home » Miscellaneous » Private realtor. Private realtor: who is he, what does he do and how to cooperate with him correctly - we answer What is better, a private or public realtor

Private realtor. Private realtor: who is he, what does he do and how to cooperate with him correctly - we answer What is better, a private or public realtor

Individually working realtors (aka private brokers) cannot complain about a lack of attention to themselves. The attention, however, turns out to be somewhat one-sided: various publications constantly publish articles attacking them with angry revelations. Which, in general, is no wonder: private owners are serious competitors for large real estate agencies, and these same agencies are also “part-time” advertisers for the media.

This article is a reference and information material; all information in it is presented for informational purposes and is for informational purposes only.

Portal decided to restore social symmetry to some extent. We collected the most common “horror stories” about private brokers and asked private brokers themselves to comment on them. This is what came out of it all.

Stamp No. 1: unprofessionalism
The most common reproach hurled at private brokers. “Yesterday he was sweeping the streets, and today he is a real estate specialist!” - this is how one of the “official” realtors elegantly formulated this claim.

In fact, it's hard to imagine anything further from the truth. The fact is that All private owners have experience working in agencies - the author has simply never seen anything else in his many years in the real estate market. “Our life path is standard,” says Natalia(name changed), a private broker with approximately 15 years of experience in the market. “First, a person works in an agency, and then, feeling the strength to work independently, he goes on an “autonomous voyage.”

So all private traders have undergone training at agencies (although what kind of training is there, risum teneatis, amici!), they know the technology of agency work very well. Moreover, Natalya continues, the very fact of leaving “to free bread” speaks of a person’s professionalism. “Deciding to work independently is not an easy step,” she notes. – In an agency you will at least have a flow of clients coming from advertising. And when you work on your own, there is nothing but recommendations from those people who have already been your clients.”

Stamp No. 2: They don’t give guarantees and don’t check anything.
The second most “popular” reproach against private owners is that a private broker will screw you up, find a “scorched” apartment, and then you won’t find him and won’t make any claims.

The author agrees with this thesis in principle. The only problem is that “official” realtors behave in exactly the same way. For example, all agencies claim that they check the legal purity of the apartment being sold. However, in practice it turns out that the matter often comes down to verbal assurances that “there are no mines”, sleep peacefully, dear client. But they refuse to issue any document indicating that the inspection was carried out. And they are very offended by the very posing of the question: how dare you demand from us, serious and respected companies that are members of all sorts of associations and guilds, some pieces of paper?! Another consideration here: the “final” agreement (purchase and sale) always includes the seller and buyer of the apartment. And not a word about the fact that the transaction took place through the mediation of such and such a company. Now, as they say in a famous TV show, “attention is a question”: how does such a production differ from the work of a private owner? Where and how can I, the client, make any claims if the fact that the service was provided to me is not confirmed in any way?!

“The real estate market once had professional liability insurance for professional participants,” says Vadim Volkov, private broker. “But today it is no longer mandatory. But even in the past case, when a real estate agency would bear real responsibility for the loss of its client's title, very little is known. It is much easier for a company to evade responsibility by changing its legal entity than to pay compensation. It’s no secret that most large companies operate either under a franchise system or using a scheme with several legal entities using a common brand... Most agencies directly state that their liability is limited to the commission paid, and insurance protection should be sought from insurance companies.”

The author can add on his own that SK is a topic for a separate song. In any case, queries asked in Internet search engines like “The insurance company did not pay compensation” give wonderful results. Well, returning to the topic of our article, let’s admit that in terms of guarantees to clients, private traders and agencies are not fundamentally different.

Apartment inspection is a topic that is, in principle, a continuation of the previous one. “Although we do not give guarantees,” real estate agencies assure, “we have much more serious channels for checking the apartments for sale, which private owners have never even dreamed of.” This is usually followed by a significant puffing of cheeks and expressions of grief, from which the client concludes that such a serious company has long ago privatized the Kremlin and generally grabbed God by the beard. With such and such an administrative resource, all consumers of its services should sleep peacefully.

What can I say? First of all, in our country only one form of business’s view of government is possible: respectfully and submissively. We all know well by name the people who, taking advantage of their fortune, tried to open doors in the Kremlin with their feet - as well as where they are now. There are no others, and those are far away: at best in London, at worst in Krasnokamensk. So the statements that the entire police and prosecutor’s office are in the pocket of our real estate company are, to put it mildly, an exaggeration.

