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Why the heck are you living in a hotel with your kids while you try to sell the house? That's going to cost an arm and 10 legs! Something here isn't adding up or making any sense whatsoever.
By owner is bigger problem when the companies with unexpected results come into play.
Is there no "hard copy", real, live person in your area that does flat fee brokerage at least at times? No one that charges a fee to put it in mls and you do the rest? Knowing, of course, he can always get a commission if he brings the buyer.
So here's what a read on FSBO.com shows. Once you do the preliminary sign-up FSBO.com gives the lead (not listing mind you) to MLSMart Realty LLC.
[But one can go thru MLSmart directly.]
They are a brokerage in several states but not all, they state. And they state they are not the actual MLS, only a member. They say they are licensed in 3 states. They do have a network of real estate brokers.
Despite the site logos, they state your listing MAY feed to them.
FSBO.com says the MLSmart.com broker puts you in several states but not all and FSBO.com has nothing to do with the MLS listing after that.
They say it is your responsibility to make sure this is the correct area MLS system for your property. (Meaning they are not necessarily anywhere near your property nor knowledgeable about your area.)
Once FSBO.com sends the lead to MLSmart, the MLSmart broker sends forms to the seller to sign. And when you do there is no refund.
Once MLSmart puts the listing in MLS he "in most cases does not collect a commission." Of course, if a broker brings a buyer you already know he is due a commission.
On FSBO.com click the Flat Fee MLS tab and check out the second question "How does Flat Fee MLS Package Work.
Of course, I got curious and looked up three homes listed with FSBO.com in areas I am familiar with.
First one is indeed in mls. Correct owner name, a real agent I happen to know in a company I know. Updated pix (although Zillow and Trulia have old pix so I guess the pix didn't make it there.)
Second one is not in mls. It is listed with the real owner's name. However, the phone number is for another state....and is listed as a tiny non-real estate business in yet another third state.
Third one is listed in mls with a company in another state with its own MLS flat free service so that one could start there as well. Mls shows that company is in the mid-Atlantic. But at contact number on FSBO.com, the number is different and is in the mid-west.
Why the heck are you living in a hotel with your kids while you try to sell the house? That's going to cost an arm and 10 legs! Something here isn't adding up or making any sense whatsoever.
They are in another state. She said they always sold quickly so I guess with that expectation they moved to their new state. I do wonder though who is showing the home for them.
They are in another state. She said they always sold quickly so I guess with that expectation they moved to their new state. I do wonder though who is showing the home for them.
Showing it, cleaning it, mowing, taking care of landscape, maintenance, etc. So she plans on living in a hotel for at least a month? Makes no sense! Does she not realize that even if the house sold today, she's still probably 30-60 days out from closing? I'd lose my mind living in a hotel by myself after a few weeks let alone with kids. YIKES! And if you need to sell a house yesterday, then you go with a realtor. They market homes for a living!
There's a big difference between selling and selling for the most money possible. You can certainly sell by word of mouth but if you effectively expose your listing to the most buyers possible it's incredibly likely that you'll sell for a lot more. MLS is just a tool and like any tool you can pick it up and use it but you're probably nowhere near as effective with it as someone who knows what they're doing.
Unfortunately, it sounds like you paid for a low level of service and now you're getting it.
Good statement. What help are you looking exactly OP?
You guys are hilarious! Do none of you have family? My mom and sister live very close by and are managing the house. We have relocated due to husband's job - we are here with him looking for houses while he is at work. His company is paying for temporary housing for 30 days. I am not sure why so many people on this board need all of the personal details of someone's life in order to give advice on how to handle situations. Lol.
Thank you to those who have provided constructive advice without needing no know why on earth we are living in a hotel and who is taking care of our house and showings. I understand the concept of you get what you pay for but, as some have replied, there are good listing-only agents out there. We just happened to get a dud. And I didn't expect anything other than an accurate listing.
We will be filing a complaint with his realtor board for sure.
