As the second largest city in Oklahoma, Tulsa has a vibrant real estate market. With homes at all price points, it is no wonder that so many people are interested in buying a home in Tulsa. However, before you can discover the Tulsan dream, you have to contend with the painful reality of real estate fees. If these costly fees make shopping for your dream home a nightmare, then consider flat fee listings.
Unlike traditional real estate contracts, flat fee listings can be customized to fit the needs of every seller. Conventional contracts often offer a full range of real estate services in exchange for a set percentage of the final sale price. At first, this percentage may seem negligible. However, at closing time, that percentage usually is worth thousands of dollars. This cost can dramatically affect the amount of money sellers make, effectively limiting their potential gains.
Most people think the only alternative is to sell the home by themselves. While selling by owner does eliminate all realtor fees, it also severely impedes your visibility. Most people find homes through realtor listings, which are posted on major real estate search engines and other local venues. Because selling your own home does not give you access to these listings, closing on a sale is much easier said than done.
Flat fee listings are a hybrid approach, allowing sellers to work with a real estate agent for only the specific services they want. This a la carte real estate can be a very smart choice. This way, sellers can work with a realtor in a capacity that suits their needs and their budget. Most importantly, it is possible to get the home on the Multiple Listing Service. The Multiple Listing Service or MLS ensures that the home is featured on all major real estate search engines.
Although the home is listed via the MLS, the seller does not have to work with the real estate agent in any other capacity. Since the agent is doing less work for the seller, they do not take a commission but instead charge a simple, flat fee to cover the cost of the service. This gives sellers the exposure of a real estate agent with the limited cost of listing by themselves. With these obvious benefits, it is clear why so many sellers in Oklahoma have turned to flat fee service for their next move.