If you’re looking to sell your home, you’ll know that one of the most essential steps is getting your home listed on sites like Realtor.com. As one of the top real estate websites in the world, Realtor.com allows you to get your home in front of a huge audience of potential buyers.
However, getting your home on sites like Realtor.com isn’t always straightforward. In this guide, we’ll take you through the steps you need to take to list your home on Realtor.com. Whether you’re a first-time seller or simply just considering selling your home as “FSBO” (for sale by owner) for the first time, you’re in the right place.
How do I list my home on Realtor.com?
The first thing you need to know is that only licensed real estate professionals can list properties on Realtor.com (and many similar other websites), so you’ll need to find a licensed realtor to work with who has access to the MLS. MLS stands for “Multiple Listing Service” and it is what aggregates all the homes for sale in the area. Realtor.com and other sites pull listings from the MLS to show on their site.
Do I have to list my home with a real estate agent to get it on Realtor.com?
Yes, to get your home listed on Realtor.com, you will need to list your home with a licensed real estate agent.
How much does it cost to work with a realtor?
Realtor fees vary from 4-6% on average, and that percentage is calculated based on the home’s selling price. If realtors do not sell your home, they do not get paid. Some realtors may do deals for smaller percentages, but this is a good average to keep in mind when planning to sell your home. For an idea of how much you’ll pay in fees, a 5% fee on the sale of a $500,000 home is $25,000.
What are the benefits of working with a realtor?
While working with a realtor isn’t the way everyone chooses to sell their home, it is the traditional way to do so if you want to attract the largest number of potential buyers. A good realtor will:
- Advise you on staging
- Help you choose a realistic listing price that is not too low or high
- Organize a professional photographer
- Write a listing for the home that attracts buyers and highlights the property’s best points
- Market the property through the MLS and other avenues
- Show the property to potential buyers
- Negotiate on your behalf
- Help you with any necessary paperwork you need
- Advise and help you with other organizational necessities (such as recommending a good removal company or providing a discount for services through their strategic partnerships)
If you have an attractive home that’s in good condition and will appeal to a wide range of buyers, selling with a realtor can be a great decision. While their fees are high, good realtors will be there to help you every step of the way. If your home needs renovating or otherwise needs work done, you may find that selling your home through another avenue is a better financial decision.
Do any home listing sites allow you to list your own home?
Yes, some sites, like Zillow.com, will allow you to list your home as “FSBO.” Another option is to find a flat fee MLS listing brokerage. A flat fee MLS listing is offered by a state-licensed real estate professional who is happy to list your home but will not do any work to promote or show the home. Essentially, all they do is provide you with a channel to get your home on the MLS.
If you go with a flat fee broker, you’ll still need to do all the things an FSBO sale needs to be successful, such as providing detailed information about your property (though they will usually write the description for you for the fee), taking suitable photos of the interior and exterior of your home, and showing potential buyers the home.
How much does it cost to list your home on the MLS?
If you are going with a full-service realtor, they will include the cost of listing within their fees. If you want to go through a flat-fee service, you should expect to pay $300 – $500. If you find a flat-fee service that advertises less than that, you may find that there are extra hidden charges, so make sure you read the fine print if it seems too good to be true.
How do I sell my home without a realtor?
If you’re certain you want to sell your home without involving a realtor, make sure you read some of our resources about selling your home as “FSBO”:
- Should You Sell Your House Without a Realtor?
- How Do I Sell A Condo Without a Realtor in Massachusetts?
- The Pros & Cons of Selling Your Home on Your Own
- The Best Way to Sell Your House Without an Agent in Massachusetts
Want to FSBO? Get a Cash Offer for Your Home
Selling your home is costly and time-consuming, whether to decide to FSBO or list with a full-service real estate agent. If you want to avoid realtor fees and all the tasks that are associated with selling your home yourself (FSBO), why not get a cash offer for your home from us?
We buy homes in Massachusetts in as-is condition, meaning you don’t need to do any preparation or repairs to get the home ready to sell. All you need to do is reach out to us with a few details about the property and we’ll contact you with our best cash offer. If you decide to move forward, we’ll assess the home more closely (we never do official home inspections) and give you our final offer. If you accept, we can close in as little as 2 weeks.