5 Hi-Tech Flat Fee MLS Virginia Listing Services That Are Changing The Game (2022 Updates)
According to Zillow, in the past year, the home prices in the state have seen a growth of 13.7%. The pandemic phase is now near to get over, and the overall housing market is expected to see higher growth in Virginia in the year 2022. This way, Flat Fee MLS Virginia Listing Services can help home sellers save thousands of dollars.
» In this guide, we’ll cover:
- Rankings: 5 Flat Fee MLS Virginia Listing Services
- How much does Flat Fee MLS Listing Cost in Virginia?
- Reviews: Flat Fee MLS Virginia Listing Services
- Hidden Fees
- Final Note
- Frequently Asked Questions
Rankings: 5 Flat Fee MLS Virginia Listing Services
Flat Fee MLS Service | Price | Hidden Fees | 100% Online | Offer Management | Showing Management | 5-star Reviews | Mobile App |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Houzeo | $229-$1200 | None | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
2. Home Discovery Realtors | $99-$1299 | None | ⛔ | ⛔ | ⛔ | ⛔ | ⛔ |
3.Cottage Street Realty | $299-$999 | None | ⛔ | ⛔ | ⛔ | ⛔ | ⛔ |
4.FSBO.com | $99.95-$399.95 | $150-$300 | ⛔ | ⛔ | ⛔ | ⛔ | ⛔ |
5. Net Realty Now | $1299 | $50 | ⛔ | ⛔ | ⛔ | ⛔ | ⛔ |
» Queen Advises: What is Flat Fee MLS?
How Much Does Flat Fee MLS Listing Cost?
There are 2 types of costs related to a Fixed Fee MLS listing:
- Initial Flat Fee: You’ll have to pay an upfront fee to list your home on MLS. Usually, the initial fee ranges between $300 and $500.
- Closing cost: Once a home seller strikes a deal and closes it, they have to pay a part of their equity on home inspection fee, title and home insurance fees, seller and buyer agent commissions, and home warranty as a closing cost of their property.
Reviews: 5 Best Flat Fee MLS Virginia Listing Services
1. Houzeo
Houzeo is one of the best Virginia flat rate MLS listing services. It is a high-technology-driven platform that allows you to save thousands of dollars and make real estate transactions efficient.
🧰 Packages: The platform offers packages ranging starting from $229 to $1200.
In different packages of Houzeo, it offers you multiple features like showings management, offer management, 100% online transactions and formalities, and much more. This fixed fee MLS Virginia listing service helps you find a suitable agent, negotiate to get the best deal, and complete it efficiently.
📢 Syndication: When you choose to go with Houzeo, it automatically lists your property to huge real estate platforms like Zillow, Trulia, and many more.
✔ Availability: Houzeo is 24*7 available for you and offers you ample benefits. This is why it has been ranked in the guide as one of the best flat rate MLS service providers in Virginia.
⭐ Best Overall: Houzeo is our best pick with great tech features and affordable pricing.
» Houzeo Review: Is $349 worth it?
- No hidden charges
- 100% online transactions and formalities
- Allows to compare and manage offers
- Showing management
- Global coverage
- Ample benefits at a reasonable package price
- Yard signs and lock box
- Fast MLS listing- within two business days
- It offers a mobile application
Houzeo has an excellent rating of 4.9 out of 5 (1,349 reviews) on Trustpilot.
Nationwide Coverage.
2. Home Discovery Realtors
🧰 Packages: Home discovery realtors is a fixed rate MLS listing service in Virginia which offers you a single package worth $379.
💁♀️ Suitability: This platform is mainly suitable for sellers who need the six-month MLS listing plans for their houses. The sellers who believe that the property is good enough to sell within these six months through flat rate MLS prefer to buy this plan.
🔑 Key Features: The features this fixed fee MLS company gives you include property marketing assistance, consultations regarding property offers, and contract reviews.
The platform provides you the facility to access your formality forms offline for free.
✋ Beware: You need to pay extra money for a lockbox and a yard sign because these are not in the base package Home Discovery Realtors provide.
- Provide consultation and marketing assistance
- Assign you a broker to review the contract
- Accept payments through credit cards
- Additional charges for making changes in the listings after a point in time
- Charges extra for yard sign and lockbox
There are no average reviews on trustworthy sources like Trustpilot and Google reviews.
It has only local coverage, which shows that its reach is limited to multiple cities in Virginia. But it covers almost all the cities of this state for fixed fee MLS services.
