I recently represented a family buying a house.  The seller was an older lady who was a widow and wanting to downsize her residence as she was running low on money.  She was extremely sweet and gracious throughout the whole process.  The agents representing her, however, did not do much in regards to facilitating the transaction.  The house was on the market for six months, no sign, no open houses, all scheduling of showings were dealt directly with the seller, and I never spoke with either of the agents once as all inquiries were forwarded to an assistant.  And trust me, I tried getting in touch with the agents.  Thus, the listing agents did not bring much value to the listing as the house sold because of its location and lowered price.   Furthermore, I was surprised to learn at close that the listing agents then charged her 3.5% (instead of 2.5%) of the total sale price.  Their service barely warranted the standard 2.5%, let alone more as the level of work they provided was of minimal value to the older lady.   I felt like they were taking advantage of her and it wasn't the best way to do business.  Hence, I decided to implement a lowered commission list option for consumers so they have additional options when listing their home.  In essence, I am able to provide significantly better service and at a drastically lowered price – a 1.5% to 2.5% listing commission to be exact!  The 1.5% listing commission discount is for military personnel or persons over the age of 70.  Business is business, but my structuring produces excellence, longevity, consumer options, and the best value for all involved.