Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Assist-2-Sell


 * The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review).  No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was keep. Consensus indicated that there are enough reliable sources for the subject. Nom also withdrew. (non-admin closure) Rollidan (talk) 20:01, 4 December 2019 (UTC)

Assist-2-Sell

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No evidence of notability. No external references. Rathfelder (talk) 19:52, 27 November 2019 (UTC)
 * Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Companies-related deletion discussions. Rathfelder (talk) 19:52, 27 November 2019 (UTC)
 * Note: This discussion has been included in the list of Nevada-related deletion discussions.  CAPTAIN RAJU (T) 21:03, 27 November 2019 (UTC)

Keep per the significant coverage in multiple independent reliable sources.    Orenstein, Beth W. (2007-08-12). "Top of its class: Valley's Assist 2 Sell franchise is nation's No. 1 for the past 18 months" (pages 1 and 2). The Morning Call. Archived from the original (pages 1 and 2) on 2019-11-30. Retrieved 2019-11-30.  <li>Cartwright, Vanessa. (2002-07-05). "Assist-2-Sell, Help-U-Sell say they offer discounts, quality" (pages 1 and 2). Reno Gazette-Journal. Archived from the original (pages 1 and 2) on 2019-11-30. Retrieved 2019-11-30.</li> <li></li> <li></li> <li></li> <li></li> <li></li> <li></li> <li></li> <li></li> <li></li> </ol>

