IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/hal/journl/halshs-01671084.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The " Bad Deal " Illusion

Author

Listed:
  • Fabrice Larceneux

    (DRM - Dauphine Recherches en Management - Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

  • Thomas Lefebvre

    (DRM - Dauphine Recherches en Management - Université Paris Dauphine-PSL - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

Why can contracting with an intermediary be perceived as a " bad deal " compared with a direct contract between buyers and sellers? This study shows that information asymmetries in brokerage services lead to forming a judgmental heuristic that is a negative attitude toward commission fees, called " commission inequity. " Using a questionnaire from 3,484 housing buyers and sellers, we show that this heuristic influences the perceived satisfaction of the transaction price which, in turn, influences broker reputation. Moreover, buyers using brokerage services do not report different purchasing prices than buyers via direct transactions (FSBO) but perceive a significantly lower price satisfaction. These results are replicated with sellers who report a higher selling price when using a broker as compared to sellers selling directly. However, they also indicate a significant lower price satisfaction compared with FSBO sellers. Therefore, the commission inequity heuristic is shown to lead to the illusion of a bad deal.

Suggested Citation

  • Fabrice Larceneux & Thomas Lefebvre, 2016. "The " Bad Deal " Illusion," Post-Print halshs-01671084, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-01671084
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-01671084
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-01671084/document
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Vickie L. Bajtelsmit & Elaine Worzala, 1997. "Adversarial Brokerage in Residential Real Estate Transactions: The Impact of Separate Buyer Representation," Journal of Real Estate Research, American Real Estate Society, vol. 14(1), pages 65-76.
    2. Steven D. Levitt & Chad Syverson, 2008. "Market Distortions When Agents Are Better Informed: The Value of Information in Real Estate Transactions," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 90(4), pages 599-611, November.
    3. Carroll, Wayne, 1989. "Fixed-Percentage Commissions and Moral Hazard in Residential Real Estate Brokerage," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 2(4), pages 349-365, December.
    4. Marco Wolf & Shaun McQuitty, 2011. "Understanding the do-it-yourself consumer: DIY motivations and outcomes," AMS Review, Springer;Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 1(3), pages 154-170, December.
    5. Oliver, Richard L & Swan, John E, 1989. "Equity and Disconfirmation Perceptions as Influences on Merchant and Product Satisfaction," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 16(3), pages 372-383, December.
    6. Thomas S. Zorn & James E. Larsen, 1986. "The Incentive Effects of Flat‐Fee and Percentage Commissions for Real Estate Brokers," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 14(1), pages 24-47, March.
    7. Jensen, Michael C. & Meckling, William H., 1976. "Theory of the firm: Managerial behavior, agency costs and ownership structure," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 305-360, October.
    8. Igal Hendel & Aviv Nevo & François Ortalo-Magné, 2009. "The Relative Performance of Real Estate Marketing Platforms: MLS versus FSBOMadison.com," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 99(5), pages 1878-1898, December.
    9. David Dale‐Johnson & Stanley W. Hamilton, 1998. "Housing Market Conditions, Listing Choice and MLS Market Share," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 26(2), pages 275-307, June.
    10. Campbell, John Y., 1999. "Asset prices, consumption, and the business cycle," Handbook of Macroeconomics, in: J. B. Taylor & M. Woodford (ed.), Handbook of Macroeconomics, edition 1, volume 1, chapter 19, pages 1231-1303, Elsevier.
    11. Lichtenstein, Donald R & Bearden, William O, 1989. "Contextual Influences on Perceptions of Merchant-Supplied Reference Prices," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 16(1), pages 55-66, June.
    12. Chunchi Wu & Peter F. Colwell, 1986. "Equilibrium of Housing and Real Estate Brokerage Markets Under Uncertainty," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 14(1), pages 1-23, March.
    13. Anglin, Paul M & Arnott, Richard, 1991. "Residential Real Estate Brokerage as a Principal-Agent Problem," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 4(2), pages 99-125, June.
    14. Schroeter, John R., 1987. "Competition and Value-Of-Service Pricing in the Residential Real Estate Brokerage Market," Staff General Research Papers Archive 11116, Iowa State University, Department of Economics.
    15. Panle Jia & Parag A. Pathak, 2010. "The Impact of Commissions on Home Sales in Greater Boston," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 100(2), pages 475-479, May.
    16. Harold W. Elder & Leonard V. Zumpano & Edward A. Baryla, 2000. "Buyer Brokers: Do They Make a Difference? Their Influence on Selling Price and Search Duration," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 28(2), pages 337-362.
    17. Fabrice Larceneux & Thomas Lefebvre & Arnaud Simon, 2015. "What added value do Estate Agents offer compared to FSBO transaction? Explanation from a perceived advantages model," Post-Print hal-01635048, HAL.
    18. Larceneux, Fabrice & Lefebvre, Thomas & Simon, Arnaud, 2015. "What added value do estate agents offer compared to FSBO transactions? Explanation from a perceived advantages model," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 72-82.
    19. Kahneman, Daniel & Knetsch, Jack L & Thaler, Richard, 1986. "Fairness as a Constraint on Profit Seeking: Entitlements in the Market," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 76(4), pages 728-741, September.
