According to eHome's director of marketing Tina Flammer, eHome has not only recently changed its fee structure to a low-cost commission base, but the change has been in effect since April 2000, regardless of what any renegade banner ads might say. And as for anti-trust issues, the site says it can defend itself on that front, too. We have local experienced, licensed Realtors in the community. Unlike traditional brick and mortar Realtors, we have a regional center, staffed by desk agents that are licensed, and they serve as transaction managers. Flammer explains that eHome also has field agents that are licensed and give local neighborhood service and support.
Agents further benefit by being relieved of self-promotion and advertising costs.
That's where the savings is most apparent - clients' homes are advertised online, not in the newspapers, saving the brokerage thousands of dollars of advertising costs monthly. Once buyers arrive at the Web site, they are met with virtual tours of every home and a customer service support system for buyers. Despite its dependence on Internet marketing and its online transaction management engine, eHome is at heart a traditional broker, not an e-broker. They use the MLS to co-broker with other agents, put signs in the yard, and send out flyers and mailers throughout the neighborhood. Rather than compete online, we found that clients wanted full service and support and to have a better reach, so we changed our fee structure.