Where To List Your Home

By Matt Unangst, 23 Jan 16:26

• MLS the most valuable resource
• Internet ads
• Newspaper
• Discuss with agent

The Multiple Listing Service has long been the most valuable marketing tool for anyone looking to sell a home. Previously the nearly exclusive terrain of real estate insiders, the internet has made the MLS available to everyone, allowing everyone to take advantage of this incredible asset.
To get your own house listed on the MLS, you still have to go through a broker. The MLS has been operated and controlled by local realtors and brokers in most of the country, but new discount brokerages now offer listing services for a flat fee, usually $300 to $500. (You also may wind up paying a percentage to the listing agent). These services can be found online and will allow you to search MLS listings yourself.
Other internet sites have also broadened options for a home seller. You can now post your home on Craigslist, Google Base, or Windows Live Expo, among many others. These sites are also used by agents seeking buyers.
Many agents have also set up their own internet sites to list homes. An agent with his or her own site can easily set up a site for you and link it to his or her own.
Don’t forget the tried and true method of listing in the classified section of the local newspaper. While house seekers may not spend as much time poring over newsprint as they did in years past, most newspapers now have their own websites and offer discounts to people who advertise in both print and online editions.
If you are working with an agent, you should of course discuss your marketing plan with the agent. Most agents have extensive experience marketing homes and will take care of most of the marketing for you.
One key rule for all home sales: The more people who see your home, the better offer you are going to get.

KEYWORDS: real estate, home sales, mls, realtor, house listings, discount brokerage, house sales
SEE ALSO: Photographing Your Home, How to Pre-Market Your Home

Things you might need

How-to Extra Advice

Tags: listing home for sale