real estate commission

For decades, an invisible hand has been guiding and controlling the American real estate industry, dictating how much buyers and sellers pay to their agents and how homes are sold. A few days ago, after a stunning legal settlement, that control — wielded by the National Association of Realtors — collapsed.

Debra Kamin, who reports about real estate desk for The Times, explains how the far-reaching change could drive down housing costs.

Guest: Debra Kamin, a reporter on real estate for The New York Times.

Background reading: 

• The National Association of Realtors agreed to a landmark deal that will eliminate a bedrock of the industry, the standard 6 percent sales commission.
• Read about five ways buying and selling a house could change.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

It’s that time of the week where Rob & Rob answer more listener questions, and this week we’ve got two cracking ones! 

Our first question is from Jeff in London. 

He’s looking to buy his first property in Hoggeston with a friend, but the company who’ve listed it are looking to charge a buyer's premium. 

Jeff was pretty surprised by this fairly large additional charge and wants to know Rob & Robs thoughts on whether this is something to be cautious of and if the buyer's interests are considered in this process?  

Our next question comes from Katie across the pond in the states. 

Katie would love to hear Rob & Rob’s opinion on the renowned American personal financial figure Dave Ramsey. 

Ramsey’s approach on investing in property is you should always buy in cash, but what do Rob & Rob think about this and is there ever a time where buying in cash only is the better option? 

Tune in to find out. 

Do you have a buy-to-let or property investment related question for Rob & Rob? You could feature on the next episode by giving us a call on 013 808 00035 and leaving a message with your name and question (normal UK call rates apply).  

Or if you prefer, click here to leave a recording via your computer instead. 

The next question on Ask Rob & Rob could be yours.  

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