Controversial news for realtors are coming from Canada, the issues may severely affect realtors income: real estate a la carte. Real-estate industry and federal competition authority just reached landmark agreement that allow customers to select what services they want to pay for. This is essentially “realtor a la carte” system, allowing home sellers to tailor the real estate services they buy.

Impact on realtor income?

The direct consequence for customers is that they will be able to save hundreds of dollars on realtor fees. It’s easy to conclude the new rules are going to hurt realtors income, but is it possible that realtors will benefit from the new order, and their income will increase?

Possibly, because the new options will open the access to realtor services for price sensitive customers and offer them different products at different prices for example :

• MLS listing only for the realtor fee + 50%
• House tour only for owners that are living far away from the property
• Hold open house for fixed price + commission for any interested buyer

What will be the long term impact on realtors income?

Realtors can expect more competition from now on, low income realtors will be able to join the market again and offer partial service to the client. Part time realtors will be able to offer realto tips to the home owners and collect a small fee as well.

On the good side clients will now be more opened to hire a realtor, the realtor than can build personal connection with them and build a customer for life, increasing his realtor income. the high competition level may attract new money and new talents to the industry, evolving to a better market, more profeesional realtors, higher realtor income and better tools for the realtors.

All in all this is a change, for the good and the bad, the one thing that realtors will have to keep in mind is that this is going to be a different market, and they have to be alert and agile to keep increase or maintain their realtor income.