Updates from Sally Shiekman
As a seasoned broker with deep roots in Aspen, Snowmass, and the Roaring Fork Valley, I’m passionate about sharing insight into our dynamic markets. Whether you're buying, selling, or simply staying informed, my goal is to help you navigate with clarity, confidence, and a local’s perspective.
The New Real Estate Commission Structure: What You Need to Know
August 26, 2024
A successful lawsuit against the National Association of Realtors has shifted how commissions are represented in real estate purchase agreements. Here’s what you need to know.Commissions: Up for Discussion?
Real estate commissions have never been set in stone. Traditionally, these commissions were paid by the seller upon closing and were split between the buyer's and seller's brokers. Factors such as the property's price, market conditions, the level of service, marketing efforts, and the agent’s expertise have always played a role in negotiating these fees. The recent changes in commission structure further emphasize the importance of negotiation, making it even more crucial for buyers and sellers.
The New Commission Structure
While contracts in every state may differ, in Colorado, there is now a clause in the contract that indicates who will pay the buyer’s broker’s compensation and how much the buyer’s broker will be compensated. It’s still possible to negotiate that the seller pays the buyer’s broker’s commission. However, if the seller isn’t willing to compensate the buyer’s broker, this could affect buyers, especially those who can’t pay cash and need financing to purchase the property. If the buyer's broker's commission isn’t part of the deal and the buyer is obtaining financing, the buyer's broker’s commission cannot be rolled into the loan. As a result, buyers must come up with additional funds to pay their broker. This shift requires careful financial planning and a clear understanding of the transaction's nuances. For instance, negotiating a lower purchase price might allow buyers to cover their broker’s commission out-of-pocket, and cash offers that don’t require financing could streamline the process.
Why Sellers Should Still Pay Both Commissions
Despite these changes, there is still a strategic advantage for most sellers to continue covering both the seller’s and the buyer’s broker’s compensation. Why? Because doing so incentivizes buyer’s brokers to show the property, increases the buyer pool for the property, makes the property more appealing, eases the financial burden on buyers and increases the likelihood of a quick and smooth sale. In a competitive market, this can be a crucial factor in attracting top-notch buyers.
Covering both commissions also simplifies the transaction process, sparing buyers the need to secure extra funds. This convenience can be a significant advantage in a market where ease of transaction can make all the difference.
The Bottom Line
The new commission structure introduces new financial considerations. Buyers may now need to budget for their broker's compensation separately, which could impact their purchasing power. Despite these changes, paying both commissions remains a reassuring approach that benefits both buyers and sellers, providing stability and clarity in these evolving times.
Navigating this new era of real estate requires staying informed and adaptable. With the right approach, these changes can be managed to your advantage. I strongly recommend seeking professional advice to understand and navigate these changes entirely. If you or someone you know is looking to buy or sell real estate in Aspen, Snowmass, or the Roaring Fork Valley, please contact me at 970-948-7530 and let me put my Mountains of Experience to work for you.
Rooted in Aspen
Sally first discovered Aspen in 1970 and has been a full-time real estate professional here since 1992. A Philadelphia native and Syracuse University graduate, she raised her children in the Roaring Fork Valley and remains deeply connected to the community she serves—locally rooted, professionally seasoned, and trusted across generations.
Outside of work, she enjoys skiing, hiking, cycling, scuba diving, supporting her synagogue, and spending time with Aspen’s vibrant wellness and recovery community. She cherishes time with family and friends in the mountains she calls home and is known as a voracious lover of all genres of live music.
Sally first discovered Aspen in 1970 and has been a full-time real estate professional here since 1992. A Philadelphia native and Syracuse University graduate, she raised her children in the Roaring Fork Valley and remains deeply connected to the community she serves—locally rooted, professionally seasoned, and trusted across generations.
Outside of work, she enjoys skiing, hiking, cycling, scuba diving, supporting her synagogue and the area’s vibrant wellness and recovery communities, and cherishing time with family and friends in the mountains she calls home. She is also known as a voracious live music lover.
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What Others Have To Say About Sally Shiekman. . .
Testimonials
Read moreSally worked with us to understand our needs, our architectural preferences, and our financial capabilities. She patiently showed us properties from Aspen to Glenwood Springs, and we fell in love with our house in Carbondale.
Sally is a true professional. Her open manner, honesty and knowledge of the real estate market are outstanding. I would highly recommend her to any potential buyer or seller in the valley.
Through Sally’s efforts our transactions went through without any problems and we received the highest sales price for a unit of our size in the complex. Sally is a true professional in all respects and provided us with top quality service. She made the process easy and painless. Should we ever require a real estate broker in the future, you can be sure we will call Sally.
I wanted to express my sincere appreciation for the fantastic job you did in helping me find a home. I had been through the process several times before, and my experiences have been mixed. However, after working with Sally, I believe I have truly seen someone who wants to consistently provide the absolute best service for their client. Sally’s professionalism, concern for my specific needs, and consistency in following-up on every detail went beyond my expectations.
