An ACRE® can offer you both the traditional system of real estate services by commission as well a variety of other compensation models, so the most obvious answer to 'when' is always. It's always ideal to work with an ACRE® as your real estate professional because with an ACRE® you'll have far more choices in how to receive the services you want and need!
To elaborate on the 'why', an Accredited Consultant in Real Estate (ACRE®) can offer some more cost effective solutions as you only pay for what you need, and ACRE®s understand that real estate is not a "one size fits all" business. It's like going to a car dealership to buy a new car, but if all they had were red sedans of the same make and model, you'd go to another dealership where they had more choices, right?
Sometimes you may not need to sell a house but you need professional real estate help. REALTORS® who only get paid by commission on a house sale would not be able to assist you with that. In today's economy and with the real estate climate the way it is, there is a huge demand for professional real estate services when you don't need to sell a house. ACRE®s can assist you whether or not you plan to sell.
An example of a non-transactional need for real estate guidance: the "Improve or Move?" question.
To move or improve your home? You'd like help to decide, without being pressured into listing your home for sale. That means seeking out unbiased help from someone who's not trying to get your signature on a contract and a sign in your yard. You need an experienced real estate consultant who will be able to help you make a good decision both now (to move or not?) and in the future (if you do stay, not over-improving your house).
The hardest time we have in selling houses is when someone has over-improved the home and they can't get the price they need when they do sell, in order to buy the next property they want. These often become "expired" rather than "sold" listings. Because of the over-improvement, sellers lose money and are sometimes driven to try selling without professional help so they can avoid paying a commission, but this strategy frequently doesn't work. Statistics show that professional counsel virtually always saves you money (and time too).
I recently had a consumer call me for this very reason. He was thinking of retiring in 3 or 4 years, but wanted to make some improvements to the home in the meantime. He didn't want to be pressured to sell, he just wanted to know if the renovations he and his wife had in mind would give him a return when he did sell. He had several agents who lived in his subdivision as well, so I asked him why he called me for consulting when he could get it free from anyone. He said "because I just need unbiased advice, I don't want to sell right now and I don't want someone to do it free, I want an unbiased expert opinion and nothing is free. For a competent opinion, you need to pay for it." (btw, he was a CPA and said he wouldn't do somebody's taxes free and wondered why agents work for free).
Looking for professional real estate guidance without bias, where your agent can provide you help without seeking to sell your home for the sake of a commission? Seek out an ACRE® and learn how many options you have!


I couldn't have said it better Paula.
Folks, Paula doesn't just call herself a consultant, she's been doing it for years and it shows in this post. That's why we say, "You now have a Choice... Choose an ACRE®.