The BBC Magazine are having the annual Real Estate Agents fees for selling homes. In the UK agents charge 1% to 2%, with most levying a 1.5% fee. This is my letter to the BBC Online Magazine, its doubtful it will be published. A £1 gbp is worth about 65 cents USA [i]
A lot of your comments are very unfair and indicate there’s some highly mercenary people out there. Lets look at the problem another way, Joe Bloggs, a bricklayer or plumber, buys a houses for £10000, he pays a modest interest rate and puts down a modest deposit of about £1500. Twenty five years later the same Joe Bloggs [who for the last 10 years has bored eveyone to death in the local pub with his stories about young people not being able to get on the housing ladder] forgets all this God fearing folk are we rightousness and he wants £350000 for his unpretentious 3 bed-semi. He knows its not worth this sum, he doubts if he will ever get it, so he goes running to an Estate Agent for an inflated valaution figure. And lets not forget that he’s the type who won’t squirm with embarrasment "When some young, lovable couple arrive [trying to get on the proeprty ladder] to view his ex-£10 000 semi, thats being offered for sale by him for £350000!. And we all know that at work Joe Bloggs insists on full Union rates, wants doube-time for weekends, and won’t knock you a penny of his labour bill/s. But heaven forbid that some Estate Agent who puts £350000 in his dirty little hands should ask him for 1.5% commission. Joe will splutter with anger and rage and you’ve started him off on another 10 year crusade. And if you meet him in a pub he’ll never let on that he’s been made rich beyond belief by some real estate Agents sales effort. Why, because Joe wants all the credit for being shrewd and clever and a new-rich pleb. [/i]