you through the process. Because today, you will need all the help you can get.

On this and other threads, it seems the main point of resentment by a few agents and most of the non-agents is they do not like seeing the RE agents being paid these huge sums. First, the huge sums get divided up pretty quickly. Second, while we work for agencies, most of us are also our own company. This is an expensive business if you do it correctly. If you check actual income levels for agents, 80 percent do not make that much money. I know in my first years in Spokane, I never got below 50 percent at my company and was usually in the top 30 percent of agents. WE STARVED! I could not imagine how the people below me survived! My gut feeling is if we all went away, the chaos in the market would be huge. You would see homes sell for way over or way under their value. There would be much more fraud and much less oversight. Nothing is perfect, but, I believe John Q is pretty well served by the current system which will continue to evolve along with society and technology.

Additionally, there is enough flexibility in the system so those that want to use discount brokers can. Odly enough, as soon as the market slows down a bit, these are the companies that seem to go away. I buy my computers from a small company in my town. The owner is not that great when it comes to razz mah tazz or customer feel good stuff, but, he stands behind his product, knows his product and even if he costs a tad more, I still go there because in the end I like his service. I believe the same thing goes on in RE. For some, running into Best Buy and grabbing the cheapest model meets the need. For some, they will always want someone to hold their hand and walk them through the jungle. You pay for what you get.

"Sellers who are unwilling to pay for a dedicated, local real estate agent are often those unwilling to move out their nasty couch or fix or paint their unit to get the best offer. "
----------------
Really? Can't that seller be someone who wants to save his hard-earned money by doing some legwork himself? He may get it wrong but you can't make a sweeping statement and call him lazy!

Four years ago, I hired a reputed (Presidential award winner and all that) agent from a top-3 real-estate agency. After 2 weeks of running around with me, he started putting pressure on me to make a decision. Then he used my criterion blindly and we ended up not noticing some potentially good homes by just because they were outside of my criterion by $10,000. After a while, I myself ended up bringing those homes to his attention. Lastly, I wanted to put an offer that was $30,000 less than the asking price. He strongly cautioned me that I might lose my "dream" house because there was another offer blah blah blah. Guess what? I ended up getting that house by sweetening my offer by $4,000!

When some of you compare full service agents to discount agents, you always compare best of you vs worst of them and claim that as a victory. That's so self-serving! If someone is good, he wouldn't have any problem in commanding even 8-10% commission. By adamantly "protecting" 6%, you send a wrong message. I am a project manager. We have our association and certification too. But while there are project managers available at as little as $60,000 pa, I charge $200,000 pa. How do I do that? I go out, sell my services and earn my clients purely on merit!

On such an important decision and investment of this size I would tell family and friends to find an agent who specializes in the particular area. What is the company that does the most business in the neighborhood and who has the most listings? You will find them from their marketing and where they live.

As a listing agent, I was in a position recently where the seller and the bank asked ME identify the best offer out of 3. The one chosen wasn't the highest. Real estate is as much an art as a science. Because I want to ensure, especially in this market, that a deal is going to close, I chose the agent and buyer who I felt I could trust the most. This usually is the agent who is familiar with the market and who best demonstrates their client's motivation. So it often comes down to TERMS.

Do Redfin agents spend a lot of time meeting and communicating with the agents in your target area? I made a career of this and knowing all the buildings in my area.

I have heard of situations where one of these discount broker agents send in offers without even asking questions. There are lots of questions needed to understand the needs of the seller. As mentioned, it's not always price. Knowing the local agents and the subtle communication to understand needs of both parties is where the value of an agent can really get you the best property.

If you think being an agent is simply writing the offer, you may found that you either overpaid or didn't make the best offer until it is too late. I had clients take an offer once from an out of area agent who made the best offer but backed out when they heard their offer was chosen. This shows that it's really important to use the best judgement which is not always the highest offer.

