How to List on MLS For Sale by Owner in 2022

Table of Contents:

What is a Flat Fee MLS Listing in 2022?

Full-service flat-fee MLS websites are sites where instead of paying a traditional listing broker their 2.5-3% commission for creating and posting your listing, you can pay a set amount to create your listing on your own. Because you will be doing most of the listing work on your own these websites can be much cheaper than traditional real estate agents would be. In 2022 there are many options for listing your home on an MLS website for a fee, however, there are also many websites that allow you to list your property online for free. These are not traditional MLS websites and yet they have become some of the biggest online websites for people looking to sell or buy properties. In fact, many of them are often used by real estate agents that are looking to get more exposure for the houses that they are trying to sell. These include Trulia, Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, and many others.

How To List on MLS For Free 2022?

There are many real estate websites and brokerages that offer condensed free versions of MLS listings. These can be used if you are trying to sell your home without a real estate agent. However, if you are looking to prepare an FSBO listing for your home you might have better luck posting your listing on websites that are created for the real estate market and do not require any sort of qualification or payment. For example, Zillow is the largest website for real estate and it has the largest database of homes. This website is not only accessed by many users constantly, it is also completely free to use even if you are not a real estate agent.

If you have your heart set on adding your property to an MLS then you will need to be aware that you will need to either be a licensed agent or broker paying the membership fees required to access and post to the MLS. This option is therefore not available to everyone. Not only that, but it is also not necessary that you pay for access to the MLS when so many people are looking for their next home on online websites like FSBO.com, Redfin, Trulia, Zillow, and even Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace.

Can I List on the MLS without an Agent?

MLS access is usually only provided to licensed agents or brokers, however, there are online services that can allow you to post on the MLS if you pay a flat fee or smaller commission rate. While the amount that these services are requesting is smaller than the amount that you would be called to pay if you were listing through a real estate agent that still does not mean that you have to pay for such a service. While listing on an MLS can be useful, if you are planning on an FSBO sale then you can go about listing your properties in other ways. Using free online websites and databases you should be able to garner a lot of exposure for your property without having to pay any fees for listing it.

The only way to list on MLS without an agent is by using an all-inclusive flat-fee service like Richr. With Richr you will not only be able to list your home on an MLS, but you will also have the title settlement fees and home warranty covered as they are included in the price of the service. In this way, you are able to get the best out of both the world of selling with a real estate agent and the world of FSBO home sales.

What are the Benefits of Listing on MLS in 2022?

MLS has been around for years, so it comes as no surprise that there are benefits to being able to upload to those databases that access MLS. Even in 2022 when there are so many different options for listing your property, getting your property on an MLS could result in a faster sale. In part, this is because MLS is accessed by licensed professionals who often have existing clients looking for properties. This means that if they notice your property and it fits their client’s needs, they will contact you quickly. Thus, it remains clear that there are many benefits to listing your property through an MLS instead of just on your own on real estate websites.

Benefits of listing on MLS in 2022

• Increased exposure

Not only do MLS listings bring increased exposure to your property because real estate agents will be able to direct their clients to your property, but they also get maximum exposure by being syndicated to Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, Redfin, and most other big real estate websites. This means that a property posted on MLS will automatically appear on most major real estate websites, making it thus easier for people to find your property.

• Buyer Agent Market

About 95% of home sales involve buyer agents, an MLS is the easiest way of accessing that market. By adding your home to an MLS more agents will be able to view your listing and work towards the sale of your property.

• Maximize your profit

Evidence suggests that homes listed on MLS sell much faster and for up to 17% more than the homes that were not made available through an MLS. In a way that makes sense since having access to a real estate agent could mean that you will more accurately market and list your property and thus could in the end receive more money for its sale.

How to List on the MLS By Owner Without a Realtor?

If you are trying to list on MLS without a realtor then you will need to be ready to possibly pay either a low commission rate or a flat fee for the ability to list on the database. Normally, MLS was only available to licensed professionals but now different online websites allow you access to MLS.

For example, Houzeo is one of the largest such services and depending on the plan that you choose you could pay anywhere between $199 to $999 for the ability to list your home on an MLS through them. This is only one example; other websites could ask for smaller or larger fees and, in some websites, you may even find a commission rate that is lower than the one you would have paid to a listing agent but still substantial.

