Adding integrity, subtracting costs: This is how you sell your home and keep more of your money

By Laura Briedis

For local real estate agent Aaron Peterson, it’s all about giving back and making an impact. In addition to volunteering around town and spearheading charitable endeavors, he also wants to give back a better profit from the sale of a home to the homeowner.

As a top real estate agent, he helps homeowners save money with flat-rate fees—$8906 on average, to be precise.

“That ($8906) is the average savings our Hudson clients put back in their pockets by using our flat-rate model instead of the traditional percentage model (based on an Ohio study done that shows a 5.8 percent average commission),” Aaron says. “An extra $8906 in their pocket to be used for their kids’ college. An extra $8906 in their pocket to be used for their next down payment. An extra $8906 in their pocket to be used for paying down debt. An extra $8906 in their pocket to be used for things that matter. That’s making true impact.”

“My goal is to help homeowners make the greatest amount of money from the sale of their home, sell their home as quickly as possible, and do it with as little stress as possible,” says Aaron, who volunteers every Tuesday evening at a local nonprofit that offers equine therapy, and once a month serving coffee and donuts at The Chapel in Green.

“I go above and beyond to help my clients get top dollar for their property while saving them money with our flat fee,” he says. “There are few times in our lives when we can capture large chunks of money, and selling a home is definitely one of those times. I love seeing people build generational wealth and I love even more seeing people keep that wealth when they go to sell.”

Aaron's company, SOGO Homes, handles everything from the initial in-home consultation to delivering the keys to the buyer for a $4,800 package fee—instead of a percentage of the sale.

“Our fees are transparent, so the homeowner knows exactly what is due to us,” says Aaron. “And if the buyer has a real estate agent, then there could be other fees you negotiate with their real estate agent.”

“Flat-fee pricing is a fairer process,” comments Aaron. “Selling a home that is worth $500,000 takes the same amount of work as selling a $200,000 home, so I don’t think it is fair to charge so much more commission.”

With SOGO Homes, the home-selling process is simple. Aaron meets with the homeowner to discuss goals, provides an in-depth comparative market analysis, does a walk-though to make sure everything is ready in the home, creates a marketing plan and lists the home.

“The sellers will know down to the penny how much money they will get from a prospective offer, thus helping with our negotiation strategy,” says Aaron.

Best Foot Forward
Behind the astute real estate agent, you will find a very personable guy. Aaron takes to heart the mantra “work hard, play hard.” While hard work underlines the character of a person, what someone does in their free time gives you a better glimpse into their personality. And for Aaron, his dynamic, can-do persona parlays to all he does in life.

When he is not helping clients buy and sell real estate, he enjoys boating, scuba diving, snowboarding, corralling horses, and going on outdoor adventures in his 1988 Volkswagen Vanagon with his cat, Smokey. His real passion, though, is traveling. He has visited 35 countries with extended stays in Bali and the Philippines, and he currently is in the process of getting his pilot’s license.

Aaron brings this same sense of adventure and energy to his job and makes selling a home—which often can be very stressful—more fun.

Born in Georgia, he still has lots of that southern charm and hospitable nature, and now it’s mixed with the Midwest’s strong work ethic. It’s the perfect balance to be successful in the real estate market. It also is that something different that makes him stand out from all the other real estate agents in town.

An expert in the local real estate market, Aaron resides in the Portage Lakes area, where in the summer you can find him paddleboarding every morning on the lake, and at times speeding things up Jet Skiing or slowing it down relaxing on a pontoon boat.

With a business degree from Liberty University, he brings a strong business acumen to the real estate arena.

“I have been in the real estate industry for 20-plus years selling homes, investing in homes and rehabbing homes, so I know all the different aspects of real estate,” says Aaron. “Being a real estate investor, I understand the importance of making money when selling a large asset like a house. My goal when selling a client’s house is always to see them make as much money as possible and at the same time save as much money as possible. Doing both without sacrificing integrity.”

“When surveys ask which professions are least trusted, real estate agents typically fall somewhere near the near top,” he says. “I want to change that. Whether dealing with my client or another agent, my goal is always to operate with the utmost integrity.”

To list your house or for more information, call 330-984-0909. Follow Aaron’s adventures in real estate on Instagram @AaronAPeterson.