I’m often asked if there is really any difference between flat fee companies and whether there’s anything to compare, other than price, when selecting a flat fee MLS provider. The answer, of course, depends on the owner/seller’s motivation. If you just want to list or advertise your property for sale in the MLS, then cost really is your only concern. However, if you want to actually sell your home, then here are some other factors to consider:
- How long has the company been in business?
The market does a pretty good of weeding out bad eggs. If a flat-fee MLS broker has been in business for a number of years, there’s at least some reason to believe that other sellers have found them to be trustworthy and capable of doing what they say they’ll do. Especially if they’ve survived a couple of down markets and the recent real estate recession, the company has established a business that’s robust enough to succeed regardless of market conditions. Since the real estate market downturn, lots of agents have taken to flat-fee MLS listing just to be able to stay in the business. So new flat-fee MLS listing companies are poping up everyday. However, if the company just started last month and they can’t give you the names or addresses of lots of other properties they’ve actually SOLD, they probably won’t be able to provide the level of service and support you need. Their track record for successfully assisting by owner sellers hasn’t really been established.
- What kind of support do they provide?
A good flat-fee company should provide several methods of support. While most online companies want to communicate through email, this may not be the method that works best for you. Top online flat-fee MLS listing providers, like Bloomkey.com, offer telephone support, an Online Help Desk, Online Chat and dynamic FAQ’s so that you can get the support you need when you need it.
- What other websites will your property appear on and what strategic partnerships have they established? A good flat-fee company should be able to have your home or property listed on ALL of the leading real estate websites. Since over 80% of buyers now start their search for a home online, it pays to be listed everywhere buyers might be looking. While all flat-fee brokers list properties on Realtor.com and the Broker IDX by virtue of the MLS feed distribution, few have taken the time to establish relationships and proprietary RSS/XML feeds to the larger real estate portals like Trulia.com, Zillow.com, Yahoo Real Estate and GoogleBase, to name a few. Bloomkey has even created an automated posting system on Craigslist to provide your property with an HTML formatted advertisement on the world’s largest classified website.
- What other tools does the broker provide to help make sure that your property not only gets listed, but has a better than average chance of selling?
Any agent who has been in the business for any length of time (or owner who has sold a number of properties) will tell you that it takes more than a sign in the yard and an ad in the MLS to sell a home. If you take the average online flat-fee MLS company today, you’ll find that most of them offer little more than the opportunity to take your money online and stick your property’s data and photos into the MLS – never to be heard from again. They’re really more like online business cards with a cash register. Very few have gone to the expense and trouble of creating feature-filled back end web applications that give sellers access to online real estate selling tools and services to assist with the home selling process.
These are just a few of the questions owners should be asking when determining with whom to list their properties. Remember, anyone can list your home for sale, but that’s probably not where you want it to stop. A successful sale requires more than minimal effort – especially in today’s buyer’s market.
For more information on what top flat-fee MLS listing companies can provide in terms of service and benefits, visit Bloomkey.com
About the Author
Lawrence Bunnell is a partner at Bloomkey. In 1997, Mr. Bunnell co-founded the first national online real estate brokerage (and the first real estate company to ever become licensed in all 50 states). He has been responsible for creating several online flat fee real estate companies and is largely responsible for the advent of the Internet based flat-fee MLS listing segment of the real estate industry. Mr. Bunnell started his career in real estate in 1984. Prior to creating the online flat-fee MLS listing industry, Mr. Bunnell was one of the nation’s top selling real estate brokers at the RE/MAX, ERA, and Coldwell-Banker real estate franchises.
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Posted in FSBO, Flat Fee MLS, Flat Fee Real Estate Brokerage, Flat+Fee, For Sale By Owner, Real Estate, flat fee, flat fee MLS borkers, flat fee MLS brokerages, flat fee MLS companies, flat fee MLS listing company, flat fee MLS service, flat fee broker, flat fee brokerage, flat fee brokers, flat fee companies, flat fee listing broker, flat fee mls broker, flat fee mls brokers, flat fee mls company, flat fee mls listing, flat fee mls providers, flat fee realty, flat fee services, flat rate, flat rate broker, flat rate mls, flat rate realty, for sale by owner tips, fsbo guide, fsbo seller
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A new kind of trend has now emerged in the Real Estate market where property purchases have become quite easier with the help of MLS listings service. These listings service have become a new phenomenon in the market because they contain all the information about the property listings by the owners themselves.
