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About Us

About Us

Who Are We?

Real estate is the most significant investment and asset in most people’s lives. Wouldn’t you rather be in the driver’s seat when it comes to your generational wealth piggy bank?

iRealty Shop is a real estate service online boutique tailored to give individuals more control, hence the “i” in our name, which stands for you.

A practical, efficient, and economical way for our team to assist and deliver quality white-glove real estate services to customers and clients so that they can feel empowered and save money.

iRealty Shop strives to bring local top-notch real estate professional services, tools, techniques, resources, and savings to homeowners without having to pay a percentage of clients’ nest egg, most often equating to tens of thousands of dollars.

Empowering women stacking their hands
Our Story

About Us

iRealty Shop was born during the global COVID-19 pandemic by Mariella Agrusa, an award-winning Southern California broker specializing in complex transactions like probate, trusts, divorce, foreclosure, & investments.

Although a similar concept named “Economique” was lurking in Mariella’s office notes dating back to 2012; the pandemic gave way to new tools, resources, processes; and above all; another BIG reason for her to revisit the idea.

Furthermore, during the pandemic, more and more people of all ages and backgrounds started to become more comfortable with Do-It-Yourself practices while new and improved technologies, more information accessibility, and more time and familiarity with the real estate industry commonly used resources.

She realized that much of what she learned over the 25 years as a real estate professional could be put to work to guide clients through selling. All while allowing people with or without a real estate professional license or experience to save money and be in more control of their transactions & money.

Mariella & her team have always been passionate about delivering high-quality, top-notch service & strive to go above and beyond to serve their clients & customers. Mariella listened to what people, including clients and other professionals, were saying to discover potential improvements; she went back to make improvements to the original idea, and iRealty Shop emerged.

“iRealty Shop breaks the entire process down into service level packages and individual services that make the experience more personalized to the individual needs instead of a one-size fits all traditional & expensive full-service agreement. We take great pride in empowering people with the ability to build people confidence & generational wealth.”, said Mariella.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ for Listing Homes

What does a “Flat-Fee” and “Discount Broker” mean?

A “flat-fee” real estate broker typically does NOT base compensation on a percentage of the sale price of the property. Instead, the broker charges a flat fee for the services in an agreed-upon service package.

A “discount real estate broker” is a broker providing real estate service (typically listing) at a discount from the traditional market percentage. For example, the typical broker commission is 6%, but discount brokers earn between (3%-5%) of the sales price.

iRealty Shop offers both. Our flat rate service package falls well below the average commission amount.

Calculating from the October 2022 Los Angeles Almanac ᴛᴍ for its 7 Southern California counties, or $844,895.71, a traditional broker charges 2%-3%. That equates to $16,897.90-$25,346.85, for the listing broker’s compensation alone.

 

Does iRealty Shop require you to buy another home using its services in order to take advantage of its packaged services & prices?

No. iRealty Shop does not require you to use our buyer services to take advantage and use our seller service packages and flat fee pricing; however we do offer buyer incentives for doing so. You can either choose to get a $1500 credit or an attorney prepared a new or revised trust or estate plan valued up to $1800. We homeowner and wealth preservation advocates so if you don’t already have a trust prepared, we highly recommend you get one done.

 

Is it wise to list homes for sale on a local Multiple Listing Service (MLS)?

Absolutely! The National Association of REALTORSⓇ , according to a national study, estimates that homes/properties sell for about 10% more money and up to 90% more quickly when listed on the MLS. Most MLS syndicate to multiple national websites. That means more eyes can see your property. Additionally, serious buyers work with brokers and their agents to help them find a property. Most brokers/agents pay a membership fee to gain access to their local MLS.

 

Is it wise to work with a broker to buy or sell a property?

Definitely, especially if your broker understands you and your needs, is accessible, knowledgeable, and boosts your confidence. That’s especially true for one who’s eager to guide you and who fits your budget.

 

Do I need to pay a broker or agent to help me find property to purchase?

