Click2MLS - List your home for $345

Flat Fee MLS Frequently Asked Questions

What is Flat Fee MLS

Flat Fee MLS listings are full multiple listing service (MLS) listings where a flat fee is charged rather than a commission percentage. This is based on the concept that the work done does not change with the price of the home and, therefore, a fee is charge for the service and not on the price of the home...more on Flat Fee MLS

How does Click2MLS work?

Sign up using our easy online forms, which will guide you through the process of providing us the necessary information to create your listing. This will include information such as addresses, room sizes, a house description, etc. We use the data you provide to put your listing in the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS), a searchable database of homes that are for sale, that is accessible only to licensed real estate agents. Not all information is required but, the more you provide, the easier it is for the right buyer to find your home. When an agent wants to make an appointment to show your home, they will call you to make the appointment. We will provide you with a lockbox, which will hold a key to your house, so you don't have to be there when agents show your home. When an agent wishes to submit an offer for their clients, the offer will be sent to our office, and we will represent you throughout the negotiation process. Once you get an accepted contract, we will guide you through the process including providing information to your attorney, coordinating inspections, appraisals, and ensuring that all contingencies are met.

How can you afford to list homes for such a low price?

The 2%-3% commission you pay your listing agent covers all the marketing your agent may do. At Click2MLS, we actually believe that much traditional marketing benefits your agent far more than it benefits you. We, rather, leverage a large number of listings to gain maximum exposure in the areas where the most buyers look for homes. For example, listings in newspapers, mailings, brochures and glossy home magazines will make your agents phone ring with callers your agent hopes to convert into buying clients. These customers very rarely do clients even go to see the homes they call about let alone actually purchase them. Almost all of them, though, will get, from their agent, a list of other homes in the area that are similar to the home they were originally calling about. This list is generated from the MLS. Since your home is on the MLS, the ads of other similar homes will actually help you sell your home. Thus the "bait" used by other agents to lure in more business will actually help sell your home especially since you may have more price flexibility than others selling their homes at higher commission. Since our focus is on helping sellers and not using our listings to capture more buyers you, as the seller, reap the benefits. We do, though, spend time and resources ensuring that your home is seen where it matters most and in ways that buyers are looking for. That is why we have a top internet presence that rivals and surpasses much of our larger competition. Keep in mind that many larger Real Estate companies higher only contract employees and do not provide much in the way of resources to help them market their homes. Since many agents are not experienced in market and negotiating, you are not getting the service you deserve especially for the price you pay. It is our goal to give you the most effective services and to sell you home quickly and maximize your proceeds regardless of the market conditions. We use are listings to sell your home rather than build our buyer base with your money.

Will I pay unexpected fees or charges?

No! You will only pay for the services you select. That is you will pay the listing fee plus any optional services you select. These fees are paid up front. You will also pay the commission you select to a broker that brings a buyer into your home this is typically 2%-3% if, and only if that broker brings a buyer into your home.

Other brokers offer a 1% or 2% commission. How does your plan compare?

Most companies offering 1% or 2% commission are only telling you half of the story. That is their fee. When you add in the commission paid to the buyer's broker, you can get a total commission usually ranging from a low of 3% all the way up to 6% or more. Our base program is $345 + a buyer's commission of at least 2%. On a $250,000 house, our fee is less than 1/6 of a percent. This means that our program is typically almost 1-2% less on an apples-to-apples basis. See our savings calculator for more details.

What are the advantages of a SUPRA lockbox?

We will provide you with either a combination or a SUPRA electronic lockbox. Both are secure, however a SUPRA lockbox provides an added measure of protection in that only agents who have a supra keypad can get the key out of lockbox. SUPRA keypads must be updated on a regular basis and require a PIN to use. When the agent uses their keypad to retrieve your key, the box records their name and the time they showed your home, thus providing a log of the agents coming and going from your home. This is an extra measure of security to protect your home and its contents. A traditional combination lockbox does not provide this extra security, but can be useful for allowing non-Realtors� access to your home. Some clients opt for both types of boxes with the combination box in a secondary location. Realtors� are only allowed to use the SUPRA while service people are given the combination. This is at your option as a seller.

Why should I have a virtual tour on my listing?

