I don’t see the commission as a problem ( The seller pays it !). I actually enjoy working with realtors, they can actually work for me by bringing me deals. I have several that I have told what type of properties I am looking for and they have brought several to me that I have bought.
The only downside I have found to working with realtors, is that the negotiation process can take longer than if you were dealing with the seller directly. If possible, use the listing agent. This makes the process quicker ( fewer people to deal with ), plus they are sometimes willing to cut their commissions to make a deal happen ( if they are the only agent involved they usually get the whole commission anyway ! )
I looked at three parks in my area and I found that almost all of the FSBO’s were way over-priced and most of them were absolutely unmotivated. I did see many of them that were listed by Real Estate Agencies so I called. A broker gave me information on a very motivated seller who I can probably work out a winner with. Outside of the obvious (paying commission), is there any real downside with working with a real estate broker in order to find mobile homes?
I agree with David. Real estate agents are just another weapon in your arsenal for getting good deals. I have bought mobile home/lot combinations from realtors and I have also had a real estate agent give me one of the best deals I have ever done. The reason they are a good source is they will sell a site built home to someone who has this mobile home that they can’t seem to move…that is where you come in. You buy the home for a good price, they make the sale on the site built home and everyone is happy. A realtor, most of the time, will not buy these lots or mobile homes. They feel like they have “bigger” fish to fry and these deals are to small in their mind to be worth putting their time and effort in.