Richard Prince letter of the 16 July wrote he was disappointed with Ken Payne (9 July) claiming that Real Estate fees are outrageous and he did not recognise the advantages of their success fee system. Mr Prince may well be disappointed, but has failed to enlighten us, as to why he believes that Real Estate fees are not outrageous. But he did say, we know from the onset exactly what the Real Estate fees are, regardless how long the property is on the market, compared to a lawyer; as their fees are based on the amount of work undertaken. By making this comparison, is he suggesting that we should view a Real Estate sales person in the same light as a lawyer?
Upon request a lawyer will give an itemised break down on their fees, including their hourly rate. Is this same service offered by the Real Estate industry? Furthermore, a lawyer will give a quote prior to undertaking work on your behalf.
When push comes to shove, a Real Estate agent is nothing other than a sales person, who receives a commission for undertaking a sale, same as telemarketer or a door to door encyclopaedia seller.
Brian Porter, Welcome Bay.