“I left the agency six years ago,” Natalya laughs. – And I still use the same verification channels. I have a pleasant friend in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. I call her on her mobile and suggest we meet. At the meeting, I give a list of people who are interesting to me, and 1000 rubles each. for everyone. Three days later, she calls me back and at a new meeting gives me all the information - it includes data on property, and data on whether this citizen was registered in a psychoneurological and drug treatment dispensary.”

“Both private traders and agencies use the same verification channels,” agrees another private broker, Konstantin(name changed). - Moreover, sometimes it’s better to check with private owners - because you need more. And for agencies, especially large ones, all processes are very bureaucratic.”

In support of the last thesis, the author can tell a situation that he personally saw about five years ago. An apartment was for sale, and the realtor (from the agency) had a power of attorney from the owners to collect documents. The buyer expressed a desire to see in person who previously lived in this premises. And (to the groans of the realtor and her complaints about rheumatism) they went to the EIRC. There, the buyer began an active activity, trying to get not a simple, but an expanded extract from the house register - it records not only those living today, but also all those who were previously living. The passport officer weakly fought back (the current data is in the computer, but for the past ones you have to go through the paper cards in the safe), but, in general, she was inclined to give up. And then the realtor suddenly took the initiative: with her eyes bulging out for convincing, she began to press... the buyer: “Why do you need this extended statement!”

These are the “secret inspection capabilities”...

It's no secret that a realtor in a real estate agency receives, depending on his qualifications, 25 - 40% of what he earned. The rest goes to the original employer. So there are actually two options. Or the services of an “organized realtor” will cost the client more – at least 2.5 times. Either you, the consumer, will pay the same amount, but the direct performer of the work (realtor) will receive proportionately less. Because of which, it is clear, his motivation to do his work will decrease somewhat.

If we talk about more specific figures, then the minimum for private traders is 40 - 50 thousand rubles for transaction support and from 100 thousand rubles for completing a transaction. Agencies - somewhere from 150 - 170 thousand. OFFERS to carry out a transaction are just beginning. But for this money, as practice shows, a realtor simply does not work. In a good way, you have to pay at least 250 thousand rubles.

It is noteworthy that agencies do not even try to argue with commission figures. All their creativity is limited to the thesis that “ free cheese only happens in a mousetrap” - the idea in itself is good, but somehow not very fresh.

Stamp No. 4: no access to databases
Another argument that real estate agencies use to convince potential clients. It boils down to the fact that there are some “closed” sources of information that are inaccessible to private traders. Consequently, they say, even if you save some money on services with a private owner, you will lose by buying a worse apartment.

It must be said that such a “closed” tool really exists - and it is called the Multi-Listing System (MLS). The data is provided there by professional participants in the real estate market, and only accredited players can use the information. And the data in MLS sometimes actually turns out to be better than in open sources. But the problem is that MLS exists not here, but... in the USA. But numerous attempts by various real estate officials to create something similar in our country have failed. The reason comes down to the fact that by limiting someone else's access to your offerings, you are also limiting your own chances that your product will be sold. Those. To follow these principles, realtors require very great corporate solidarity, a willingness to sacrifice their own interests for the sake of a common cause. Which, of course, is not the case in reality: for illustration, look at how representatives of two agencies sometimes bargain.

...One way or another, real estate agencies do not have any “exclusive” offers. The market is a place where everyone draws data from the same sources, and they are well known to everyone.

Stamp No. 5: They don’t value the client.
The last of the popular “horror stories” against private brokers boils down to the fact that they work dirty, “screwing” their clients in every possible way.

Of all the other reproaches, our private consultants considered this the most unfair. In their opinion, such an attitude is more typical for real estate agencies. The explanation is very simple: companies have image advertising that attracts a flow of customers. You can recall here how, at one event, the slightly drunk head of a large real estate agency cited figures: on average, it turned out that every Muscovite changes apartment only once every few decades. Therefore, every client who comes to us is unlikely to return again, and our task is to extract the maximum from him...

Individual agents who do not have image advertising simply cannot work like that. “Recommendations from former clients are the most important component of a private trader’s work,” notes Vadim Volkov. “Working honestly and not changing phones is simply beneficial for us.” “The basic principle of marketing: a satisfied client brings two, and a dissatisfied one takes away ten,” Konstantin fully agrees.

