• What is the MLS and the Realtor.com?
• Why is Realtor.com important?
• Will my property be seen by local Realtors?
• What is the local MLS?
• Can I change the look of my listing?

• Can I sell my property myself?
• Can I display my phone number to the public on the MLS?
• What is an Exclusive Agreement Listing?
• Do I have to pay a commission if a Realtor® sells my home?
• If I list with you, will Realtors show my home?
• How long before my property is listed on Realtor.com?
• Who does the paperwork involved in selling my home?
• If I handle the paperwork myself, will I be exposed to lawsuits?
• I know very little about financing. Won't this prevent me from selling my home?
• If I list with you, who is in charge of selling my home?
• Do I need a lock box?
• Do I need a new insurance policy?
• I still have questions - how do I contact you?

What is the MLS and Realtor.com?

MLS is the acronym for Multiple Listing Service.   The MLS is a database of homes and properties for sale. The information is viewed on a website.  There are over 800 MLS listing associations across the nation.  Most of these MLS websites are for local real estate agents and are private.  The information stored in these MLS websites cannot be seen by the public.   Local MLS sites across the nation upload their listing information to the national listing site which is called Realtors.com.   e-ListState.com lists your property on Realtors.com.  Realtors.com is “The Official Site of the National Association of REALTORS®”.   This is the largest REALTOR® website as it gets 5.6 million unique visitors each month. The information displayed on the Realtor.com website is public and therefore, available to everyone.  Only a member of the National Association of REALTORS® can place your property on this website. Agents know that when they find a buyer for properties listed on this website that they will receive a commission for their efforts. Because of all of these reasons, Realtor.com is used by agents across the nation.

Why is Realtor.com important?

The most important benefit of listing your home in Realtor.com, is EXPOSURE.  Being listed on Realtor.com enables you to take advantage of the power of thousands of REALTORS® in your area and thousands of potential buyers who are looking for their next home. Realtors.com is “The Official Site of the National Association of REALTORS®”.Realtor.com currently gets 5 million visits each month.   Buyers everywhere use Realtor.com to help them locate a home.   Your home may be the dream home they've been searching for.  Help them find you by listing your home on Realtor.com.

Agents primarily only look at sources where they know they will receive a commission for their service. As a result, agents across the nation look at a local MLS, Realtor.com and newspapers to find homes for their buyers. Many local MLS sites contain a link directly to Realtor.com to make it easier to search national listings. Realtor.com targets the buying public and agents across the nation.   Home buyers, not associated with a real estate agent, use Realtor.com when they search the internet for homes looking for an ideal match. 

If I list with you, can I change the look of my listing?

No. Your listing will look like all the other listings in the Realtor® MLS.  

Can I sell my property myself?

Yes, you can. In order for us to list your home on the internet, you are required by law to sign a listing agreement. We use the "Exclusive Agency Agreement Right to Sell".   This agreement lets you retain the right to sell your property yourself privately by owner and pay no commissions to anyone when the buyer is not represented by an agent. A commission is only required if an agent is involved in the sale of the property.

Can I display my phone number to the public in the MLS?

The MLS will not allow the seller's contact information to be displayed on any MLS or Realtor website. Realtor.com is a REALTOR website. Have no worries. Remember that e-ListState.com works for you. If someone from the public contacts e-ListState.com, this information will be forwarded to the seller by email. But Agents will call the seller and not e-ListState.com to show the property. Agents will follow the instructions in the MLS private agent remarks/confidential remarks section. They will call the seller directly.

What is an Exclusive Listing?

There is more than one type of Exclusive agreement:

1. Exclusive Right To Sell - This is the usual listing agreement that you would sign when you list your property into any MLS / Realtor system. With this type of agreement, "Exclusive" means one agent places your property for sale in the MLS... and "Right to Sell" means that the listing agent will profit when your property sells, no matter who sells the property. We do not use this one.

