LETTERS TO REAL ESTATE

Agents shouldn't pay home's staging costs

Editor -- Your article covering tips on how to negotiate with listing agents got me thinking about the state of affairs in our local real estate market ("More to negotiating than just asking for lower rate," May 6).

Yes,2 the business is competitive and it involves a lot of work to justify the commissions earned given the astronomical home prices in the Bay Area. However, for your article to suggest that sellers should have their agents cover landscaping expenses and staging fees is going beyond the scope of the profession.

I understand that a cap on these expenses is suggested, but to stage a home in the Bay Area can result in thousands of dollars per month on top of the astronomical fees we pay to advertise in The Chronicle, Mercury News, Wall Street Journal and local free papers.

Furthermore, as any agent will tell you, this business is not cheap. We pay to be affiliated with local MLS boards and to carry errors and omissions insurance. There are also office desk fees, IT fees and health insurance costs.

Ease off on the articles that lambaste agents as mere peacocks who are overpaid. Realize that our real estate dollars subsidize much of the advertising revenue realized by The Chronicle.

CHRIS HARRIS

Real estate agent

Menlo Park
Some 'brainwashing' over commissions

Editor -- Great article about how consumers can save thousands of dollars when listing their house ("Roll the dice," May 6). Unfortunately you won't find many agents offering most of these services and a low commission. The large brokerages of the world have trained their agents to keep the commission high.

The brainwashing continues at the large brokerages, where I have agents tell me they won't work for less than 2.5 percent commission (on the selling agent side).

I'm not talking about homes that are listed for $500,000 mind you, these are listings over a $1 million. You won't work for a $20,000, less your brokerage split, commission? Give me a break, we're not talking about digging ditches. Talk about not in tune with reality or even the average consumer.