Typically, sellers pay the buyer’s broker their fee/commission. So they will not only help you, as a buyer, through the entire process, but you won’t even worry about the fee. While some argue that buyers do pay for their brokers because it increases the seller’s sales price, that’s not really the case. Homes typically sell for prices that comparable properties had recently commanded. Also, if a buyer finances a purchase, an appraisal determines market value based on comparable sales and specific factors of the property.

 

Can I sell my home/property myself without using a broker/agent?

You certainly can sell your property/home on your own. However, according to a National Association of REALTORSⓇ study, homes sell for an average of 10% more money and up to 90% faster when listed on the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Most MLS systems syndicate data to several national websites and other multiple listing service providers. That invites more eyes to see the property. Additionally, serious buyers work with brokers and their agents to help find a property, and most brokers and those professionals pay a hefty membership fee to access the local MLS. Consequently, they gain the advantage of access to properties appearing on the MLS. Buyers and/or their brokers seldom have time to scour desired neighborhoods for homes for sale by owners. That makes the MLS a powerful and useful tool.

 

Who conducts open houses in iRealty Shop service packages?

Upon the seller’s approval, a local, skilled, and licensed REALTORⓇ that adheres to the code of ethics & responsibilities will conduct the open house.

 

How long does it take to list a home/property on the MLS when I sign up for iRealty Shop service?

Provided that we have all the information, photos & documents needed, the turnaround time is no more than 48 hours.

 

If I sign up with an iRealty Shop service package, will I get access to buyers and/or their brokers' contact information?

Provided that we have all the necessary information, photos, & documents, this takes no more than 48 hours.

 

How do “Instant Offers” work?

iRealty Shop offers instant offers for people who need to sell their home quickly without having to list, market, and make any updates or repairs. iRealty Shop works with many local, national and international buyers seeking homes. 

Although nobody can absolutely guarantee the availability of an offer, iRealty Shop can research property data based on address or parcel number, plus submitted photos, to provide a fair assessment of what your home/property is worth in the current market and to make an offer within 48 hours.  However, if you aren’t in a mad rush to sell your home in 14 days or less; iRealty Shop recommends its Auction style platform where buyers compete live or by proxy bid. Historically, auction style marketing strategy has closed between 7 and 30 days. 

If you need to relocate and/or need to get funds quickly, you may also want to consider using iRealty Shop’s property management service. That way, you can lease the home either on a short or long-term basis. It can also help manage the sale while you’re away.  Talk to one of our representatives about how we can assist you in achieving your desired goals.

 

Is the Auction style method of marketing and sale of my home/property effective?

Yes. Not only is it effective but it’s also more efficient. It’s why banks, lenders, municipalities, counties, states and the federal government— even fine art dealers use this method of marketing and sales. It not only creates urgency but also speeds the process and typically produces a higher net profit to the seller.

 

Do I have to use the Auction style method to sell my home/property?

No. iRealty Shop doesn’t require you to use this method; nor does it require you to do anything you don’t wish to do. However, iRealty Shop highly recommends it due to its historical results and effectiveness.

 

What if the home auction style method doesn’t produce the results I want?

Relax. It’s no problem. You have the option to institute a reserve amount. If a viable offer doesn’t at least match your reserve amount by the end of the auction, you don’t have to accept any of the bid(s)/offer(s). In such a case, you have 3 choices:

  1. You can decide to do a second round of auction marketing.
  2. You can switch to the traditional marketing & sale strategy.
  3. You can decide to try negotiating with bidders and accept one of their final offers and terms.

 

Do I have to publicly publish my reserve amount when using the home auction style method?

No. iRealty Shop doesn’t require you to do this. If you don’t wish to disclose your reserve amount, the auction website portal will simply say “Not Disclosed.”

However, a predetermined reserve amount must be disclosed in writing to iRealty Shop in order to preserve fairness for everyone. The reserve amount should not be a number out of line with comparable properties that have recently sold in the area. The reserve amount stands as a guide, not to establish the final sales price. If the auction surpasses your reserve amount, then you just pocket the additional funds at closing. It’s a win-win!