Inman

The Real Word: Hidden seller costs every agent should disclose

Byron Lazine and Nicole White are two agents in Connecticut who give us their thoughts on the week’s news every Friday in “The Real Word,” a weekly video column on Inman.

Last week, Luke Babich penned an Inman piece on the hidden costs of selling a home that all agents should disclose to sellers. These include things like title insurance, escrow charges, home warranty and even costs beyond net sheet items. “To avoid drama and hard feelings, agents shouldn’t assume that sellers know the hidden costs of selling a home,” Babich wrote.

In this week’s episode, Byron and Nicole talked about these expenses and why agents should take the time to explain every additional cost that’s associated with selling a home.

“We give every single seller a net sheet,” Byron said. “I would advise you, if you do not have a net sheet as part of your listing package, as part of your listing presentation, as part of the deliverables that you give to the client when signing the contract and actually go through that with them, I’d encourage you to do that.”

Nicole added, “Disclose, disclose, disclose.”

In other news, Realtor magazine reported that buyers are now taking advantage of short-term Airbnb rentals to test out new neighborhoods before making a decision to move. Would agents recommend this to buyers from out of town? Byron and Nicole weighed in with their thoughts and how this applies to their market.

Marketeer of the week

The spotlight goes to this article written by Inman writer Craig Rowe, who put together a list of worthwhile branded merch, swag and promos that would make for great gifts.

Want to nominate a “marketeer of the week”? Drop your thoughts in the comments section below, or shoot us an email.