best (cheapest, most effective) way to sell a house?

[ZippyDan]

my limited knowledge of the market is that the biggest key to getting your house noticed is to get it on the MLS (Multiple Listings Service ?). Is there a cheap way to do this without having to go through an expensive real estate agency? I expect to still pay around 3% commission to any real estate person who brings in a sale, but I dont really want to pay more than that.

Any other suggestions for effective/cheap ways to get a house on the market and widely noticed are appreciated.

~Zippy!

 

[bunker]

http://www.buyowner.com/

 

[FlashG]

Have you actually used this?

 

[djNickb]

eBay

 

[bunker]

Originally posted by: FlashG
Have you actually used this?

Queasy, who is a member here has. He asked for a way to get on MLS, which is why I pointed out the site.

 

[flot]

I didn't think buyowner would get you into the MLS?

It depends on your area - all MLS systems are regional or semi-regional. For instance, in Florida there are probably 30 real estate "districts" and each one has their own MLS setup, which you must be a member of to add listings. So there is no "national" solution to inserting your MLS entry.

However: There ARE non-realtor based operations out there that will help you for a reasonable fee. That's not to say all realtors are evil, but if you are comfortable showing your house, taking care of the paperwork, etc - yes, an MLS listing is the single best way to get exposure. I have seen MLS-only companies out there anywhere from $500 to $1500.

Also, there are a number of "discount" realtors that charge less comission than the normal outrageous 6%. You may want to look into those - my parents are realtors with a company called assist2sell (check their website) which works on one of these reduced comission structures. Most of these are smaller offices and typically the people will work their a** off to sell your house, so it's worth looking into.