Flat Fee MLS Listing Service, Buyer Rebate, and Full Service Realtor® Agency

A “Flat Fee MLS Listing” refers to the practice in the real estate industry of a seller entering into a service agreement with a Realtor® that accepts a flat fee rather than a percentage of the sale price for the listing side of the transaction.

When buying a home, the seller pays a buyer agent commission. Our rebate is one-third of that commission paid back to you as an incentive to do business with us. You save a lot of money and can use your rebate for anything you want.

Today, through more than 800 local and regional MLS Realtor® associations across the USA, brokers share information on properties they have listed and invite other brokers to cooperate in their sale in exchange for compensation if they produce the buyer. Sellers benefit by increased exposure to their property. Buyers benefit because they can obtain information about all MLS listed properties while working with only one broker.

Abbreviated as FSBO, a home offered for sale without the assistance of a Realtor®. As a FSBO, you’re responsible for everything from start to finish. Pricing, staging, listing, marketing, negotiating, forms, contracts, legal compliance, and closing the transaction are your responsibility. FSBO’s receive a ton of calls from agents trying to get an MLS listing.

The cost of the listing is a fixed amount not a percentage.
Upfront set up fees are common with Flat Fee MLS Listings.
Features are bundled differently and vary with different providers.
Flat Fee MLS Listings avoid conflicts of interest.

We know the FSBO seller does all the work to avoid agent fees and commissions. For starters, to market any property in MLS, you have to pay a buyer agent commission. Typically, that is 3% or 50% of what would have been paid to a traditional 6% Realtor®. When you go the bare bones Flat Fee MLS route, the broker at a minimum is responsible for creating the listing, scheduling open houses and making any updates. If you want additional help with pictures, lock box, signs, flyers, showing service, negotiating, closing, market analysis, you may pay more.

What are all the fees and commissions? (Avoid hidden fees)
Do you help with pricing strategies? (Get a market analysis and explanation)
How will you market my property? (MLS, photos, web sites, sign, flyer)
How will you schedule appointments? (You or a showing service)
What is your track record? (Past performance, how many deals are you working)
How do you provide representation? (Who is the point of contact, who handles negotiation)
Do I have to speak to buyers and their agents? (You or agent)
Do you provide transaction and closing assistance? (You or agent)
How long will it take to get my listing in MLS? (Days or weeks)
How do you communicate with me? (Email, text, phone, help desk)

It is critically important that you fully understand your costs and timing obligations before pricing your home, executing and negotiating a contract. Your agent should help you understand your closing expenses at the time of the listing based on your approximate list price. When an offer is received, contract terms can be different based on timing and terms and another evaluation is required to correctly understand the offer in hand.

Buyer agent fees are always confusing. Real estate is a unique industry in that the Seller sets and pays the representation fee for the Buyer. The compensation system was developed to encourage cooperation between Brokers and promote fairness. With this system, cooperating agents can know what earnings to expect without becoming a party to a transaction. The amount you pay is negotiated in your listing agreement, typically 3%.

The way you sell a home and live in a home are different things. The foremost number one thing to do is, “declutter” counters, walls and rooms. I walk into showings all the time and the garage is stacked floor to ceiling with Tupperware crates of removed clutter. Clean and make attractive all rooms, furnishings, floors, walls and ceilings. Make sure the basic appliances and fixtures work and get rid of leaky faucets and frayed cords. Make the house smell great.

Making repairs leads to a better sales price and a faster sell. It’s not always an easy decision about what to do and how much to spend. Your market analysis and agent should assist you in making repair decisions.

It is simple, in considering listing services, enter the property address and Google search some of their active listings. After your listing is live, Google search your property address. You will see all the major sites on the first page. 

When making a decision to sell your home, you need to establish a strategy that covers timing and cost based on your needs. While some sellers successfully sell their homes on their own, a For Sale By Owner (FSBO) arrangement is complicated and risky requiring a great deal of personal time and expertise through the process. For this reason, most people consider the fee paid to a real estate Broker worth the investment, for the convenience, time savings, and overall guidance provided. In choosing any MLS Listing Service, make sure you understand what will be provided and at what cost.

REALTOR® is a federally registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.

DFWCityhomes is a member of MetroTex, the largest REALTOR® association in North Texas and fourth largest real estate association in the USA. MetroTex operates its MLS and provides programs to its over 20,000 member professionals involved in all aspects of real estate.