Realtors pay a huge amount of money to have a complete access to a MLS system and its listings; this is an advanced MLS system through a realtor which will help you. Listings of houses are the most easily listed through an MLS system more than any other listing service which can make use of nuclear-family houses and commercial buildings.
The MLS listing service is a multiple listing service which can be easily used for trading in the real estate world, both residential single-family houses and commercial dwellings. The MLS is a comprehensive listing service which is used for both a state and a thorough nation wide listing service. Through a large Board of Realtors exists in every area, the agents and realtors have got an opportunity to sign up for the entry into the local MLS listing services.
The realtor can gain an access to the MLS service by a simple payment of a flat fee. It contains all the detailed information about all the property listings of a particular area. MLS is a very convenient way to get all this information, incorporating images, specifications, maps and a host of necessary information. The realtors who register for this kind of a listing service pay an annual amount of dues which is like a flat fee and extra fees. This not only incorporates the MLS listings but it also makes an extra amount of payment for the emergence of the MLS system.
Usually the data contained in an MLS service exists on paper and the member realtor has to undergo through a continuous and thorough amount of research through the online books to get the requisite listing information about the most lucrative properties. Now days with the help of computers and the vast amount of knowledge available on the internet, the MLS listings service has increased the optimum amount of productivity and acquiring the information about the best deal quickly.
The realtors have a new kind of access to a MLS listings service that definitely provide a higher and easier level of detailed information about the listings, where the standard and regular visitor only gets the basic listings information. For joining this kind of a service, it is very necessary that a prospective home buyer signs up for a MLS listings service. A user can also get all the necessary information about the ForsaleByowner listings that he/she needs by registering in an MLS listings service.
With the average house price approaching $250,000, sellers are balking at the prospect of paying up to $15,000 in real estate agent commissions to sell a home and are looking for cost effective alternatives – Flat Fee MLS by UIHS Realty is one.
Flat Fee MLS provides home owners to list their home on the MLS and gain the market exposure neccessary to generate potential buyer interest at a fraction of the cost – a few hundred dollars comparted to thousands.
IHS Realty is a leading provider of online flat fee MLS services together with a very wide range of services to support both buyers and sellers to list, market and close on a home sale.
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When you decide to place your home up for sale, you must ensure that you are listed in the MLS – this accounts for over 70% of home sales nationwide and is the de facto marketplace for home sellers and buyers.
IHS Realty’s flat fee MLS listing service will not only save you thousands of dollars in real estate agent commissions but also provides:
- MLS listing for 6 months
- Realtor.com listing – run by the National Association of Realtors
- IHS Realty listing
- Audio podcasts
- A Professional Real Estate "For Sale" Sign
- Free Web Page from which you can print as many flyers as you want
IHS Realty also provides support, resources and tools in our exclusive members only area of our main website.
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IHS Realty Support for Flat Fee MLS Listing Service
Once you’ve decided to select IHS Realty as your partner for a Flat Fee MLS Listing service, we do not stop working for you there.
We offer a wide range of support services along with guidance, tips and resources on how to market and negotiate the best deal for your home.
One simple way we support our clients is by providing a 24/7 answering service for buyer enquiries and as an additional incentive for potential buyers to purchase an IHS flat fee listed home we have partnered with HomeBuyer Connect to offfer valuable discounts and savings when they purchase a flat fee listed home through IHS Realty.
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The brief answer is "No" but realtors may be reluctant to show your home to prospective buyers they have on their own books if your home does not have a lockbox.
Remember, realtors tend to be on a short schedule so they don’t have very much time on their hands (another reason why you should seriously consider the FSBO Flat Fee MLS Listing route to begin with) – having a lockbox makes your home accessible and convenient for the realtor.
