My New Blog

    I am amazed that some people do not know what the MLS is about in this information age.  I was just visiting a website where an offer of a flat fee MLS listing service is shown claiming that "you don't have to pay a commission unless your home sells", or that "all a listing sales associate is going to do is place your home on the MLS", another favorite is one of the FSBO sites which claim to place a home on the MLS and send the poor owner to a website that has nothing to do with the Multiple Listing Service. 

    First and foremost, the Multiple Listing Service is a local fee based service which is offered between Realtors® to share income when performing our duties (our jobs) in marketing properties.  We understood that to market a home, sharing sellers and buyers in the marketplace is tantamount to earning the meager salaries which we use to support our families, pay for independent business licenses, social security, and income taxes which are not paid by an employer. 

    Ours is not a salaried job, each Realtor® works for him/herself and when we pay from our pockets to advertise properties (one magazine ad can exceed $750.00 - and it takes up to 3 or 4 to really put a property out there), ensure the property is properly staged for buyers, hold open houses, host a sales associate caravan, and offer to pay a fellow sales associate for bringing a buyer by paying for the gas involved in driving a buyer around, the contract and closing paperwork and the detail that goes with it, we are a fortunate group to earn what we do to live off.  No wonder the turnover in this business is so high!

    Realtors® do these things because we love what we do.  We are not keeping the public from showing their homes by not allowing them to list in the MLS, we are paying for use of the service through annual and monthly dues and we use a Code of Ethics to ensure that all who participate, participate fairly for the public and other Realtors® sake.

    Any company that  states it can place your home on the MLS without having to pay a Realtor® is NOT placing your home on the MLS!  Any sales associate who states they will place your home on the MLS and you can negotiate your fee, is not being honest (a Realtor® requirement)as a fee must be offered to allow a listing on the MLS. 

    There are websites that proport to be MLS sites masking the word MLS in with other items on their listing address.  This will not make your home visible to any potential buyers unless they know this address!  Buyers who are looking for homes will search the MLS for the area because they know that the most homes for sale are available there. 

    If you're looking to sell your home and want it marketed to as many potential buyers as possible - use a Realtor®. This is our business and we have the right tools to bring you and your next buyer together!