Back to NewsFor most people, real estate is the biggest transaction they will make—whether it’s buying a dream home, selling a current residence, or investing in rental properties.
It’s a high-stakes game involving large sums of cash. But as a BarterPay member, you have an advantage that most buyers and sellers don’t even know exists.
You can use your Barter Credits (BP) to effectively offset a significant portion of real estate commissions.
This isn’t about finding a “discount” agent. It’s about working with top-tier professionals who understand the power of the BarterPay network. Here is how to unlock the highest-value transaction you will ever make on the platform.
The Mechanics: How It Works
Real estate transactions are highly regulated. When a property sells, the proceeds go into a real estate lawyer’s trust account. The lawyer pays off the mortgage, handles taxes, and pays the real estate agents their commissions (typically ranging around 2–2.5% for each side of the deal).
Because funds in a lawyer’s trust account cannot be paid out in Barter Credits, a two-step process is used:
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The Standard Closing: The real estate transaction closes normally. The agent receives their full commission in CAD from the lawyer’s trust account just like any other deal.
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The “Second Contract”: Before working together, you and the agent already signed a separate agreement. In this contract, the agent agrees that within a set time after closing, they will acquire a specific amount of Barter Credits from you at a 1:1 rate using the CAD they just earned.
This amount could be a flat fee (e.g., $10,000 for BP 10,000) or a percentage of their total commission.
Why does the agent love this? It gives them a competitive edge to win a listing or secure a buyer client that they otherwise wouldn’t have had.
Why do you love this? You are turning your business inventory or time into actual CAD, or saved personal time and headache if you were thinking about ‘doing it alone’ and the BarterPay deal makes it attractive enough for you to use an agent instead.
The Math: Understanding Your “Real” Cost
This is where the magic happens. Remember, when you spend a Barter Credit, you are spending the wholesale cost of earning that credit, but receiving full retail value.
When you pay a real estate commission using Barter Credits, you are effectively acquiring real estate services at your Cost of Goods Sold (COGS). The lower your COGS, the more powerful this strategy becomes. You are leveraging your business margins to build personal wealth.
Let’s assume a scenario where you agree to pay $15,000 of the commission using Barter Credits.
Example 1: Restaurant Owner (Higher COGS)
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You own a restaurant with a food/beverage cost of roughly 30%.
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To earn BP15,000, it cost you about $4,500 in actual food ingredients.
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The Result: You just paid $15,000 in real estate fees for an out-of-pocket cash cost of $4,500. Saving you $10,500.
Example 2: The Bookkeeper or Consultant (Lower COGS)
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You have a service business with very low overhead. Your hard costs might only be 10%.
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To earn BP 15,000, it cost you perhaps $1,500 in overhead and your own time.
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The Result: You secured $15,000 in professional real estate services for a cash equivalent of just $1,500. Saving you $13,500.
The Elephant in the Room: “But my buddy is an agent…”
This is the most common hurdle. Many of us have a friend, cousin, or neighbor who is a real estate agent, and we feel an obligation to use them.
Loyalty is wonderful. But business is math.
If you use the BarterPay strategy (using the restaurant example above), you are essentially saving over $10,000 in cash on the transaction.
Before you automatically hire your friend, ask yourself the “Cheque Test”:
Would you write your friend a personal cheque for $10,000 cash today just because you like them?
Probably not. But by not using the barter opportunity available to you, that is exactly what you are doing. You are sacrificing thousands of dollars of net worth to avoid an awkward conversation.
The Solution: Don’t Ditch Them, Invite Them.
You don’t have to sever ties with your agent friend. Instead, present them with an opportunity.
Say to them: “I’d love to work with you, but as a business owner, I have access to a strategy through BarterPay that allows me to leverage my business assets for this sale. Are you open to joining the network to handle my deal?”
If they want your business, they will look at the opportunity. If you want to show your loyalty to them, you can narrow the gap and do a lesser amount in Barter Credits than you would do with the 3rd party agent. If they still don’t want to do the deal, you have a financial responsibility to yourself and your family to maximize your equity by using an agent already in the network.
Ready to Make a Move?
Whether you are looking to buy your first rental property or sell your family home, don’t leave money on the table. Contact your BarterPay Coach today to find out which top-tier real estate agents in your area are ready to deal. At the very least you should meet with those agents prior to making a decision on who you want to use.
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