Written by Don Martin on Jan 27, 2016. Updated Mar 29,2019 Follow Don HERE. Join FSBO NATION HERE.
When you choose to sell your home on your own, you want and need all the help you can get. Though you can save thousands by skipping the commissions of a Realtor, you can put yourself at a slight marketing disadvantage. That is why you need to get your property listed on the multiple listing service (MLS) for Realtors. There are many reasons in obtaining a MLS real estate listing. A look at them will show you that paying a flat fee in order to get a “for sale by owner” listing on the MLS is well worth the money and effort.
Advantages of an MLS Listing
The first of many advantages in having a MLS real estate listing is that it can be the key to sales success. Approximately four of every five home buyers find the property they want through the MLS. By being listed on MLS, you will have almost every real estate sales person in the region working for you. Most flat fee MLS listing services will offer a term as long as 6 months, but in most cases you wont need that long with exposure to so many Realtors, brokers, and customers.
The second advantage of having an MLS real estate listing is that you are saving as much as 2% to 3% on your cost of sale. That may not sound like a lot, it is actually $2000 per hundred thousand you sell meaning you could end up saving as much as $20,000 or $30,000 on the sale if you end up skipping the Realtors and paying only the flat fee to list on MLS.
Thirdly, one of the advantages in having an MLS real estate listing is that you will be seen. If you are selling as a for sale by owner, or FSBO, then you have to hope someone “accidentally” drives on your street or sees it in the newspaper or on Craigslist by chance. Also, even if a Realtor drives by, they will likely not show a home that is not MLS listed, because they are not otherwise guaranteed to get paid like they are in the MLS. If you are on MLS, though, you will come up in searches and have your house shown with much more frequency. Luck works much better when you don’t have to depend on it!
Good sales and business sense
Finally, it just makes good sales and business sense to list on MLS. By far, the MLS is the best way to sell your house fast and for a price you like. Since the internet is considered a powerful force, the listing being on the MLS gives you the exposure you need.
There are many, many advantages in obtaining an MLS real estate listing. You will find that your home is better marketed, that you don’t have to rely on the luck of a drive by, that you save a great deal of money, and that you are linked in with thousands of Realtors who essentially end up working for you. So if you are going to sell your home yourself FSBO, you should find a flat fee MLS listing service so that you have the best possible chance of selling your home quickly and at a price you want.
Click HERE to put my house on the MLS !
Broker Don Martin, founder and CEO of Martin Properties, besides helping hundreds of FSBOs save thousands of dollars, also delivers seminars, keynotes and motivational messages to real estate and sales professionals. His 30+ years of experience in sales, marketing, real estate, promotion, management and technology has empowered thousands to expand their knowledge and achieve their goals. Connect with Martin Properties on Facebook, TheReasonableRealtor.com, MLS-TODAY.com or Amazon.com.
