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FREQUENTLY ASKED

QUESTIONS

  • How much will it really cost to sell my house?
    The listing commission paid to me is a flat-fee of $2,500, regardless of sale price. If the buyer is represented by an agent (which happens about 90% of the time), they are paid an additional commission. The standard commission offered to the buyer's agent is 3%, however, you have the choice to offer 1, 2, or 3%. The other major closing costs are title insurance and title fees. Title insurance is generally paid for by the seller in Ohio. Rates are regulated by the state and are about 0.4-0.6% of the sale price (lower percentage for more expensive homes). Title fees include the survey, document preparation, and title transfer typically, and run about $500. You will also incur additional deed transfer fees, which vary based on your county and/or municipality. Lastly, be sure to budget for property taxes, which are paid in arrears. Your 2018 tax bill will come in 2019, so you’ll need to credit the buyers the pro-rated property tax amount for the time period prior to closing.​ ​​ Listing Agent Commission: $2,500 Buyer Agent Commission: your choice of 1, 2, or 3% of the sale price Title Fees, Taxes, etc: amount varies based on date, location, and contract terms ​ *Note - in order to avoid a conflict of interest, we will not represent buyers in your home sale. If a buyer does not have a Realtor, we charge a $1,000 facilitation fee in lieu of the 1, 2, or 3% buyer agent commission. ​​ Click here for a more detailed explanation of closing costs.
  • When do I pay the commission?
    All fees are paid at closing and automatically deducted from the sale proceeds by the title company.
  • What is your cancellation policy?
    We guarantee our services 100%, so if you're ever unsatisfied, you can cancel at anytime.
  • Why do you charge so much less than other agents?
    This is a loaded question, which is answered it in detail on the Common Cents blog, but here's the short explanation... ​ New technology (such as email, an online MLS, and electronic signatures) has made the job of a real estate agent much easier. Because of this, there is a ton of competition between Realtors, which forces them to spend the bulk of their time trying to get new clients, instead of assisting the ones they already have. Rather than allocating our excess time towards lead generation, we decided to pass the savings along to you!
  • What services are included?
    Great question! Below is a list of our standard listing services. Click here for a detailed explanation of each one. ​ Price Analysis & Recommendation List on Columbus MLS Advertise on Zillow, Trulia, etc. Professional Home Photography For Sale Sign Lock Box for Showings 24/7 Showing Service & Mobile App Printable Brochures Timeline Management Contract Negotiations & Recommendations
  • What services aren't included?
    Our philosophy is if it doesn't help you sell your home, then we don't do it. Here's a list of the main services we don't provide. ​​​ In Home Consultations: All appointments will be done via phone, Zoom, or Google Hangouts. Virtual Tours: These have become increasingly popular in recent months, but we believe buyers who are truly interested will set up a private showing. With that in mind, we do offer virtual tours as an add-on service. Prices vary based on location and square-footage. Open Houses: We do not hold open houses; if someone is truly interested in your home, they will schedule a showing. Showing Prep: We will not drive to your home before showings to let the cat out, turn on lights, or put away dirty laundry. Believe it or not, some agents actually do this...and they also charge significantly more. Attend Closing: We make sure everything is ready to go, but the actual closing is handled by the title company.
  • What areas do you serve?
    As a member of the Columbus Board of Realtors, I currently serve all of Central Ohio and the surrounding counties, includ​ing: Columbus Dublin Westerville Worthington Hilliard Lewis Center Buckeye Lake Reynoldsburg Grandview Bexley Gahanna New Albany Grove City West Jefferson Pickerington Canal Winchester Granville Upper Arlington Plain City Delaware Ostrander Lithopolis Galloway Pataskala and more...
  • I also need to buy a home - is that okay?
    While we don't yet offer a formal program for homebuyers, there is nothing saying you can't use two different Realtors on your home purchase and your home sale. In fact, listing agents and buyers agents are very different roles and we generally find it to be beneficial to hire different agents who specialize in each area. Note - we are currently developing a buyer rebate test program that is available in select areas. This has been put on hold due to COVID-19, but will likely resume in late 2020. Contact us for more information
  • I heard you work remotely... Is this true?
    Guilty as charged....we are lucky to live in a world that is so connected via the internet, and CommonCents was intentionally designed to operate remotely. Even though we're officially based in Columbus, our team spends a considerable amount of time traveling both domestically and abroad. We also rely on third parties to assist with sign setup, photography, and closings.
  • Can a real estate agent really work remotely?
    Yes! This is the beauty of the internet. With electronic signatures, video calls, and a highly-skilled team of affiliates in Central Ohio, CommonCents has been operating remotely since 2017. As new remote work technologies are being adopted by companies all over the country, there is now very little difference between the way CommonCents operates compared to many other Realtors (other than price, of course). We firmly believe this is the future of real estate.
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