    20. Bolton, Lisa E & Warlop, Luk & Alba, Joseph W, 2003. "Consumer Perceptions of Price (Un)Fairness," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 29(4), pages 474-491, March.
    21. Yinger, John, 1981. "A Search Model of Real Estate Broker Behavior," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 71(4), pages 591-605, September.
    22. Folkes, Valerie S & Koletsky, Susan & Graham, John L, 1987. "A Field Study of Causal Inferences and Consumer Reaction: The View from the Airport," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 13(4), pages 534-539, March.
    23. Knoll, Michael S, 1988. "Uncertainty, Efficiency, and the Brokerage Industry," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 31(1), pages 249-263, April.
    24. Frey, Bruno S. & Pommerehne, Werner W., 1993. "On the fairness of pricing -- An empirical survey among the general population," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 295-307, April.
    25. Slovic, Paul & Finucane, Melissa & Peters, Ellen & MacGregor, Donald G., 2002. "Rational actors or rational fools: implications of the affect heuristic for behavioral economics," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 31(4), pages 329-342.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Han, Lu & Strange, William C., 2015. "The Microstructure of Housing Markets," Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, in: Gilles Duranton & J. V. Henderson & William C. Strange (ed.), Handbook of Regional and Urban Economics, edition 1, volume 5, chapter 0, pages 813-886, Elsevier.
    2. John D. Benjamin & G. Donald Jud & G. Stacy Sirmans, 2000. "What Do We Know About Real Estate Brokerage?," Journal of Real Estate Research, American Real Estate Society, vol. 20(1), pages 5-30.
    3. John D. Benjamin & G. Donald Jud & G. Stacy Sirmans, 2000. "Real Estate Brokerage and the Hosting Market: An Annotated Bibliography," Journal of Real Estate Research, American Real Estate Society, vol. 20(1), pages 217-278.
    4. Timothy E. Jares & James E. Larsen & Thomas S. Zorn, 2000. "An Optimal Incentive System For Real Estate Agents," Journal of Real Estate Research, American Real Estate Society, vol. 20(1), pages 49-59.
    5. Ying Li & Abdullah Yavas, 2015. "Residential Brokerage in Hot and Cold Markets," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 51(1), pages 1-21, July.
    6. Marcus T. Allen & William H. Dare & Lingxiao Li, 2018. "MLS Information Sharing Intensity and Housing Market Outcomes," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 57(2), pages 297-313, August.
    7. Oz Shy, 2012. "Real Estate Brokers and Commission: Theory and Calibrations," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 45(4), pages 982-1004, November.
    8. Larceneux, Fabrice & Lefebvre, Thomas & Simon, Arnaud, 2015. "What added value do estate agents offer compared to FSBO transactions? Explanation from a perceived advantages model," Journal of Housing Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(C), pages 72-82.
    9. Jonathan Wiley & Justin Benefield & Marcus Allen, 2014. "Cyclical Determinants of Brokerage Commission Rates," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 48(1), pages 196-219, January.
    10. Geoffrey K. Turnbull & Bennie D. Waller & Scott A. Wentland, 2022. "Mitigating agency costs in the housing market," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 50(3), pages 829-861, September.
    11. Randy I. Anderson & Robert Fok & Leonard V. Zumpano & Harold W. Elder, 1998. "Measuring the Efficiency of Residential Real Estate Brokerage Firms," Journal of Real Estate Research, American Real Estate Society, vol. 16(2), pages 139-158.
    12. Zhaohui Li & Qiang Li & Hua Sun & Li Sun, 2022. "Diffused effort, asset heterogeneity, and real estate brokerage," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 50(3), pages 707-742, September.
    13. Daniel Broxterman & Tingyu Zhou, 2023. "Information Frictions in Real Estate Markets: Recent Evidence and Issues," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 66(2), pages 203-298, February.
    14. Thomas J. Emmerling & Abdullah Yavas & Yildiray Yildirim, 2021. "To accept or not to accept: Optimal strategy for sellers in real estate," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 49(S1), pages 268-296, March.
    15. Nguyen, Bang & Klaus, Philipp “Philâ€, 2013. "Retail fairness: Exploring consumer perceptions of fairness towards retailers’ marketing tactics," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 311-324.
    16. Sirmans, C. F. & Turnbull, Geoffrey K., 1997. "Brokerage Pricing under Competition," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 41(1), pages 102-117, January.
    17. Cedric Behler & Philip Gärtner & Hans-Joachim Linke, 2023. "Marktdominanz von Maklern auf Onlineimmobilienportalen in Deutschland und Kalifornien [Market dominance of real estate brokers on online real estate platforms in Germany and California]," Zeitschrift für Immobilienökonomie (German Journal of Real Estate Research), Springer;Gesellschaft für Immobilienwirtschaftliche Forschung e. V., vol. 9(1), pages 31-61, April.
    18. Lu Han & William C. Strange, 2014. "Bidding Wars for Houses," Real Estate Economics, American Real Estate and Urban Economics Association, vol. 42(1), pages 1-32, March.
    19. Fennell, Patrick B. & Coleman, Joshua T. & Kuo, Andrew, 2020. "The moderating role of donation quantifiers on price fairness judgments," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 464-473.
    20. Lynn Fisher & Abdullah Yavas, 2010. "A Case for Percentage Commission Contracts: The Impact of a “Race” Among Agents," The Journal of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Springer, vol. 40(1), pages 1-13, January.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-01671084. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: CCSD (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.