More equity, fewer fees

After weeks of steady declines, mortgage rates are finally beginning to stimulate the housing market. Last month, Forbes reported, “…many experts say that now is the best time to take advantage of improved market conditions and get ahead of a potential demand surge that could put upward pressure on home prices and leave many would-be buyers out in the cold.”

And you could reap huge savings by working with a firm like SOGO Homes, which doesn’t charge a percentage-based commission. Instead, the company charges a flat $4,800.

“The traditional six-percent commission on, say, a $350,000 home is a whopping $21,000,” Aaron explains in a soft Southern accent he acquired growing up in Rome, Georgia, before moving to California and then to Northeast Ohio. “But we charge only $4,800, so you keep much more of your hard-earned equity.”

Aaron and his team—including agents Tom Dungun and Michael Bowling—also work hard to find the buyer themselves, so you also avoid paying an extra buyer’s agent fee. One way they do that is through an open house.

“Most agents don’t hold an open house because they’re a lot of work,” Aaron says. “But we believe they’re important. After all, you want your home in front of as many people as possible to generate interest and get multiple offers.”

When people hear “discount brokerage,” they often think they won’t get top-level service. That’s not true with SOGO Homes.

“We understand that some people wonder what services they’re not going to get with our flat-fee structure, but we go above and beyond, doing even more than traditional commission-based agents,” Aaron says. “We are very much a full-service real estate firm.”

Although SOGO Homes works with buyers and sellers throughout Northeast Ohio, Aaron has been particularly successful with waterfront property. “It’s rewarding to help people buy and sell a home on the water,” he says. “For many people, it is a lifelong dream come true, and I love being a part of that.

Giving Back to the Community

Before becoming a real estate broker, Aaron owned rental property, including many Section-8 units, and he noticed a trend.

“All of my tenants were single moms,” he reveals. “I’d talk with them and I’d ask, ‘Why don’t you buy your own home?’ They’d laugh and say that’s a pipe dream because they could never come up with a down payment. So when we started SOGO, we decided to give a portion of our proceeds to organizations that help single moms with a down payment to buy a home. It’s very rewarding, and doing it helps me sleep better at night.”

To list your home or for more information about SOGO’s flat-rate fee, call 330-984-0909 or visit GoWithSOGO.com.