SimpleShowing is a multi-state savings broker, offers consumers listing savings and buyer’s refunds in select areas across Florida, Georgia, Alabama.
SimpleShowing offers listing savings to sellers ($5,000 flat listing fee) and commission refunds to buyers (50% of the Buyer's Agent Commission). After the first five showings, the buyer’s refund will decrease 5% for each set of five showings requested. Buyer’s refund is subject to a minimum net commission of $3,500.
SimpleShowing is a consumer-focused flat fee real estate broker. As a listing agent, SimpleShowing works with a seller to prepare homes for listing, including taking professional photos, pricing homes, and publishing marketing materials.
SimpleShowing lists all homes on the local MLS as well as typical MLS Aggregators. SimpleShowing maintains a well-designed online platform that allows sellers to communicate with all parties involved in a sale.
As a buyer’s agent, SimpleShowing works with buyers to find a home, schedule inspections, negotiate repairs and finalize the purchase.
SimpleShowing further offers unrepresented buyers to make direct offers to sellers. When a self-represented buyer approach SimpleShowing about seller’s listing, SimpleShowing waives the 2.5%-3% Buyer’s Agent Commission in favor of the seller.
SimpleShowing Direct option allows parties to save a significant amount in buy-side commissions, but also requires the buyer to accept the potential downside of dual representation.
Theoretically, a buyer can make an offer that is 2.5%-3% less than a competing offer from an agent-represented buyer, however, the buyer also loses all benefits of individual representation and forfeits an option to get a buyer’s refund from their agent.
Company extensively uses the current technology to help book showings with better coordination. SimpleShowing offers overall great value to consumers looking to buy or sell a home.
How to save when buying a home
REX Real Estate is a California, Texas, Colorado, New Jersey, and New York real estate listing agent, offers consumers listing savings and buyer’s rebates for select areas. REX Real Estate does not offer Buyer's Agent Commission (2.5%-3%) split to buyer’s agents and does not list seller’s homes on the MLS.
MLS-less REX significantly lowers home's exposure to buyers working with their own agent and misrepresents many advantages of using MLS to sellers.
Further, REX Real Estate claims to save buyer's agent fee amount, but in reality, Buyer's Agent Commission is always defined by the seller and it is up to the seller how much she is willing to offer buyer's agent, not REX.
The listing rate of 2%, that the company offers, must be compared to a "traditional" listing fee of 3%. In this comparison, REX Real Estate listing savings are only 1% less than a "traditional" listing commission.
REX Real Estate offers savings to sellers with a commission set at 2%, and buyers a 50% commission rebate.
REX Real Estate is a consumer-focused real estate agent that, unfortunately, claims a lot more than what it actionably delivers. REX Real Estate service includes posting home on its own web site and MLS Aggregator services, professional photos and 3D images in addition to all typical services offered by a traditional real estate agent.
The key disadvantage of using REX Real Estate is that it does not use MLS to advertise a listing property to other brokers. Any buyer who is represented by their own agent must pay a buyer’s agent fees out-of-pocket. This proposition gives REX larger control of how company’s listing data is distributed and an excuse to claim additional savings against 6% commission, but the seller pays the real price with a highly limited pool of self-represented buyers.
The company claims that it saves the seller a Buyer’s Agent Commission, but this amount is typically defined by the seller and it is never mandatory. In reality, REX Real Estate actionably offers 1% in listing savings compared to a “traditional” listing rate of 3%.
REX Real Estate further misrepresents volume of total savings when it claims that other agents that use “antiquated MLS and is set up like a traditional agency, can’t get away from the 3% buy-side commission.” This is false. There are agents who choose to waive or drastically reduce this fee if the buyer is self-represented and this amount if not set in stone. The only reason 2.5% - 3% buy-side commission is often recommended by other real estate agents is because it significantly increases listing exposure to potential buyers.
When comparing listing rates, Buyer’s Agent Commission amount is irrelevant and should never be used to “prop-up” the appeal of a competitive listing rate. This systematic misinformation is quite damaging to consumers who may not be aware of drawbacks associated with not offering the buy-side commission.
Further, REX Real Estate operates alongside many highly competitive real estate agents that offer consumers much better savings, such as flat fees - when the company claims it offers the lowest fee, this is simply not true. When working with other agents, REX Real Estate hypocritically receives Buyer’s Agent Commission from other listing agents when it represents buyers; REX Real Estate refunds 50% of that amount back to the buyer, as a tax-free commission refund.
We find that REX Real Estate offers nothing new over most any real estate agent, it simply games a few pieces of the existing process in an effort to claim that it has a found a way to replace an outdated MLS.
A well-defined MLS Aggregation process is actually very helpful to consumers because this information, now widely available online, helps people find and shop for homes easily. The real problems in the real estate process are excessive fees and hidden kickbacks between agents and referral fee networks.
Despite the fact that REX Real Estate is a model that offers listing savings to sellers, it receives an average score due to the misleading advertising policy and lack of home exposure to the MLS. REX Real Estate is still a great option for buyers due to 50% buyer’s refund.
How to save when buying a home