Today's homebuyers typically do their homework spending hours looking at multitudes of homes on the internet. A virtual tour helps your home to stand out and, in many cases, will appear before homes without them. Many buyers also feel that only better homes have virtual tours. This means that the extra perceived value provided by the virtual tour can translate into a faster sale, more money in your pocket, or both. Additionally, virtual tours often serve to heighten interest and excitement in your home. With the sneak peek at the interior, buyers anticipation grows. This is true regardless of the format of the tour or its quality though our tours minimize distortion found in many pictures and give potential buyers a more realistic and clear view.

Why should I offer a home warranty?

Home warranties help with the marketing of your home, provide an extra measure of comfort for buyers, and can even protect you as the seller. For homebuyers, they can provide extra some peace of mind and alleviate worries associated with homeownership. This is especially true for first time homebuyers who can be some of your best costumers because you do not have to worry about them having a home to sell. We have often found that offering a home warranty has made the difference in selling the homes of our clients even when the buyers and sellers had been thousands of dollars apart in negotiations. Again, this is a perceived value item. The home warranty we recommend costs $379 but has a perceived value that is often much higher. The warranty is covered by a third party provider at no risk to the seller. Also, the warranty does not have to be paid until and only if the home sells. Otherwise there is no cost to the seller. As an added bonus, the warranty covers the sellers during the listing agreement. This means that you are covered for anything that the warranty covers during this time subject to the regular terms of the warranty. One more than one occasion, we have represented sellers who have had covered items break during their listing. With a deductible of $100, these clients could have saved hundreds or even thousands had they opted for the warranty. This is a totally optional component to our services but can be a great add on for both you and your buyers alike.

How do I take my own virtual tour pictures?

Taking pictures for your virtual tour is really quite easy. The important things to remember are to keep the camera level (we strongly advise using a tripod) and creating enough overlap to allow continuity in the tour.

  1. Pick up to six rooms/views. This can include one outside front shot and a back yard shot.
  2. Set up the room prior to taking the picture. Any items that change from one shot to the next can have a negative affect on the splicing process.
  3. Set the camera in a part of the room that allows the best view. Typically a corner or wide entry works best but, sometimes, an overhead shot works well if it is possible. Do not worry about going around 360 degrees as this is usually very difficult to do unless you are doing a huge room and it is not necessary.
  4. Start taking pictures at one side of the room and rotate the camera so that each picture in series overlaps from about 10% to 30%. Tip: look for an item on one side of the picture, for example, the lamp on the left side of the picture, and make sure that it is still on the right side in the next picture.
  5. Try to keep the camera as level as possible between shots. The splicing process is tolerant to some movement but the steadier and more level the shots, the better the quality of the tour. This is particularly why we feel you need a tripod to do it right.
  6. Don't worry if it only takes 2 or 3 pictures to cover a room. This is just fine and often looks better than taking additional pictures of blank walls.

The quality of the virtual tour depends heavily on the quality of the pictures taken. If you are unhappy with your virtual tour, we can advise you on ways to improve your pictures and allow you one opportunity to retake them for a redo of your virtual tour without additional costs.

Why choose Click2MLS over selling my home by owner?

When you sell your home by owner all responsibility and costs are yours.

  1. You must pay all advertising yourself - This can mean hundreds or even thousands of dollars on newspaper ads and on internet sites. These costs are even higher in a slow real estate market when selling time increases.
  2. You have to pay for a lockbox sign and any other extras you want.
  3. You must also be home for all showings or, worse yet, you must give a lockbox combo to those who are going to look at your home.
  4. You don't have a professional negotiating for you - Our expertise can help you maximize your returns during the negotiating process. We can also help you avoid the pitfalls that cause many potential sales fall apart.
  5. Greater exposure. A listing with us give you access to any buyer using a Realtor� as well as those searching for real estate on major home search websites including the major real estate companies. It is this exposure that helps you maximize your price by reaching a larger number of affluent customers.
  6. Most home buyers use real estate agents, as many as 80% or more. You could miss many of these buyers if they are not listed in the MLS.
Why choose Click2MLS over a Traditional Brokerage?

When you sell your home by owner all responsibility and costs are yours.

