Flat Fee Listing Broker reputation-why it is important

I spend lots of my time being involved in local, state, and national Realtor Associations, whereas many flat fee brokers do not. The reason I serve on committees, travel to other cities (often Washington, DC), and spend other times working with Realtors is to strengthen my company's reputation. My work and involvement with traditional Realtors quite frankly makes them more likely to sell my sellers homes. A buyer agent who sees a familiar name as the listing broker has a higher level of comfort at showing that listing, as well as putting in a purchase agreement. That helps my flat fee MLS listing sellers, plain and simple.
There is a tremendous variety in the work I have done in Realtor committees, the only constant that it involves working with and building relationships with traditional Realtors. I remember making presentations to grade schoolers about Fair Housing laws in the early nineties, interviewing candidates for public office about their positions on real estate-related issues, and more recently giving feedback and helping establish MLS policies and procedures.
I also work hard to establish our company's reputation by how are sellers interact with buyer agents. We strive to have the most prepared, well-coached, and knowledgeable sellers about how a purchase transaction transpires so the buyer agent doesn't have to worry that they will have extra work helping the seller through the transaction. That is why I relish the feedback we get from agents when they say "that transaction went really smooth."
Even within the flat fee broker national association, my work to help other flat fee brokers frequently ends up helping our flat fee sellers. Whether it is working on issues that other flat fee brokers encounter or sharing best practices for having our sellers sell quickly and effectively, my sellers see many benefits from this involvement.
All of this time I spend is worthwhile, and has built BuySelf Realty's strong reputation within the real estate community. What makes me proudest is that our sellers benefit from this investment of time, even though often the benefit is transparent to them. If you are looking for a flat fee broker in an area we don''t serve (although there are fewer and fewer areas like that), keep in mind how important broker reputation is to your sale. I would ask how involved the broker is in Realtor Associations, whether they are a member of the American Real Estate Brokers Alliance, which is the flat fee broker national association, and about the broker's background in general.