Posted by admin on November 29th, 2006
We want you to have maximum exposure to the market
Realtor.com draws more than 6.5 million visitors a month, making it "the No. 1 consumer destination for real estate related information," according to Move Inc., which runs the site for the National Association of Realtors.
That’s why when you list your house on IHS Realty, we list your house for free on Realtor.com. We want you to have the greatest exposure possible. By listing on the MLS in the first place, you gain greater exposure. If you list on the national MLS, then your exposure to the market is even better. Pay one low flat fee to list your house on IHS Realty and we list it on the national MLS through Realtor.com and your local and regional MLS as well. There is no better bargain.
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Posted by admin on November 27th, 2006
List on the MLS and you’ll be listed locally as well as nationally
One in four buyers purchase a home they first saw on the Internet, according to a 2005 survey by the National Association of Realtors.
Veronica Melissas started out on Realtor.com, the Web site of the NAR that contains most of the MLS listings in the country.
When you list your house on IHS Realty, you get listed on Realtor.com and your local MLS web site. That’s the best exposure you can get. No matter where you live or where the property exists that you are selling, you’ll be listed nationally at Realtor.com and on IHS Realty’s web site and you’ll also be listed regionally and locally on the MLS in your area.
IHS Realty has been playing the flat fee game long enough, we know how to make it work for you. Don’t you want to do business with a trusted source? We weren’t just first. We’re also the best.
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- Flat Fee MLS
Learn more about how flat fee MLS services work.
Posted by admin on August 10th, 2006
Maximizing equity in cooler market conditions
As inventory increases and home prices level nationally, flat fee MLS is your ticket to maximizing equity. You get the marketing same marketing exposure as every other home listed in the MLS with a fraction of the cost. If you are contemplating listing with a full service agent you need to find out exactly what services you will be receiving, because chances are, you are not getting any added marketing advantage for the thousands more you will pay. Find out if you will have a property webpage with a unique URL that can be used in advertisement - since over 75 percent of buyers begin their search online, if a home warranty will be included, if a virtual tour will be included in the MLS and Realtor.com, if your listing will contain multiple photos, if you will have a "Realtor.com Showcase Listing," if you will be provided home flyers, if your home will be listed in multiple MLSs. Every one of these items is included with a flat fee MLS listing, the only difference…you pay $499 instead of giving away 3 percent - enough money to buy a brand new car! So next time you think about listing with a full service agent, ask yourself "is it worth it?"
Posted by admin on July 24th, 2006
Flat fee MLS versus a traditional agent
When listing your home with a flat fee MLS broker you are essentially acting as your own listing agent assuming responsibilities normally handled by an agent. You will handle all showing requests, handle the marketing of the home – classifieds, etc, and negotiate the purchase offer. And once you sell your home you will immediately question why any agent would ever get 5-7 percent to sell a home. I think you will find it considerably easier than you thought.
The increase in home prices and recent market conditions have lead consumers to try a new method that provides the best of both worlds – it provides invaluable marketing exposure through the MLS while homeowners maintain all right of a for sale by owner. With the savings sellers experience in realtor commissions they would not otherwise realize, they have an opportunity to run their own marketing campaigns. Nowadays, most flat fee MLS providers provide many of the same marketing tools a full-service agent would provide like a yard signs, directionals, comparative market analysis (CMA) for pricing help, home warranties, virtual tours, realtor.com showcases, home flyers, home web pages, closing checklists, contract negotiations, and many other tools.
So what is the first question you ask a Realtor when conducting the listing interview? More than likely it is, "how are you going to market my home and where is my listing going to be visible to the public?" With flat fee MLS you control all aspects of the transaction; you are in the driver seat! Because sellers normally only pay between $400-$600 to a flat fee listing broker, it is almost foolish not commit some of that savings to an aggressive marketing campaign that will maximize your homes potential. Even if you spend a few hundred in classified ads, postcards, etc. you are still savings thousands more than listing with a traditional full-service agent. Spending a few more dollars to a flat fee MLS company that provides a Realtor.com Showcase listings may be advantageous as homes with additional photos and virtual tours are viewed 300 percent more often by the searching public.
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Posted by admin on July 14th, 2006
Austin, TX Board of Realtors illegally restrained competition
The Federal Trade Commission has charged the
Austin, Texas Board of Realtors of illegally restraining competition by preventing consumers from putting certain home listings on public websites like Realtor.com. The charge against the 5,000 member MLS was prompted because of rules written that make home listings available through public website searches only if sellers are listed with a traditional full service agent.
Home sellers listed through alternative "for sale by owner" discount services like flat fee MLS and exclusive agency agreements were deprived of the exposure provided through Realtor.com, Austinhomesearch.com - a regionally searched site, and other brokerages websites.
A settlement has been reached between the two parties with no formal acknowledgement by the Austin Board of any wrongdoing. John Roberti a former attorney with the FTC has said "this should serve as a wake-up call for the MLSs. If I were running an MLS with…I would spend some serious time thinking about whether this rule is necessary."
The fact that MLSs can even implement such rules that impede the growth of the industry, prevent competition, and reduce consumer trust of its members is shameful. The ongoing litigation due to the opposition of industry evolution by traditional members, associations, and NAR are not helping anyone. This double edged sword is only increasing consumer knowledge of industry practices, commission structure, and alternative flat fee models they are trying so desperately to "shut down."
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Posted by admin on June 12th, 2006
Differentiate your home from others in the area
Real estate inventory in the largest 100 markets in is up 60 percent in May 2005 compared to May 2005 based on MLS studies nationally. The swell in inventory has forced home sellers to lower asking prices significantly. As inventory increases and competition stiffens it is important to provide some added incentive for agents to sell your home over a neighbor’s. Flat fee MLS provides home sellers an affordable opportunity to maximize marketing exposure through the local MLS and public websites like Realtor.com. Because sellers are saving 3 percent on the listing side of the transaction they can offer buyer agents up to 1-2 percent more compensation to sell their home than the local competition while still pocketing more equity. Buyer agent compensation is not the only way to differentiate your listing, be sure your home is a "Showcase" listing on Realtor.com. Showcase listings display a catchy headline, multiple photos, customized description, open house announcements and more. Consumers using Realtor.com to search for homes are searching homes offering virtual tours and multiple photos first. Increased inventory means sellers need to increase marketing.
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Posted by admin on June 9th, 2006
Save on Realtor commissions and get your home shown first
When selling your home you need to think like a Realtor - taking advantage of marketing exposure and differentiating your home from other listings. To maximize marketing you can list the home with a flat fee MLS broker in order to get the exposure of the MLS and other public websites like Realtor.com, and MSN among others. As a for sale by owner some agents may be reticent show the home. Because you are saving 3 percent on the listing side of the transaction you can combat that hesitation by offering a more competitive compensation to buyer agents than any other listing in the area. Agents are very aware of what their compensation for selling a home will be and if a listing is not offering a competitive rate, you can be sure they will show that home last, or in some cases not at all. As inventory continues to rise offering a compensation of 3.5 to 4 percent will ensure your home will be first on the list of a
