Is Selling with Flat Fee MLS Faster than Selling with an Agent?

Posted by Manager on May 9th, 2008

When you not only want to be able to sell your home but you want to be sure that you can sell your home quickly, some people will tell you to turn to a real estate agent. They’ll tell you things like “agents have more experience selling homes” than you do or that “most people who try selling FSBO find that it takes so long that they end up turning to an agent.” The challenge is that selling with a real estate agent can slow the process down.

When you make the choice to sell on your own with flat fee MLS, you’ll find that there are a number of advantages over selling with an agent. The most notable advantage is that, when you sell with flat fee MLS, you’ll be in charge of the process.

When you are going to be working with an agent, not only are you going to have to share the profits from the sale in the form of a commission, but you just might find that the agent is into suggesting changes and improvements to drive up the selling price. Every suggestion that you follow up on is going to add to the amount of time that it takes to sell your home.

When selling your home quickly is important to you - and you want to be able to make the best profit possible - flat fee MLS is a great option. Not only will you be able to market your home like a pro, but also you’ll be the one who is in control throughout the process - and you’ll save thousands in the process.

For Sale By Owner: Bringing It All Together

Posted by Manager on May 7th, 2008

When you’re going to be selling your home on your own using a for sale by owner listing, it’s important to know what needs to be done in order to make the process go as smoothly as possible.

How can you bring the whole for sale by owner process together?

  • Make sure that you understand what it takes to sell on your own.If you’ve never sold a home or been involved in the process, it’s important to understand all that is involved.
  • Make sure that you understand how to get your home ready for the sale.
  • Make sure that you know how to price your home correctly and that you have access to those individuals who can help you set the right price for your home.
  • Make sure that you are going to be able to get the exposure that your home needs (a flat fee MLS listing can ensure that buyers and the real estate agents that they are working with know that your home is on the market).
  • Make sure that you understand the process of showing your home.
  • Make sure that, if you are going to need help when someone closes on the property that you are selling for sale by owner, you’ll be able to get it.

By understanding the overall process of selling a home on your own - for sale by owner - you’ll find that the process goes much more smoothly. By bringing the big picture into focus it’s easier to see your goal: a successful for sale by owner sale.

Flat Fee MLS: Getting Answers to Your Questions

Posted by Manager on May 5th, 2008

When you have made the decision to sell your home, there are going to be a wide variety of questions that you have to ask and have answered. This is particularly true when you’re looking into selling your home with flat fee MLS. In part, this is simply because flat fee MLS is relatively new in terms of ways in which you can sell a home.

However, whether your questions are as simple and basic as “what it flat fee MLS?” or as complex as “where do I turn when it’s time for help with the real estate contract at closing,” it’s important that you are able to get the answers that you need.

Ideally, when you are looking into flat fee MLS as a way to sell your home, you’ll be making an effort to sell with a reputable broker; the right flat fee MLS broker will be there with answers to all of the questions that you have - and that simplifies the process far more than you might suspect.

By getting answers to your questions about selling with flat fee MLS, you’ll find that understanding the process is simple as is every other step of the process of selling your home.

For Sale By Owner: Getting the Word Out

Posted by Manager on May 3rd, 2008

One of the biggest challenges that many for sale by owner sellers come across is getting the word out about their home. These sellers want to believe that all it’s going to take to sell their home is putting the for sale by owner sign out in the front lawn and making sure that the phone number is visible from the street.

While that is true in some sellers markets, for sale by owner sellers who take that approach now are probably going to find themselves struggling to figure out why no one has called. Simply put, a for sale by owner lawn sign is just not enough to get the word out that a home is available with current market conditions.

Instead, for sale by owner sellers need to focus on what their other options are. This is going to mean making sure that they are advertising their home in the local newspaper and that they are making an effort to put up flyers in local coffeehouses and laundromats where people do make an effort to look at the signs that are posted.

Additionally, for sale by owner sellers should make an effort to list their home in the local MLS - something that can be done for a low fee with a flat rate real estate broker. When your home is listed in the MLS, you’ll know that real estate agents are seeing your home and that buyers who search sites like Realtor.com will know that your home is on the market.

For sale by owner sellers used to face a number of challenges when it came to marketing their homes; thanks to flat fee MLS, this is no longer the case.

Flat Fee MLS: Is It Really That Different from Other Selling Methods?

Posted by Manager on May 1st, 2008

The process of selling a home is the same, whether you choose flat fee MLS selling, or you decide to sell with a traditional real estate agency. The major difference in flat fee MLS selling is that you won’t pay a commission on the sale of his home to a listing agent.

The flat fee MLS selling process starts when you list your home with a flat fee broker. If you’re just investigating the flat fee MLS approach to selling your home, focus on finding a service that focuses on the seller’s interests.

Creating an attractive listing is an important component for selling your home with flat fee MLS. Be sure to include photos that show the outside and inside of your home. List the home size, lot size and highlight the features that make your home attractive to buyers. Also, consider adding a virtual tour - a video tour of your home - for those who live further away.

Flat fee MLS selling ultimately requires all of the same documentation that homes listed with real estate agents do. An accurate sellers disclosure can be provided on the listing site, but you’ll need to verify that your buyer has actually received it when it comes time to close the deal.

With a purchase agreement in hand, you as a flat fee MLS seller will want to have a real estate attorney review the sales documentation, and may want to have the attorney present at the closing. You’ll also need to verify that all of the appropriate documentation is collected prior to closing, and copies have been forwarded to (or prepared for) the buyer.

As a flat fee MLS seller, you’ll also want to make certain the buyer knows when and where the closing has been scheduled, and the exact amount of the check needed to close the sale.

Flat fee MLS selling puts you in a position where you’re doing a fair amount of the sales work, but it has its benefits. Not only will you be able to save money when you sell, but also you’ll be able to have somewhere to turn if or when you have questions.

For Sale By Owner Sellers Can Show Their Commitment to Selling a Home

Posted by Manager on April 29th, 2008

When you’re going to be selling your home and you’re taking the for sale by owner path, one of the things that you need to be sure of is that buyers will know that you are serious about selling your home.

When buyers look at homes for sale by owner, they often get the sense the seller isn’t serious. Maybe the house hasn’t been prepared for the market or maybe the sellers don’t respond quick enough to buyers questions. Also, By Owner sellers will often tell buyers “I Don’t need to sell”. While this is often an attempt by the seller to position themselves for negotiation, buyers take it as a sign the seller isn’t serious about selling. When a REALTOR lists a home for sale-buyers know that the home is ready to go.

Interestingly enough, one of the things that makes a seller look serious involves having a professional lawn sign rather than just a for sale by owner sign picked up at the local hardware store and ensuring that the home is listed in the MLS.

That’s why it is important for for sale by owner sellers to pay attention to the options that come with selling their homes using flat fee MLS. With flat fee MLS, for sale by owner sellers are able to get professional lawn signs, list their homes alongside those listed by real estate agents and to show that they are committed to making the sale.