2. Exclusive AGENCY Right to Sell - We use this agreement for our California Sellers. This is the agreement that gives the owner the freedom to sell their home and pay no commissions or listing fees to anyone unless the listing agent sells the property or there is a buyer represented by a broker. Once again, "Exclusive" means that one agent places the property into the MLS / Realtor system and AGENCY (by California State Law), the owner has the right to sell the property. An exclusive AGENCY is an agreement by which the owner agrees to employ a particular real estate broker to list the property for sale with the understanding that the seller retains the right to sell the property directly to a buyer not produced by the broker and thus pay no real estate commission. The listing broker may publish the listing in the MLS and cooperate with other brokers to sell the property. If the listing agent is successful in selling the property, the seller must pay a commission to the listing agent.The nature of the listing must be disclosed as it places cooperating brokers at risk of losing a client to the seller. The seller/owner retains the right to revoke the listing at any time, to sell the property him or herself, and to negotiate with any buyer or agent for the conditions of the sale provided the seller is not engaged in negotiations or under contract of sale. With the Exclusive AGENCY listing, because the owner retains the right to sell their property to anyone, the owner may place their property into any For Sale By Owner website or newspaper ads or wherever. The seller may advertise their home for sale anywhere.

3. Open Listing Right to Sell - With this agreement, the Seller lists their property with several agents and the Seller can offer different commission rates with each of those agents. But the MLS will not allow more than one agent to place the property into the MLS system. So, I cannot use this listing agreement. There is also the problem that some MLS systems will not display the listing with the agreement type of Open to any public website.

Do I have to pay a commission if a REALTOR® sells my home?

Yes. If you accept an offer brought to you by a real estate agent, then you will need to pay a commission to the buyer’s agent.  When you fill out and sign our "Exclusive Agency to Market in the Realtor MLS" agreement, you are asked how much commission you’ll pay to the buyer’s agent.  Most sellers offer a commission of two to four percent of the property’s purchase price.  When you list your property for sale with e-ListState.com, you, the Owner/Seller determines the commission paid to a buyer’s broker. If you are willing to pay a commission, this will be an incentive for agents to help locate a buyer for you because they know they will be compensated for their service. You are required to complete and sign the form: “Single Party Compensation Agreement” upon the request by a buyer’s agent.

e-ListState.com encourages sellers to accept help from all sources. Offering the buyer’s agent a commission, will motivate an agent to locate a buyer for you.  And finding a buyer, is afterall, the seller’s ultimate goal. 

If I list with you, will Realtors show my home?

Yes.  Agents primarily only look at sources where they know they will receive a commission for their service. As a result, agents across the nation look at a local MLS, Realtor.com and newspapers to find homes for their buyers.  Realtors have incentive to show your property and help you find a buyer if they are being paid.   Seldom will a buyer pay a realtor to find them a home.   So, if you want a Realtor to help you find a buyer, you must be willing to pay them a commission for the service.  The usual commission is 2 to 4% of the property's purchase price.

How long before my property is listed on Realtor.com?

Usually within 48 hours after we have received your completed paperwork and at least one photograph, your property is entered into the MLS system for uploading to Realtor.com. Realtor.com is a national listing service public website and is viewable to everyone across the nation.

Who does the paperwork involved in selling my home?

When you accept an offer, you have several choices.   You can: 1) elect to do all of the work yourself;   or 2) do some of the work yourself and hire a real estate attorney to do the rest; or 3) you can request the buyer’s agent act on your behalf by the agent acting as a Transaction Broker or by entering into a dual agency contract.  Either way, the choice is completely up to you.

If I handle the paperwork myself, will I be exposed to lawsuits?

