Experience w/ MLS Flat Fee Listing Co.? Prello Realty? (Chicago: for sale by owner, real estate)

[GoCUBS1]

Does anyone have experience w/Prello Realty's Flat Fee MLS listing service? They are based out of Chicago.

Illinois MLS Flat Fee - Chicago MLS listing - Discount Realtor - Chicago FSBO - Illinois Mls Flat Fee

Or, can you recommend any other flat fee listing co.'s in Chicagoland?

Thanks for any suggestions!

[chet everett]

No direct experience. My biggest concern is that given the slow down in housing sales does it really make sense to go cheap on a Realtor? Sure there are loads and loads of loafers with r.e. licenses that don't do a bit to sell anything, but I gotta tell that when you find the right Realtor they can more than make up for almost any fee and right now good agents are more than willing to put together a VERY competitive package...

Now if you just want to have your place ion the MLS I suppose that this outfit is no worse than any other, though I do think I seen places that'll do it for even less -- gotta ask yourself though: If all they are gonna do it put the thing in MLS couldn't you get a similar sort of exposure to a different crowd by using the zillow and google type freebies? With a digital camera of your own (who doesn't have that these days..), maybe a website of your own and a bit of online promotion you don't need to spend anything.

I know opinions are all over the map on this -- from people who remember what things were like in the boom days to those who think Realtors are right up with remoras in terms of lower life forms...

If you really want to sell quickly, at the best price, with the least amount of time wasted on unqualified buyers I think you know there are better options.

[aragx6]

I gotta agree with Chet on this. I think a really good agent is about the best chance you have of selling a home right now. From aggressive marketing, to correct pricing an agent has first-hand experience about the current market.

Plus right now you can be as picky as you want with them because they're desperate for business. I actually had a woman knocking on every door of my apartment complex a couple weekends ago trying to drum up business.

[GoCUBS1]

Thanks for the feedback. I see your points.... But this is like a FSBO w/ a realtor sign. For the price of $299/year, they get it on the MLS (w/8 photos you provide), advertise in the Tribune & Daily Herald, advertise in most of the websites (Realtor.com, Homes.com, Google, Zillow, Yahoo, MSN, Craigslist, etc..), give you yardsigns/brochures, Open House ads, a call center, contracts, etc... You can also do a virtual tour, home warranty, lockbox, etc. for extra fees. I can take the photos and am comfortable negotiating w/ prospects, buyer's realtors, etc.

So my thinking is that, in this market, I can keep my price very competitive if I can save the realtors commission and do the legwork myself. I will provide a buyer's agent commission though. So, what additional realtor services will I be missing? I'm interested in your opinions as I'm trying to decide this week. This flat fee service seems like a good idea but maybe I'm missing something?

[sbd78]

We used Berg Properties when we sold our old house last June. They also charge a flat fee of $299. I highly recommend them, we were very happy with their service.
Flat Fee MLS Chicago Illinois

[chet everett]

There are an almost limitless number of ways that some jerky wannabe buyer can ruin your summer -- a good Realtor will prevent 99% of those headaches.

The other MAJOR benefit of a good Realtor is you get someone who JOB it is to find buyers for you -- the whole "we only get paid if you do" aspect is very very hard to overlook. Newspaper ads, networking with other Realtors, and tapping into the relocation services are something that good Realtors do with ease. The networking thing is not like the internet either -- it more like a "Jewish grandmother/matchmaker" or a really old school haberdasher -- the matchmaker tries to keep lists (mental or physical) of people that they know who said they want "a condo with great views and easy park" or "a house with four really good sized bedrooms and place for our dog to play" or all kinds of other 'perfect match/instant sale' kinds of things. The old school haberdasher is one of those guys who keeps track of when somebody last bought a suit (house) and reminds them that "you ought to get a nice worsted now, your flannel still looks good, but I know you want to get something new before that gets ratty" -- seriously there ARE Realtors that make a good living getting people to move up/move around the same area.

Finally there are the legal/financial aspects. A good Realtor ought to be able to anticipate pretty much EVERY pitfall to a sale. From a technical standpoint it still makes sense to have a lawyer for the closing, but a skilled Realtor can all but guarantee that the lawyer is just there to smile and nod. Financially a good Realtor will get all the data necessary to support the appropriate price for your property. When the seller is presented with this data they ought to readily agree with your Realtors conclusion and quickly offer you that price with only a modicum of negotiations.

One last thing -- personally I am not a big fan of home warranties, but in certain niches, at certain price points this can be both a huge plus AND a good deal for both the buyer and seller. I'm not saying that every or even MOST properties should be should with a warranty, but a good Realtor ought to know which homes this helps and suggest it when needed/beneficial to all parties.

[bigpimp]

No I used a different flat fee mls broker in Chicago. I guess there is a bunch I paid $249. Here is the link [url=http://www.mlsflatfeefsbo.com]MLS Flat Fee Real Estate Fixed Fee Flat Rate MLS Listing Web Site Flat Fee MLS Real EstateFor Sale By Owner Tips FSBO Marketing Company[/url] There good. The broker was nice. I have only nice things to say about them.

[gahs7]

Hi, I'm also looking to add my home to the MLS and many websites, here is a link to one I found, Flat Fee MLS Listing Chicago for $150

they charge 150 for everthing the others do, they say they don't charge 100 or 200 at closing on the site, Berg said they did which total's about 500, but i did hear good things about berg. It's important to me to have my home as showcased on realtor.com. Any other input to help me with listing my home would be great. I did hear of iggyshouse.com and they will list for free, but not sure how there listing look.

Thanks!!

[NatalieWindyCityGirl]

Personally I used Kale Realty I liked that they were a family owned company with an actual storefront in the South Loop. They provided great support and walked me though the whole process. The only "hard part" was showing the property, open houses and waiting for Realtors who are always late! But for all the money we saved on commissions it was well worth it. www.kalerealty.com

[hank0604]

I agree with Chet on this topic. A Realtor is way more than an MLS listing and an open house. Anyone who has ever bought or sold a house knows the accompanying headaches. That's what the Realtors are for. Not to mention, should you get involved in any legal troubles with the sale or condition disclosures, the agent will shield you from most legal liability as well. Realtors are professionals, and work extremely hard for their 1-1.5%. Sure, there are some sleazy real estate agents out there, but most are worth many times what you pay them.