Are all Flat Fee MLS Websites in Florida a Genuine MLS Service?

No they are not. Just because a website hangs a shingle that says, “Florida Flat Fee MLS” doesn’t mean they are licensed in Florida to offer such real estate services or that they truly offering what’s being advertised.

The mere fact that we are in “Florida” is reason enough to question and research the company carefully before listing.

There are at least 10 different versions of flat fee MLS in Florida. Make sure the version you buy is a genuine MLS flat fee provider…such as ADDvantage.

If your are currently selling For Sale By Owner, or are listed with a full service agent and your listing is soon to expire, or just want to sell your Florida home using flat fee MLS, then apply my 5 steps to determine whether you are looking at a genuine flat fee MLS website:

Genuine Flat Fee MLS Test Question Number 1…is the flat fee “website” licensed in Florida? If not, they cannot show you a listing agreement or list your property in the MLS…all they can do is take your money and refer you to a Florida flat fee broker. Once you are referred, you will sign a listing agreement with that unknown broker. They are not a genuine Florida flat fee MLS service.

Genuine Flat Rate MLS Test Questions Number 2…does the Florida flat fee MLS website publish their listing agreement on-line? If not, it is a BIG red flag that they are not a genuine flat fee service.

Genuine Florida Flat Fee MLS Test Questions Number 3….does their listing agreement clearly say “all buyer leads from Realtor.com belong to the seller?” If not, they are definitely not a genuine flat fee MLS service.

Genuine Flat Fee Test Questions Number 4…if the listing agreement doesn’t detail exactly what hours the broker answers the phone, then it’s not a genuine MLS flat fee service. Contrary to popular belief, only 50% of the calls from Realtors and Buyers go to the you, the seller. The other 50% go to the flat fee broker. Your listing broker holds the keys to your successful sale. You need a flat fee broker that answers the phone 12 hours a day 7 days a week…such as ADDvantage. Who started that myth anyway that all calls go to the seller? The “NOT” genuine flat fee websites did because they are the ones that have published the same old retheric that “all calls go to you” so no one worries about phone support. The ADDvantage flat fee website has never made that statement because it is not true. The reason this myth lives on is because the language in the MLS for flat fee listed properties states, ”call seller directly for all showings and offers at 305-262-0803″ under the Realtor remarks section. While this is true, ADDvantage can also attest that 2,900 Realtors and buyers have called ADDvantage over the past 12 months looking for showing instructions and over 1,000 of those calls came to ADDvantage after-hours. Why don’t Realtors read the “Realtor Remarks” section of the MLS? The reason is because Realtors over the past 70 years have been calling the “listing broker” for showing instructions, not the seller. Many Realtors don’t even understand what “flat fee” or “limited service” is. If the hours of operation are not important enough for the flat fee service to publish in their listing agreement then they are not a genuine flat fee MLS service.

Genuine Flat Fee Test Number 5…if the flat fee MLS service doesn’t say the words “unconditionally withdraw”of listing from MLS upon written request from you, the seller, then that website is not a genuine flat fee MLS listing service. No other words mean the same thing. Not “cancel”, not “withdraw”, not “conditionally withdraw”, not “remove”, not “take out”, not “stop.” The reason why the word “unconditional” must be in the listing agreement is because it removes any possibilty or oppotunity for the unscrupulous not-genuine flat fee broker to leave your listing stuck in a suspended state where no other broker can re-list your home until the original listing term expires. The reason they do this is to force you to pay a fee for early cancellation (they think flat fee listings are like a bank CD…early withdrawal penalty) or force you to list with their full-service company or receive a referral commission for your listing.

When listing flat fee in Florida, list with a genuine flat fee service…ADDvantage.

Call us anytime, we work 8:00am-8:00pm…7 days a week. 1-877-232-9695.

If you have the time, please read what ADDvantage flat fee clients have to say.

Flat Fee MLS in Florida 3 steps to succeed

In 2007, 2008 and the early part of 2009, buyers were watching more than buying and now it seems the opposite

Flat fee MLS Listing 101 keeps you safe when you list your Florida

My credentials are: Florida real estate broker for 27 years and never a customer compliant; Recognized as an advocate for flat fee MLS Sellers Rights (publishing the Florida Flat Fee MLS Bill of Rights); Received the 2008 Realtor.com award for marketing excellence; Negotiates all ADDvantage Plus™ contracts for our Florida flat rate MLS sellers; Co-founded of ADDvantage® with my partner Erin Knorr…We are Florida’s most innovative flat fee MLS listing service offering our legionary 8:00-8:00, 7 days a week live support. Read of client testimonial and listen to what they have to say about ADDvantage by visiting “getmoreoffers.”There are four flat fee MLS “business models” offering listings in Florida

Selling a home in Florida requires being priced where Realtors and buyers searching Realtor.com will perceive your listing as a value.