<ol> <li> The article notes: "The Internet was purely an educational tool when Assist-2-Sell came into being, but that didn't stop the company from planting its roots the old-fashioned way, then speeding up its reach with the advent of technology and the World Wide Web. The Reno, Nevada-based firm was formed out of sheer frustration on the part of its cofounders, Lyle Martin and Mary LaMeres-Pomin, back in 1987. ... The company has since grown from a single location to 281 locations in 45 states and Canada. Early on, customers paid a flat fee of $1,495—after their homes were sold—for the same services that traditional agents were providing. For an additional, competitive co-broker free, customers could also have their homes listed in the local MLS. Today, the firm's flat fee ranges from $1,995 to $5,995, depending on geographic location. The company began franchising in 1995, handles over a hundred transactions monthly from its Reno office alone, and operates in large and small markets alike. The concept works well in 'hot' markets, where Martin says homeowners are more reluctant to pay a high commission, as they know homes sell easily. In slower markets, home sellers also welcome the concept, as the commission savings allows them to price their home more competitively."</li> <li> The book notes: "This is the position of 'Assist2Sell,' a relatively new discount brokerage company out of Reno, Nevada. Assist2Sell claims nearly 150 franchise offices across the country. And it says it is able to sell real estate and provide full service for less than traditional agents. The company generally (each franchisee operates somewhat differently) offers advertising, answers phone calls, and shows property in addition to handling documents and managing escrow. It does all of this for a fee structure ranging from $1,500 to $4,000 per home. It provides this service by paying salespeople a flat fee that is typically much lower than the commission they might otherwise receive. Additionally, the broker's office also makes a much lower fee. However, by putting through many more deals, they claim to make it up on volume. Assist2Sell says it provides: <ul><li>Advertising</li><li>Field phone calls</li><li>Shows your property</li></ul> It apparently, however, does this primarily through its own network of agents. It will not list your home on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) for the discount fee structure. However, because its agents are Realtors, it can list on the MLS, if you are willing to pay the buyer's agent commission."</li> <li> The article notes: "Assist-2-Sell calls itself as a discount real estate firm, but says there's nothing cheap about its services. The national franchise started in Reno, Nev., in 1987, and has since spread across the country and Canada with 435 offices. The primary difference between it and your standard local real estate office is that the Assist-2-Sell franchise charges either a lower commission or a flat fee for its package of services. ... LaMeres-Pomin and her partner Lyle Martin practiced as traditional real estate agents for 10 years before starting Assist-2-Sell. ... Reno's housing market wasn't strong at the time. LaMeres-Pomin and Martin wanted to find a way to help their sellers, she said. ... In the last three to five years the company has taken off, she said. Between 10 to 15 new Assist- 2-Sell offices open each month. The company has 435 offices across the United States and Canada including 82 in Florida." The article includes analysis from Raymond Bowie, a local real estate lawyer: "Agencies like Assist-2-Sell are the 'wave of the present' in some parts of the country, Bowie said, but it will take time in Southwest Florida."</li> <li>Orenstein, Beth W. (2007-08-12). "Top of its class: Valley's Assist 2 Sell franchise is nation's No. 1 for the past 18 months" (pages 1 and 2). The Morning Call. Archived from the original (pages 1 and 2) on 2019-11-30. Retrieved 2019-11-30. The article notes: "For the past 18 months, Sadler's has been No. 1 in sales among the 615 Assist 2 Sell franchises in the United States and Canada. Recently, he even topped the company-wned office in Reno, Nev., where Assist 2 Sell was founded and is based. ... At training, the franchisees learn all aspects of operating an Assist 2 Sell franchise from setting up back-office systems, running the office, recruiting agents, attracting customers and marketing homes to working with other real estate companies and handling customers." The article includes quotes from people affiliated with Assist 2 Sell. </li> <li> The article notes: "Assist-2-Sell was started in 1987 by two brokers in Reno, Nev., as a way to compete with big real estate offices. ... Assist-2-Sell has grown rapidly since it began franchising in 1994. The company now has 87 offices in 32 states, each independently owned and operated. ... Like traditional firms, Assist-2-Sell only collects the fee when the house sells. ... Another option Assist-2-Sell franchises offer, on an hourly basis, is to handle all the paperwork for people who are selling their house themselves. No one has requested this option yet and the fee hasn't been established, Puklich said."</li> <li>Cartwright, Vanessa. (2002-07-05). "Assist-2-Sell, Help-U-Sell say they offer discounts, quality" (pages 1 and 2). Reno Gazette-Journal. Archived from the original (pages 1 and 2) on 2019-11-30. Retrieved 2019-11-30. The article notes: "'The main misconception about Assist-2-Sell comes from our competitors trying to make people believe discount is a dirty word and it isn't,' said Mary LaMeres-Pomin, co-owner and co-founder of the Reno-based real estate company she started with partner Lyle Martin more thann 15 years ago. ... One of North America's largest residential discount realty companies, Assist-2-Sell provides all the services offered by traditional brokers for a single, set fee of $2,995. ... Assist-2-Sell can charge considerably less because of its high volume system and experienced professionals who handle everything from advertising and showing the home to overseeing the closing process, LaMeres-Pomin said."</li> <li> The book notes: "Assist2Sell Instead of offering just one marketing program, Assist2Sell (www.assist2sell.com) offers sellers a 'menu' of services from a paperwork-only low 'flat fee' to a full-blown MLS marketing program. The company has 630 offices in 46 states and in Canada."</li> <li> The article notes: "Assist-2-Sell, based in Reno, Nev., helps do-it-yourself sellers by providing home-sale support on an à la carte basis. After franchising its network of discount real estate brokerages in 1995, the company evolved into an Internet-powered service that reduces transaction costs while offering sellers direct access to buyers. Assist-2-Sell charges a fee of about $3,500 or a 4.5 percent commission on the final sale price, depending on what level of service a seller requires. 