  1. Cost - This one is obvious. Our services can save you thousands over traditional brokers. This can help you to price your home more aggressively, get more at closing, or both.
  2. Services - We offer the key services to help your home sell and support you after you get a contract. All this for a much lower fee.
  3. Marketing - We reach out to affluent and informed internet buyers who are typically more ready to buy once they go to see your home. Our marketing often meets or exceeds that offered by traditional brokers when it comes to the internet.
  4. Integrity - We offer honest and simple advice. We do not tell you what you want to hear to get you to list with us but rather, use our extensive market experience to help you sell smart.
  5. Ease - Our process is fast and easy. We enter our listings, add photos, and make changes in hours vs. days or even weeks.
  6. No Risk - Our Refund policy takes the risk away. You can always switch to another full service brokerage and receive a refund for our fees at closing. See our Refund Policy for more details.
How long will it take for my listing to appear in the MLS?

Guaranteed within 24 hours excluding Sundays and Holidays or you receive 25% off. Usually, though, listings appear in four hours or less. We email you a confirmation of your listing after it is complete. Note that Realtor.com will pick up listings with 1-4 days after it appears in the MLS. Though we, like other brokerages, do not control this process, we are among the fastest in upgrading our listings with Photos, virtual, tours, and customized ad copy. (unless you ask us for a future listing date). We will send you a copy of the listing and confirmation. Optionally, you can schedule your listing to start any day you like in the future. Just specify this on the listing agreement.

How Much is my Home Worth? What Price should I ask for my home?

While there are many websites that can give you a ballpark figure of the value of your home, such as zillow.com, it is important to get an opinion from a local real estate expert. If you would like us to provide a value estimate report, just send us and email or call us. Note, though, that the price you ask is always a personal decision based on your goals including:

  1. The speed at which you want/need to sell.
  2. Financial goals for your sale.
  3. The relative strength of the sales market.
  4. The condition of your home.
  5. Interest Rates

We will give you the information you need to make and informed decision, and offer our opinion of value. The price you want to ask, though, is your choice. Keep in mind, though, that we allow you to change your price, up or down, at any time without charge. We process the changes just like we do our initial listings. That is, within 24 hours excluding weekends and holidays, but usually within 4 hours of receipt of a signed change.

Can I still Sell My Home "Buy Owner"?

Yes! You retain the right to sell you home through any buyer not using a Realtor � . If you do, you will pay no additional fees to us other than your initial listing fee. We can still guide you along the way with forms and paperwork you may need.

Will Realtors� from Other Companies Show My Home?

Absolutely! Buyer's agents are in the business of finding the best homes for buyers' needs. Since our program guarantees they will get paid if they bring a buyer to your home, Realtors� are willing to show your home to any buyer who might have interest. In fact, it is an agent's fiduciary responsibility to show your home to their buyers if it meets their criteria. Since almost all buyer searches are, done by the buyer themselves, are automated, or performed with the buyer present, your home will always be included when it meets a buyers criteria. Importantly, buyer's agents do not know that you are getting such a great deal on your listing. They only know the portion they will get if they bring the buyer who purchases your home. This means they will treat your listing based on the qualities of your home, not the price you are paying.

What are my options for taking Photos
  1. You Take them - You control the quality. We will advise you of any potential concerns with the photos you supply. You can change photos as often as you want (we will apply the changes within 24 hours excluding weekends and holidays).
  2. Let the MLS Photographer take the Photo - This will only include a front shot and is typically of mediocre quality. This is only recommended for the budget conscious with little photography skills or for a home where photos are less important.
  3. Let one of our Photographers take the Photos for you - This is typically a good option if you have limited photography skills. Cost varies from $50-$150 depending on location.
What happens when I get a contract?

By law, all contracts must be sent to our office first. We send you a copy as soon as possible. We will help to negotiate the terms until an agreement is reached or one or both parties decide to discontinue. We are on your side on the process and will help to advise you and to understand real estate terms, potential pitfalls, and the competitiveness of all offers. Once all parties agree and the contract is signed, we will continue to support you and help you move towards closing.

Can I have an Open House?

Absolutely! We will add them to the schedule on Realtor.com and the MLS as often as you like. You must be available at your own open houses. We can recommend a schedule if you would like.

What is Your Cancellation and Refund Policy?

You may cancel your listing at any time without additional charge. Your listing fee is non-refundable. If you allow us to find you a replacement full-service agent, we will refund your listing fee paid to us at closing, if you sell your home with the agent we recommend within one calendar year. With some limitations, we let you select the company you want the agent to be from.

Click here for a break down of our services.

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