Lawrence Bunnell, CEO and principal broker for InSight Realty of Richmond, Va., this week announced the launch of a new Web site, MLSLion.com, to provide flat-fee real estate services nationwide.
The MLSLion network will offer consumers direct access to flat-fee real estate brokers in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Washington.
The brokers will offer to place for-sale property listings in a multiple listing service for a fixed fee.
“I believe it is the most extensive coverage of any direct flat-fee broker Web site in the country,” Bunnell stated.
Flat-fee brokers can register and join MLS Lion as affiliates. Once approved they can access a members’ area of the site to create their product offering and adjust their pricing. Brokers can also upload forms to the Web site so that consumers can receive agency and property disclosures and MLS listing paperwork directly from the site instead of waiting for the local broker to fax or email the forms, according to the announcement.
“In contrast, most other services offering flat-fee MLS on a nationwide basis are simply referral fee-generating machines with no direct connection to the broker actually doing the MLS listing. They collect your money whether or not they have or know of a broker covering the area of your property who can list the property. They don’t itemize the particular services offered by the local broker and, once they have your money in hand, they go out and attempt to find a broker who will list in your area. This process can take anywhere from a couple of days to weeks,” Bunnell stated.
Affiliates do not pay to be members of the network and do not pay monthly charges, according to the announcement. Brokers pay an administrative fee of $149.95 only when they receive a paying customer.
When consumers select their state and county, “they can see exactly what services and products the local flat-fee broker in their area offers in their MLS package. MLS Lion only accepts payment if there is an affiliate broker who covers the county selected by the user,” according to the announcement.
AmeriSellRealty.com is another national flat-fee real estate network that launched in 2004. That network, formerly known as BrokerDirectMLS.com, covers about 40 states and has basic service packages ranging from about $260 to $400, Inman News has reported.
***
Send tips or a Letter to the Editor to glenn@inman.com or call (510) 658-9252, ext. 137.