Resume from the portal
Of course, in disputes between private brokers and real estate agencies there is a lot of expression, mutual insults, and sometimes just insults. It is unlikely that we will be able to act as an impartial arbiter in this dispute. However, there is an obvious fact: for more than 20 years of the existence of our market, real estate agencies have not managed to squeeze private owners out of it. Moreover, today private brokers carry out, according to various estimates, 50 - 70% of transactions - so the question of who is squeezing out whom is still very controversial... And if private brokers are so popular among consumers, maybe they are not so bad?

Expert opinions:

Nikolay Tyulenev, managing partner, development director of the real estate agency "NEORIELTI", member of the expert council of the Moscow Guild of Realtors:
The size of a private broker's commission depends primarily on his workload. Therefore, the old virtuoso masters, to whom there is a queue of people suffering to solve the housing problem, will request payment commensurate with that declared by agencies today. But at the same time, not a penny will be added to the stated amount.

Alexander Ziminsky, director of luxury real estate sales department at Penny Lane Realty:
Private brokers, like all people, are different. Someone was fired for defrauding an organization, someone tried to deceive a client, someone, after a year of work, never learned how restitution differs from vindication and what categories of persons retain the right to use residential premises after its sale to another person. These are the most unpleasant and dangerous cases for clients. However, it happens that employees leave for other reasons. For example, someone could not get along in a particular team, someone psychologically cannot be an employee and come to the workplace every day at 9 am - he needs freedom of action, freedom to manage his time. Some people have difficult personal or family circumstances, which again require them to be their own boss.

Anna Levitova, managing partner of EVANS:
The realtor's guarantees are described in the contract concluded with the client. No additional documents are really required. Moreover, special certificates or guarantees about the “cleanliness” of the apartments of some network agencies are just a publicity stunt. No realtor can guarantee that in 1991 the apartment was not sold for the first time using forged documents, that one of the previous owners did not hide the marriage or mislead ex-spouses and so on. It's not a matter of guarantees or paperwork - they are meaningless, it's a matter of legal support in case of problems after the transaction, correct implementation transaction and evidence of the buyer’s good faith during the transaction. We had a case involving two years of litigation on behalf of our client who had purchased an apartment that was the subject of a legal dispute. We checked the apartment, and the proceedings were not related to any defects in the transaction or errors in checking documents, that is, it was not our fault that the legal proceedings arose. The trial ended in our favor, and the client has been working with us for many years and recommends us to all his friends, but I am sure that the vast majority of Moscow realtors would not represent the interests of their clients in such a situation for free, and private brokers simply could not provide assistance of such kind.

Olga Saukitens, head of the sales department of the Moscow Real Estate Agency:
A private realtor, of course, can be a good specialist, but it is very difficult for one person to take into account all the features of selling an apartment, while the agency has an established system for organizing the process, where several specialists take part in one transaction - an agent, a manager and a lawyer, who complement and protect each other. There are private realtors who are invited by recommendation. This may be a very experienced specialist, but if he suddenly gets sick and is unable to complete the deal, the client will be left with nothing and everything will have to start all over again. While in a similar situation in an agency, the transaction will be completed by another specialist without losing additional time and sometimes money.

Oleg Samoilov, CEO RELIGHT-Real Estate company:
I would not say that “you cannot use the services of private owners under any circumstances.” This is a question that each client decides for himself. But whose help I would categorically not recommend resorting to are those agents who, while working in real estate agencies, are simultaneously engaged in private practice. The reason for my categoricalness is obvious: these people are thieves. In real estate language, such a private practice is called “leftist”. A person who practices such methods is essentially stealing customers, and therefore money, from his company. Consequently, there can be no question of decency in this situation. If you think that the agency does not help in any way, but only demands to share, quit and become a private owner, but do not steal.

Dear readers, what do you think? Whose point of view is closer to you – private citizens or agency representatives? Share your opinion, leave your comment on our website.

Who is a private realtor and how to use his services? What is better - a private realtor or a real estate agency? How to buy an apartment through a private realtor in Moscow?

Hello to everyone who has visited the website of the popular magazine “HeatherBeaver”! Denis Kuderin is with you.

Today we will talk about private realtors - intermediaries in transactions for the sale, purchase and rental of real estate, working independently of real estate agencies.

The help of a private broker may be needed by anyone who wants to resolve their housing issue quickly, efficiently and profitably for the budget. But are transactions made through independent brokers really that safe?

1. Who is a private realtor and what services does he offer?

Intending to buy, sell, rent out or, conversely, rent an apartment, people want this operation to be carried out as quickly and profitably as possible. The security aspect is no less important, since real estate scams are very common.

