How Does DUFFY Realty Work?

So many people are curious about DUFFY Realty. Who owns DUFFY Realty? How does DUFFY Realty work? And can DUFFY Realty of Atlanta sell a property successfully in Metro Atlanta?  

Discount brokerages have changed the real estate industry, and they continue to grow.  This is simply because of technology, the feelings of consumers who believe that paying an agent upwards of even 4% of their sales price is ridiculous.  As many competitors put pressure in the discount brokerage arena, DUFFY still reigns as the leader in Atlanta.  

Who Should Use DUFFY Realty?

With that being said, the founder Rhonda Duffy reports that she made the model for any Seller and that they have indeed sold and continue to sell homes of any price range in all areas of Metro Atlanta.  DUFFY’s clients range from millennials to baby boomers and beyond.  Some with technical backgrounds and others who simply use email.  In her own words, “DUFFY is a model for every seller that is offended by the thought of paying more than is needed to sell their home.” 

How Long Has DUFFY Realty Been in Business?

It is hard to believe that discount brokerage models have been around for over 2 decades offering smart sellers options.  DUFFY Realty established their foothold in Metro Atlanta in 2002.  Opening to a select group of sellers who found them through word of mouth.  Then, the business took off like wildfire.  Referrals from mortgage lenders, closing attorneys and even other real estate agents sent DUFFY soaring. 

Next came tv ads, radio ads, 2 real estate radio shows on WGST and 790 The Zone for 7 years, interviews featuring Rhonda Duffy and articles galore.  DUFFY was the new kid on the block and Clark Howard did several articles about DUFFY’s gracious model for sellers.  

Who Owns DUFFY Realty?

DUFFY was founded and launched in 2002 by Rhonda Duffy and her husband Frank Duffy.  In 2015, Rhonda and Frank did something that most business owners would never do or maybe don’t even know to do.  As they started planning their legacy, they decided to move the hierarchy of ownership from themselves and their heirs to the many employees that had been with DUFFY at the start of the business and the future employees as well.  They gave the company to the employees via an Employee Stock Ownership Plan.  In an interview that asked why would you do that?  Frank and Rhonda said, “We want the legacy of DUFFY to continue for the people that helped us build and make DUFFY what it is today, which is a powerful option for a real estate transaction.”  Every person that you talk to at DUFFY is an owner of DUFFY.  They have a stake in your result. 

Is DUFFY Realty Good?

Thousands of reviews online from Sellers and Buyers prove that the public likes DUFFY.  Of course, DUFFY has some Sellers that don’t agree with the experience.  Rhonda Duffy chalked this up in an interview with a small magazine as “Yes, we do have 4% of the users of our model that end up dissatisfied with the results.  It pains us deeply when we can not provide the experience that the Seller is expecting.

Some of this turns out to be other people involved in the transaction and other times it is the process of appraisal or inspections of the property and sometimes we mess it up ourselves and we end up parting ways by giving a refund to the Seller to make it right with them.  What I do know is that we work really hard at DUFFY, every day, to make the process as good as it can be while giving our Sellers the ability to ask the price that they want and to spend as much money or no money to increase the condition of the home.”

Moreover, across the web at Facebook, Google, Yelp, the previous review site Kudzu, the Better Business Bureau and Zillow, DUFFY ranks at a stealth 4.5 Stars from Sellers and Buyers alike.  And, they even have some Agent testimonials from other cooperating agents in transactions.

How Does Duffy Realty Work?

For Sellers DUFFY uses the same process as traditional brokers yet clients report that it takes less time to deal with DUFFY overall.  DUFFY’s protocols are based on keeping concepts simple, giving clients more rights to meet their desires, expectations and terms and to keep the drama out of the transaction.  DUFFY has uses proprietary software written by Rhonda Duffy herself and it continually strengthens the concept of K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid).  

DUFFY performs the real estate transaction using:

• The same Multiple Listing Services
• The same advertising
• And the same websites listing homes for sale
• The same showing system
• The same lockboxes
• And the same photographers
• The same strategies
• The same contracts
• And the same negotiation tactics (even better)
• The same closing process
• The same closing attorneys
• Getting the same result for far less cost!

What Does DUFFY Charge?