Competitively pricing your home ensures Realtors and buyers will see your listing as attractive. Buyers and Realtors engage listings that are priced right and they avoid listings that leave too much room to negotiate.
Don’t fear low ball offers. Smart Realtors don’t waste their time presenting low balls. I negotiate many offers for our sellers at ADDvantage® through our contract-to-close plans ADDvantage Plus™ or ADDvantage Success™. I negotiate 5 deals a week and seldom ever see a low ball turn into a deal, so just ignore them!

Competitively pricing your home ensures Realtors and buyers will see your listing as attractive. Buyers and Realtors engage listings that are priced right and they avoid listings that leave too much room to negotiate.
Don’t fear low ball offers. Smart Realtors don’t waste their time presenting low balls. I negotiate many offers for our sellers at ADDvantage® through our contract-to-close plans ADDvantage Plus™ or ADDvantage Success™. I negotiate 5 deals a week and seldom ever see a low ball turn into a deal, so just ignore them!

Competitively pricing your home ensures Realtors and buyers will see your listing as attractive. Buyers and Realtors engage listings that are priced right and they avoid listings that leave too much room to negotiate.
Don’t fear low ball offers. Smart Realtors don’t waste their time presenting low balls. I negotiate many offers for our sellers at ADDvantage® through our contract-to-close plans ADDvantage Plus™ or ADDvantage Success™. I negotiate 5 deals a week and seldom ever see a low ball turn into a deal, so just ignore them!

Flat Fee MLS Florida is Better with ADDvantage Success™

Selling by owner in Florida with ADDvantage® saves savvy Floridians from paying 6% and often results in a better selling experience because we offer a higher level of customer support and marketing. We have the best reputation in Florida for customer support with our 8:00am-8:00pm live 7 day support and effective flat fee MLS listings plans such as ADDvantage Success™.

Spring time is the right time to sell in Florida…Sell by owner, flat fee MLS or Full-service?

Florida home sellers save money listing in the MLS Flat Fee

Is real estate in Florida selling? Flat Fee MLS Florida Listing Service ADDvantage® reports 26% of their listings have sold the past 6 months

Flat Fee MLS Florida company ADDvantage® sold 26% of its listed homes the past 6 months in 117 days…Read how

Flat Fee MLS Tampa and Orlando Pendulum Has Swung Back to Selling Well-Priced Homes not Short Sales

Florida’s real estate market is alive and well. Say goodbye to the Realtors wasting their time chasing short sales because the pendulum has swung back to selling well-priced homes in Tampa, Orlando and Miami.

For a while there in October, you had to wonder if the sky was falling. But, things are looking up in Florida for the by-owner MLS seller as our phone at ADDvantage was very busy last Saturday and all this week. 9 Florida flat rate MLS sellers that listed through ADDvantage accepted contracts this week. 5 were ADDvantage Plus clients and 4 were using a combination of our basic flat fee listing plan MLS ADDvantage and Street ADDvantage Realtor eblast.

Because your are reading my blog, you have seen many offers on the web to list on the MLS flat fee. Prices range from $99 to $500. The ADDvantage brand of flat rate MLS is chosen 2 to1 over our nearest competitor, even through we are priced a bit higher, because we pay attention to details that do make a difference to the by owner MLS seller. The 3 most important benefits that you will receive at ADDvantage are: 8:00am-8:00pm live 7 day a week phone support; Helpful assistance to ensure your seller’s disclosure and other important document are all stored in your “user docs area” of your control panel so when an offer comes in or a Realtor is attempting to make an offer, we are ready to send that Realtor the needed documents; and, all buyer leads from all FSBO and international websites are your, not ours.

Our basic flat fee MLS Florida listing plan is $349, Street Smart ADDvantage is $599 and our contract-to-close plan ADDvantage Plus is $799 plus $500 at close. ADDvantage Plus is truly the best flat fee MLS listing plan in Florida for 5 reasons.

First, an ADDvantage Plus listing in Tampa, Orlando or Miami are entered into the MLS system as an Exclusive Right of Sale Listing, not an Exclusive Agency as a “standard” flat fee listing would. This detail adds an advantage to the by owner MLS seller as no Realtor can tell an ADDvantage Plus listing from all the other full-service listings.

