Flat Fee MLS

Selling a home - particularly when buyers a little bit more reluctant than they’ve been in the past and the mortgage industry is trying to resolve a few issues - can be a challenge. Given the high cost associated with listing agents’ commissions, more sellers are thinking about going it on their own - but not alone.

Instead, they are making the choice to sell with flat fee MLS because they know that it will help their home get the exposure that it needs to attract prospective buyers. Still it’s a good idea to keep in mind that there are ways of making your home more attractive to prospective buyers.

Recognize that you want to be sure that you’re setting the right price for your home: the right price is almost as effective a marketing tool as having your home listed in the MLS. If you’re home is not priced correctly - based on its features and the neighborhood that it’s in - it’s not going to sell.

Likewise, it’s important to keep in mind that there are some changes you may need to make to your home to make it more appealing to buyers. You might love having your dining room painted red, but buyers may be looking for a more neutral canvas - something that will be easier for them to work with. A fresh coat of paint is a simple thing that can make your home sell faster (as can making a few repairs here and there - like replacing the old faucet in the bathroom sink or fixing cracks in the driveway), so make sure that you’re looking around and looking at your home with fresh eyes - not with the overlooking eye of familiarity.

Know what the market is like. Know what you’re going to need to do to sell your home. And, when you’re selling with flat fee MLS, make sure that you’re working with a broker who will help you through the process.

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While reading an article designed to advise real estate investors about choosing a home to buy, this paragraph stood out:

First of all, avoid any homes that are being sold through a real estate agency. Individuals who are paying a real estate agency commission to sell their home and are demanding a certain price through the agent are not motivated sellers. Rather, look for homes that are for sale by owner. Many of these individuals have either already tried selling through an agent and failed or cannot afford the fees involved in hiring one and need to sell quickly for the best possible price. They will be more likely to work with you on the terms you put forth.

The basic gist was that for sale by owner sellers were desperate to move their homes from the market and that made them valuable targets when buyers were looking for a bargain. After all, they weren’t marketing their homes with the MLS, they weren’t going to be willing to pay commissions and, to some extent, weren’t really sure of the process.

Flat fee MLS gives sellers the advantage. With a wide range of information for sellers, better marketing ability and tips and tools to help you sell like a pro - you can be sure that you are not taken advantage of.

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When home sellers start looking for advice on how to choose a real estate agent, there’s plenty of it available:

• take the time to talk with different agents
• look at agents’ websites
• make sure that the agents you are considering offer the services that you are looking for
• make sure that your home will be listed in the appropriate MLS

What many people don’t realize when they are thinking about selling with flat fee MLS and choosing a flat fee broker is that it’s a good idea to do your “homework” there too.

Make sure that you look at the experience the broker has and take the time to become aware of the different services that are available to you. Know which MLS (or which services) your home can be added to. Check the reputation of the service by looking into testimonials from past clients.

Choosing the right flat fee broker can ensure that you have a great experience selling your home.

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When you sell a home with flat fee MLS you’ll find that suddenly you have options - probably more options that you had realized that you would have.

That’s because when you sell your home with flat fee MLS you don’t just take the products and services that a listing agent tells you you’ll need and you don’t have to work your way up to figuring out what you’ll need the way you would if you sold entirely on your own.

Some of the options that you have when you’re using flat fee MLS are straightforward and, to an extent, self-explanatory: lawn signs, information tubes and even lockboxes. Some of the options though are even more beneficial.

One of those options is the ability to add your home to a second MLS database. In other words, if your home is in Baltimore, you can choose to list it in the Northern Virginia MLS as well in the event that someone might be looking to get just a little bit further away from Washington, DC.

When you list in a second MLS, you’ll be exposing your property to twice as many propsectie buyers - and that increases your chances of making a quick sale.

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When you sell your home with flat fee MLS, you’ll find that you are taking advantage of one of the most effecting tools for marketing your home the MLS itself. But that doesn’t mean that there are other marketing components that you should overlook.

The obvious details that you’ll need to include are:

• The number of rooms
• The number of bedrooms and bathrooms
• Your selling price
• What the parking situation is like (driveway, garage, covered parking, etc.)
• The location of the property
• Square footage of space
• Your contact information

Then there are the slightly less obvious details that you’ll want to focus on when you market your home. These things include updates, details about the heating/air conditioning system, appliances that you’re leaving in the home, whether or not the basement is finished and similar details.

You’ll want to be sure that you’re getting great photos that really make your home inviting. You’ll use these photos - of the outside and inside of your home along with descriptions of the property to really capture the interest of prospective buyers.

When you’re selling with flat fee MLS you’ll find that marketing your home online and with the MLS are simple, and that the marketing you’re already doing easily lends itself to marketing your home elsewhere.

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When you are going to be selling a home, especially when the housing market is in a bit of a cooling off period or a slow season, there are two things that are absolutely essential.

First, there’s setting the right price. It’s impossible for sellers these days to sell their home when the price is too high, and when the market has slowed a bit, you’re going to find that it’s even more difficult to get your asking price. This is mostly because there are less buyers vying for the property. However, if you’re able to take the time to set the right price for your home - based on other properties in the area and the size and condition of your home - your chances are going to be a lot better. And, of course, when you sell with flat fee MLS, you’re still in a better position to profit when you sell.

Flat fee MLS also addresses the second essential element for selling in a cooling market: exposure for the property. With flat fee MLS, your home will be listed alongside those represented by listing agents and you’ll have the chance to clearly identify all of the house’s best features and selling points. As a result of increased exposure, there will be increased interest and that leads to a greater chance that your home will sell.

What you’ll find when you use flat fee MLS to sell your home is this: you’ll have access to the tools you need to sell your home, be able to access tips and tools designed to help you sell and, even in a cooling market, you’re in a better position to sell the property regardless of what the market is like.

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