Assist 2 Sell gives home sellers and buyers an edge

Michael Sinton shows off his pickup truck covered in slogans from Assist 2 Sell. He said the mobile marketing works. Photo by Chris Sturgis. By Chris Sturgis Michael Sinton doesn’t think his former colleagues in the real estate business like his truck. After spending several years with a few different local real estate firms, Sinton has opened up the Hamilton office of Assist 2 Sell, a discount real estate company. His truck is painted with the company’s promises of low-cost real estate transactions. “Friends don’t let friends pay 6 percent,” is the one that galls competitors the the most, he said. “I’m sure they’re not happy that we’re here, but if they didn’t show our listings, their buyers would come to us directly,” he said. In New Jersey, the commission on real estate sales is negotiable, but the strength of the market has recently pushed them as high as 6 percent of sale price. That is $12,000 on a $200,000 home and $18,000 on a $300,000 home. For homes in that price range, Assist 2 Sell charges a flat fee of $3,995, $1,000 more or less for every $100,000 above or below that range.Sinton said the low-cost commissions make sense as property values decline in a weak market. “People are realizing their house might not be worth as much as it used to be. For those looking to maximize the equity out of their house, they’re not looking to hand over a big chunk of change to somebody they see as just putting up a lawn sign,” he said. Sinton insists Assist 2 Sell provides all the same services as the big names in real estate. He started with Assist 2 Sell in Jackson Township and was so impressed by the business model of the Reno, Nev.,-based company that he opened another office in Hamilton about two years ago. He hoped to capitalize on its proximity to both New York and Philadelphia and excellent highway and rail connections. Sinton also had a personal connection to Hamilton. His wife, Dona, is a Hamilton native who graduated from Notre Dame High School and works as an executive assistant in the state Division of Addiction Services. The Sintons have been married for five years. The office has four agents and Sinton is the broker. Its territory comprises Mercer, Burlington, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean counties and targets residential properties. Unlike traditional offices that have an army of part-time agents, Assist 2 Sell has fewer agents who work full time. When traditional agents advertise a home, the expense is paid out of the salesperson’s commission. Assist 2 Sell pays for the advertising and ensures the home appears in every issue of a publication, daily, weekly or monthly, until it is sold. The company also helps sellers make the home look its best. The company shows the home, does the paperwork, questions potential buyers to see what they can afford, schedules any required inspections and helps them contact loan officers about financing. However, sellers must hold the open house, with detailed instructions from Assist 2 Sell. “All they need to do is answer the door,” he said. Traditional agents use open houses to pick up buyers, not necessarily for the home on display that day. “They are using the seller’s house as a satellite office or to gain experience. It’s not in the seller’s best interest not to be at the house during the open house,” he said. Assist 2 Sell performs the same traditional market analysis to set the asking price, based on a study of similar homes whose sales are closing. Sinton said he calls on his background in computers and information technology to give the Hamilton office a technological edge. Agents have wireless access to e-mail and the Internet. This came in handy when a client asked about another address while Sinton was showing a property. “I was able to log into the multiple listing service and get all the information. The client was happy as well as impressed,” he said. Assist 2 Sell gives clients the advantage of lower commissions without giving up the services of an agent, Sinton said. Feedback from potential buyers is immediately logged and e-mailed to the owners, which sometimes has more impact on owners than the agent’s opinions about whether the house looks its best. Those reactions are crucial, he said. Sometimes the e-mail says, “Love it. We’ll be faxing over an offer.” For more information, contact Michael Sinton, Broker/Owner, Assist-2-Sell Buyers & Sellers Edge, directly at 609-587-4227, via email at msinton@assist2sell.com or on the web at www.wesellmercer.com.