The Florida real estate market has changed dramatically over the past year
The Florida real estate market has changed dramatically over the past year. Prices have dropped but deals are still getting done. The days of zero down are gone but buyers are getting financing through FHA with 3% down, VA with no down and conventional financing with 20% down. There are plenty of cash buyers out there, as well.
Listing flat fee MLS in Florida has become more popular than ever because by owner MLS sellers are saving 50% of the cost of a traditional 6% MLS listing. Sellers often need this commission savings in order sell without becoming a short sale.
While flat fee MLS Florida listings are popular, not all flat rate services offer the same product. ADDvantage charges a bit more for a basic MLS listing in Florida, but our innovation and commitment to service is second to none.
ADDvantage was established in 2005 after five years of offering flat fee MLS listings in Miami. By the time we launched ADDvantage, we already understood the complexities of the flat fee MLS business. The broker for ADDvantage was experienced as he held a Florida brokers license since 1984. With knowledge in hand, we decided that service was our cornerstone and 9:00am-6:00pm 7 days a week became our service commitment.
Realtors® are creatures of habit and flat fee MLS listings have not entirely sunk into their heads. Realtors®, in theory, are supposed to call the limited service seller (flat fee) directly for all showings and offers as it states in Realtor® remarks. But realty is much different because until recently, the protocol and Realtor® code of ethics have been to call the listing broker for all showings and offers.
To deliver an effective flat fee MLS listing in Florida, the listing broker must hold up their end of the deal and help the Realtors® with showing instructions and other questions when the call the listing broker.
At ADDvantage, it often seems as though we are actually servicing Realtors® more than we are servicing our clients. But, in realty, when we service the Realtors® properly, we are servicing our clients properly.
Many by owners believe that the listing broker's sole function is to list their property in the MLS and maintain that listing. While this is true, it is only the beginning of the on-going responsibility that the listing broker has to the flat fee MLS Florida seller and to the Realtors®.
Realtors® view flat fee listings in the MLS the same way they see full-service listings. Many Realtors® don't even notice that MLS listings are labeled “Exclusive Agency” which means “limited service” or “flat fee” v. “Exclusive Right of Sale” which means full-service.
This is one reason why ADDvantage answers the phone live 7 days a week from 9:00am-6:00pm. Realtors® have called ADDvantage over the past 12 months for showing instructions. We have helped every one, professionally, in real time and with no hold queues or answering machines. Realtors® aren't the only ones that call ADDvantage during the week or on weekends. Buyers are particularly active all day Saturday and Sunday.
Realtor.com, the most prolific real estate website in the US, prohibits seller contact information to be included in the listing. On the weekends when buyers have time to search the Internet and drive around looking for homes, they call any number they can find. All flat fee MLS Florida listings in Realtor.com have the listing broker's phone number. If these calls are not answered live, then the by owner MLS seller misses out on an opportunity to possibly sell their home.
We know live phone support helps flat fee MLS Florida sellers get more showings and in turn more closed deals. And. there's more. Before a Realtor® can present an offer, the Realtor® needs a seller's disclosure statement signed and filled out from the seller. At ADDvantage, we take the time to ensure all of our flat fee MLS Florida sellers have uploaded their seller's disclosure statements into their “seller's control panel”.
At ADDvantage, we also send a “welcome letter” notifying sellers of important details they need to be aware of. We follow up with a phone call and our system will keep reminding sellers of missing documents by email until we have them all.
ADDvantage facilitates the selling process from Mon-Thu 9AM-7PM, Fri 9AM-5:30PM, Sat 9AM-5PM, Sun 9AM-4PM. That's a genuine flat fee MLS Florida listing!
This article is filed under Flat Fee MLS>Florida. View other articles in Flat Fee MLS>Florida.