Several years ago when the real estate market was at its peak, it was easy to put a sign in your front yard and have your house sold in a short period of time...sometimes in just a few hours...you didn't even need a realtor. Those days are long gone now. In fact, there are several reasons why selling a house without a realtor isn't so easy anymore.
The main reason why selling a house without a realtor may be difficult has to do the multi-listing service, or MLS. If your home is listed on the MLS it will be viewed on a number of different websites as well as through a nationwide network of real estate brokers. Selling a house without a realtor is certainly possible if you're not listed in MLS, but almost 90% of all home sales that take place are a direct result of being listed in MLS.
Your best option if you do plan on selling a house without a realtor is to find a real estate broker that will list your home in MLS for a one-time flat fee. Then you can go about your business of trying to sell your home on your own. As long as you find a buyer without the help of a real estate agent, you will only pay the one-time flat fee for the listing. If your buyer happens to have their own buying agent then you pay a small percentage (usual 3%) of the sale price to that agent. Either way, you still save thousands of dollars when using a flat fee listing service over a traditional real estate transaction of 6%.
In the end, if you are selling a house without a realtor, you still must get listed in MLS and the best way to that is by using a flat fee listing service.
By:Tanya Waxler
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