I want to thank you for all the work you did to sell my Aspen condo. Now that I have worked with you as a buyer and a seller, I am definitely impressed with your professionalism. I know that you are busy, but you are very organized and thorough so that your clients get excellent service. I think the hardest part of any real estate deal is negotiating a contract and getting that contract to closing. I appreciate you helping me get a full price contract with only minor contingencies, and then following each deadline so that nothing fell through the cracks.
The most important thing that Sally did for us was to make us comfortable with the experience. She answered all of our novice questions and understood that we were truly starting from the beginning. She showed us a wide range of property so that we had a full view of the valley real estate market.
Working with Sally was an outstanding experience. She was incredibly knowledgeable, helpful, and always had my best interests in mind. She wasn't pushy at all and made the process of purchasing smooth and stress-free. Beyond that, she introduced me to a number of professionals who were instrumental in facilitating due diligence and ultimately the transaction. Her expertise and connections made all the difference. I highly recommend Sally to anyone looking for a dedicated, knowledgeable, and professional agent.
Sally always carefully explained each part of the selling/buying process, answered every question patiently, and was completely honest about the possible outcome(s) of the entire event. Buying/selling a home is an emotional and exciting time; Sally has the ability to keep things calm while retaining that important sense of excitement.
I highly recommend Sally Shiekman as a realtor. She was always available to answer any questions I had and was on top of every deadline in the contract. I am a busy mortgage lender and so I appreciate Sally’s attention to detail, integrity and genuine concern.
Sally Shiekman has acted as my real estate broker in 4 different transactions. Her professional manner, close attention to the market and new additions to it, attention to detail, and willingness to do what it takes to find the perfect buyer and/or property make her an exceptional broker.
We feel that Sally is always looking out for our best interests. She has a great knowledge of the market, is diligent, honest and has integrity. We would not consider making another move with out Sally’s help. She is the best!
Sally was very professional, persistent without pressuring, and handled all details necessary to complete the sale. When it came time to sell that property and purchase another, although both my husband and I had become good friends with many other local realtors, we both felt strongly that Sally should be our listing and buying agent.
Sally was there with guidance throughout the process of purchasing our home in Snowmass Village. She is knowledgeable about the markets from Aspen to down-valley. We definitely recommend Sally for anyone who is looking for a real estate professional.
Sally and her team were such a pleasure to work with. When deciding to sell our home, she gave some excellent advice on what we could do to improve how it shows without any pressure to do so. She’s a realist who tells it as it is and we very much appreciated that. She gave great advice when we asked for it, and led us to a surprise free closing on a timeline that worked best for us. If we are back in the roaring fork valley again, Sally will be our first call!
Sally brokered both sides of our first home purchase this last fall. We felt that Sally always had our best interest in mind, carefully and thoughtfully explained the unknown to us (as novices) and took the time to help make this monumental life moment easy for us. Furthermore, her services didn't stop after we closed, she still checks in to ensure we are comfortable and settled in. She is a wonderful resource to connect with regardless of your home purchase needs. We are forever thankful the Sally Shiekman was our real estate agent and in our corner, thank you!!!
Sally went above and beyond to at first find us a home to suit our needs and finally to sell our home in a timely manner… Sally guided us through all of the details of our sale and was a terrific advocate for us in the process. We wouldn’t consider using anyone else in the future.
Sally is a consummate professional who knows her market and takes great pride in being thorough, direct, and positive. I was particularly impressed with her ability to balance patience with execution, given the property we were selling was quite old. I also appreciated the frankness around expectations, and I am sure that pace of closure for our sale agreement in a matter of days, was due to her. If you want to best, she is it.
Sally was so good to work with during our entire home buying process. We know we took a lot of her time getting to know the market and what was available. I can't say enough good things about her and her interactions with us. Her communication was so very helpful, and she always followed up. She either responded immediately to calls, texts, and emails or let us know when she could get back to us. We highly recommend using Sally.
Sally is the best. We have worked with her twice. Accept no substitute!
Sally recently helped my wife and I to purchase a building site in the Missouri Heights area. Sally made the purchase a great experience; she showed us much of what the valley had to offer over a several days time frame. Sally presented us with information on what was currently on the market. We have since purchase a property and are already projecting an increase in value. Sally has kept in touch since the purchase providing valuable information.
I received your gift card, and want to express my appreciation. Quite a nice surprise! Also to acknowledge all your help with our transactions and rentals over the past few years. It turns out that, directly and including the new Tahoe home, you were involved with five different properties we have had owned over the years. (And you have seen Owl Meadows as well, making six.) Which is quite a few for small time investors. You got us out of the properties we needed to get out of, and into one that was just fine for as long as we needed it. Then out again, as we moved on. We hope to see you on our next Aspen visit. And we will toast you at Valenti’s!
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