How to List Property on the MLS

Multiple Listing Services are basically databases which allow real estate brokers, or prospective home buyers to find real estate listings according to their particular needs. Searches can look for homes for sale in a certain price range or square footage and more easily find the house that suits them. My husband and I flip houses and consistently use Multiple Listing Services. It's an easy way to maximize exposure to the property without having to go through the trouble and expense of hiring a real estate agent. So, how do you do it?

Step 1: Find the appropriate MLS
Certain multiple listing services will only allow brokers and other agents to place properties on their websites. I recommend doing a search for "for sale by owner (FSBO)" real estate listings. You are the most interested in the ones that are at the top of the search because these will be the most popular. Word of mouth is also another way to go. If you know any friends who are looking for a house or if you used a similar service when looking for the home that you're selling, go with that one. Ideally, you're looking for a site that features pictures (virtual tours attract a lot of prospective buyers) and a user friendly website.

Step 2: Agonizing over the fee
There's really no getting around it. The MLS' that offer their services for free are most likely doing this because they are trying to attract listings to their site. And if there are no listings there, there won't be customers and you're really just wasting your time. So, how much should you expect to pay? Well, for the most part, you're going to get what you pay for. The majority of MLS' will offer a fat flee for exposure on their site until your house is sold. You'll be looking at somewhere around $100-$200 depending on how popular the site is. But, don't take my word for it. Search around for a few days until you find a sufficiently popular site with a reasonable fee.

Step 3: Posting your listing
This step will vary depending on the MLS that you decide to sign up with. What will be required from you is photographs of your home and information like square footage, amenities, and asking price. Some MLS' offer home value assessment, photography tutorials, post evaluations, and other services to help ensure the sale of your home. But at the very least, they should provide you with a checklist of the required information.

Listing your property on multiple listing services is a quick and easy process that can attract a lot of potential buyers to you. In just a few minutes (minus all of the photo and video taking time), you can expose your home to 1,000 of potential buyers and maybe even a few pointers on how to get it to sell more quickly.