IHS Realty strongly recommends that you use a lockbox to make showing your home simple and easy for everyone involved and increase the home viewings.
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IHS Realty provides Flat Fee Listing Updates by Email
With IHS realty’s cutting edge use of technology for real estate you can register for our free email service for flat fee MLS listings to be delivered to you as soon as they come on the market.
Why should you be interested in flat fee MLS listings?
The answer is simple – the sellers are saving large amounts of real estate agent commission and have the scope to negotiate price reductions, rebates and contributions to closing costs that tradition real estate agent listing s do not have.
Registration is simple and easy – just follow the link below.
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If you fail to get your home listed on the Realtor MLS listing you are losing out on the market exposure tool that accounts for over 75% of home sales in the country.
You no longer need to commit to a commission arrangement that may see as much as 7% of the sales proceeds disappear into the pocket of a real estate agent – now you can simply select a flat fee MLS listing service and take control over your home transaction with only a little extra work on your part.
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If you fail to get your home listed on the Realtor MLS listing you are losing out on the market exposure tool that accounts for over 75% of home sales in the country.
You no longer need to commit to a commission arrangement that may see as much as 7% of the sales proceeds disappear into the pocket of a real estate agent – now you can simply select a flat fee MLS listing service and take control over your home transaction with only a little extra work on your part.
Flat Fee MLS Listings through IHS Realty will save you thousands of dollars in commissions
For Nationwide Coverage use IHS Realty and Save Thousands of Dollars
See Also
If you fail to get your home listed on the Realtor MLS listing you are losing out on the market exposure tool that accounts for over 75% of home sales in the country.
You no longer need to commit to a commission arrangement that may see as much as 7% of the sales proceeds disappear into the pocket of a real estate agent – now you can simply select a flat fee MLS listing service and take control over your home transaction with only a little extra work on your part.
Flat Fee MLS Listings through IHS Realty will save you thousands of dollars in commissions
For Nationwide Coverage use IHS Realty and Save Thousands of Dollars
See Also
If you fail to get your home listed on the Realtor MLS listing you are losing out on the market exposure tool that accounts for over 75% of home sales in the country. You no longer need to commit to a commission arrangement that may see as much as 7% of the sales proceeds disappear into the pocket of a real estate agent – now you can simply select a flat fee MLS listing service and take control over your home transaction with only a little extra work on your part. Flat Fee MLS Listings through IHS Realty will save you thousands of dollars in commissions For the main client page For Nationwide Coverage use IHS Realty and Save Thousands of Dollars
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IHS Realty Flat Fee MLS Listing Scenarios
IHS Realty offers a flat fee MLS listing service that also gives you access to the Realtor MLS operated by the NAR and the largest MLS in the country with nationwide exposure for your home.
Let’s take a brief look at some of the scenario’s for selling your home:
1. real estate agent or broker sells your home and you pay them a commission usually between 2.5% and 3.5%;
OR
2. you sell your home on your own (known as a For Sale By Owner or FSBO) and deal direct with the buyer with no real estate agent in the middle taking a commission - you pay 0% in commission.
You do not need to pay up to 7% to get a listing the NAR’s Realtor MLS with IHS Realty you simply pay a flat fee and gain access to a wealth of real estate selling resources, tips and guidance.
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List on the MLS as an FSBO with IHS Realty
Saving real estate commissions as high as 7% is a real driver for FSBO sellers and buyers, however FSBO’s means that they have to give up exposure on the national MLS operated by Realtor.
The MLS run by Realtor has become the main method of gaining exposure for your FSBO home, with some estimating that 75%-85% of homes are sold this way. IHS Realty provides a means by which you can market your home as an FSBO, benefit from a flat fee and enjoy Realtor’s MLS service to gain that market exposure for your home.
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List on the MLS as an FSBO with IHS Realty
Saving real estate commissions as high as 7% is a real driver for FSBO sellers and buyers, however FSBO’s means that they have to give up exposure on the national MLS operated by Realtor.