Finally, if you as a buyer want a part of a commission paid by the seller, what does that say about you? You are not the one paying. Are you a buyer who is going to nickel and dime the seller?

Sellers who are unwilling to pay for a dedicated, local real estate agent are often those unwilling to move out their nasty couch or fix or paint their unit to get the best offer.

These are people who cut corners and in my experience, it is penny wise, pound foolish not to go with a full service agency.

Yeah, I get what full service agents offer. I am second-time buyer and looking for $600,000+ house and considering the research and leg-work II have already done, I am not willing to see my broker get $18,000. And yes, I do understand that money comes from seller but it's the same pot.

I don't know what Redfin is, but with an excellent full service agent you get full service....including staying on top of the market, knowing about other agents' Pocket Listings and some properties before they come on the market, knowing how to negotiate for your benefit and full assistance throughout the whole process which is a necessity for someone buying for the first time. Does Redin explain all of the paperwork? Come with you on all inspections? If you are Selling, does Redfin hold open houses and broker's opens? Is Redfin there for all private showings? I assume Redfin is a discount broker...remember you get what you pay for! And most realtors are willing to help their clients.....

Cheers,
Sally

eperks not available in PA :(

Go to http://www.eperks.com. There are real professional real estate agents that offer rebates. I think I saw someone offering 50% cash back. They most likely close lots of deals hence the reason they can offer such rebates.

To those full price agents--I would have to be out of my mind to pay 6% especially when we has sites like eperks.

I am sorry to see that Redfin is not available in my area (near Philly).

It's funny to see full-service agents comparing "the world's best full-service agent" with Redfin. Just like you are recalling bad experiences with Redfin, can't we all recall some bad experiences with full-service agents too?

And I think gloating over Foxton's demise was ignorant at best. Their salary-rich business model sank them, not the the discount model.

Better than redfin

We are open for business.
http://www.rehava.com.

Thanks to all of you that have been following us. We are anxious to help those of you that have been waiting patiently.

what is up with that Ruth?
That is a total infomercial, do really think that is helpful?
I could see if a Redfin person put it up, but you?

Who is redfin? Never heard of these guys.

Redfin is perfect for the educated buyer, and ensures that buyers no longer have to pay a premium when many of the legwork is actually done by the buyer rather than an agent.

I'm working with Ernesto, one of their most experienced agents. He knows the area better than our last full service agent, and we delve into the nitty gritty of fractional financing and the idea of living near the J-Church with ease.

I understand that RedFin is a disruptive innovation for buyers agents. I'm a current homeowner, I'm looking for properties within 2 miles of my current residence, and I'm a member of a self-managed HOA.

I simply can't understand why I should give a buyer's agent 16K when I find the properties, can use my graduate eduction to read a disclosures agreement, and know the neighborhood.

Home searching is democratized, and I'm grateful for the trend.

On the seller's side, the agents should welcome the trend- when I go to a property, it's because I've done the research, discussed with my spouse, and I am serious about the place, whereas when I went with my last agent, half of the properties were not appealing.

I will likely sell my home with a full service agent. I'm in complete agreement that the value is there on this side of the equation.

I will use the 16K cash back I get on my new home purchase to offset the ouch factor of the 6% of the fee i will give to the seller's agent I select this month.
I will also really probe what exactly the agent will do for us- will we have staging, will we have broker's tours, what is the availability? Many of you sound like very passionate and professional agents, and this trend will ensure that your less able competition is weaned out, while you all remain the cream of the crop! True service speaks for itself.....and you will all do fine!

Of course. Liquidated Damages Clause and Arbitration Clause. This is really the basics.

I meant seller not sellers agent.

Is there a built in disclaimer like there are in the listing agreements that say buyers agent will not negotiate on buyers behalf and buyers agents will not be held responsiblility should something go wrong after the sale! If my name is on the contract I am responsible for the sale. What if the buyer ends up walking away from the sale and the sellers agents want to sue the buyer the buyers agent and the buyers agent brokerage? Sounds a bit risky to me.

