FAQ’s About Our Service
It used to be that when you made the decision to sell your home, you essentially had two choices. You could either list the home with a traditional real estate broker and pay 6% commission, or you could try to sell it on your own. Today sellers have more options! Flat Fee Listing services like ours provide the same advertising benefits as traditional brokers, without the high fees. View our National Flat Fee MLS Listing coverage area.
If you were to list with a traditional agent, you’d pay around 6% of the selling price to them at the closing. Usually half of that money would go to the listing agency, and the other half would go to the broker representing the buyer.
With our Flat Fee Listing Service, you are basically cutting out the listing “middle man” and only paying a small fee to list. You now only have to pay half of the typical commission to the broker representing the buyer, and you’d ONLY have to pay this if the buyer has a broker! If you sell on your own there is NO commission.
Our program offers the MOST cost effective way to gain full national Internet exposure, which you absolutely must have, to successfully sell in this real estate market. Get Started Today!
What is the MLS?
The Multiple Listing Service or 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. It’s only available to Realtors and not to the public.
The MLS feeds data to many different real estate websites including REALTOR.com. The exposure your home will get with our service will increase your chances of finding a buyer faster. How does it work? If an agent finds a buyer for your house, they are entitled to a commission at closing.
With our Flat Fee MLS Listing program, you set the selling commission up front, so the buyer’s agent always knows how much they will earn to sell your home.
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) reported how “Discount Brokers Can Make Selling a Home Less Costly” which explains the difference between Flat Fee Listing Brokers and traditional Agents. You can read more about the USDOJ and their views on Competition in the Real Estate industry.
There are several states which still have “Minimum Service Laws” for real estate brokers. In these states there will most likely be an extra fee to sell, which is charged separately by the local broker assigned to your listing. Unfortunately there is nothing we can do to help this. Please Contact Us if you have questions before you sign up.
It’s important to note that the MLS is not the same as Realtor.com. The MLS is what Realtors use to list homes and can only be accessed by licensed Realtors, while Realtor.com is the public website used by consumers to search for homes.
The big advantage to you, as the seller, is that every single broker and agent participating in the MLS has an incentive to sell your home, effectively putting every agent in the area to work for you! The first place a buyers agent looks is always the MLS, so there’s simply no better way to gain instant and widespread exposure for your home.
Listing Packages
Premium MLS $399
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Standard MLS $299
- 6 Month term
- 6 photos on MLS*
- Basic Realtor.com Listing
- 6 Photos on Realtor.com
- Hundreds of real estate websites*
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Testimonials
Let’s face it, 95% of real estate sales are generated by MLS. After posting my listing, and offering the buyer’s agent 2.5%, I had 15 showings and 3 offers within one week.
M. Lorenze, CT
Fred Romano made the dollars spent worth it! He was professional, helpful and very quick with responses. The service has met my expectations and beyond!
Sarah, CT
I must say your service is outstanding! Your use of technology greatly simplified the process of getting our house listed in the MLS and online fast.
J. Blaha, CT
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Common Questions
Q. If one of your affiliates list my property, 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 Flat Fee Listing service we provide, as outlined under our listing programs. We want to make sure you receive the same quality of service you would receive, as if your were dealing directly with us.
Q. How can you provide this flat-fee MLS service so inexpensively?
A. 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 Listing” or “Discount MLS 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 MLS listing services and promise to save you thousands of dollars on the sale of your home.
Q. Why should I use a Flat Fee Listing program like yours rather than just selling by owner?
A. Our service provides 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 10% of 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 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. What is the difference between my local MLS and Realtor.com?
A. The NAR (National Association of Realtors®) prohibits Realtors® from including the sellers’ contact info on Realtor.com, directly, because it’s publicly accessible. Do not confuse Realtor.com with the Realtor® MLS. They are two separate systems, even though they are both operated by The Realtors® Association. Realtor.com downloads property data from the local Board of Realtors® and makes that property data available to the public, on-a-limited-basis.
Realtor.com is not a “For Sale By Owner” website, and so therefore, a sellers’ contact information is not available. It is acceptable to list the seller as the property contact on the local Realtor® MLS; that’s because, it is ONLY accessible to Realtors®. We list you as the contact on the local MLS.
Q. If a broker from another real estate company brings me an offer, is the 3% commission split with you?
A. No, we do not split the 3% commission with the buyers agent. The 3% commission goes directly to the buyers agent at the closing.
Q. Is your listing fee refundable?
A. Once the listing process has been completed, you may cancel your listing on the MLS, but the listing fee is non-refundable.
Please read our Terms of Use.
Q. If a buyer calls you about our property as a result of Realtor.com, what do you do?
A. We refer them to you. Our broker affiliate may offer enhanced optional services which may include handling of showing appointments.
Q. Do you offer a lock box?
A. Yes, lock boxes are available to purchase during signup, or may be available from our affiliate brokers. You can also purchase a combination lock box at your local hardware store.
Q. How long does it take to be listed on the MLS?
A. During the normal business hours, it takes about 24 hours after our broker affiliate enters your information on the MLS. The quicker you complete the setup, the faster it will be available!
Q. Is any special designation given to an flat-fee MLS listings on the MLS?
A. In many cases, the MLS may have an option to note that this listing in an “Entry Only” type of listing. Other than that, there is generally not any special designation that singles out Flat Fee MLS Listings. The NAR (National Association of Realtors®) policy on Flat Fee MLS Realtors® is “zero” discrimination tolerance. Local boards have been instructed by the NAR that they can not discriminate against Flat Fee MLS brokers, its violates Federal Trade Commission Laws.
Realtors do not care if you are trying to sell your home on your own, as long as you are offering them a commission, for bringing you are buyer. They know that statistics are in their favor, that they will locate a buyer, first.
Q. What if I sell the house on my own?
A. When you list your home through FlatFeeRealty.com you pay an upfront fee to list, 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. 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 I should ask them before showing the home?
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. Learn more about Showing Your Home.
Q. Should I be concerned about lead-based paint?
Q. Should I be concerned about radon gas?
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 and many other real estate websites. These internet listings will give you national exposure to out-of-state home buyers. Since hundreds of people move to other states daily, this exposure can be a vital component in selling your home quickly and for the best price. Independent websites 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.
Have a question not listed here? Contact Us!
*Fairfield MLS max photos 16, MLS feed only to Realtor.com †While under “active” status ‡Excludes Listingbook.
