The Four Categories of Home Sellers: A Guide to the Different Types of Flat Fee MLS Prospects

Which Type of Home Seller Are You?

You are special…or at least that’s what you’ve  been lead to believe, anyways. Turns out, the adage is true when it comes to selling your home.

Every seller is different.

Every home is different.

It is important understand your “home-selling DNA” if you are thinking about listing your home with a flat fee listing service.

Are you a good fit for flat fee MLS?

If so, how much support do you need?

Do you only need help with the listing or would you be better serviced with a “full representation” option. The answer depends on your level of experience, your desire to handle the responsibilities of listing and selling a home and your proximity to the home you’re selling.

Most sellers will fit into one of four categories:

The Experienced Seller – “Been There, Done That”

These sellers are ideal for flat fee MLS and they usually require a minimal level of service and support. These are real estate professionals and investors with extensive experience in buying and selling properties. They are familiar with all aspects of marketing a home: listing, marketing, handling buyer inquiries and showings, contract preparation and negotiation, and management of the final transaction.

Experienced Sellers include:

• House Flippers
• Experienced Residential Real Estate Investors
• Retired realtors or realtors who have expired licenses – They can handle every aspect of the sale, but they need licensed representation for the MLS listing
• Real Estate Agents licensed in a different area than the one in which they are selling –They will need to use a flat fee service to list the property on the local MLS
• Military Personnel – Sometimes, although not always. Since they move frequently, they might have experience in buying and selling homes

The Intermediate Seller – “Come on in, the Water’s Fine”

Sellers in this category are usually a good fit for flat fee MLS because they have experienced the sale of at least a handful of properties. Like experienced sellers, they may be able to handle certain responsibilities associated with the marketing and final sale of their home, but they might need a bit more support.

Intermediate Sellers include:

• Sellers who have bought and sold 2-5 homes
• Home builders – Larger development builders will typically have an in-house real estate agent, but smaller volume home builders often utilize flat fee listing.
• First-Time Home Sellers who are heavy researchers – Although we don’t normally recommend first-time sellers as intermediates, there are those who read every book, watch every television show, attend every seminar, watch every YouTube video before selling a home. In some cases, these unique individuals can accomplish more than just the basics of the home selling process.

The Novice Seller – “I Get it…I Think?”

Don’t be mistaken. Not every first or second-time seller is a candidate for flat fee listing. However, certain first timers are successful with flat fee MLS. They have to be quick learners. They have to be responsive to inquiries and be capable of scheduling showings.
Good novice sellers include:

• Sellers who have bought and sold at least 1 or 2 homes.
• Tech-savvy, committed first-time sellers
• Expert and intermediate sellers who are helping an inexperienced family member or friend to sell a home – In this scenario, you are relying on a much less experienced person to handle certain responsibilities (showings and scheduling are the most likely) associated with sale.

NOTE: We recommend that every first-time seller utilize a “full representation” option (which includes negotiation services) through their flat fee listings service.

Non-Flat Fee Candidates – “The No Fly Zone”

Flat fee listings aren’t for everyone. You have to have at least a minimum of computer skills and web familiarity. Furthermore, utilizing flat fee MLS requires the seller to handle tasks associated with the sale. Utilizing flat fee MLS means you’ll have to handle inquiries and respond to them in a timely manner.
If any of the following apply to you, it’s probably time for you to contact a traditional real estate agent:

• You don’t have a cell phone or an email address
• You don’t have basic computer skills
• You don’t have the time or patience to handle showings of your home
• You own a house in another metro area and you have no support in showing the home

Know Your Type? Now Find Your Match
As you’ll see in our reviews, each flat fee MLS provider offers certain services that cater to specific audiences. If you are an experienced seller, listings might be the only part of the process you need help with.

However, inexperienced sellers might require a listings service that provides continuous customer support and access to a representative during working hours.
Choose the level of service you need and you’ll likely be much happier throughout the selling process.

Best of luck with the sale of your home!