The MLS run by Realtor has become the main method of gaining exposure for your FSBO home, with some estimating that 75%-85% of homes are sold this way. IHS Realty provides a means by which you can market your home as an FSBO, benefit from a flat fee and enjoy Realtor’s MLS service to gain that market exposure for your home.
See Also
- Flat MLS for FSBO
FSBO’s can gain access to the national Realtors MLS listing service through IHS Realty for a flat fee
Buyers can benefit from Flat Fee MLS not just sellers
IHS Realty delivers benefits for buyers through flat fee MLS using our unique home buying program, not least a rebate of thousands of dollars depending on the price of the home you are buying.
IHS Realty’s flat fee MLS buying program provides for rebates to buyers through returning a portion of the real estate commission that can be very large and which the seller would otherwise have to pay.
In short, sellers can effectively reduce the price of their homes to deliver a real deal to you as a flat fee MLS buyer through the IHS Realty program.
The IHS Flat Fee Home Buying Program is a unique home buying service designed to save you lots of money on your home purchase. By rebating a portion of the sizeable real estate commission paid by the Seller back to you, you save thousands of dollars on your home purchase.
!
See Also
- IHS Realty’s Flat Fee MLS Buyers Program
The IHS Realty’s Flat Fee MLS Buyers Program delivers savings to buyers in the range of thousands of dollars daily – check out how our program works and save yourself thousands of dollars on buying your home.
The Future in Real Estate is IHS Realty’s Flat Fee Model
Lawrence Bunnell originated the flat fee MLS model for the internet on a nationwide basis – the first to be licensed in all 50 states with funding from AOL and LandAmerica.
A vociferous proponent for increasing customer choice and removing restrictions on the use of flat fee MLS solutions to benefit buyers and sellers alike, Lawrence Bunnell has appeared and contributed to numerous conventions and think-tanks on how to save millions of dollars in unearned commissions for the benefit buyers and sellers.
With technology and the internet increasingly becoming a fact of our daily lives, the flat fee MLS model utilizing cutting edge technology is the way forward for the future for millions of American real estate transactions.
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What makes IHS Realty different from other Flat Fee MLS Listing Companies?
IHS Realty was developed by the creators of the very first national online flat fee MLS listing service in the country.
We are different from other flat fee MLS listing companies as unlike, our competition who may only list homes on a part-time or add-on basis, we are 100% dedicated to
IHS Realty stands head and shoulders above the competition in flat fee MLS listing as it is all we do. No other flat fee MLS listing service can offer ther experience or full-time commitment that IHS Realty delivers for our clients.
IHS Realty’s online resource is the most comprehensive home selling tool available on the market today with a wealth of tips, guides, resources and tools to get the most out of flat fee MLS listing.
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IHS Realty provides access to the MLS without the high commission
The leading MLS is operated by the National Association of Realtors and according to recent surveys 75% of buyers find homes through this tool.
You do not need to sign up with a real estate agent to gain access to the MLS, though unscrupulous real estate agents hungry for commissions will claim you need to do so.
IHS Realty provides access to the MLS in a simple step by step process for a flat-fee and you control the listing not a real estate agent who may not show your home if they are not going to get the commission rate they are looking for.
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Flat Fee MLS is good for Buyers, Sellers and Brokers
The typical real estate model where up to 7% in real estate commission is split between the seller’s and buyer’s realtors is causing an increasing controversy.
With some real estate agents making commissions in the millions, embracing change is not likely – instead the industry would rather see a cull in the number of real estate agents than accept a flat fee commssion arrangement. The exclusivity arrangement in real estate agents contracts means real estate agents control who, what and what commission rate is expected on the MLS – listing on the MLS only costs $35 but real estate agents cite this is only a fraction of the cost involved in marketing a property but putting a price to this is difficult and their is the increasing sneaking suspicion over the value added by the traditional real estate model.
Flat fee brokers providing FSBO’s access to the MLS are by contrast performing well for all concerned, with buyers and sellers not having a high commission getting in the way of closing a deal and flat fee real estate agents gaining business.
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