Sundaybell referral network
Available in Canada and the U.S., Sundaybell.com aims to connect consumers with real estate professionals but in a way that secures consumer anonymity and emphasizes negotiating commissions. Some agents will reject the theory while other will experiment with anything promising leads in a down economy.
The service is free to consumers and agents pay an annual fee to participate. Sundaybell comes in comes in three flavors. First is SelectAnAgent which offers to connect consumers with an agent they have already selected and act anonymously to negotiate commissions, rebates or flat-fee listing status.
Secondly, the AgentBlasters service helps consumers find an agent and correspond anonymously through the Sundaybell system.
The third option is BuyerBlasters where consumers can tell agents the property type they’re shopping for and communicate anonymously with agents who respond.
How Sundaybell.com may be perceived
As mentioned earlier, some real estate professionals are trying anything and everything to increase leads as the housing sector continues to struggle. The Sundaybell service offers a level of anonymity for those consumers who distrust the process or profession in general, and is a step above DIY which could bring people to the table that would otherwise try to transact real estate without representation.
Not knowing a consumer’s qualifying information and being completely anonymous may be difficult for agents to swallow, and calling commission “negotiation” a form of transparency implies that otherwise, commissions are not negotiable which is untrue of most real estate brokerages.
We will be watching how this company adapts to the needs of the consumers seeking transparency and real estate professionals seeking to meet consumers there.
AGBeat is not affiliated with Sundaybell.
Sheila Rasak
August 7, 2011 at 3:09 pm
Are you kidding me? I don't recall negotiating the fees I pay the Department of Motor Vehicles, my lawyer, my dentist, doctor, CPA, or my MLS dues. No wonder there's a lack of respect for the industry when there's Brokers who are willing to discount their services. This brings to mind the pat answer that most agents give their clients when asked to lower their commission: "If I can't negotiate my own terms, how do you think I'll do in relationship to your transaction?"
Jonathan Benya
August 7, 2011 at 9:57 pm
Funny, I can't recall having ever met a lawyer, dentist, doctor, or CPA who had nothing more than a GED. I know plenty of agents that fit the bill, though.
Andrew
August 7, 2011 at 10:55 pm
Like any profession there are the good and the bad. But what is great about the profession is that the bad ones usually run out of business eventually. The only Realtors(R) that will discount their services are the bad ones. As for the schooling – there are a lot of PHd's and master student that would not/have not made it 6 months as a Realtor(R).
Jim
August 19, 2011 at 2:21 pm
Jonathan, with all do respect, what does education level have to do with this? I'm not asking to be paid like a doctor or lawyer, I'm just hoping to be treated like a professional. In my office, 2 of the top 3 agents never finished college. On the other hand, we have several agents with advanced degrees who are struggling to survive in this business. The point is not the provider's level of education, the point is that other professions are not regularly asked to comprimise their fee structure the way we are. Your auto mechanic may not even have a GED, but I doubt that you have EVER asked him to discount your bill by 20% "Hey, um, listen Joe… since you don't have an advanced degree, how about I pay you half and we'll call it even?" Never happens. I doubt you haggle with your plumber, barber, or furnace guy either.
Brad Jenkins
August 7, 2011 at 3:36 pm
Less fees, less services. Simple enough
Tellis Coleman
August 7, 2011 at 4:44 pm
Damn straight Sheila. This is why we get the stigma of "They'll do anything for a buck." A friend of mine just had a vasectomy. I'm gonna ask if he negotiated the charges with his doctor or his medical insurance company. Could you imagine our industry if agents didn't sign up for this kind of BS?
Yeah right Brad. It would be more like less fees, more expectations. I don't know about you but I have kids and I know the more I give the more they want. Same with my dog. Are adults any different?
Gabe Sanders
August 8, 2011 at 8:49 am
Agents comparing themselves to doctors is why there is a lack of respect for them in the industry. Give me a break, we are providing a service that a lot of homeowners are realizing they can do a decent job doing themselves. We provide connections, advice and offer unique selling and marketing techniques (all of which more and more homeowners are becoming comfortable doing themselves). I doubt you can perform an appendectomy on yourself, and if you can, you are in the wrong profession all together.
I love the idea of a service geared towards connecting homeowners to agents, have you had a chance to actually look at sundaybell? They emphasize the importance of using an agent in every article in their "classroom" section! I'd be willing to negotiate my rates if it meant more consistent business in this down market. Worth a look in my opinion.
Jim
August 19, 2011 at 2:30 pm
Gabe,
Do you really think that agents comparing themselves to doctors is a problem for our industry? Seems to me this misses the point.
I also respectfully disagree with you contention that homeowners are increasiningly discovering how easy it is to sell their house themselves. Just the opposite — FSBO succees rates are way down. In a tough market, sellers need us more than ever.
Clearly, you don't see the value in what you do. So, I guess we can't expect others to recognize your value either. You can go ahead and discout your services, but I would suggest you try providing better service instead.
Mark
August 29, 2011 at 8:35 pm
I have to respectfully disagree.
I've read a few posts here but never replied until now. But as a consumer my home has decreased a ton in the past few years and I applaud the agent who is willing to give me a break on my expenses…just as long as their providing a good service to me. I appreciate that. So that agent is not a bad one in my books. I have 3 kids to feed, a wife to support and my investments have taken a beating like millions of others around here. I agree with last poster that a professional real estate agent is necessary to represent us in this mess. But if you want me to appreciate your value as a professional then you should respect my situation as a consumer…it's my house right…who's hiring who again? If your about the people then act like you care and not just imply that…"the market is bad so we can stick it to the consumers because other services aren't working" messaging. I want an agent that represents my best interests…period…I'm the home owner. So lets get it right, I lose 10's of thousands in my sale and in turn you get paid full commission regardless of my losses. Arrogance doesn't pay my bills… that's not the agent for me.
Mark