Flat Fee Real Estate Benefits Buyers And Sellers Alike

By Lawrence Bunnell

Regardless of the condition of the real estate market, two things are certain. First, sellers want to make as much as possible on the sale of their home. Second, buyers want to be able to save money when they purchase a home whether they are buying a first home, a larger home or even a vacation home.

The flat fee real estate business caters to sellers and buyers alike.

Sellers no longer are left to choose between selling their home for sale by owner and hiring a seller’s agent. Instead, with flat fee MLS listings, sellers can take advantage of the best of both worlds.

Like sellers who choose to sell their home for sale by owner, there are a number of responsibilities. These sellers will have to take an active role in marketing their property, staging their homes effectively, hosting open house events and even showing the home to prospective buyers.

Like sellers who sell with traditional real estate seller’s agents, however, sellers who use a flat fee MLS listing service will benefit from the exposure of the multiple listing service. Their properties will be listed in the MLS just as they would be if they were being sold with the help of a real estate agent.

These similarities also exemplify the differences that sellers using a flat fee real estate service will experience. Unlike those who sell their homes for sale by owner, these sellers will not need to struggle to get the word out about the home they are selling. They will know that they have access to the same exposure that traditional sellers have. However, they will not receive the same services associated with a traditional broker.

When selling with a flat fee MLS listing, there will not be someone guiding a seller through the process step by step. Sellers will have to take on a lot of the responsibilities and work of selling a home. However, they will not have to pay for the services of a real estate agent; only a simple, low flat fee to have the home listed in the MLS as well as on websites used by home buyers to find properties that interest them.

Home buyers who are searching for properties on their own may be doing so because they are aware of a home buying rebate. A home buyer rebate is available to those home buyers who register with a flat fee real estate service rather than a traditional real estate buyer’s agent.

Like flat fee sellers, flat fee real estate buyers will be responsible for taking on a lot of the work of finding the right home. They will be responsible for searching for the right properties as well as scheduling times to see homes that interest them. However, they will still have guidance when it comes to closing on a home of their own.

The reward for doing the majority of the work is simple: rather than paying a commission to a buyer’s agent, they will pay a flat fee to the real estate broker and receive a home buyer rebate of the remaining commission paid by the seller.

Whether you are buying or selling a home, flat fee real estate companies offer you a chance to save. Flat fee MLS listings and home buyers rebates give buyers and sellers what they are looking for: a way to save on real estate transactions.

About the Author: Lawrence Bunnell is a Partner and the Principal Broker of IHS Realty, an Internet based, real estate brokerage company offering consumers online, flat-fee, ‘a la carte’ real estate brokerage products and services. Lawrence has been a full-time licensed REALTOR since 1984 and is currently a licensed real estate broker in Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland, Georgia, South Carolina and Pennsylvania. In addition to his role as the firm’s Prinicipal Real Estate Broker, his duties include serving as the head of web application design and development and Internet marketing initiatives for IHS.

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