[charlie1]

I just look at all the people I personally know that have sold houses in the Villages. Without exception, every house listed with a Villages Realtor sold within 3 weeks of listing and one even sold prior to the listing being released! Granted, all were very well maintained and attractive designer or veranda homes. I know there are exceptions, but I feel the well maintained homes that are priced right sell quickly. I am sure the Villages initially push new homes but bottom line, they just want the sales commission! I also feel that well maintained homes that are priced right sell quickly with MLS also! I also feel most of the complainers about either service are the ones overpricing thier homes. Appearance and well maintained homes matter!

[thevillages2013]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

You don't need a buyer's agent to buy a home. Having a buyer's agent wasn't even a "thing" until the 1980s and didn't really catch on as a trend until well into the 1990's. Up until then, the ultra-wealthy employed "people" to "handle" these things for them because they were too busy counting their millions to be bothered with all the running around. The peasant stock handled the process of finding a home themselves, and secured a lawyer to work out the sales details.

Just because a buyer's agent is now all the rage, doesn't mean it must be assumed. You can pick out and arrange to buy a house all by yourself, just like people used to do before 1993.

As long as the buyer has enough knowledge about the process then that is ok but trusting the listing agent in a transaction is very risky. The ins and outs of a real estate sale can be much more complicated than you make it sound

[mlmarr]

Originally Posted by Sportster

Getting close to making a decision and we're curious as to what folks are thinking and doing given all the changes in the real estate business.

Who sells more existing homes VLS or MLS?

Success rate (and time on market) is key if you are using funds from one home to complete the next.

conversation with both VLS/MLS both are slow but plenty of houses on both sides of the market

[Happyretiredgal]

Originally Posted by jimhoward

Do VLS and MLS agents typically get the same percent commission from a seller? Are both negotiable? I have wondered that, and that factor would influence me if I were deciding between the two.

Commissions have always been negotiable, technically speaking. However, agents can decide what they are willing to work for.

If you use an MLS agent to represent you as a buyer and you want to buy a VLS listed home, the MLS agent will not get paid any commission by the seller as The Villages does not "co-broke" with outside agencies. However, your MLS agent will most likely ask you to sign a buyer agreement that specifies how that agent will be compensated. Might be you paying their commission, but that is known upfront.

[jeepnjt]

I second using Ira Miller