You guys are hilarious! Do none of you have family? My mom and sister live very close by and are managing the house. We have relocated due to husband's job - we are here with him looking for houses while he is at work. His company is paying for temporary housing for 30 days. I am not sure why so many people on this board need all of the personal details of someone's life in order to give advice on how to handle situations. Lol.
Thank you to those who have provided constructive advice without needing no know why on earth we are living in a hotel and who is taking care of our house and showings. I understand the concept of you get what you pay for but, as some have replied, there are good listing-only agents out there. We just happened to get a dud. And I didn't expect anything other than an accurate listing.
We will be filing a complaint with his realtor board for sure.
"You get what you pay for" is total BS, and really, really tiresome.
You have an agreement for services from a licensee. They alone are responsible for marketing your property competently. They totally failed. The money amount is irrelevant. It is not at issue at all. You were scammed, cheated, and swindled by an incompetent liar who would be a scamming, cheating, swindling, incompetent liar if he charged you 10 times as much. It's his nature and his nurture and indefensible.
Turn the bum in to his state licensing agency without a second thought. They are more likely to cull him from the herd than the Board of Realtors will be.
Need I clarify, or did I express myself clearly enough?
What you paid for, was to have your home listed in the MLS. You got that.
Fact: Real estate agents, are not going to work very hard if at all, on this type of listing. You in other words are left out there swinging in the wind as the old saying says.
Fact: Remember, 80% of all real estate sales are made by just 20% of agents. Remember, 80% of all agents that enter the real estate business, fail out of the business as they cannot sell enough homes to make a living, many of them never even make one sale. The agents that sell most of the property on the market, do not fool around with these type of listings. They deal with full service listing agencies, not the marginal ones that have to charge to put listings in the MLS to be able to stay in business.
Fact: The selling agents that will get you fast action, and best price, are the ones that work through normal channels. Not the marginal ones.
Fact: The 20% of agents that sell most of the listings, work with normal real estate transactions, and ignore those odd ball ones like the OP is using. A big reason it is much harder to get a FSBO property to the closing, requiring a lot more work on the buyers agents part, than working on a conventional listing. The effort required for getting a sale to close when working a FSBO sale, will take away from going on to the next sale letting the listing agent handle it once the purchase contract is signed. In other words working the conventional listings only, they can make more sales and more money.
I entered the real estate business in 1972, as a commercial/investment Realtor only working with investors. About half my business, was 1031 exchanges, often multiple parties involved with several properties, and often in 2 or more states, and even property as far away as Costa Rica, and Belize. I stayed in the business till I finally retired, so I know a little about real estate brokerage.
Since I retired, occasionally I will have a desire to play the real estate game, and pick up a chunk of money. I usually work a multiple property transaction and I do not draw commission as I am no longer licensed, but I will make more money than all the agents combined. When I put up property for sale, I make up an attractive brochure, telling people to contact any Realtor. I make enough brochures to go to each agent. Along with each brochure I include a copy of an agreement, stating I will do nothing to sell the property myself, and will only sell through a buyers agent. I agree to pay the selling office, a full 6% commission, plus all normal sellers fees. As I am paying double normal fee to selling agent, I get their attention. I have never gone over 30 days to find a buyer, as agents like double paydays for their effort. I also get top price, without big price drop offers. Over the last 40 years plus, I have found I came out way ahead, paying for the best service I could ever get.
When in the business, over half of all my business was properties I handled in my own account, not receiving a commission from anyone. Especially when dealing across state lines, and into foreign countries. I was a principal, not an agent, and any brochure or contract reflected I was a principal, staying I had a real estate brokers license, but was acting as a principal and had no agency duties or responsibilities. I also had no agency responsibilities.
Do we know that the listing agent is a member of the local/state/National Association of Realtors?
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I understand the concept of you get what you pay for but, as some have replied, there are good listing-only agents out there. We just happened to get a dud. And I didn't expect anything other than an accurate listing. 
