Keeping 1/2 of a $1000 deposit doesn't sound right to me - I think that is not accurate. VLS agents take you to new homes because their commission is larger 1.5% vs 1% for used homes. Plus they do not show you comps like MLS agents do. In TV people pay whatever they want as it's a lot of cash buyers so the home doesn't have to appraise for a bank. One of the courtyard villas I bought in TV on the same street a few doors apart, same size, same model, in one years time.....$195k, 236k, 217k. Mine was the 195k fully furnished - the 236k and the 217k unfurnished, white walls. These were purchased within a 4 month time frame all from VLS agents.

One issue I thought of is how the TV brokers dominate the ads in the Sun newspaper,
how can a MLS agent afford those ads when they work independently.

Secondly, When a new buyer arrives here aren't they automatically going to the TV broker

I listing my home soon but torn who to use (new build due to complete late Sept)


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Which realtor gave you a 5% rate?

I listed my mother's house when she passed with a Villages realtor...house located north of 466. Couldn't get anybody to come look. Villages Realtors are very focused on selling new houses. When that expired I listed it with an MLS agent at Realty Executives and it sold. Happy with the experience. I agree with those here talking about getting an agent with heavy presence in the digital technology world so interviewing agents is important.

They charge 6% and they do not work for you. They tell you to pay the buyers fees like title ins which is not true and they are not on MLS.
Do not trust them. Sell yourself on Zillow.

If I see a FSBO house, I expect the price to be less. If they are not paying any realtor fees I expect to get part of that savings.

I had someone approach me with this same logic. Didn't even acknowledge them. Sold it five days later.

My efforts to market my home are my costs which I expect to be paid for. If a realtor has these costs I pay them. In other words the home has a value of X and it doesn't matter who sells it.

The village real estate agents do not belong MLS or to the Fl State Board fo Realtors, so they can not be called realtors. They are agents. You have to comply with a list of standards to belong to the board and be called a realtor.

I would go with MLS. You have national coverage and less fees. They work equally as hard to sell.

I had the same experience with the first Villages agent I contacted. He evaded showing me anything but spec houses.

BTW, Villages agents are not Realtors so are not held to Realtor code of ethics.

If we were selling, I would try FSBO on Zillow and then list it with an MLS agent if it didn’t sell.

Villages sales agents are highly incentivized to sell new homes over pre-owned so they are steering all their clients away from your home.

And so many people use online sites like Zillow these days for their search, you lose all that when you list with the Villages.

Have sold 2 homes using the Villages. Interview as many as you need to to find an aggressive one. We signed a 90 day contract each time with the same realtor, Donna Zimmerman. First home sold in 3 weeks, second one sold in 1 day. We did our own comps and went higher than what realtor suggested and both sold for higher prices. Do your homework. We would use the Villages again.

They are sales agent working for the villages not licensed realtor

When we rented last Summer we had no idea as to the difference between the two and saw both types and liked the MLS people better.

We wanted to buy end of last year and saw MLS ones for sale and they didnt have what we wanted so called Village people and he showed us other houses including the one we purchased.

Think it depends on the agent you work with.

I think using TV agents are the safest bet. We had great luck. There is a reason they have the largest volume of sales. We have bought 3 times and sold 2 homes in TV and every agent we had was excellent and the process went smoothly. If you list your TV home for sale with the same agent you're buying the next home with, you get a discount on the commission. Ashley Enos is wonderful and was amazing to work with. She found our dream home with our parameters within a day and sold our previous home for more than we expected.
My parents also bought and sold 2 resale homes in TV through TV. The one time they listed with an outside MLS realtor (father thought he could save a few bucks,) the house sat for 90 days with few showings. I convinced them to not renew the listing and listed with TV and the house sold in a couple weeks! It's a no brainer for me.