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As a For Sale By Owner, your exposure to potential buyers is limited. Your choices for advertising are generally confined to: yard signs, newspaper ads, for sale by owner and classified websites, open houses, and word of mouth. This is often not enough to attract buyers, most of whom are working with agents. Real estate agents consider the MLS as the inventory of homes to sell and use it to locate properties for their clients.
Real estate agents rarely use newspaper ads or other advertising to locate available properties, even though they may use them for their own advertising. Having your property listed on the MLS will provide needed exposure and will increase the chances that a real estate agent will find a buyer for your home. Real estate agents are motivated to sell properties listed on the MLS because the seller has already agreed to pay a commission.
There are no other listing fees other than the initial fee you pay us. If there are any exceptions to this, they are noted on the Purchase page.
There may be additional fees after your listing is completed. For example the broker may charge a fee for optional upgrades for your listing, or a fee to advertise your open house, or a fee to make “non-required” changes to your listing (ex: text or photo changes beyond the initial setup of your listing). These services are optional and are not included in the cost to list.
On the MLS, yes it will be available for agents so they can contact you directly for showings. In some cases your broker may also be able to include your email address. On “public” websites, such as Zillow, Trulia, or Realtor.com, only the listing broker contact information is allowed to be displayed. The MLS has rules about what information is allowed on 3rd party websites. Neither you, nor your broker can do anything about this, and these rules are strictly enforced.
Our brokers refer all inquires they receive directly to the seller. In most cases leads come in through email, but in some cases our brokers may receive calls. If a buyer says they are represented by and agent, they may suggest to them to have their agent call you and set up the showing.
Keep in mind that all websites operate differently, so not all inquires will go to your listing broker. In many cases (like Realtor.com) inquires are sent to agents that pay for buyer leads for certain zip codes, so those leads will not go to your listing broker. In other cases (like Trulia or Zillow) buyers can choose who will be receiving the inquiry. These situations are completely out of our control, and there is nothing we or your listing broker can do to prevent this.
If a buyer is not represented and they expresses that they wish to be represented by an agent to see your home, the listing broker may have the option to show your home. Although this rarely happens, it is possible that your listing agent may also be able to represent the buyer.
NOTE: If you’re listing in Connecticut, we are the brokers, and we do not work directly with buyers, so any inquires we receive on your property are forwarded to you.
You can cancel the listing at any time by providing your broker with written instructions to do so (assuming there is not a contract pending on the property involving a buyer who was procured by a cooperating broker). There are no termination fees or other penalties in the event that you wish to cancel your listing before the expiration date. However, no refunds will be provided after your property has been listed by our broker.
If you purchase a listing with us, then decide not to list with the broker we assign you, you can cancel and get a full refund within 30 days of your initial purchase (less a $10 credit card processing fee). Once the listing process has been completed by the broker, you can request to cancel your listing on the MLS, however the listing fee is non-refundable. View our refund policy here Terms of Use.
Contact your assigned flat fee listing broker. They are your source for all questions and changes to your listing after your property has been listed. For pre-listing questions or general questions about our Flat Fee MLS service you can Contact Us Online
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The MLS (Multiple Listing Service) is a cooperative listing service among licensed real estate agents and brokers. Members of the MLS input detailed information regarding properties available for sale into a database that is distributed to all participants in the MLS. All members of the MLS have a right to show/sell an advertised property and are promised a commission should they present an offer that results in the successful sale of an advertised property. The vast majority of home sales are made through participation in the MLS.
With advances in technology, realty agents are able to do in one hour today, what would have taken ten times that five years ago. This has led to the advent of “Flat Fee MLS Listing” or “Discount Listing Brokers” and real estate companies throughout North America that offer the similar services as traditional brokerages, with the resulting reduction in costs being passed on to you, the home owner. Home sellers everywhere are retaining higher equity in their homes by refusing to pay high real estate commissions. We provide professional flat fee listing services which can save you thousands of dollars on the sale of your home.
We have discontinued listing rental properties and would recommend hiring a traditional broker for this type of listing.
No, You should consider hiring a traditional local broker who specializes in commercial properties. We are not aware of any “flat fee” commercial brokerages.
Yes, real estate agents do not work for free. To be listed in the MLS, you must offer a commission to the agent who represents the buyer (the “cooperating broker” or “selling agent”). If a real estate agent presents an accepted offer and it goes to closing, you must pay the commission offered on the MLS listing. The commission is paid directly by you to the buyers brokerage firm at the close of escrow.
In most states, If you sell your home to a buyer that is not represented by a broker, then you pay no commission. Refer to the details on the Purchase Page after choosing your state.
Using our Flat Fee MLS listing program, services are limited to listing the property on the MLS. You provide the property information and photos, then complete the listing agreement, and our Flat Fee Listing broker will setup your MLS listing. Our only responsibility is to maintain your MLS listing.
If you feel that you need assistance, most of our brokers offer assistance programs for an additional fee (either paid in advance or at closing). If you are interested in that type of service, please inquire directly with your assigned listing broker.
Yes, Flat Fee Realty is a licensed broker in Connecticut. In states where we are not licensed we partner with flat fee listing brokers, licensed in your state, to handle your MLS listing.