When Ken and Bonnie Taylor were ready to sell their home in Prince George a few years ago, they decided to do it themselves, along with a bit of help from the Property Guys.

The national franchise helps people sell their own homes for a flat fee with no sales commissions.

"It just made sense to us," said Ken. "We had never sold privately before so we were not sure what to do, but we noticed lots of PropertyGuys.com signs up in our town and decided to give it a try."

They saved themselves $14,000 in real estate commissions, which they used for things their family needed.

"It wasn't as big a deal as people think. We were so impressed with how the system worked we bought the Abbotsford franchise."

That was in 2007, about the same time the Taylors joined the Chamber of Commerce. Their Abbotsford sales have grown steadily, and now they are benefiting from referrals and repeat clients.

"We had a fantastic growth in Abbotsford in 2011. We sold almost $6 million in inventory, and we saved homeowners hundreds of thousands of dollars," said Taylor.

Their website said home sellers collectively saved more than $180,000 in commissions last year.

Private sellers also got a break in October 2010, when the federal competition bureau and the Canadian Real Estate Association agreed to allow private sale properties onto the MLS (Multiple Listings Service) online site, used by real estate companies.

That has allowed private sellers to get the key exposure they need out to potential buyers, "to drive eyeballs to your house," said Taylor.

"In many cases, buyers these days find their own house (to buy). That's why you need to be on the Internet."

Their clients include homeowners in Abbotsford, with a few in Mission, and builders/developers who may have several properties they want to sell.

The Property Guys offers a flat rate at three price points, each of which offer different market exposures.

Costs range from $699 to $899 to the top package price of $1,199, which includes the services of a lawyer the Taylors have on contract.

In comparison, Taylor said the average commission on the sale of a $500,000 home in B.C. would be about $21,000, with the standard seven per cent commission on the first $100,000 and three per cent on the remainder.

There is also HST on top of the selling price, plus all the other costs that come up when one moves.

Property Guys' services include advice on preparing a home for sale, such as clearing out the clutter, plus virtual video and audio tours, photographs, advertising help and street signs pointing to the home.

"We build a listing for the home owner, and then load the listing information to the PropertyGuys.com website, which receives over 50 million page views a month across the country," said Taylor.

Traditionally, the vendors are asked to leave their home during an open house or when the real estate agent holds a private showing of the house. But because they are not licensed realtors, Property Guys cannot show properties or advise vendors on the final asking price.

The homeowner is responsible to come up with a price themselves, or with the help of an appraiser. They also oversee the showings, which gives them the chance to share the highlights of the home with a potential buyer.

"The seller doesn't always realize the power they have in this situation - the buyer wants to talk to the owner," Taylor said. "Think about it, you're (likely) making the biggest investment of your life and you can't talk to the owner (in a traditional sale)."

It's a good deal for sellers and buyers both. Homeowners can keep more of the equity that's built up in their homes, and buyers will likely pay less since a heft commission isn't built into the selling price.

When an offer is accepted, homeowners meet with their lawyer or notary, or one arranged by the Property Guys, to complete the legal paperwork and ensure the transaction is secure and legal.

? You can chat with Ken and Bonnie Taylor at their booth at the upcoming Fraser Valley Spring Home Show at Tradex in Abbotsford, on from Feb. 10 to Feb. 12 (see homeshowtime.com) or call them at 604-768-8857. To find out more about Property Guys and to read testimonials, visit their website at bit.ly/yqUdZV.

CToth@abbotsfordtimes.com