How to choose the Best Flat Fee MLS Company
| Flat Fee Group | Referral / lead-gen sites (Houzeo and similar) | Traditional 2.5–3% listing agent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who is your broker? | Named, licensed broker in your state before you pay | Often assigned after you check out | Local agent, high commission |
| Can you interview them first? | Yes — phone is on the state page | Usually no | Yes |
| Who puts the home on the MLS? | That same broker | Whoever takes the referral | That agent |
| MLS boards | Stated on each state page (only boards that broker belongs to) | Often “we cover the state” | Their local board |
| You stay with one person | Yes | Can get handed off | Yes |
| Listing commission | One flat fee (varies by state/plan) | Flat fee, then a local broker you didn’t pick | Thousands of dollars |
| Call before you order | Yes | Rare | Yes |
| Good for | Sellers who want MLS + a real local broker | Sellers who only want the cheapest checkout | Sellers who want full traditional service |
Find a company that meets all this criteria and you probably have found a great company!
- BBB A+ Accredited Business
- 10+ years in business
- 3rd party reviews (found on site) with 4+ stars (must be an outside link to reviews, not just copied and pasted on site)
- offer a full service option
- cannot be a 3rd party referral site (they take your order and sell your listing to a broker)
- company located in state where selling property is located