Redfin refunds the buyer what, 66%? I don't see much wrong with that, especially if the buyer found the property and did most the work. I mean if I got a phone call saying, "Hey, Mr. Garver, we'd like you to put our name on an offer at this price for this property because we know the market here and feel comfortable doing most the leg work. We are only going to pay you 1% however, which comes out to roughly 10k for this home. Are you ok with that?" I'd have an offer written up before they could hang up.

Way to tell it Patrick. You are the MAN!

Hi Cranky,
Redfin is a dangerous route to take if you are a buyer. There is no due dilligance done on your behalf. A full service buyer agent should not only help you find a property, but to see it, touch it, smell it and walk you through the inspections, go to the the town hall to pull documents to make sure you know what you are buying. It is my understanding that Redfin does none of the above. You get what you pay for!

Didn't Pacific Union in San Francisco pioneer a "real estate store" concept? I thought it a novel idea and concept. I believe it faded into oblivion along with the Dot.Bombers as it bloomed during their era. I wish Mr. Guzman all the luck in the world. If you make a better mousetrap the world will beat a path to your door.

Cranky:
You have POWER. You are the only one that can award best answer. We'd love to see which of these 46 posts you would choose.
Ruth

I will take a 50% refund of your hard work finding the magic bean I told you about online as long as that is the same magic bean that I have a significant amount of my money invested in. Would this be the same magic bean?

Fair enough?

Today’s agent would be confused to believe that they will prevent the paradigm shift occurring in our Industry by the continued practice of preventing competition. The analogy of what NAR has done is like the one where your Mommy keeps the better players away from her child to protect them from being dominated. By simply preventing competition no one gets better and eventually your child will have to play with kids who are as good or (heaven forbid) better than you. And once you let the more skilled kids into the game the weaker ones will end up out of the game or at best on the sidelines until they can elevate their skills.

It has only been by the illegal legislation of States (encouraged by NAR) that has propped up the 6% commission and prevented business savvy agents from laying waste to those of us that can not compete . The same change that effected Wall Street commissions by the likes of Charles Schwab are now occurring on in markets across America. The days of colluding to protect the 6% commission are over. It is now time for some competition amongst Agents.

I say “Let the games begin”.

Now, what say you?

Have you ever heard of a Full Service Brokerage doing this
http://www.trulia.com/voices/General_Area/Foxtons_the_discou…

So let me understand all of this; The "traditional", "Full-Service" whatever you wish to call the rest of the brokerage community exist to offer fees to the likes of Redfin, Zip, et al, so you folks can then GIVE BACK these fees to your Buyers therefore justifying your business model? So, if we all follow Redfin's example and leave the market to them what will they rebate?
This is the fallacy of the discouner’s business model. These companies wish to rebate and dub themselves a "consumer friendly" "Anti-Trust busting" real estate company--but how much do you wish to give away to stay in business? If the DOJ decided tomorrow all fees for the sale of real estate would be locked in at 2% of the sales price how much would Redfin rebate then? How much would the discounters discount? What do you think this industry would look like in a few years if not months? What type of sales person would be drawn to this industry? How much would you guys give away then? Who would wish to cooperate with ANY other agent at that fee? The business system it takes to entail one to do 50 or 100+ deals would collapse under the lack of income. Mom and pops would fold, and the larger, craftier companies would hire employees and try and control the entire market. Your vaunted choice would cease to exist.
That all being said--alternative business models are as American as Apple Pie and Halloween! Just do me a favor--don't go running to the DOJ complaining "anti-trust" because the market rejects you.
And lastly, what are we all getting worked up about. Last time I looked Zip Realty's market share equates to their name! And the good folks at Redfin on their web site boast “In 2007, Redfin represented over 1,00 satisfied clients” and they boast offices in Baltimore, Boston, Los Angeles, Orange County, Seattle, San Diego, Washtington,D.C. AND San Francisco. Now I don’t know about you but that works out to about 125 deals in each City. They also claim to rebate at least $10,000 per “Satisfied Client”. That’s 10 deals a month. You guys can do the math!!