Each citizen has three options:

do the procedure yourself;
contact the agency;
Hire a private realtor.

2. Private realtor or real estate agency – which is better?

Any commercial activity aimed at making a profit, this is an axiom. And private realtors strive to get their percentage from clients.

Another thing is what methods they use to achieve their goal. There are a lot of unprofessional and dishonest workers both in companies and among “free shooters”. The client's success depends on how he approaches the search for a partner. The choice should be as balanced and informed as possible.

The question “which is better, a private realtor or a real estate agency?” not entirely correct. Because in both cases, specific specialists with their own advantages and disadvantages will work with you.

A real plus when working with agencies is the fact that large organizations, in addition to realtors themselves, always have lawyers, financial specialists, and marketers on staff.

In addition, a contract drawn up with a company has, so to speak, more degrees of protection than a document under which you work with a private broker. The latter often work in the individual entrepreneur format, and demand with individual, providing services on an individual basis, is significantly limited.

However, this does not prevent single professionals from working reliably, responsibly and legally competently. Among private realtors there are very serious and sought-after specialists whose transactions are scheduled months in advance.

And the main advantage of the “Lone Rangers” is that they charge an order of magnitude less for their services than agencies. For many clients, the economic factor plays a major role - for example, for students who urgently need.

Example
A student who comes to a large city to study turns to the central real estate agency to find housing. The employees explain that you will have to pay 100% of the monthly rental price for services. The student does not have that kind of money, and he turns to a private owner. The broker undertakes to solve the problem for 50% of the same amount.
The private owner does not need to give 50-75% to the “common pot”, and therefore he is more democratic in terms of the size of the fee. It is also true that he has to do a larger amount of work - after all, he has neither information nor legal support from the parent company.
As for the horror stories about black realtors that representatives of organized business use to scare buyers, tenants and sellers, this is for the most part just a method of competition. A private broker is a direct competitor to the agency. And they usually don’t speak well of competitors.
And one more nuance: often private owners become former employees of a professional agency who decided to try themselves on “free bread” in order to increase income or gain personal freedom. So brokers’ qualifications are usually fine.
The above does not mean that citizens should not be wary of scammers and idlers. Each candidate - be it an individual entrepreneur or an employee of a well-known real estate company - needs to be checked.
And one more piece of advice: if you need to purchase or, then in this case it is preferable to work with a large real estate agency. Private brokers usually do not handle such transactions and do not have experience in them.
For more information, see the article "".
The table clearly shows the pros and cons of private agents and real estate companies:
4. Who offers favorable terms of cooperation - review of the TOP 5 private realtors in Moscow
So, you have firmly decided that you want to work only with private realtors. To make it easier for you to choose a specialist, we have reviewed the five best private agents in Moscow and the region.
32 years old, started his professional career in 2004. An experienced realtor who will help you sell an apartment at a higher price and buy it at a lower price. Personally responsible for the security of the transaction, protects the interests of clients in strict accordance with the law. He has his own website, on which, among other things, he publishes his analytical and review articles about the real estate market.
It will help if you are purchasing an apartment with a mortgage - it contacts the leading banks of the Russian Federation and provides its clients with discounts and preferential conditions. Has solid experience in solving the most complex and non-standard issues in the real estate sector.
2) Litvin Anatoly Nikolaevich
Positions himself as an “honest private realtor.” Operating in the real estate market of the capital and region since 1997. At first he worked for real estate agencies, but after a few years he decided to start an independent practice. Currently working as an individual entrepreneur, he has access to professional information databases.
Will help with the sale and purchase of apartments, country houses, cottages, land plots, as well as with privatization, redevelopment and legal registration of any real estate transactions. I am ready to provide free advice to anyone on housing issues.
3) Sazanova Marina Yurievna
He has been involved in capital real estate since 2000, and has experience working at the Inkom agency. Member of the Guild of Realtors. The website presents certificates, certificates and attestations confirming professional status. Constantly improves his skills. Deals with issues of real estate taxation and mortgage lending.
Resolves any housing issues promptly and legally competently. He considers his most important tasks to be the interests of the client, including in the financial aspect. Has 3 higher educations.
4) Chetaikin Viktor Viktorovich
Private realtor in Moscow. He is educated as a lawyer and has experience in the legal field. Has been dealing with real estate issues for more than 5 years. Well versed in the sale, purchase and rental of housing in the capital and Moscow region.
He is on the register of the Russian Guild of Realtors and a member of the Moscow Realtors Association. Constantly monitors the development trends of the modern real estate market, attends thematic trainings and seminars.
5) Pinchuk Yuri Stalevich
Private realtor, individual entrepreneur, graduate of the Moscow Higher Technical University. He worked in real estate agencies since 1997, and in 2007 started a private career. The specialist has about 300 successfully closed transactions.
Guarantees complete transparency of financial settlements, legal purity of transactions and security. Deals with apartments, houses, land plots, and conducts legal examination of documents.
5. How to avoid becoming a victim of scammers when renting a home - 4 most common fraudulent schemes
Anyone who lived in the 1990s remembers ominous stories about “black realtors” who easily robbed citizens of apartments in Moscow and other big cities.
This term referred to criminal groups, which, in addition to intermediaries in purchase and sale transactions, included law enforcement officers or even outright bandits.
Fraudsters still exist in the real estate market, but they operate using more subtle and cunning methods.
Let's look at the 4 most common fraudulent schemes.
Scheme 1. Underground sublease
Scammers offer clients to enter into a lease agreement as realtors, while they themselves are just tenants. For a long time, the real owners do not suspect that their apartment has turned into a rooming house in which 5-10 residents live.
How to avoid it - get in touch with the real owner of the apartment and ask under what conditions they rent out the property.
Scheme 2. Sale of rented housing
The “black realtor” demands to pay rent in advance for several months. Moreover, the apartment is already in the process of being sold. The client lives quietly in the new place for a couple of weeks, after which the new owners appear on the doorstep with all the necessary documents.
Again, this can only be avoided by checking all necessary papers for an apartment from a realtor.
Scheme 3. Concluding a transaction with a person who is not the owner
This diagram is easiest to explain with an example.
Example
The fraudster and his accomplice, acting on behalf of the intermediary and the owner, respectively, enter into a sales or rental agreement and take an advance payment.

