Including Your Home in MLS
It’s a tough job trying to sell a house. Professionals have access to certain tools and it used to be that homeowners who wanted to sell their home without an agent couldn’t have access to these tools.
But those times have changed. Now, anyone can list their home on the multiple listing service (MLS) so that their home can be seen by others. Putting your home in the online database increases your exposure because it gets in front of people who are looking to buy.
It’s sometimes more effective than an ad, and it’s cheaper than paying the fees to a real estate agent. An MLS is basically a method of swapping information among other real estate agents so that more homes can get in front of possible buyers.
You can tap into that huge marketplace on your own. If you choose to do it by yourself, it means that you are responsible for all the work. When an agent does it, he or she creates the listing and all the important information that goes along with it.
As a FSBO property, you’ll need to do that. And you have to know what to put into a listing or it’s not going to stand out. Your listing has to have all the features of the home.
You’ll need to have the type of residence – such as whether it’s a townhouse, or a single family home. You’ll also need to list when the house was built. The type of heating and air conditioning system the home has should be included.
If it’s an apartment that you’re selling, you’ll need to put in how many parking spaces are available. You’ll also need to list how much acreage comes with the home.
You have to list the number of bedrooms the home has. Some people explain whether these are upstairs or downstairs if the listing is for a two story home. If the place has a unique master bath, then you’ll want to put that.
List the number of bathrooms the home has and any special features with those – such as a garden tub. If the house has tray ceilings or extra tall ceilings, mention that.
Talk about the appliances and then list the total floor space the house has. Mention what kind of flooring it is – like whether it’s carpet, tile or hardwood. If there’s a fireplace, put that in the listing.
Point out special rooms like a sun room. List ceiling fans, or any security features such as an alarm system, too. Cover all the amenities such as if it has a pool with the house or if it’s in a subdivision.
List any HOA fees. Point out the location of nearby schools, the tax history of the house and the listing price. Once you have all that ready, you can list your home on an MLS site by paying a flat listing fee.