"Redfin provides the same service as a traditional real estate agent, except we don't go to the house;"

Boy, if this isin't an example of getting what you pay for in Real Estate, I do not know what is.

I am in line with the Depatrment of Justice about Real Estate as an Industry. (REALTORS--make sure you are up to date on the issues by reading all about it at the link I provided).

I have developed a model very close to Redfin's and it will be laucnhing in 2008. I have successfully reduced my operating costs by over 70% by leveraging multiple technologies across many many channels of distribution. I am passing these savings on to my clients as rebates and I am confident that we will generate significant business by offering this new Model of Real Estate.

In additon, we will be offering a fixed fee full service Sellers program that many of the local big boy franchises will have to play catch up to compete.

I sat in one of our recent staff meetings right after the 60 Minutes program about Redfin aired on CBS and was only slightly suprised to hear one of our supposed "Top Producers" say (and I quote) "I think this whole redfin thing is a fad."

WOW!

What say you?

Hey, I am late coming to the party. Here are my thoughts. There is enough business for everyone. There are some people that Redfin business model fit perfectly. Others need full service. I am a full service agent and I am proud to be! They say that things are changing. The truth is, these limited service agencies have been around for a long time. They show up in markets that have enough business to support them. They need high volume to make their money. When the market slows, they move on to other areas. Without high volume they cannot stay afloat! This is just my opinion.

Hi Cranky. I am getting into the picture a little bit late on this thread. I haven't had the chance to read all the answers here and I apologize ahead of time if anything I say here may have already been mentioned by someone else.
I believe one of the things that makes Redfin stand out from the crowd is that they offer rebates to their buyer clients. It seems to me that Redfin's success is therefore largely dependent on those brokerages that are negotiating the higher commissions with their sellers so that they can offer a reasonable commission to the buyer's agent. If agents only offered low commissions to the buyer's agents, Redfin would have nothing to give back to its buyers. So, Redfin's existence is much more dependent on other businesses than the traditional brokerages are.
My hope is that Redfin takes care of all its clients as I don't like hearing stories of incompetent and inadequate representation. There's too much at stake when people buy and sell one of the biggest assets they will ever have and bad stories give all of us a bad reputation.

I have a few questions about using a service like Redfin. First of all I am a full service Real Estate agent. I have extensive website marketing tools. I can send my clients listings myself, have them automatically sent based on the individual buyer's criteria or give my buyers access to listing searches on their own. So they can shop in their pj's until they find things they are interested in at which point I can take them to the homes personally for them to make their final decisions. Many traditional agents have the same tools. So what's so special about Redfin or others like them having internet search? It sounds to me like they just leave out the legwork & let the selling agent take care of that part?
Secondly, I can say that I currently have some first time buyers, we close on their home tomorrow, that originally went through a referral company that offered them a hefty rebate after the sale from the commission referral the buyer's agent would pay them. They weren't pleased with the agent, a traditional full service agent, that the referral company paired them with & they ultimately found me. As a traditional agent I can't give rebates, it's against the law in our state & against ethical rules & they understood that. They have told me that after all the details that had to be worked out with their purchase they feel that I was worth the rebate they gave up & then some. They know that I negotiated an excellent deal for them & handled situations & problems that may well have gotten overwhelming & lost them the home they wanted.
I feel that my job as a full service Real Estate agent is, first & foremost, one of relationship building & I don't believe that is possible when dealing exclusively on the internet. And I still don't understand how one buys a home without actually seeing it!!!
I often deal with out of town clients & start their search on the internet, locals also, but ultimately it's meeting face to face, building trust & seeing future home possibilities personally! Maybe investors who are going solely on the bottom line don't care about seeing the house they are purchasing, but it the buyer is going to actually live there........
I just don't think that these types of services will ever put the traditional agent model out of business. I do agree that perhaps the truly good traditional RE agents will be the ones left standing, but I think that's the case regardless of the presence of these internet models.