This article is a reference and information material; all information in it is presented for informational purposes and is for informational purposes only.

The author can add on his own that SK is a topic for a separate song. In any case, queries like “The insurance company did not pay compensation” in Internet search engines yield wonderful results. Well, returning to the topic of our article, let’s admit that in terms of guarantees to clients, private traders and agencies are not fundamentally different.

These are the “secret inspection capabilities”...

It is noteworthy that agencies do not even try to argue with commission figures. All their creativity is limited to the thesis that “free cheese only comes in a mousetrap” - a good idea in itself, but somehow not very fresh.

...One way or another, real estate agencies do not have any “exclusive” offers. The market is a place where everyone draws data from the same sources, and they are well known to everyone.

Expert opinions:

Anna Levitova, managing partner of EVANS:
The realtor's guarantees are described in the contract concluded with the client. No additional documents are really required. Moreover, special certificates or guarantees about the “cleanliness” of the apartments of some network agencies are just a publicity stunt. No realtor can guarantee that in 1991 the apartment was not sold for the first time using forged documents, that one of the previous owners did not hide the marriage or mislead the former spouses, and so on. It's not a matter of guarantees or papers - they are meaningless, it's a matter of legal support in case of problems after the transaction, the correct conduct of the transaction and evidence of the buyer's good faith during the transaction. We had a case involving two years of litigation on behalf of our client who had purchased an apartment that was the subject of a legal dispute. We checked the apartment, and the proceedings were not related to any defects in the transaction or errors in checking documents, that is, it was not our fault that the legal proceedings arose. The trial ended in our favor, and the client has been working with us for many years and recommends us to all his friends, but I am sure that the vast majority of Moscow realtors would not represent the interests of their clients in such a situation for free, and private brokers simply could not provide assistance of such kind.

Oleg Samoilov, General Director of RELIGHT-Real Estate:
I would not say that “you cannot use the services of private owners under any circumstances.” This is a question that each client decides for himself. But whose help I would categorically not recommend resorting to are those agents who, while working in real estate agencies, are simultaneously engaged in private practice. The reason for my categoricalness is obvious: these people are thieves. In real estate language, such a private practice is called “leftist”. A person who practices such methods is essentially stealing customers, and therefore money, from his company. Consequently, there can be no question of decency in this situation. If you think that the agency does not help in any way, but only demands to share, quit and become a private owner, but do not steal.

Dear readers, what do you think? Whose point of view is closer to you – private citizens or agency representatives? Share your opinion, leave your comment on our website.