3. Cottage Street Realty
🧰 Packages: Cottage Street Realty is another flat rate MLS companies in Virginia that offers you plans ranging from $299 to $999. It allows you to list your property and sell it for a low fixed fee in Virginia.
💁♀️ Suitability: The platform is mainly suitable for sellers with no or minimal experience in real estate. The sellers who need guidance from the initial to the closing stage of their real estate transactions can have benefits from this fixed fee MLS listing service in Virginia.
📃 Offline Downloads: Cottage Street Realty provides you with features like downloaded forms for completing formalities and gives you unlimited updates of your listing.
✋ Beware: It charges you some extra money to provide a lockbox and a yard sign.
- Unlimited updates on listings
- Allows to save the forms offline
- No limit for uploading property photos in the basic package
- The market analysis offered with a premium package
- No pricing assistance in basic packages
- Extra purchase is required to access a lockbox
- Additional charges for yard sign
- E-sign contracts are available in only premium package
No reviews and ratings are available for this flat rate MLS company on credible sources like Trustpilot or Google reviews.
It covers only Virginia, DC, and Maryland.
4. FSBO.com
🧰 Packages: It provides you fixed fee MLS listing services in Virginia on the packages worth $99.95 to $399.95. It provides you with cost-effective plans to complete your real estate transactions of buying and selling properties.
It is one of the oldest real estate platforms that help to ease the process of buying and selling houses since 1997.
🔑 Key Features: FSBO.com helps you list your home on their website and on MLS for a flat fee. It increases the chances of getting the properties sold faster. It helps to provide fixed fee MLS listings across major cities of Virginia.
💁♀️ Suitability: It is suitable for mainly the sellers who want to list their properties on MLS and on such a huge platform as FSBO.com.
✋ Beware: It provides you with a yard sign feature but at an extra cost.
- Allows to upload unlimited property photos
- Access to edit or re-list anytime
- Enhance the chances of selling by listing on MLS and FSBO.com website
- Assign you a broker to assist with listing instead of doing it itself
- Charges you extra for lockboxes, yard signs
- You need to pay additional charges for accessing seller disclosures
It has 3.2 out of 5-star ratings on Trustpilot (only one review).
Its reach is also limited as it serves only the major cities of Virginia.
5. Net Realty Now
🧰 Packages: Net Now Realty offers you packages ranging from $299 to $1299.
💁♀️ Suitability: If you have clarity with the real estate concepts and you are an experienced seller in the market of Virginia, Net Now Realty is the platform you can go with for a fixed fee MLS listing. The reason is that it provides only basic assistance.
🔑 Key Features: It lets you compare the sales price of similar properties in the same area. It is one of the features this flat rate MLS listing provider gives you.
It lets you price the property correctly and allows uploading some good photos of the same. This fixed rate MLS Virginia service provider works locally.
✋ Beware: To access the other features like showing time, you need to pay more and subscribe to an upgraded plan.
- Assistance by experienced brokers
- It gives you re-listing opportunities for a flat fee if the contract falls out
- Helps with property showings
- Unlimited updates on the existing listings
- No access to showing time with the basic package
- No for sale signs
- No lockbox facilities, even with the premium package
It has no ratings and reviews available on any reliable sources. Only three reviews are available on Yelp.
It has a local reach as it only works in Virginia, DC, and Maryland in the U.S.
Hidden Fees in Flat Fee MLS Listing Companies
Some Flat Fee MLS companies are not upfront about their fees. These hidden costs could go up to thousands of dollars and have a significant impact on your savings. They may say that they take a flat fee but might charge you a percentage of commission at the time of closing.
We have compiled a list of the average hidden fees that may be charged by some Flat Fee MLS listing services.
Types of Hidden Fees | Cost | Description |
---|---|---|
1. Cancellation Fees | $50-$200 | If you need to cancel your listing, you need to pay cancellation charges. However, some companies do allow free cancellation, if you cancel before your listing goes live. Example: Flat Fee Group charges $25 for cancellation. |
2. Listing Changes Charge | $25-$50 | If you need to make any changes to your listing, companies charge extra for that.
Example: Flat Fee Multiple Listing Access charges $10 for listing updates. |
3. Expensive Listing Upgrades | $50-$100 | If you need to add more photos to your listing, post an open house or avail a showing management tool, you will be charged extra for these upgrades by some Flat Fee MLS service providers.
Example: Congress Realty charges $50 for listing extension; whereas List With Freedom charges $25 for Open House postings and $59 for Showing Scheduler. |
4. Additional Upgrades | $50-$200 | Any service that is not part of the package you sign up for. These are additional services that you need to pay for separately, i.e, Photography, Market Research, Contract Review, etc.