Second, all offers are negotiated by me and I have excellent skills dealing with Realtors. I have been a Florida real estate broker since 1984 and I have never had a single complaint. I negotiate deals in Tampa, Miami, Orlando, Tallahassee, St. Pete, Ft. Lauderdale and just about every Florida town or city in between. Don’t be concerned that I am located in Tampa Bay because negotiating contracts is 100% electronic. While there are never any guarantees about getting a seller more for their Florida home because a professional negotiator handled the deal, I will assure that deals goes faster, more professionally and likely at a higher price when I do the talking. Representing yourself and dealing with real estate contracts and Realtors can all be challenging and not necessarily in the seller’s best interest. There are no commissions paid to ADDvantage when using ADDvantage Plus, just the flat fee.

Third, when listed flat fee through ADDvantage Plus, you never take any calls or set appointments. We are open for business 7 days a week from 8:00am-8:00pm. We do an excellent job answering the phone. Our phone ethic ensures all buyers and Realtors that call ADDvanatge are handled professionally by an ADDvantage MLS administrator and, you are never bothered by these calls. Our phone number is on the yard sign, the MLS and, on all FSBO websites such as Homes.com, Realtor.com, Vast, Google, Yahoo and many others.

Fourth, all buyer leads remain yours and not ours. Even though I represent you in all contract negotiations and we take all calls for you, you still receive all unrepresented buyer leads enabling you to sell yourself (FSBO) and pay no commission. All unrepresented buyer leads are handled the same as an ‘agent request’ for showings. We call every ADDvantage Plus seller with all leads and confirm each appointment with an email.

Fifth, if you offer a buyer’s agent commission of 4% or greater, your ADDvantage Plus listing will be included our Street Smart ADDvantage Realtor eblast which is sent twice a month to all Realtors in Orlando, Tampa and Miami. Street Smart ADDvantage is the most well-read Realtor-to-Realtor email in Florida.

Visit our flat fee MLS Florida website about listing your property or call us, 1-877-232-9695.

We are members of 25 Florida Realtor Associations from Miami, Jacksonville, Ft. Lauderdale, The Space Coast, Orlando, Tampa, Gainesville, Tallahassee, The Florida Keys, Naples, Ft. Myers, Sarasota, Bradenton and many others.

Selling Flat Fee MLS in Florida? Find Out What’s More Effective…Raising Buyer’s Agent Commission or Lowering the Price? What works best in Miami, Tampa, Orlando and Jacksonville?

In Florida, prices are finally in-line with buyer’s expectations. Short sales are not necessarily competition because they take too long to close and cash “investor types” often end up with these properties. 

If your property is in Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville or Orlando, ignore the short sales and price your property competitively. Raising the buyer’s agent commission to possibly 4% or 5% in this Realtor challenged market is the best solution to getting your Florida property shown more often.  

Listing flat fee in the MLS allows you, the by owner seller, to offer a commission only to buyer’s agent. 100% of this commission goes to just “one agent” and you, the seller, benefit by having more control over the transaction. If you list full-service, 3% goes it the listing agent and 3% to the buyer’s agent for a total of 6%. 

Offering a higher buyer’s agent commission is an effective marketing strategy right now.We offer a Realtor eblast program called Street Smart ADDvantagethat promotes your “higher-than-average” buyer’s agent commission directly to the Realtors. The subject line of our Street Smart ADDvantage email is “Street Smart High Co-broker Commissions Near You.” 

Street Smart ADDvantage eblast reaches most Realtors within 35 miles of your flat fee MLS listed property and is recognized by Realtors as the best Realtor-to-Realtor email in Florida. In each Street Smart ADDvantage eblast, there is a link with your property description, price and commission offer. Once a Realtor clicks your link, they land on your MLS listing page on our website. Our site tracks these Realtor hits for you so you can gauge website traffic. 

So, back to the question…if you are selling a home in Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville or in Orlando, is it better to raise your commission to 4% to get more Realtor showings (and possibly a higher offer) using a flat fee program such as Street Smart ADDvantage, or is it more effective to lower your price? I believe in this market, a higher “co-broke” or “buyer’s agent commission” is more effective because price is no longer the only answer for getting your Florida home sold. 

The cost of Street Smart ADDvantage is $599for a 9 month listing in your local MLS which as includes Realtor.com showcase, Word Properties International, themovechannel.co.uk International, Homes.com, getmoreoffers.com and 100’s more FSBO websites…and our unprecedented 8:00am-8:00pm 7 days a week live support and buyer lead forwarding. Flat fee sellers in Miami, Tampa, Orlando and other Florida cities benefit with our 8:00am-8:00pm live phone support because Realtors call us all day, Saturday and Sunday for showing instructions and general questions…even though it says right in the MLS to “call seller directly for all showings.” Why do Realtors call a flat fee service instead of reading the “Realtor Remarks” in the MLS? The reason is because Realtors are in a hurry 99% of the time and don’t pay attention to these details…or they can’t reach the seller…or they rely on protocol and call the listing agent….they often could care less if the listing is “flat fee” or “full-service.” We have answered near 3,000 Realtor calls for showing instructions this past 12 month and over 1,000 of these calls came after hours.  

