Flat Fee MLS in Florida

ADDvantage delivers FSBO sellers the most comprehensive flat fee MLS programs available.

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Tips to be More Successful Selling Flat Fee MLS Florida

Exactly what is flat fee MLS and do all FSBO websites that offer MLS listings in Florida offer the same service or product?

In Florida, there are over 40 flat fee MLS websites each offering a different service and product. Don't believe for a second that just because a website hangs a shingle that says “Flat Fee MLS Listing” does this really mean they are offering a genuine flat fee MLS product. Flat fee MLS is the most misunderstood and abused concepts in real estate today. Many people believe that saving $25 or $100 when listing their home flat fee in the MLS is a better choice because it's cheaper. The general public also believes that all calls from Realtors and buyers go directly to the seller so who cares about extended phone support. Cheaper is not better when listing flat fee.

Keith Gordon, broker for ADDvantage (Florida) says, “ The biggest misconception about listing flat fee in Florida is that all buyer leads and Realtor calls go directly to the seller…people believe this because they have been told this by flat fee companies that don't answer their phone. They say, “don't worry, under the “Realtor Remarks” section of the MLS it says “call seller directly for all showings and offers.” Just because it says “call the seller” doesn't mean they do.”

The fact is Realtors simply do not read the MLS carefully and they call the listing broker frequently. In the past year, 2936 Realtors or Buyers have called ADDvantage seeking showing instructions. Every call was answered live and documented in the seller's account.”

“Flat Fee MLS” in the right hands is a powerful For Sale By Owner marking tool and truly a commission buster. Flat fee helps sellers in more ways than just saving commissions. It gives sellers more control over marketing, buyer leads and how their listing is presented to the world.

But, flat fee in the wrong hands allows the unscrupulous and/or unprofessional listing broker the opportunity take advantage of a seller's “flat fee” ignorance and abuse the concept and the public.

Read our article Want to make the right decision about which Florida MLS listing service is truly the best value but have no time to get your flat fee MLS Doctorate?

Many of the flat rate websites are not licensed in Florida but just take your money and refer you to a Florida licensed flat fee service. Some have language in their listing agreement that can hurt the seller such as their right to take YOUR buyer leads from Realtor.com that should go to you, the seller; or charge cancellation fees or even worse, they will not “unconditionally” withdraw your listing from the MLS upon request from you but rather only “suspend” your MLS listing which prevents another broker from re-listing your property. Or possibly charging a 1% fee to cancel or at closing. This is not flat fee.

ADDvantage is Florida's authentic flat fee MLS listing service because our definition of flat fee MLS is all about the seller's rights and not all about taking advantage of the public.

The ADDvantage definition of flat fee MLS is a bundle of real estate services, paid in advance, that includes the right to sell By Owner (FSBO) and pay no commission; the right to cancel the MLS listing anytime and pay no cancellation fee or penalty; the right to have a listing agreement that spells out every detail of what the Florida flat fee service will do and will not do which includes: the word “unconditionally” withdrawal listing from MLS upon request from seller; all buyer leads from sources such as Realtor.com belong to the seller, not the listing broker; and the hours of phone support should be clearly called-out in the listing agreement.

The above definition of flat fee MLS is an idealistic view if we lived in a perfect flat fee real estate world. ADDvantage sees our service as a model for others to follow. Since 2005, we have set the mark in Florida for service and transparency. So far, no other discount MLS listing service has imitated our level of service because it costs too much to offer.

We believe so strongly that we offer the best flat fee service in Florida that we authored the Flat Fee MLS Seller's Bill of Rights in 2007 calling attention to what Flat Fee really means, and what it does not.

Flat fee listing agreements contain important details such as any penalties that may be accessed against the seller, how and under what terms will the flat fee broker cancel a listing upon request from seller; terms such as “unconditional” v. “conditional” withdrawal from the MLS and what hours the broker answers the phone.

Flat fee differs greatly from full service in that a full service Realtor listing agreement doesn't say a thing about service. They just tell you that you are paying 6% or 7% commission regardless of who sells the property…if the deed is transferred, you owe the commission. Flat fee is different in that sellers are paying in advance for service and control.

Sellers that list flat fee with ADDvantage have control and freedom. Freedom to sell FSBO and not pay any commission, the right to cancel with an “unconditional” withdrawal from the MLS with no penalty and the right to pursue all buyer leads from Realtor.com in an attempt to sell your property on your own. 30% of ADDvantage flat fee sellers are successful selling FSBO (By Owner) and pay no commission at all.

The ADDvantage flat fee listing agreement is the most articulate and well-drafted agreement of any Florida flat fee MLS service or full-service real estate company. ADDvantage is a transparent company founded on the principals of honesty and we are advocates of sellers.

Flat fee MLS websites from Tampa to Jacksonville and from Miami to Orlando all seem to offer the same service but that's far from the truth. The competition in flat fee is fierce with prices ranging from $149-$299. Occasionally, a flat rate service will cost more, such as ADDvantage.

Why does an ADDvantage flat fee listing cost $349, almost $100 more than the average Florida flat fee offering? We are not your average flat fee service…we exceed all flat fee and full service companies in the most important department of all…SERVICE!

The biggest misconception about listing flat fee in Florida is that all buyer leads and Realtor calls go directly to the seller…people believe this because they have been told this by flat fee companies that don't answer their phone. They say, “don't worry, under the “Realtor Remarks” section of the MLS it says “call seller directly for all showings and offers.” Just because it says “call the seller” doesn't mean they do.

