A few months ago (last March) I made a comment on Redfin’s corporate blog about what I saw as seriously incomplete “science” in their findings about how much groovier they are than everyone else.

Here is the comment:

Did you take into account seller paid costs, such as seller paid closing costs. I know that I average 2.75% on behalf of my buyers. For a $400,000 house, that equates $11,000 that you say doesn’t matter… only the price matters.

I would say that the total deal is what matters. Of course, then we need to get into post-inspection negotiations and repairs… those don’t go to seller paids, and without having all of the contracts, I know that you wouldn’t be able to quantify that for any transactions that aren’t yours… and even for your own transactions it might be onerous.

They never actually answered that comment.  In fact, a few weeks later they re-stated the numbers because of someone else’s comment.

I said:

Still wondering about seller paids… I average a about 3% in seller paids on my buyer transactions. (closing costs, etc.)

I didn’t have the juice then that I have now… and I only have a little now.  They didn’t answer that comment either.

I wrote a blog about it.  Redfin HAD to have seen it… they have Google alerts.  They didn’t pop in to answer my questions…

There is a reason that I am writing about this now.  And it has to do with another blogger… one that has juice.  And a message when I logged onto my IM yesterday when he told me I was his new bestest friend.  I think Redfin is a little unhappy that the rest of us aren’t seeing them as scientists… but as marketers.  More tomorrow.

Don’t hesitate to shoot Lane a message if you have any questions, or need any help. And check out the new links for FREE Property Searching, FREE Comparative Market Analysis and FREE Market Reports. They are near the top of the page…