Mar. 17, 2007 - Matching a "Redfin Deal" for Microsoft Employees

Does Redfin have a special price for Microsoft Employees?  Last week I received a call from "My First Blogclient".  He had been doing his own research on buying an investment property down in Federal Way and wanted to make an offer on a 4Plex.  He wanted to make an offer and indicated that Redfin had a special deal for Microsoft employees.  While I have not been able to verify this, I was told that the charge of 33% of the seller offered rate for a buyer agent is reduced to 25% of the seller offered rate for Microsoft employees only.

Before calling Redfin, "My First Blogclient" called me.  I thought about it.  He had really done all of his homework regarding the property and loan programs to purchase the property.  There was no issue of "who showed the property" as no one gets to see a four-plex before making an offer because no owner wants their tenants disturbed by "looky loos".  So this was truly "A Redfin Deal - write it up and see it at inspection"

Many know that I am generally a supporter of the Redfin Business Model and this is a good example of when "A Redfin Deal" makes a lot of sense.  He is a repeat client, so I already know him very well.  He already knows what he wants to buy and didn't drag some other agent around showing him property to get to that decision.  He spent many hours of his own time researching property and loan programs.  And honestly, he did a bang up job for himself.  Better than many agents could have done.

So I matched his "Redfin Deal" and he is now in escrow.  We got to spend some time together, which for me was more like a much needed break, and not work at all.  He's a great guy whose company I enjoy. 

Some people shake their heads when I support the Redfin Model, especially agents.  Any business that causes the rest of the industry to stop and think, offer more options, and generally change the underpinnings of a stodgy and unfair industry model, is to be lauded.  Not just because Redfin is a new option for consumers.  But because those options increase exponentially as it causes others to stop and truly think about the Buyer Agent Fee as a fee the Buyer Pays, and not just a "Seller Offering" in the MLS.