I think the big key is for consumers to understand the difference between "Discount" and "Full Service" I think that using the word discount confuses people. After all a discount is not a bad thing. The problem is it insinuates the same thing for less money. I think the discussion is better served using the words Limited Service versus Full Service.
There are full service firms that charge less than others. There are limited service firms that charge more than others.

There are full service firms that in reality only offer limited services and there are limited service firms that offer a good service.

So to unilaterally say one is better over the other is not doing your homework.
It really boils down to this. Do you want good service or the rock bottom price? Either is OK.

I personally am a value shopper not a price shopper. Meaning I don’t buy an item because it is the cheapest one. I carefully consider the features and benefits compared to the price and then I make a decision and buy first what I want then the best price for it.

One more important thing I forgot to mention in my previous post; the buyers Redfin agent had the close of escrow date on a Monday, so her clients loan had to fund on a Friday and they paid interest over the weekend.

Dear Cranky,

I'm cranky too, but that's another story.
This might be helpful to you. It's the KRON news story comparing Redfin to full-service brokerages: I think it gives a decent overview of the different services offered: the link is below.

Once you've made up your mind which level of service fits your needs, you MUST interview the individual agent thoroughly. There are good agents and there are bad agents, whether you're looking into a discount brokerage or a full service broker. It's up to you to make sure yours is a good one and that you feel comfortable working with that person. I believe this is why there are so many responses to your question. There are folks out there who have had wonderful and poor service from both types of brokers. That’s why so many successful agents get their clients from referrals. New buyers tend to first ask a friend if they know a great agent.

Thnaks for the reply Cynthia. What is your position there? Successful full service Realtors would not be successful unless they were able to focus on and deliver amazing customer service. Customer service and sales are not mutually exclusive. Redfin agents are partially paid through commission, it's just that they get a salary so they don't have to generate new buisness or depend on referals from happy clients in the way that "traditional" agents do.

I think it would be wonderful if Redfin agents were giving information to their clients, however the general experience has been that they are sending clients out to get information from other agents to return to them in exchange for "cash back"...

I'm glad you love your job and your company, that is important. I do feel that choice is important in the market place.

I as a traditional agent feel that nothing can compare to a full service, full time, educated, local agent who knows the local market intimately.

Hi Rebecca,

I work at Redfin, but I am not a real estate agent. However, there are a couple consistent things we hear from our agents about why they left traditional brokerages to work at Redfin – it is the future of real estate, and they wanted to work in a pressure-free environment focused on customer service, not sales.

Personally, I came to work at Redfin to try to make a difference for consumers and work with smart, fun people. That said, Redfin is the perfect fit for me. We’re giving consumers a choice in how they buy and sell real estate, and empowering buyers with the information they need to make an informed decision – they get a blend of the latest technology and counsel from experienced, local agents. And I get to work with and learn from tons of talented people. Our agents aren’t new kids on the block. They have a wealth of knowledge to share with clients and co-workers.

Regards,
Cynthia

I think Redfin is great! Their website smokes out "ready to buy" buyers. Yahoo! my listings get sold.

Full service agents have absolutely nothing to worry about if they take the process at face value.

Know that they are here, educate yourself how their process works, use it to your advantage and adapt.

This is not rocket science and we are not doing brain surgery here.

Redfin educates Buyers how to use Real Estate agents to find homes on their own and save money. Buyers don't know that they really don't save anything. The seller pays the commission. Har-har-har! Don't let yourself be duped.

If a Buyer comes into your office and you are an educated Realtor, qualify the Buyer just as we always have get them qualified and get a commitment out of that buyer before you ever put them in your car!

