Why We Terminated our Dave Ramsey ELP Membership
Updated: January 2022
After 11 years as an ELP (Endorsed Local Provider) covering the metro Atlanta market, and a fan of Dave Ramsey’s debt free teachings, our team terminated our ELP membership effective January 2020. When we began as an ELP, the focus was on serving clients and having the heart of a teacher. Over the years, the ELP costs we paid Dave Ramsey’s company as referral fees and monthly membership fees skyrocketed. Leads were given to three ELP’s which made followup feel spammy, with buyers and sellers getting pounced on by three agents via call, text, and email within minutes of registering for an ELP agent. The required ‘coaching’ meetings by Dave Ramsey staff members felt like micromanaging, more appropriate for inexperienced agents.
We Believe in Treating All People with Respect and Dignity
Our team’s core RUG values of Respect, Unity, and the Golden Rule+ drive all our business decisions. We believe that all people should be appreciated for who they are, and for what they believe, and treated with respect and dignity. If a client or business partner doesn’t align with our RUG values, we choose not to have a working relationship with them.
What Dave Ramsey Teachings Do We Believe In?
While we chose to no longer be Endorsed Local Providers, we do believe in a debt free approach to running our business. We have zero debt as a company, and maintain a healthy financial buffer to cover all expenses in case of a fluctuating market. We also encourage our clients to not become ‘house poor’ by taking on more debt than they can comfortably afford.
We also think Dave Ramsey’s suggestion to ask these 10 questions before choosing an agent is good advice. We have put together our answers to share with you, along with a bonus question at the end. 🙂
Dave Ramsey’s 10 questions to ask before choosing an Agent
How long have you been a full-time agent in my market?
All team members are full-time, with our average years of experience 10+ years. The average agent in our market sells 3.7 homes a year. Our team members average 16-30+ sales per agent per year.
How many homes do you close each year?
Our team closes 350-400 homes a year.
Who will be my primary point of contact?
As a team, we provide a Real Estate Specialist who has the most experience and best strategy to help you reach your goals. We also have a team in the office working for you, including dedicated marketing, technology, transaction and listing coordination specialists..
What qualities or certifications set you apart from other agents?
We are a team brokerage, which means we are a collaborative team, all working together for our clients, instead of like most real estate offices where everyone is in competition with each other. We also own the brokerage, giving us more freedom and opportunity to benefit our clients, without the inherent corporate bureaucracy of a franchise or national company.
Additionally, our local owners, Becky Babcock and Brad Nix, having degrees in Business (Management & Marketing) with over 50 years of combined experience. Brad and Becky are connected with the community and involved daily in serving our clients. It is rare in the real estate industry for a client to be able to pick up the phone and speak to the owner of the company!
How will you help me sell and/or buy a home in a competitive market?
We have specific negotiation, contract, and marketing strategies that help guide our clients depending on their individual goals, typically based on what is most important to them: time, money or hassle. Our experience finding innovative solutions in competitive markets is something we discuss when we meet in person. Our clients would lose their competitive advantage if we shared it on the internet! 🙂
What’s your commission?
Brokerage fees vary. All brokerage commissions are paid at closing, so there is no upfront cost. Whether you are a buyer, seller, or both, our goal is to optimize your bottom line at closing.
Do I have to sign a contract with you, and can I cancel without penalty?
We do listing agreements with sellers and buyer brokerage agreements with buyers. Georgia Law requires a written agreement for us to represent and advise clients. We invest time and money in our clients and request their commitment to us is equal to our commitment to them. Our local owners are happy to discuss specific stipulations regarding options to cancel.
The best way to know if we are a good fit is to simply Google Path & Post Real Estate and read the words from past clients in our reviews across many channels, including Zillow, Google, Realtor, Facebook, and more.
How will you communicate with me?
We like to communicate however our clients prefer communicating, so we will ask you if you prefer a phone call, text or email for routine communication. When we are in the midst of important negotiations or need to reach a client right away, we generally use all forms of communication, unless asked not to.
How do you set realistic expectations for your clients?
We use our knowledge of the local market and related strategies to help our clients understand how the market will influence their experience. Absorption rates, days on market, sales price to list price ratios, interest rates, and the economy in general will all impact the local market.
Who can I contact for a reference?
We suggest using GOOGLE to research agents and teams. Reading reviews from others who have worked with us is a great way to hear about our work, in their words. The best sites to check out reviews are on Google, Zillow, Realtor, and Facebook.
Bonus Question: How do I research an agent or a team?
In addition to reading the reviews and checking out sales track records, we recommend analyzing an agent or team by checking out their online marketing. Specifically, explore the quality of their website and user experience, quality of photography and drone work, and the extent of their social media presence and social media marketing. It is also important to ask how they optimize technology to market listings to a wider audience, and whether their buyer clients benefit with advance knowledge of ‘coming soon’ listings.
The bottom line is we suggest you GOOGLE THEM to check out an agent or team.
