Buyers: How Homes are Found
In today’s technology-driven era, there are two main avenues to finding a home. Many people are aware of the first: searching online websites until you find a list of homes that might work. But the second option is far superior in saving you time and meeting your needs. By working with a REALTOR® who belongs to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), you gain a personal representative with full and up-to-date knowledge of the local market and the skills and tools to get you exactly what you want. Baldwin REALTORS® MLS is the local Multiple Listing Service for REALTORS® serving Baldwin County, AL, and surrounding Gulf Coast regions. Access to the Multiple Listing Service through your agent will help you in several key ways.
Search the market
Through the multi-layer search engines and tools housed within the dynamic platform of the Multiple Listing Service, a REALTOR® will use their specialized MLS access to get you options with the location, features and price point that meets your needs. Putting together this list on your own time, by using public websites without the help of a REALTOR®, could take hours/days.
Go deeper and get closer
A REALTOR® will use the Multiple Listing Service to get you detailed information not available on public apps and websites, and they’ll have access to a tool and a network of other agents and brokers that makes scheduling your showings a breeze. On your own, you will have limited information and no representation when going to see a home that’s listed for sale.
Know how much to offer
The database of the Multiple Listing Service provides your REALTOR® with up-to-the-minute information on comparable homes and recent sale prices to ensure your offer is competitive. Without the assistance of this technology, you could potentially miss out on your dream home by making too low of an offer.
Sellers: The Smartest Way to Sell a Home
Everyone knows the term “For Sale By Owner.” While the idea of keeping more money for yourself sounds great in theory, did you know you’ll lose out on exposure of your listing, expert pricing advice, and time well spent not worrying about showings/negotiations? By listing your home through a REALTOR® who belongs to the Multiple Listing Service, they can give you the information you need to make smart decisions and puts your home in front of the largest possible number of potential buyers.
Price it right
Housed within the Multiple Listing Service are years of historical and current home sales information that a REALTOR® will use to guide you on when to sell, and for how much. Finding these records on your own will be a rigorous and time-consuming process that may leave you more confused than when you started.
Get your home seen everywhere
When your REALTOR® places your home on the Multiple Listing Service, non-confidential information is displayed on nearly every real estate brokerage website in town, as well as top real estate search apps and websites. That’s because these national home search apps and websites receive most of their listings through syndication agreements with local Multiple Listing Services. But it’s not a two-way exchange. To list your home on one of these third-party platforms – without the help of a REALTOR® – will only result in your listing staying on that company’s websites.
Get other agents working on your behalf
Listing your home on the Multiple Listing Service puts it into the hands of nearly every agent representing active buyers. That means those real estate professionals will begin carrying your listing information on to their clients and reaching out to your REALTOR® to schedule showings and ask questions about your home. This network of relationships is how most homes get sold. Without REALTOR® representation, all showings and home questions will be fielded by you.
The Bottom Line
Whether you’re in the market to buy or sell, working with a REALTOR® who belongs to your local Multiple Listing Service is your best bet for a successful experience. The MLS provides the bedrock of information to help you make the smartest decisions on one of life’s biggest purchases. And, most home sales happen through skilled REALTORS® working together on their MLS platform, not because of accidental luck on third-party portals, websites, or apps.
To begin your journey with a local REALTOR®, find yours today at Baldwinrealtors.com. And to learn more about the benefits of the Multiple Listing Service, visit mlsintheknow.org.
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