How to Use a Flat Fee Listing Home to Make Your Home Sale Easier

The trend of homeowners choosing to bypass a real estate agent and sell their homes for sale by owner (FSBO) continues to become more popular. Homeowners who choose this method do it to avoid paying commission fees and save money. However, successfully selling a house requires marketing, staging, and showing the property to prospective buyers, all of which cost money and are usually handled by the real estate agent.

Unless you intend to sell to a family member or have privately secured a buyer, you must list your home on the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS). Licensed real estate agents have access to this service, but FSBO sellers can choose to list their property as a flat fee listing home sale.

Define Flat Fee Listing

Before FSBO sellers could list their homes and pay a flat fee for MLS listing home sales, they faced a challenge in reaching potential buyers through less effective marketing efforts. Since FSBO sellers are only interested in selling one property one time (their own), obtaining a real estate license wouldn’t make sense, given that obtaining one requires dedicating considerable amounts of time and money.

MLS flat fee listing services provided a solution, allowing FSBO sellers to gain access to the listings and other marketing and advertising services without needing a license. Some flat fee listing services can also provide staging and document services, which the real estate agent usually handles.

When using an MLS flat fee listing service, the increased exposure results in faster sales; some sellers receive multiple competitive offers using this method.

Why Homeowners are Choosing FSBO and Using Flat Fee Listings

For those who want to avoid paying real estate commissions but want to reap the advantages of MLS listing exposure, a flat fee listing brokerage service provides the perfect solution. A flat fee listing home sale comes with several benefits:

• The seller keeps more of the profits.

• The seller gets their home in front of more potential buyers, resulting in faster and more appealing offers.

• Sellers can provide photographs along with their listings for prospective buyers to view.

• MLS listing services provide staging advice. Staging a home helps buyers imagine their family in the space.

• MLS listing services allow the seller to decide whether they would prefer to hold open houses or have private showings.

• Brokerage services can assist with closing and processing the necessary documents to complete the sale.

How to Prepare Your Home for Sale

As a homeowner, there are steps you can take before putting your home on the market that will save you money. A thorough cleaning of your home can make a tremendous difference. Even if you intend to employ a professional stager, ensure each room has a defined purpose. Remove all personal effects, such as family photos and religious artifacts. You’ll want the potential buyer to imagine themselves living in the house rather than the previous owner.

Adding high-quality photographs to your home listing can help sell it. Consider hiring a professional photographer to capture the home's unique features and utility.

Curb appeal also plays an integral part in selling a home. Ensure that flowers and shrubs in front of the home are inviting and low maintenance. Trim and prune overgrown trees and bushes to highlight the front of the house.

You may also want to investigate some recent sales of comparable properties in your area to get a general idea of how to price your home.

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Also Read:

Five Sustainable Ways to Boost the Value of a Property

A Comprehensive Guide to Property Surveys

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Steps to Take to Create a Flat Fee Listing Home Sale

It's easy to sign up with a flat fee MLS listing service like HomeZu and start the process of selling your home:

1. Select your state and region and sign up for the appropriate service. Over 600 MLS regions exist throughout the United States. You can also expand your search by purchasing MLS services from multiple regions.

2. Create your listing within the user-friendly platform.

3. Decide how to show your property. You can schedule appointments or set up a lockbox for agents to bring over potential buyers on their schedule.

4. Review the offers and choose one that meets your financing and closing needs. You may continue to show the home until the offer goes through.

5. Close on the sale and celebrate.

Now, you can focus on moving forward to your next home and a new chapter in your life.

We're Here to Help

FSBO sellers can save thousands of dollars by cutting out the middleman. But you don't need to sacrifice optimum marketing and MLS listings as a trade-off. For a flat fee of $399, HomeZu provides a six-month listing for your home through a state-licensed broker. Your property will appear on reputable sites such as Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com. You may also post up to 25 pictures with your listing. HomeZu will also provide brochures and purchase and disclosure forms.

HomeZu offers upgraded packages such as 12-month listings and web domains. We encourage you to contact us with any questions or for more information. With our 45 years of experience and over 300,000 properties sold, we stand ready to help you sell your property on your terms.