Consumer Notices

On-Line Real Estate Sites  

When you begin your search on the internet for real estate sites, whether you are looking for homes for sale, or for buying or selling information, you will find lots of sites that act like they can give you correct information, or connect you with the best real estate sales people.  Some even offer Buyer and Seller Rebates and Seller Savings.  

Buyer or Seller Rebates: Yes, there are legitimate companies that offer Buyer or Seller Rebates.  But not here in Missouri!  It is against the law to give rebates (better known as “kickbacks” or “inducements”) to buyers or sellers in Missouri.  What you will often find on the internet is a national internet company who tells you that you can get a Buyer or Seller Rebate anywhere.  Beware of someone they refer you to in Missouri, as that person would be breaking the Missouri Law.  

Seller Savings: When a national web site tells you that they can have local real estate professionals "bid" for your business, remember that these associates who are "making you an offer" would be taking a reduction off of their normally high commission rates, plus either paying a referral fee or paying for the lead.  When an associate who normally takes high commissions takes a reduced commission listing they will do one of 2 things.  They will either reduce the selling agency "pay-out" or give you far less marketing than their other sellers.  Either way, it hurts you, the seller.

Other On-Line Real Estate Sites:  More and more on-line "services" are popping up.  Some draw you in with the promise of learning your home's value.  Most will send you to real estate licensees who will pay for the "lead".  Most of those who pay for leads are new to the business and don't know how to do a quality market analysis.  The latest company says then have the ability to instantly tell you the value of your home where ever it is.  Smaller communities are not part of there "where ever it is" and their values are usually way off base.  There is no short cut to determining the value of a property.  It takes hours of work. 

"Trigger List"

When you are working with a lender, make sure that you add something to your paperwork that you do not want the credit reporting agencies to give your information out to any other lender.  These agencies have recently started selling the contact information of consumers who have had a mortgage lender check their credit.  If that happens, you may start getting phone calls from lenders who bought your information and promise you a lower interest rate.  But if they are buying contact information "leads", they may not keep that promise.  Beware!

Return to our main page

©, 2001-2007, L.S.G. Enterprises, Inc.

Linda Grissette, GRI, e-PRO Certified

The Best Seller GMAC Real Estate, 3829 Veterans Memorial, St. Peters, MO 63376 

Licensed in the state of Missouri.

All content of this web site is copyright protected.  Our copyright will be legally defended.  Linking to our content is always acceptable.  Besides the copyright issues, if you copy this content to your website, it will hurt BOTH of our websites!  Don't do it! 

NOTICE:  E-mail addresses on this site are provided for the use of our clients and potential clients.  Because of this notice, the harvesting and transfer of these e-mail addresses is a violation of the Federal CAN-SPAM Act.  Violators will be reported.

Privacy Statement   Linda Grissette's policy is to never give out consumer information.  If you give her your contact information, it will not be given to anyone without your permission.

All information provided on properties is deemed to be reliable, but is not guaranteed.  Information on properties should be independently verified.