The fact is Realtors simply do not read the MLS carefully and they call the listing broker frequently. In the past year, 2936 Realtors or Buyers have called ADDvantage seeking showing instructions. Every call answered live by an ADDvantage MLS Administrator and a showing was arranged. Without such service, sellers would suffer under the malaise of “business as usual” for many full service Realtors and flat fee companies. Often, flat fee services rely on an answering machine that says “Realtors…read the “Realtor Remarks” section of the MLS and call seller directly.” How personal!

1045 of these calls 2936 calls that came to ADDvantage over the past year came after hours…before 9:00 am or after 5:00 pm, on Saturday or Sunday. Is paying an extra $100 to list flat fee with the most reliable service a good investment? You are selling one of the most important assets you own.

ADDvantage will speak with every caller live, giving them your exact and customized showing instructions affording your home every possible opportunity to sell. As important as selling your home is to you, trust only the genuine flat fee service…ADDvantage.

ADDvantage is Florida's only flat fee MLS service that works all day Saturday and Sunday. We are the only flat rate service that works until 8:00pm every day and starts at 8:00am, everyday.

In Florida, we have separate MLS boards for Naples, Miami, Orlando's Mid-Florida Regional MLS and Jacksonville. ADDvantage holds MLS membership in 24 Florida MLS associations. We are members of Realtor Association of Greater Miami (Southeast Florida Regional MLS), NEFAR in Jacksonville, Gainesville, Tallahassee, GTAR in Tampa, Ft. Myers, Sarasota, Space Coast, Greater Association of Ft. Lauderdale and many others.

Our genuine “versions” of flat fee MLS is completely different from all other Florida flat fee MLS services. For one, the ADDvantage brand of flat fee MLS offers 8:00am-8:00pm, 7 days a week live phone support…12 hours a day x 7 days = 84 hours a week which results in more Realtor showings.

Yes, ADDvantage costs more than most flat fee services in Florida…but, in the end, middle and beginning, ADDvantage delivers more service, more buyer leads and delivers better results.

An ADDvantage client and flat fee seller put it rather well…

“Very pleased with the service provided. All leads came straight to me. Like a realtor sitting at your home's front door, all the time!”
Dr Gupta
Tampa, FL

Listing Flat Fee MLS in Florida? Pass your commission savings on to the buyer and get SOLD!

Anytime ADD-ons for our FSBO MLS listed sellers

Flat Fee MLS 101

Sell faster using my 5 tips for listing flat fee MLS in Florida

Look like all other listings in the FL MLS. Package your Florida flat fee listing so Realtors® will see your listing in the MLS exactly the same as a full-service agent's listing. List flat fee with ADDvantage Plus™ and you'll get more Realtor® showings, worry less about negotiating or filing disclosures, have less stress and likely get a higher sale price.

Use a yard sign that promotes a professional image. Realtors® fear For Sale By Owner signs (white and red; generic) because they mean FSBO and not necessarily MLS listed. As well, FSBO signs promote the seller's phone number and that is not what a Realtor® wants their buyer to see. The best solution is to use a metal ADDvantage® sign with our number on it. This means you get a professional MLS administrator answering the phone for you 8:00am-8:00pm 7 days a week and we forward all buyer leads to you and schedule appointments. This service is called Agent Assure™ and is $199 as an add-on or free with our ADDvantage Plus™ program.

List flat fee without giving up the right to sell By Owner and get 100% contract-to-close representation. Contract representation is so important for many reasons but the most critical reason to list using ADDvantage Plus™ contract-to-close representation is so Realtors® only talk with and negotiate through ADDvantage®. This assures you peace of mind that there will be no mistakes in getting you the highest offer. Additionally, Realtors® prefer working with another broker as apposed with the seller.

Price your property right where you want to sell it and leave no room to negotiate. This might sound crazy but it's true. In a buyer's market, buyers are anticipating prices to move lower and therefore buy under what sellers call “market value.” Conversely, in a seller's market, buyers justify buying “market” prices because they believe prices will rise in the future.

List with a trusted and reliable FL licensed flat fee MLS broker, ADDvantage®. Our flat fee clients frequently compliment us by saying that we are truly light years ahead of other flat fee and full-service companies in Florida. And they are right because we have invested in the future and understand what sellers need. We have the longest hours in live phone coverage of any flat fee service in America (8:00am - 8:00pm / 7 days a week), we forward all buyer leads to sellers in real time, have the best 100% paperless listing software and have special software to track contract negotiations and close deals without a hitch.

About Florida

On April 2, 1513, Juan Ponce de Leon discovered Florida and named it La Florida after a Spanish term for Easter season.

Florida’s major international airports are Orlando, Miami, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood and Tampa. Other airports are in Southwest Florida, Palm Beach and Jacksonville. Major Interstates going North and South include I-75 & I-275 on the West Coast of FL and I-95 on the East Coast of FL, turning into US1 heading toward the Florida Keys. I-4 runs through Central Florida running East to Southwest. I-10 runs East to West through the Panhandle.

Major universities are University of Florida (Gainesville), Florida State University (Tallahassee), Florida A & M (Boca Raton), University of Miami, New College (Sarasota), University of Central Florida (Orlando) and University of South FL (Tampa). ADDvantage®’s Broker, Marketing Director and Web Developer are all graduates of Florida colleges-two Gators and one Seminole).

Professional sports fans enjoy NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars while NBA fans get a taste of hoops with the Miami HEAT and Orlando Magic. Hockey maniacs have Tampa’s Ice Palace to watch Tampa Bay Lighting and the Florida Panthers. MLB has the Florida Marlins and the Tampa Bay Rays.

»View Our Florida Flat Fee MLS Articles

ADDvantage® offers listings for a flat fee in the MLS in the following Florida counties

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