Omaha Real Estate Blog

One of our stragetic partners at Alliance Real Estate is ServiceOne Home Warranty.  ServiceOne is a locally owned company and we have been absolutely thrilled with our partnership.  As a result of this relationship, we provide each of our selling clients the opportunithy for a FREE home warranty coverage for our listing clients during the listing period.   

In addition to the FREE home warranty program for sellers.  ServiceOne provides an EVALUATED home warranty program.  The evaluation ensures that their are no pre-existing conditions that may prevent or exclude home warranty coverage.  In some cases, this evaluation could not only save a deal but it may save someone's life.  For example, during a recent transaction a safety condition was noted during the evaluation that was a life threating condition. 

When buying a home your Realtor will ask you, "Would like like a home warranty?"  If the answer is YES then make sure to specify that it will be an EVALUATED plan with NO EXCLUSIONS.  The above tag would be an example of a EXCLUSION.  You want the seller to provide a warranty with NO EXCLUSIONS.  That means the seller would have to fix this item before closing.  This is a higher level of protection and this is providing a superior level of service for your buyers!  Superior service translates to future business.

If you are considering buying a home in the Omaha metro area please call our dedicated team of professionals at Alliance Real Estate at (402) 991-7531 or visit us on the web at AllianceSells.com

Thanks,

David Matney, CRS,GRI

Alliance Real Estate

I would like the opportunity to say thank you to Teresa Elliott with Team Elliott with Prudential Ambassador.  Teresa is a true professional and a mega producer with Prudential and it was a pure pleasure to work with her and her team.  Teresa and I did the vast majority of our communication via text message and I simply LOVE that form of communication.  It allows you to get to the point quickly and you have a "paper trail" to follow the tranaction to closing.

The majority of my business is working with sellers.  However, once in a while I have the opportunity to work with buyers and today Teresa and I worked together to close on 1647 North 173 St in Briar Hills in Omaha, NE.  I look forward to working with Teresa again in the future.

Thanks again,

David Matney, CRS,GRI

Alliance Real Estate 

I would like to thank Dan Nord of CBSHome for his professionalism in the sale of 1702 North 36th St in Omaha, Nebraska.  This sale involved several title issues that had to be worked out and Michelle Stark with Nebraska Land and Title did a FANTASTIC job helping with bringing the sale to a successful close.  I would like to thank Dan and the team at NLTA for a job well done!

This property SOLD in 14 days for $72,190 with the seller paying $2,265 in seller concessions.  If you are considering putting your home on the market and would like more information on my comprehensive marketing program including professional staging and pre-inspection please feel free to give me a call at (402) 490-6771 or visit my website at AllianceSells.com 

Thanks,

David Matney, CRS,GRI

Alliance Real Estate

Do you post the yard sign immediately upon taking a listing or do you wait until it is up on the MLS?  Is is frustrating for a consumer to see a sign in the yard and then they contact their Realtor only to find no information on the listing?  I can see how an argument can be made in support of either technique.  Obviously, you need a signed listing agreement in order to post a sign.  Some agents wait until it is on the MLS while others choose to begin immediately marketing the property.  

Which do you prefer and why?

Thanks,

David Matney, CRS,GRI

Alliance Real Estate

What is your commission split?  Simple question, right?  Not exactly.  Believe it or not, some agents do not know.  When they sell a home the split is so complicated that they can not honestly calculate their share of the commission.  Many agents do not realise they are their own business.  How can you run a business if you do not know what the split is?  I believe that your commission that is split between broker and agent should not require a degree from MIT in order to calculate.

There is no such thing as a "standard commission" and I am NOT taking about the commission that is charged to the client.  Talking about a "standard commission" charged to a client is called PRICE FIXING and against the law.  I am talking about your broker's share of the commission.  What was the seller charged?  Commissions are negotiable.  The commission charged is negotiated between the seller and the listing broker, all you know that in the MLS the PAYOUT is x%.  For example, let's say you sell a home and the PAYOUT listed in the MLS is 2.8%.  That means selling broker receives 2.8% of sales price from the listing broker for bringing the buyer. 

Out of the 2.8% paid to the selling broker.  It is split again.  The broker gets x and the agent gets y.  It is critical that you know what your split is in order to RUN your business.  At Alliance, the split between between agent and broker is 75/25.  This means the AGENT gets 75% of the 2.8%.  Alliance gets 25% of the 2.8%.  Why do we make it simple?  So...agents can determine to the penny what they will receive when they sell a home.  They can run it like a business and determine their income. 

Let's look at a $150,000 home with a co-broker payout in the MLS of 2.8%.  The listing broker sends Alliance a check for $4,200.  The agent receives a check $3,150 and Alliance gets $1,050.  Is that simple?  Yes.  Now, what if this agent is a top producer?  Do we have an incentive for those top agents?   Yes, it is called a "commission cap."  That means that the MOST an agent will ever pay Alliance in one year is $20,000.  After that they "cap out" which means they keep 100% of the commission, except for a $50 fee per transaction. 

So, if the agent has "capped out" in the above example the AGENT would receive a check for $4150 and Alliance keeps $50.  Pretty fair?  I think so.  Agents work extremely hard and they should get to keep the majority of the money.  

Thanks,

David Matney, CRS,GRI

Alliance Real Estate

The Omaha Realtor Community is sad to report the passing of Tami Robison of NP Dodge.    Tami was the type of person that if you walked into a room and you didn't know Tami, by the time you left the room Tami was your new friend.  Tami believed in community service and she gave selflessly of her time.  She served on numerous committees that helped benefit the entire community. 

I served on the education committee with Tami and she was the type of person that if something needed to happen ... Tami would step up and get the job done.  Tami was well respected within the agent community and our thoughts and prayers are with the Robison family at this time. 

Sincerely,

David Matney, CRS,GRI

Alliance Real Estate

Smartphones are outselling PCs 4 to 1.  More buyers are opting for web enabled smartphones.  The future is already here and with "going green" and becoming eco-friendly is now becoming smart business.  How does that effect the flyer box?  I believe strongly in flyers.  However, I do believe that eventually they will be replaced with a virtual flyer with multiple flyers available on a web enabled smartphone or PDA. 

Currently, I am in the process of test marketing a VIRTUAL FLYER on several of my current listings.  It is extremely powerful marketing tool.  However, I still utilize the conventionl paper flyer for the prospective buyers that do currently have a web enabled smartphone.  This "paperless" flyer has a far better mechanism for lead tracking and follow-up and I believe its use will eventually be a MUST on every listing. 

Thanks,

David Matney, CRS,GRI

Alliance Real Estate