How to List Real Estate on the MLS
The Real Estate MLS, or Multi-List, is a roster of all residential properties in a geographic area that local real estate professionals are allowed to show prospective buyers. The quickest way to get your home on that list is to sign a listing contract with one of the agents, but there are other ways of getting your home on that list if you are creative and persistent.
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Instructions
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Draw up a detailed information sheet of your property. Homes on the MLS list square footage, number of bedrooms, size of garage, size of lot and date the home was built. You must disclose all of your home's mechanical and structural problems, too. An agent can't sell your home without a signed disclosure by the seller.
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Research what percentage of a sale the agents in your area are getting on a home. Generally, its 5 or 6 percent, but it may be higher or lower depending upon the area.
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Contact the head of your local MLS board. You can find out who that is by calling any real estate office that belongs to the MLS group. The MLS will have a President that is elected or appointed every year. Give this person a call to present your idea.
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Offer ½ of the entire sales commission in your area to any real estate office that sells your home. An agent won't show or sell your home free of charge.
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Call the publishing company that prints the MLS brochure. You have to pay the advertising costs for publishing a photo and description of your home. The MLS brokerages have to pay, too, for their publicity.
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Leave "One Time Showing" contracts in your home when an agent schedules a showing. You can get these from any office on the MLS. An agent will want assurance that she is not going to have her client stolen from her, so she will insist you sign a contract stating you will not pursue her client for a specific time after the showing, usually 60 days.
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Tips & Warnings
Put an attractive "For Sale" sign in your yard. Potential buyers driving by an area they are interested in can generate sales.
Check to see if there is a MLS listing service in your county that will allow agents to show your home for one flat fee.
Try an online MLS multi-service. These aren't associated with the National Association of Realtors, and will not be shown by local agents, but some have quite large viewerships.
There is no guarantee that the local MLS will accept your inclusion on their list. Each board is a locally-controlled entity that sets its own policies.
