HomeGain Deceptive advertising and hidden charges for Realtor finder search Emeryville California

HomeGain's Find a REALTOR® service allows anyone looking to buy a home or sell a home to find a real estate agent or realty broker who is a qualified, local professional. HomeGain advertises that this service is free (Find the Right REALTOR® for You — Free!) However, they do charge the agent a percentage of the commission and allow the chosen agent to pass on all or part of that fee to the consumer. In my case, my contract with the agent calls for me to pay 1/2% of the selling price to HomeGain (almost $3,000!)

In response to my query, HomeGain said "HomeGain does not charge a fee to consumers for our 'Find an Agent' service. However, once you have selected a real estate agent, HomeGain has no jurisdiction over the contract you sign with that agent/broker... The only fees we charge are to the agent."

I feel that this policy is deceptive at best. No matter how you look at it, the selling homeowner ends up paying for this service... either as a direct charge in the agent contract (as in my case) or as an indirect charge paid by the agent who then charges a higher commission to cover that cost.

HomeGain should make it absolutely clear upfront that their service is not "free". They should state that the agent is charged a fee that may or may not be passed on to the consumer.

Barry
Ventura, California
U.S.A.