Agents working harder?

Every home seller — or at least most of them — asks the question: What do real estate agents do to earn that standard 6 percent commission every time one of their house listings sells?

According to a recent story in the New York Times, the answer to that question increasingly is: A lot.

The story, written by reporter Hope Reeves, says that agents have to do a lot more to get homes to sell in this tough real estate market. They are, then, working harder to earn that 6 percent commission. You can read the story here.

The truth is, though, that real estate agents have always had to work harder than most people think. Sure, during the real estate boom of the early 2000s, houses sold quickly, and often for full asking price. But that was an anomaly. During most periods — and especially right now — agents have to work hard to get homes to move.

Think about it: Agents work the hours that few others want to. They have to show houses in the evening, after their clients have gotten off work. They have to spend their weekends signing up new clients, staffing open houses and driving their buyers to dozens of properties.

And that’s just the beginning. Today’s agent has to master the Internet and the nuances of blogging to most effectively promote house listings. Agents have to constantly search for new clients, both buyers and sellers. They have to network with other agents to help find the perfect properties for their buyers or the perfect buyers for their listings.

Many spend hours cleaning their sellers’ homes. They work with stagers to present homes in their best possible light. They shuffle buyers back to the same homes until their clients finally make up their minds.

Again, this is still just the beginning. Real estate agents work hard. It’s not a part-time job.

So, yes, agents are working hard to earn those 6 percent commissions. But then again, that’s really nothing new.