Example: Flat Fee Group which offers pro photography at $290. |
5. Expensive Yard Signs | $100-$150+ $120 (deposit) | Expensive charge for yard signs, even though these yard signs are given on a rental basis.
Example: Homecoin charges $99 for a rental yard sign. |
6. Lockbox Charges | $100-$200 | Lockboxes are given on rental for a small charge. However, some Flat Fee MLS companies charge a huge sum as lockbox rental fees.
Example: Homecoin charges $125 for lockbox even though it is on a rental basis. |
7. Commission at Closing | 0.1-0.5% | Some Flat Fee MLS companies charge a commission at the time of closing, as a hidden seller agent fee. This fee is often undisclosed and charged to the seller once they close a deal. Sometimes this fee is also masked as a compliance fee.
Example: Flat Fee Realty which charges 0.1%- 0.25% at closing in some states. |
8. Flat Fee at Closing | $750 | Fixed Fee companies charge an additional flat fee at closing which is not mentioned upfront.
Example: FlatFeeMLSRealty which charges a flat fee at closing ($350 + $400) |
9. Escrow Charges | $1K-$2K | Some Flat Rate companies charge for escrow at the time of closing.
Example: Vegas Flat Fee charges $995 compliance fees at closing |
10. Seller Disclosures | $100-$200 | State-required seller disclosures are unavoidable. Few companies charge for this service as well.
Example: Yager Realty has seller disclosure feature only in their premium packages. Since seller disclosures are imperative to listing, you need to only go for their premium packages! |
11. Application Fees | $50-$100 | Few companies charge non-refundable application fees.
Example: List with Freedom charges $50 as application fee. |
Note: This table is a generic list of all the hidden charges that various Flat Fee MLS companies charge. It will vary depending on the company you choose.
Some of these services are mentioned in their a-la-carte services. Despite this, if you still need additional support, you may need to consider going with a realtor.
💡 Queen’s Counsel: Everything you need to know about Flat Fee MLS
Virginia Housing Market Trends
According to the forecasts made for how the housing market would be in 2022, the home prices in Virginia will hike up by 22% and reach their peak in the spring season but will get lower to 17% by the end of the year.
The price growth in the real estate market in 2022 is expected to be rising consistently but at a slower rate. In 2021, the home prices in Virginia hiked up by 9.4% whereas this year, the growth is expected to rise by 4.1%.
The mortgage rates are expected to be high in the year 2022.
Final Note
Among all five flat fee MLS listing companies in VA, you may choose to go with the one you find the best suitable for your property listing. We have ranked Houzeo as the best because it gets everything right with no consequences attached.
As per this blog, you will have package options ranging from $99.95 to $1299 through different fixed fee MLS services. Every platform has its specialty. Now, it is up to you to decide what suits you the best, as per your requirements!
This guide has mainly covered the top five flat rate MLS listing services available in Virginia.
» Want to learn more? Read these exclusive Houzeo reviews to find out why it is one of the best For Sale By Owner Websites in America.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which are the top Flat Fee MLS listing companies in Virginia?
The best Flat Fee MLS listing companies in Virginia are:
1. Houzeo
2. Home Discovery Realtors
3. Cottage Street Realty
4. FSBO.com
5. Net Now Realty
How much does it cost to use flat fee MLS?
In Virginia, the listing cost depends upon the platform you choose to list your property on MLS. It costs you between $99 to $1299, depending upon the plan you decide to go with.
Is Flat Fee MLS Legal?
Flat Fee MLS is legal all over the United States. In fact, the US DOJ just updated their bulletin highlighting the benefits of Flat Fee MLS for For Sale By Owner home sellers.
Do buyers pay Realtors fees in Virginia?
If you go with an offline Realtor, you need to pay 6% of the sale price as their commission. The flat fee MLS services listed in the blog will help you save this money.
What is a flat fee deal?
It is a deal where the best platforms like Houzeo charge you a fixed price and give you multiple features in its exchange. The flat fee MLS services in Virginia do not charge on a commission basis.
Related Keywords: best flat fee mls in Virginia, real estate companies in virginia, mls listing va, flat fee mls listing virginia, best Virginia flat fee mls, flat fee mls richmond va, fixed fee real estate agents, flat rate realtors near me, flat fee real estate brokers near me, low cost real estate listing,flat fee real estate brokers, best flat fee mls listing service.