All listings come with sellers disclosure statements and forms which you must complete so that buyers are aware of issues about your home and property.   You will also be given purchase contracts, forms and other disclosures that you may need.  However, there is a well-quoted principle: "When in doubt, don't do it."   Although the contracts and forms are not difficult to learn, anyone who is uncomfortable or unfamiliar with filling out the Sales Contract or other real estate papers should not attempt this.   Consult a real estate attorney to complete the forms for you.   Many attorneys offer a free consultation. You could also request assistance from the buyer’s agent or the Title Insurance Company handling the transfer.  Generally, all you need is a good real estate lawyer in the wings, a buyer and a good faith deposit and you are on your way. You should shop around for the best service price as you would for any product.

I know very little about financing. Won’t this prevent me from selling my home?

You do not need to know or understand anything concerning financing.  Leave that to mortgage professionals.   Don’t concern yourself with how much the buyer makes, when they became employed, their credit rating, debt ratios or other particulars.  Just direct the buyer to a lender who is willing to assist them with the preliminaries.  Many buyers today are market savvy and know how much they can afford and what to expect for a monthly payment.  Many buyers will pre-qualify before they enter into negotiations to purchase a home.  The mortgage industry is forever changing.   Specific loans available today may not be available tomorrow.   For this reason, real estate agents also refer buyers to mortgage professionals as they, too, cannot keep up with the ever-changing mortgage industry.

If I list with you, who is in charge of selling my home?

You are free to handle the sale of your home in the manner that is most convenient for you.   You are in charge, not a Realtor®.   The deal revolves completely around you.  What we’ve learned from our experiences is that homes often sell themselves.  If you attractively present your home, price it fairly and consistent within your area, effectively advertise it and are willing to coordinate the process to make the deal happen, then you will be in a excellent position to sell your own home and save your hard-earned equity.   However, e-ListState.com cannot guarantee that you will sell your home.  No one can.

Do I need a lock box?

No.  A lock box is for the convenience of you and a real estate agent. Agents want access to your home at all times.  They may have a buyer that is anxious to see your home.   The agent will want to be able to show it to them on a moment's notice.  If you do not want an agent to show your home when you are not there, then you do not need a lock box.

Do I need a new insurance policy?

There are insurance policies that will help protect you in the event of robbery, theft, and other situations that may arise during the process of selling your home.   Talk with your insurance agent for the type of policies that will be best for you.

Will my property be seen by local Realtors?

Yes.  Your property can be seen on Realtor.com, which can be viewed by everyone.  e-ListState.com will place your property into a local MLS which is only viewable by agents. Many local MLS do not operate a public website.  If the local MLS does not operate a public website, then the information stored on those local MLS systems are not available for viewing to the public.

Will my property be placed in my local MLS?

Currently, local MLS is available only to our California sellers in most locations in the state.  But everyone will be able to see your property on Realtor.com.  Many local MLS do not operate a public website.  Local MLS websites across the nation upload listing information to Realtor.com so it can be seen by the buyers and agents everywhere.

What is the local MLS?

The MLS was started by the Realtor associations many years ago as a way for Realtors to share information about properties available for sale in a specific geographic area. Later, when computers became popular, the Realtor associations created internet sites to store the same information. Local agents who were members of the local MLS were able to place information into the database and also see what other properties were available for sale. A problem with this method soon appeared as agents who belonged to one local MLS could not see properties that were listed for sale from other local MLS associations unless the agent was a member of that MLS as well. The state of California currently has several local MLS associations. There is also a lot of expense involved as agents are required to pay a hefty application fee and quarterly dues for each MLS they join. To resolve this problem, the National Association of Realtors created a newer, better way to ensure that agents everywhere know what properties are available for sale in all geographical areas. The Realtor association created the website “Realtor.com”. Properties from the local MLS across the nation upload to this website.

Local MLS databases are private databases.  Many of them are not available to the public and they can only be accessed by agents who are members of the private service.   A local MLS is like opening up a lemonade stand. No one knows you have lemonade to sell (except for the few local realtors). These websites target local realtors NOT local buyers because the websites are not open to the public.   This is the “old” way of selling real estate.   We at e-ListState.com believe the information should be available to buyers everywhere.