To list on an MLS website without a realtor you will also need to be ready to prepare the entire listing on your own. Even the most basic of listings would need to include:

• Professional photos
• Features of the property
• Amenities in the surrounding area
• Property description
• Contact information

Another thing to remember about these MLS listing services is that usually you are only allowed to post on an MLS for a specific amount of time when you are using these services. Therefore, when making the payment you will want to have your listing ready to go so as to maximize the possibility of selling your property fast through the MLS.

How Much Does It Cost to List on MLS in 2022?

Normally MLS listings were only available to licensed real estate agents, however, in the past few years this has changed and there are now many available flat-fee or low commission services that you can use to get your home listed on an MLS in 2022. For FSBO home sales you will want to consider using a flat fee MLS listing service as those tend to be the cheapest options for listing your property.

The prices that you will be called to pay can range from a couple of hundred dollars to close to a couple of thousand dollars depending on the service and the plan that you chose. Remember that paying for these services gets you access to real estate agents. Even if you have decided to sell your home without a listing agent, chances are that potential buyers will have their own real estate agents searching for properties that fit your needs. By listing on an MLS, it means that you will instantly get your property in front of the eyes of these buyer agents. What’s more, MLS is syndicated with most major real estate websites including Zillow, Realtor.com, and Trulia will have MLS appear on the website. Therefore, through one listing you will get access to all potential buyers that are looking through those websites.

One thing is important to remember though. Most of these websites allow you to list your property on them for free, which means that using an MLS just to see your property on those websites may not always be the best idea. If you choose to use an MLS it should be because you want your property to be easily accessible to real estate agents so that you can potentially sell faster and for a better price.

What Is the Best Fee MLS Listing Service?

If you are looking for the best fee MLS Listing Service then you may want to direct your attention to Richr. Their service is completely commission-free, and they only charge a reasonable price for their listing service. While when compared to other MLS listing services their fee may appear slightly more expensive depending on the package that you choose, they are generally considered to be the most extensive and easiest to use service. Apart from that their price also includes your title settlement fees and home warranty, which in the end means that you are saving a lot more money by choosing their service. For this reason, it is considered by many to currently be the best all-inclusive MLS listing service for the sale of your home.

How Much Money Can I Actually Save?

A common question when people decide to sell their home on their own and without a listing agent is how much money they will save. The reality is that there is no set amount that you can save because agents normally work with commissions. The safest way to estimate approximately how much you are saving through an FSBO sale is by calculating what 2.5 to 3% of your home is. That is the amount that you would be called to give to an agent if you were using one. From that amount you will then need to deduct any money that you pay for an MLS listing, or for the closing documents to be drawn up. For most people, FSBO will result in them saving a few thousand dollars.

Why is a multiple listing service important when selling a house?

An MLS listing can be important for sellers as it means that the house is getting more exposure. More exposure to potential buyers could mean not settling for a lower price, or if your property is very desirable it could also mean selling the property after a short bidding war. In general, properties listed on MLS are generally able to sell for 17% more than their non-MLS counterparts so that is definitely something to consider when choosing whether or not you will sell through MLS.

How much is it to list my house on MLS?

If you are doing an FSBO sale then listing your home on MLS will be entirely your responsibility. To gain access to MLS you will need to pay a flat-fee service. This could end up costing you somewhere between a couple hundred a few thousand dollars depending on the package that you choose and the duration that you will want to keep your listing online for. All of these elements will help determine the amount that you will need to pay for your MLS listing.

What is the best MLS listing site 2022?

In 2022 there are many different MLS listing software that real estate agents use, however, the majority of these are not available to FSBO sellers. Using a flat fee listing service, such as Richr will help you to get your property on the MLS and gain the exposure it needs to sell quickly.

Summary

Selling your home on your own and without an agent will mean that you may be called to pay for certain services that would have otherwise been provided by your agent. An MLS FSBO listing will usually require the use of a flat-fee service that allows you access to MLS. Even with that flat fee, you could still end up saving thousands of dollars on the sale of your property because you will not need to pay for the listing agent’s commission.