Eileen Musser, Realtor, Ecobroker, Epro

What a nice thought, but any commission must be paid to the Broker, not to the agent. I think there would be ways to compensate your agent, but I believe it all has to go through the listing office, not directly to the agent you are working with.

For most agents, the best way you can thank them is to send them good quality leads when you hear of friends, family and co-workers who could use the services of a good Realtor.

Eileen - Tue May 13 2008, 09:43

Will you go on to filling your own teeth and giving yourself a hair cut too? I am sure you could save some money, assuming you didn't run into any unexpected issues.

I'm not scared because I know that folks who undestand what CAN happen in a real estate transaction will pay me to help insure that those troublesome things DON'T happen.

And yep, I still plan to go to the dentist to have my wisdom teeth taken care of. Or do you think I should let my husband have a look at them? He already has the plyers and I save the instructions I found on the internet! - Tue May 13 2008, 09:34

A deal is a deal, so it probobably doesn't matter to the agent if he does two with you, or spends his time doing one deal with you and another one with somebody else. I mean that he has to work just as hard and spend just as much on advertising to sell you home whether he is helping you buy the next one or not.

The real question is whether he is the BEST agent to sell your home. Does he know the area well? Does he have a good track record for getting his clients to list properties at the right price so that they sell in a reasonable amount of time? Has he been efficient and attentive as he has worked with you to find the home you want to buy? Is he in the business full time, and has he been in business long enough to have built up some proficiency in handling the tough situations?

You will probably think of some questions of your own, but these should get you started. If you like the way he works and have a good level of trust with him, then why not let him list your home as well as find you the new one? You won't have to spend as much time coordinating the transactions. It won't cost you any more or less than having two agents. But I wouldn't expect him to give you a "volume discount " because he still has to do both of the jobs, and to do them well if you are to have a successful move.

I am just curious as to how you came to the decision to find your next home before you put the current one on the market. Maybe some of our other bloggers will have some thoughts on that.

You have done well to consider carefully! Selecting an agent is pretty serious business. Best of luck with the purchase and sale.

Of course if you do decide that you need a different agent to help you sell do give me a shout!

Eileen Musser, GATEWAY REALTY, serving York and Lancaster, Pa - Wed May 7 2008, 19:40

Joann, did you move yet? I have just been assigned as the agent in a great community called Chestnut Valley in Mount Wolf. If you are still looking for a home please do give me a call or send an email.

I would love to show you these lovely homes or help you find another site that works for you.

Eileen Musser, Gateway Realty
eileen@gatewayrealtyinc.com - Tue May 6 2008, 12:13

Mary,

Of course the best time to know the answer to this question is before you buy the home. Sorry to state the obvious, but I am finding that some folks who had hoped to be sellers are now landlords instead. If they purhased recently they are finding that they can't simply apply the 1% rule and rent out their $240,000 home for $2400 a month.

On the other hand, there are still many properties for sale in our market here in Pennsylvania that have a decent cash flow. All of the answers that have proceeded mine have given good information. The main thing that I find investors underrate is the value of the capitol they have tied up. That really has a downward pull on the profitablilty of being a landlord here. If I have owned a property for a long time I should either raise the rents to compensate for the increased value of the building, or sell the thing and put my capitol to work for me somewhere else. Just a thought!

Eileen Musser, Serving South Central Pennsylvania - Tue May 6 2008, 12:00