Working together
My services
A real estate relationship should begin with your goals and a clear understanding of the work involved. Here is what you can expect from me.
Who do you serve?
I help buyers and sellers throughout the Lake of the Ozarks residential market, with special emphasis on lakefront homes, luxury properties, and second homes. Many of my clients are purchasing from outside the area and need more than a list of bedrooms and bathrooms—they need someone who understands the lake itself.
What services do you provide to buyers?
Buyer representation can include:
- Defining your lake lifestyle, property priorities, and ownership goals
- Identifying and evaluating suitable properties
- Arranging in-person or live virtual tours
- Reviewing price, condition, location, and comparable sales
- Evaluating docks, seawalls, water depth, cove characteristics, access, utilities, restrictions, and likely carrying costs
- Preparing and negotiating offers and coordinating inspections, financing, appraisal, title work, and closing
What services do you provide to sellers?
Seller representation can include pricing strategy, property preparation advice, lake-specific positioning, professional marketing, showing coordination, buyer feedback, offer analysis, negotiation, inspection and appraisal coordination, and transaction management through closing. The exact scope is discussed before the listing agreement is signed.
Do I need to hire you before asking questions?
No. We can first discuss your goals, the market, my services, and whether we are a good fit. A written buyer agreement is generally needed before I begin touring homes with you—not simply to have an initial conversation or to attend an open house independently.
Transparency first
How commissions are determined
There is no “standard commission.” Compensation is negotiated based on the services and representation you choose, then clearly documented in a written agreement.
Are commissions set by law, NAR, the MLS, or a real estate association?
No. Real estate broker compensation is fully negotiable and is not set by law, the National Association of REALTORS®, an MLS, or a brokerage association. The amount or rate and the services covered are discussed with you and stated in writing.
How is a listing broker's compensation determined?
Seller-side compensation is negotiated between the seller and the listing brokerage. Factors may include the agreed scope of service, marketing plan, property type, price range, anticipated transaction complexity, and other lawful terms. The final compensation and payment terms appear in the signed listing agreement.
How is a buyer broker's compensation determined?
Buyer-side compensation is negotiated between the buyer and the buyer's brokerage. The written buyer agreement must state the compensation clearly—for example, a specific percentage, flat fee, hourly fee, or another lawful amount that can be objectively determined. It cannot be open-ended or merely say the brokerage will accept “whatever the seller offers.”
Who pays the buyer's brokerage?
The buyer is responsible for the compensation promised in the buyer agreement. However, a buyer may request and negotiate for the seller or listing brokerage to contribute toward that obligation. That contribution may cover all, part, or none of the agreed amount and is not guaranteed. We discuss the available options before an offer is written so there are no closing-table surprises.
Can the buyer's brokerage receive more than the amount in the written agreement?
No. Under NAR's practice requirements, an MLS participant working with a buyer may not receive compensation from any source that exceeds the amount or rate agreed to with the buyer. If compensation terms need to change, any change should be mutually agreed upon and properly documented in writing.
Are offers of buyer-broker compensation shown in the MLS?
No. Offers of compensation cannot be communicated through an MLS. They may still be discussed or negotiated outside the MLS, and a buyer may include a request for seller-paid buyer-broker compensation in an offer. Seller concessions and buyer-broker compensation are separate concepts and should be written clearly.
Will the compensation offered affect which properties you show me?
No. I do not limit or steer your property search based on what a seller or listing brokerage may offer toward my compensation. We will discuss the financial terms openly so you can decide how you want them addressed in an offer.
Agreed buyer-broker fee − negotiated seller or listing-broker contribution = buyer's remaining obligation
If the contribution equals the agreed fee, the buyer owes no additional brokerage compensation. If it is less, the buyer is responsible for the difference unless the parties negotiate different written terms. If a contribution would exceed the agreed fee, the brokerage's compensation remains capped at the agreed amount.
Before we tour
The written buyer agreement
Think of it as a roadmap for our working relationship: what I will do, what you agree to, how long the arrangement lasts, and how compensation works.
A clear agreement should address:
- The services and representation being provided
- The agreement's geographic area, property type, and duration
- Whether the relationship is exclusive or non-exclusive
- The exact compensation amount or rate and how it is calculated
- Potential payment sources, including any negotiated seller or listing-broker contribution
- The duties of the buyer and brokerage
- How the agreement may be changed or ended
- Required agency and other disclosures
Important: This website is an explanation, not the agreement itself. Before providing services that require an agreement, I will review the current brokerage-approved BHHS/Missouri form with you. Read it carefully, ask questions, and sign only when it accurately reflects what we have agreed upon.
Local knowledge matters
Lakefront & second-home questions
At Lake of the Ozarks, the house is only half the purchase. The water, dock, shoreline, access, rules, and upkeep can matter just as much.
Why use a Lake of the Ozarks specialist?
With roughly 1,150 miles of shoreline, two homes that look similar online can offer very different ownership experiences. Cove location, water depth, wake exposure, dock configuration, seawall condition, road access, utilities, rental rules, and maintenance demands all influence value and enjoyment. I have spent 40 years helping clients sort through those details.
Do you help buyers who live outside the area?
Yes. Second-home buyers often begin from another city or state. I can help narrow the search, provide local context, arrange live virtual tours when appropriate, and coordinate with experienced local lenders, inspectors, title professionals, dock specialists, and other service providers.
Why do you recommend a local lender for lakefront or second-home financing?
Lakefront properties, condominium projects, docks, private roads, septic systems, and second-home underwriting can introduce issues unfamiliar to some lenders. A strong local lender is not mandatory, but experience with Lake transactions can help identify concerns earlier and keep the process moving.
Your goals come first
Have a question this page didn't answer?
Let's talk about what you are trying to accomplish and the kind of Lake experience you want. I will explain the services, representation choices, and compensation before you make a commitment.
Contact Marty through the main website