Unlike some of the big corporations that list homes in Los Angeles – names like Coldwell Banker, Sotheby’s, Prudential and Christie’s – you won’t see any big national advertising campaigns from Westside Estate Agency.

The reason?  Those campaigns don’t help us sell your home. The vast majority of luxury homes are sold to local buyers. Despite what the ads say, no one is better positioned to help you buy and sell luxury real estate in the Los Angeles area than WEA. To help sort out some of the claims made by those big-name conglomerates, we’ve put some of their claims to the test.

Claim: The brokers at national chains have more experience and ability

False. First and foremost, independent brokers have built their success on their merits, not the coattails of a brand. We’ve assembled a team of brokers – hand selected by WEA’s founders – who share WEA’s philosophies and handle every negotiation with intelligence and integrity to meet the very high expectations and individual needs of our clients. Those big corporations will hire anyone they think can make a quick sale – even if the buyer is a relative of friend – and then just go away.

Claim: Sellers benefit from a chain’s network of regional offices

False.  When franchises brand themselves as offering more reach than independent brokers and tout their extensive global networks, this is lip service and not reality. The only limits that exist are the big chain’s own requirements of their own brokers. WEA brokers are free agents, adept at working with all parts of the industry (franchises, other independent brokers, auction houses, etc.). We work with dozens and dozens of national and international websites that reach an exponentially larger buyer network than a single chain’s regional offices.

Claim: Sellers benefit from a chain’s national marketing budget

False. Though big chains spend a large portion of their fees on print/TV advertising campaigns promoting their brands, the actual homes are secondary to their brands. The successful independent brokers at WEA are able to spend focus their efforts on marketing and sales strategies that are most effective at the local level and have the greatest impact on the sale of your home. What’s more, chain brokers own their own ancillary business – such as title companies, escrow and mortgage brokers – and push clients to use their services. Their agents are coerced to use these affiliates not because they are the best, but because they’re profit centers.

The fees you pay go farther with a national chain

False. WEA has local ownership that can make critical decisions on the spot and on the basis of individual needs. Because WEA does not have to run each and every decision by corporate office, we are able to make decisions and utilize only those tactics that are most effective for each property and every client in the neighborhoods we service.In addition, we only receive commission on the transaction and don’t get paid for pushing extra services. As a result, our clients know that we are only recommending what is best for their individual needs.