They buy from you or they don't get into your Mercedes or Cadillac or Hummer. By the way, if you are not driving one of those, you should be...

If you get them in your office, you have had more contact with that buyer than any Redfin agent ever did.

Get your mindset right and quit worying about Redfin.

Do Not show a house to an uncommited , unqualified Buyer. If a prospect is working with Redfin, you can get that out of them when you meet with them, and establish a relationship with them, and then sell them. The Buyer will welcome your professionalism and Redfin is now out of the picture. If they paid something to Redfin... reimburse them.

DO NOT get in your car and run out and show them the property because they called off the sign or the internet. Get back to the basics! Be professional... be a Realtor... be a salesman... be successful!

As a buyer in SF, I worked with 'full service' agents but I felt like I was working for them! I inspected the 'for sales' at open houses. On offers, we initialed and e-mailed counter offers. My agent didn't get to present to the seller, only to the seller's agent. I arranged my own financing. I've bought homes previously.
Why shouldn't I get paid for that?
So I used Redfin, got prompt telephone and e-mail follow up and no arm twisting BS.

I tried to post a follow-up to my previous recommendation for Redfin, but I'm not sure what happened to it. In brief, the deal has closed, our (large) Redfin rebate is in the bank and we couldn't be more pleased with our purchase. I'm sure many buyers would prefer a closer agent relationship, but if you educate yourself on the process and are buying in a neighborhood you know well, then a 5-figure check is hard to beat. We were fully supported by Ernesto and Angela during escrow, and believe Redfin deserve to do extremely well.

Purchasing a home is more than a paper trail. There is emotion involved on both the seller and the buyer end. Agents wear many hats during a transaction and many times buyers and sellers do not want to even talk because of personal issues. The agent representing the buyer or the seller must have knowledge of needs and resources to help the transaction flow smoothly The agent must go above and beyond just finding a home ;to service the parties to the transaction; from the beginning to the close. Writing a contract takes 30 min maximun time. It is all the " how can I help you "and providing resources to both buyer and seller that makes a happy close . Buying a home is emotional and a computer will never change that handshake and comfort level with a caring and helpful agent.

To Cynthia, My question to you is why are you working for Redfin as opposed to a full service Broker?

I've mentioned this here before, but I'm seeing some people on this link defending Redfin, and their arguments are not what I experienced. I was the listing agent and Redfin represented the Buyer of my listing. The agent never saw the house, never even met her clients(!) and never attended any inspections. She did not negotiate for her buyers; they offered near asking price for a listing that had been
on the market for a month and a half. She wrote the contract offering to buy the house as-is and offering to pay for all inspections, including pest. When my sellers decided they wanted to keep the valuable dining room chandelier, she didn't ask for compensation for her buyers, she just said, "Ok". At the final
walkthrough, which she did not attend, the buyers were excited to see that my sellers had replaced the chandelier with a very nice fixture. Apparently the Redfin agent told them they would have to buy their own.
Lastly, on the day of closing, the Redfin agent asked me if I could deliver the keys to her buyers! (I couldn't,
so they had to drive 1 hour out of their way to pick them up at my office.) These poor first-time buyers didn't save money by going with Redfin, they lost money. Not only that, they were completely on their own.

In response to Pjw's experience with Redfin, I hope everything continues to go well for you. One word of caution, though, a buyer often has no idea whether they received competent representation until it is time to sell. While Redfin does not operate in my market, I have listed my share of homes where the (now)seller turned out to be blissfully unaware of poor purchasing decisions until I splash cold water on them. Overpaying, poor location, etc. are bugaboos that are not always immediately apparent. As I said, though, I wish any buyer the best of luck, regardless of whom you have chosen to represent you.

We don't have Redfin here in Ann Arbor MI, but I believe in competition and the free market. Agents need to add value to attract business - and the good ones do! If the concept works (Redfin), the market and agents will have to adjust.