Q. What is the MLS?

A. The Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is a cooperative marketing system which allows professional Realtors® to share information about real estate for sale. It is the most powerful marketing tool for a homeowner to sell their home. Regardless of which company an agent works for, he or she has access to the same data base through their local board of Realtors®.

Q. How will I save thousands with your listing plan?

A. Let's assume your home sells for $200,000 and that you paid $495 to MLSMarketing.com for our MLS listing service. Your commission would be $6,000 plus our $495 fee, for a total of $6,495. This is calculated as follows: $200,000 X 3% = $6,000 and our fee of $495, paid at closing. Now, lets compare the savings over a traditional 6% broker. The commission on a $200,000 sale with a 6% commission fee would be $12,000 ($200,000 X 6% = $12,000). Therefore your savings would be $5,505 ($12,000 - $6,495 = $5,505). See savings here.

If you find your own buyer, you will not be obligated to pay a commission on the sale.

Q. How can you provide this service so inexpensively?

A. With advances in technology such as the Internet, faxes, cell phones and laptop computers, Realtors are able to do in one hour today, what would have taken ten times that years ago. This has led to the advent of "reduced fee" or "discount" real estate companies throughout North America that offer the same service 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 full MLS service and promise to save you thousands of dollars on the sale of your home.

Q. If one of your affiliates list my property in another state, who is the listing company on my local MLS?

A. In that case, our affiliate is the listing broker for your property. We have an agreement with our affiliates to provide the same service we provide, as outlined under our listing programs. We monitor the transaction to ensure that you receive the same quality of service you would receive, as if your were dealing directly with us.

Q. What is the difference between my local MLS and Realtor.com?

A. Your local MLS is run by your local Board of Realtor's Association. It contains property information that is not available to the general public and is only accessible by licensed Broker's, Agents, and other licensed individuals. Realtor.com is the website operated by the National Association of Realtor's (NAR). Local MLS data is automatically propagated to Realtor.com every two or three days. Anyone with access to the internet can access Realtor.com. For that reason, the listing broker is the listing contact on Realtor.com. Sellers are not allowed to be the contact for their own property on Realtor.com because that would circumvent The National Association of Realtor's website. Realtor.com is not intended to be a "For Sale By Owner" website. It is intended to provide the public with limited access to MLS data. It is a violation of the NAR’s Code of Ethics to list a seller’s contact information directly on Realtor.com. If a broker is caught violating these codes, they can lose their board relationship. Please report any violators to: report@MLSMarketing.com

Q. If I'm listed with one of your affiliates and a broker from another real estate company brings me an offer, is the affiliate splitting the 3% commission with the buyer's agent?

A. No, our affiliate does not split the 3% commission with the buyer's agent. The 3% commission goes directly to the buyer's agent at the closing.

Q. What if your affiliate sells my house, are they do the 3% commission?

A. Yes. If our affiliate brings you a qualified buyer and they purchase your home, they are entitled to the buyer agent's commission (3%) for selling your home, just like any other real estate company.

Q. How long does it take to be listed on the MLS?

A. During the normal business week, it usually takes 24 to 48 hours to be listed on the MLS.

Q. What if I sell the house on my own?

A. When you list your home through MLSMarketing.com, you pay a flat fee to list you home, but you still maintain the right to sell your home on your own. If you find your own buyer, you will not be obligated to pay a commission on the sale.

Q. If MLSMarketing.com finds a buyer and sells my home, will I owe a commission?

A. Yes. If we present a qualified buyer to you and they purchase your home, we are entitled to the buyers' agent's commission (3%) for selling your home since we are acting as the buyers.

Q. How will I know if my property is listed with all of the correct information?

A. You will receive a copy of your MLS listing and you may make any changes you like, provided the changes are acceptable to the rules and regulations of your local MLS and Board of Realtors.

Q. When a potential buyer calls, is there anything in particular that I should ask them before showing my home to them?

A. In most cases you will be contacted by a licensed Realtor for showing instructions. If an individual contacts you on their own, It’s always a good idea to get the buyer’s name and phone number in advance, so that you can confirm the appointment and follow up after the showing. Potential buyers tend to show up for the appointment more often when they know you have their phone number. Be sure to ask about their financing arrangements before you agree to show your home. Showing your home to financially unqualified buyers can be a major waste of time. Remember, there is a big difference between "pre-qualified" and "pre-approved" with regard to mortgage financing. One is a "looks good" statement, while the other is an actual commitment to fund a loan.

Visit our sister website MarketingMyHome.com for more information.

Q. Should I be concerned about lead-based paint?

A. If your home was built before 1978, you are required by law to provide your buyer with a lead-based paint disclosure, along with the EPA pamphlet entitled, "Protect Your Family From Lead In Your Home".

Should you have any further questions, concerns or suggestions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We welcome your input.