Getting a cheap listing in the MLS is not what ADDvantage offers…We do offer the best customer support of any flat fee MLS service in America, 100% paperless sign-up, 100% buyer lead-forwarding protection, and 4 innovative flat fee MLS listing plans to help you sell by-owner and save commission at the same time. 

 

Call us anytime, we’re here…1-877-232-9695

ADDvanatge members of 25 Florida MLS Realtor Associations

Amelia Island and Nassau County MLS/ Nassau County

Bay County MLS (Panama City MLS)

Citrus MLS / Dixie, Gilchrist, Levy Counties

Daytona Beach MLS / East Volusia County

Emerald Coast MLS(ECAR) / Okaloosa, Walton Counties

Englewood MLS / Sarasota County

Flagler MLS / Flagler County

Ft. Myers MLS/ Lee County

Ft. Lauderdale/Broward County

Gainesville MLS / Alachua County

Greater Tampa Bay (GTAR)/ Hillsborough County

Hernando / Hernando County

Manatee MLS / Manatee County

Marathon and Lower Keys-Florida Keys MLS / Monroe County

Martin MLS / Martin County, St. Lucie County

Melbourne-Brevard MLS / Brevard County

Mid-Florida Regional MLS/ Lake, Seminole, Orange, Osceola, West Volusia, Polk, (Hillsborough)

North-East Florida MLS /Duval, Clay, Putnam, St. Johns County

Ocala-Marion MLS / Marion County

PARMLS-Pensacola MLS / Escambia County

Pasco-Pinellas MLS (Pasco & Pinellas Counties)

Punta Gorda Port Charlotte North Port MLS / Charlotte County

Regional MLS/ Palm Beach County

Sarasota MLS /Sarasota County

SE FL Regional MLS / Miami-Dade & Broward County

St. Augustine & St. Johns MLS / St. Augustine & St. Johns County

Sunshine MLS of Naples / Collier County

Tallahassee MLS/ Leon County

Venice MLS / Sarasota County

Flat Fee MLS is the Answer to Reaching Realtors in Florida cities Miami, Orlando, Tampa, and Jacksonville and beyond.

With the stunning stock market reversal of fortunes this past month and the credit crunch that grips the entire U.S. and world economies, what can Florida home owners do to promote their FSBO properties?

 

Right now, I have 3 marketing suggestions that still work well in these uncertain times in Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville and other Florida cities.

 

1. First, list on your local MLS using the flat fee MLS services of a local broker such as ADDvantage. Because flat fee MLS sellers pay no listing commission, by owner sellers that opt to use flat fee MLS can keep their prices low by offering just 3% as a buyer’s agent commission and saving 3% over a traditional 6% MLS listing.
2. Next, consider pricing your Florida home a bit differently than I have recommended in the recent past. Because there are so many short sales and bank owned properties in Florida, competing with them is not going to be an effective strategy. Realtors, more than ever, realize they need to sell homes that are not short sales. I hear it everyday from Realtors around Florida that their buyers, and them, do not have the time to wait around for a maybe short-sale situation. Therefore, price your home competitively and consider raising the buyer’s agent commission to 4% or 5%. Our Street Smart ADDvantage flat fee MLS eblast marketing will help get the word out to your local Realtors. Street Smart ADDvantage eblast is sent twice a month to 1000’s of local Realtors for the 9 months listing term. It would be pretty hard for a Realtor to miss your higher than average commission offer using Street Smart ADDvantage plan. It is the most effective and well-read Realtor-to-Realtor email in Florida. Offering a higher than average buyer’s agent commission adds some “showing insurance” that a Realtor will likely not pass up.
3. Last, list on the MLS with a reliable flat fee MLS company that will not misplace or take your buyer leads from Realtor.com, Homes.com or International FSBO websites. Buyer leads are very valuable. At ADDvantage, 27% of our sold properties are sold “by owner” paying zero commission. This percentage is the highest in Florida. There are two reasons why so many flat fee MLS sellers in Miami, Tampa, Orlando and other Florida cities sell by owner with ADDvantage…it’s our 100% buyer lead forwarding guarantee and our 8:00am-8:00pm 7 days a week “live” buyer lead capture.

 

Call us anytime if you have questions about MLS listing through ADDvantage…we’ll answer live.

 

There is a difference between a cheap MLS flat fee services and an ADDvantage flat fee MLS listing…8:00am-8:00pm buyer lead forwarding really does make a difference.

 

1-877-232-9695.