'I'm sure traditional brokers wish that we would just disappear,' says Assist-2-Sell co-founder Lyle Martin. The company's growth seems to bear this out. Assist-2-Sell handled 11,831 home sales in June, up 50 percent from the year before. Its network of offices has expanded to more than 400 local franchisees scattered across the country. (These are also a moneymaker: Owner-operators pay Assist-2-Sell $19,500 for a franchise, plus an additional 5 percent of the commission of every home they sell.) Assist-2-Sell reported revenue of $4.2 million in 2003, up from $2.8 million in 2002. The company's founders say it's already profitable and on track to generate revenue of $6.5 million by year's end."</li> <li> The article notes: "Nevada-based Assist-2-Sell opened up its first Texas franchise this month off South Padre Island Drive. The growth of the company is based on the concept that if a real estate company not only charges a flat fee, but undercuts the price of other real estate agents, its phones will ring. And they've been ringing a lot. The company has more than doubled its presence throughout the country every year since branching off into franchises in 1995. There are now 90 Assist-2-Sell offices in the United States. Lyle Martin of Reno, Nev., who co-developed Assist-2-Sell in 1987, predicts that by this time next year, there will also be offices in Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston. Assist-2-Sell will sell houses for a flat, $1,995 fee - regardless of the selling price. In a market where last year's selling price averaged $95,435, a typical 6 percent commission would cost about $5,726."</li> <li> The article notes: "The way it works is simple. Assist-2-Sell will list and market homes for a flat rate of $2,995. That includes a sign, newspaper advertisements, brochures, contracts, a key box for the house and showings. Customers have the option of being listed on the Memphis Area Board of Realtors Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and must agree to pay a 3 percent commission if an outside agent brings the buyer. With offers presented to sellers not on the MLS, the outside agent includes his commission with the buyer's offer. If the seller accepts the offer, it includes the commission. ... In some respects, Assist-2-Sell falls between using a traditional real estate firm and selling your home yourself."</li> <li> The article notes: "Word of Assist-2-Sell's rates and reputation has gotten around the realty circle with reaction ranging from skepticism to intimidation. Dan Boothby, a broker with Century 21 Balfour in Portland, said Assist-2-Sell had not affected sales within his firm and questioned the reality of the $2,995 flat rate. 'It would be hard for me to sell a home at that fee and make money,' Boothby said. 'So many issues can arise during the negotiating part of the contract. The whole concept is vague.' Boothby also questioned being excluded from MLS. 'If you are not in the MLS, how can you get the best price for the seller? You are limiting the number of potential buyers,' said Boothby. 'I have a word of caution to the consumer -- to check out a realty firm before you sign on. As with an attorney or a doctor, you wouldn't go to someone just because they are the cheapest.'"</li> <li> The article notes: "Assist-2-Sell brokers offer home sellers two fee structures. One is a flat rate of $1,995 regardless of the property's selling price, which is the program that worked for the Rogers. Under this program, sellers are required to help sell their house, often holding their own open houses. The other is a full-service program with a commission of 4.5 percent of the sale price -- a break of 1.5 points off the rate charged by most brokers. The main difference between Assist-2-Sell's two programs is how the property is marketed. Homes in the flat-rate program are not included in the multiple-listing service, a computerized directory of listings in an area which Realtors from all agencies search when matching buyers and sellers. ... Lyle Martin and his partner, Mary LaMeres-Pomin, who had been traditional brokers, opened the first Assist-2-Sell office in Reno, Nev., in 1987. Since they began franchising their concept two years ago, about 30 Assist-2-Sell offices have opened around the country, he says. Each is independently owned and operated. Sadler's is the only franchise in Pennsylvania. However, Martin expects at least 20 more franchises to open this year, some of them in Pennsylvania."</li> <li> The article notes: "Assist 2 Sell is part of an innovative chain of real estate offices designed to sell homes, assist buyers and save clients money. Gone is the traditional 6 percent commission. Clients pay one flat fee for a complete package of services. ... Assist 2 Sell is one of the fastest-growing companies in the real estate industry. It has 435 offices across the United States, including 82 in Florida. Malone said it offers franchises only to experienced agents, with proven track records. ... Assist 2 Sell offers sellers an effective range of advertising to make the sale. Marketing includes newspaper, magazines, direct mail, signs, brochure boxes and its exclusive HotSheet, a free 'drive-by' list of homes for sale. And with more and more buyers using the Internet, Assist 2 Sell offers clients iHouse2000.com, a website that provides sellers with the best Internet exposure available."</li> <li> The article notes: "This is the argument that Reno-based Assist-2-Sell, and its main competitor, Help-U-Sell, make in their pitch to customers. ... Reno-based Assist-2-Sell was founded in 1987 by Lyle Martin and Mary LaMeres-Pomin. The first Las Vegas franchise did not open until 2001. ... Assist-2-Sell generally offers two different marketing plans: 'Direct to Buyer' and 'MLS for Less,' a multiple listing system tool that markets properties to other real estate agents. With the 'Direct-to-Buyer' plan, the agent facilitates for the seller like a traditional broker: advertises the property, actively sells the property and handles all the paperwork. 'MLS for Less' includes all the above and the property is additionally listed on the MLS."</li> <li> The article notes: "Another threat comes as a small but growing number of homeowners try new ways to sell a home. The two largest 'flat-fee' brokerages, Help-U-Sell and Assist-2-Sell, are well over a decade old, but in the past year their networks of franchises have exploded; together they now have nearly 900 offices nationwide."</li> </ol>

There is sufficient coverage in reliable sources to allow Assist-2-Sell to pass Notability, which requires "significant coverage in reliable sources that are independent of the subject". Cunard (talk) 11:40, 30 November 2019 (UTC)</li></ul>


 * Comment: I rewrote and sourced the article. Cunard (talk) 11:40, 30 November 2019 (UTC)
 * Happy to withdraw this proposal. Rathfelder (talk) 18:04, 30 November 2019 (UTC)
 * Keep: At time of nom the article was not fit for mainspace but now quitable per Cunard's rewrite. Some sources look passing but overall others appear sufficent for keep.  thankyou.Djm-leighpark (talk) 18:06, 30 November 2019 (UTC)
 * Keep per WP:RS and improvements to the article Lightburst (talk) 22:01, 3 December 2019 (UTC)


 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. <b style="color:red">Please do not modify it.</b> Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.