It’s mid-March and it’s that time of the year when home sellers are getting ready to put their homes on the market. There are multiple ways to sell a home: with a full service Real Estate Brokerage, through word of mouth with friends and contacts, or simply by sticking a sign in the front yard and hoping to get lucky. So, what’s the best way? We all know that it’s a sellers market right now, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a way to maximize your exposure and the price you will sell the home for. And, in one simple acronym, I can tell you the best way to sell your home for the most money with the least amount of hassle: The MLS (Multiple Listing Service). In this post I’ll explain the huge benefits of the MLS and why you should use this incredible tool to give yourself the best possible experience when selling a home or property.
The MLS or Multiple Listing Service is the system that Realtors input listings of homes or properties that are for sale. With this tool, the listings are open to be showed by Realtors from any Real Estate company and the information is shared with all Real Estate Brokerages. The National Association of Realtors stated in 2020 88% of Home Buyers used a Realtor or Real Estate Broker to purchase their home. 81% of these Buyers found their home through either the internet or their Realtor. The MLS drives the vast, vast majority of all of these listings! For example, when a Realtor lists a home on the MLS, they will typically share that listing with 3rd party websites like Realtor.com and Zillow.com. This makes the exposure to potential Buyers massive. So, simply put, the MLS is the hub of all things Real Estate that Agents search for properties on and it drives these listings to the eyes of waiting Buyers.
So, what does this mean to you as a home seller? Simply put, by listing your home with a Realtor, you will maximize the exposure of your home to potential Buyers and create the maximum amount of competition for your home. This could likely result in a offer of your asking price or over the asking price and will increase the likelihood of working with a qualified Buyer. The goal of the MLS is to send your home to as many potential Buyers as possible AND assist you in selling the home to the most qualified Buyer possible. If a Buyer is working with an agent, the agent will verify that they are pre-approved and capable of buying! You will also then get the benefit of working with experienced agents that have the ability to manage the transaction for you and make the transaction much less stressful!
Based off the National Association of Realtors latest study, homes sold using a Realtor sold for $77,100 higher than homes sold for sale by owner. And, at the end of the day, this is the the best statistic that displays the power of the MLS and how much of a benefit it is to you! If you are thinking of selling your home and would like to have the best experience possible, please contact me and let me put the MLS to work for you!
Until Next Time…
~ Tim Nelson | tim.nelson.properties@gmail.com | 715-529-0239
Chippewa Valley Real Estate Blog 