Q. Should I be concerned about radon gas?

A. Radon is a naturally occurring, radioactive gas. It is impossible to detect radon without testing for it.

Q. Will you conduct open houses?

A. You may hold an open house of your own, if you so desire. However, we do not conduct open houses. The fact of the matter is that open houses are primarily prospecting tools for real estate agents. Open houses are really a way for agents to get their names out there to prospective buyers who are early on in their quest to buy a home. Furthermore, very few homes are sold as a result of an open house because many of the visitors are tire-kickers, bargain hunters, nosey neighbors and people looking for something to do on the weekends.

Q. Will my property be listed on the internet?

A. Yes. Your property will be listed on realtor.com, homeadvisor.com, homeseekers.com, and other real estate websites. These internet listings will give you national exposure to out-of-state homebuyers. Since hundreds of people move daily, this exposure can be a vital component in selling your home quickly and for the best price. The independent websites, realtor.com and homeseekers.com, will obtain your listing directly from the MLS. Keep in mind that they pick up whatever they wish from your MLS listing to publish on their websites. Thus, we have no control over these independent websites and we cannot change or edit their content.

Q. What is a final walk-through?

A. Your buyer will have a final walk-through of the property just prior to the closing (either the day before or the day of closing). This is to ensure that the property is in the same condition that it was in when the buyer placed it under contract and to make sure that all conditions specified within the contract are met before the closing takes place.

Q. Why should I use a flat fee MLS listing program like yours rather than just selling for sale by owner?

A. MLSMarketing.com MLS services provide far greater exposure than traditional for sale by owner (FSBO) marketing and advertising efforts. Relying on the traditional marketing and advertising associated with a FSBO is limiting, at best. Also, it can be an expensive proposition. Ultimately you may find that most qualified buyers want or need the assistance of real estate brokers and agents. Thus, your property will be exposed to more qualified buyers through the MLS network accessed by Realtors. Also, agents and brokers will feel more comfortable dealing with you knowing that their commissions are protected. Qualified buyers are those who have both a real motivation to buy and the financial ability to buy. The truly professional real estate agent will ensure that their buyers are pre-approved for financing before showing them homes in their area. Also, having a real estate professional accompany a potential buyer to your home may add a measure of safety for your family. You will not have to be alone with a stranger in your house who simply states that they are a buyer.

Research shows that nearly 50% of all home sellers start out trying to sell their property on their own. Although some home owners are successful with FSBO, according to the latest National Association of Realtors (NAR) home seller survey, only 16% sellers actually sell their home without exposure on the MLS. And many of them end up giving away their commission savings to the buyer to close the deal.

The Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is a cooperative marketing system which allows professional Realtors® to share information about real estate for sale. It is the most powerful marketing tool for a homeowner to sell their home. Regardless of which company an agent works for, he or she has access to the same data base through their local board of Realtors®.

Why "For Sale By Owner" is not so easy?

Most For-Sale-By-Owners (FSBOs) wish they could get as many interested buyers knocking at their door as they do Realtors looking to list their home.

Why is it so hard to sell your home on your own?

The following are the four main reasons why so few FSBO sellers succeed in selling their home without the assistance of a Realtor®.

1. NO MLS

Without question, the primary reason it is so difficult to sell your own home is that FSBOs cannot put their homes on the Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Only registered Realtors are able to access and utilize this invaluable marketing tool. This results in a very limited exposure of the home to buyers, as marketing is usually restricted to lawn signs, FSBO advertisers, and maybe a newspaper ad.

2. REALTORS WON'T SHOW

Sure you have a number of Realtors knocking at your door to list your home, but are any of them bringing buyers through? Probably not. Buyers Agents receive their commission's vis-à-vis home sellers through the listing agreement. When there is no listing agreement in place, such as a FSBO, their compensation is not guaranteed. You can try to offer a Buyers Agent commission, but the simple fact is that it's easier and safer for these Buyers Agents to show their clients homes that are listed on the MLS with real estate companies. Additionally, it costs nothing for a home buyer to "hire" a Buyers Agent, since home sellers pay all the commission. Thus, most of the buyers have agents and the agents are not showing FSBOs.

3. POOR BUYER QUALIFICATION

“I sold it but it fell through.” This is a common occurrence among FSBOs. The reason for this is that many FSBO shoppers simply cannot qualify to buy a home. Many of these buyers are looking for some type of "creative" financing through the home seller. While their intentions may be good, when it comes time to pay for the home, the money is not there. Real estate agents pre-qualify their buyers, and this is why so few MLS sales fall through.

4. THE CONTRADICTION

By nature, FSBO shoppers are bargain hunters. They want your home to be bargain priced and then they want to deduct what you would have paid in real estate commissions, on top of that. On the other hand, the FSBO home owner is trying to "save", or keep, what they would have paid in commissions. These conflicting expectations make it difficult for the parties to agree on price.

Being listed on MLS puts a massive sales force to work for you!

Our listing service is the most cost-effective way for you to sell your home. Satisfaction guaranteed! Our listing fee is $399, plus a 3% commission, paid to a Realtor, if one should locate a buyer for your home. If you find a buyer on your own, you owe no commission.

Our listing service will save you thousands over the traditional 6% commission you would normally pay a real estate company to list your home. Paying a Realtor 3% to list your property on the MLS is like throwing money away when you compare it to our flat fee MLS listing service.