You can actually sell your home for the unheard of commission fee of 7/8ths of 1% of the sales price!  That’s right, if an unrepresented buyer buys your home, you pay only the 7/8ths of 1% of the sales price at closing. You set the buyer’s agent at 2% of the sales price or 3% of the sales price if a buyer’s agent is involved (unique seller’s right in the industry).  You set the price you want, DUFFY will guide you with a range.  

Buyers who use DUFFY enjoy a Commission Share of up to half of the buyer’s agent commission that DUFFY is paid by the seller.  The sliding share is based on the amount of homes that DUFFY shows you.  DUFFY sets up the searching portal for Buyer Clients and represents them fully in contract negotiations using tactics for the Buyer Client to pay the least amount of money possible for the property.

It is important to note that many companies that offer a buyer commission share of any kind require that the client be both a buyer and a seller.  That is not the case for DUFFY.

DUFFY is a Huge Savings for Home Sellers and Home Buyers.  

DUFFY Realty is worth considering if….

• If you believe that paying a higher commission than is necessary is not needed
• You understand that all real estate transactions use the same methodologies
  
• If you want control over your showings

What Areas Does Duffy Realty Serve?

DUFFY Realty can list homes in all of the state of Georgia.  However, the Supra Agent lockboxes don’t work in all cities outside of Metro Atlanta.  And, whereas the Multiple Listing Services (MLS) do advertise statewide, some cities outside of Metro Atlanta do have their own Multiple Listing Service.  

Alternatives to DUFFY Realty

Of course there are companies calling themselves Discount Brokers and traditional agents that do less services for their clients than DUFFY, sometimes at no fault of their own, they just don’t know better, but DUFFY is unique.

You Have More Seller Rights With DUFFY Realty

DUFFY has a list of Seller Rights that no other company has listed as their benefits for Sellers nor do they perform.

The ability to:

• List the home at your price and your terms (we help you with a range and we are really good at it) 
• Sell, rent or lease purchase at the same time
• Withdraw from the market at anytime
• Set the Buyer’s Agent commission above 1%
• Get a Comprehensive Strategy Report of market conditions at any time (proprietary report that is Outstanding!)
• Turn down offers that don’t fit your terms
• Sell to a Buyer that does not have an agent and save the Buyer’s Agent commission

You Have More Buyer Rights With DUFFY Realty

So, DUFFY admits that the company was built for Sellers.  The Buyer transaction started for DUFFY only about 10 years ago.  Many people are wowed by how DUFFY Realty works with Buyers in such an aggressive way with the commission split.  It is never shared so aggressively between a company and a Buyers.  How does DUFFY Realty work?   DUFFY takes the pressure valve off of Buyers by letting them structure their own timing. DUFFY Buyers report a transaction that is far superior to other times they have purchased.  It must be noted that Rhonda Duffy has said in many interviews that as she is extremely proud of the Listing process she has built and yet, she has even more pride in her Buyer process.  Buyers seem to love it too.

The Buyer Right to:

• Tell DUFFY when they want to see something via click of a button
• Get a Comprehensive (proprietary report that is Outstanding!)
• Make any offer they see fit
• Hire any Inspector to inspect the home
• Arrange any financing
• Share in up to half of the commission paid to DUFFY as a Buyer’s Agent (example: $300K sales price with a 3% buyer’s agent commission = $9,000 commission.  Split $4500.00 to Buyer and $4500.00 to DUFFY).  Paid by cash after closing or can be used as closing costs at closing

Conclusion

DUFFY believes that they have the perfect recipe built for Sellers and Buyers.

As an Employee Owner culture and base of expertise, the Owners of DUFFY are long time agents handling thousands of transactions.  Combine that with Seller and Buyer rights wherein the Seller or Buyer are protecting their own interests as well, DUFFY makes transactions that are more profitable for the client.  This is what is expressed in the glowing reviews of DUFFY.  The K.I.S.S. methodology removes the drama and the expertise lets the victory happen.  

DUFFY adds “We are so grateful for the trust that our clients give us and the journey that we take together.  DUFFY is magical because our clients are amazing.  We want them to WIN!”

Here are the Sales that DUFFY has produced in the major Metro Atlanta by County Sales from the last few years.  Since 2002 we have sold 40,000 and counting listings for Sellers and worked with over 10,000 buyers.