Posts Tagged ‘flat fee mls florida’

Why our reputation with Orlando Realtors is your asset

Saturday, June 13th, 2009

What do restaurants and flat fee MLS services have in common? Customers will not come back if the service or product is not worth the money.

Managing a Flat Rate MLS service is complicated because we service the Realtors® with showing instructions and must do an excellent job with Internet marketing, making sure our MLS listing are accurate and manage our clients change requests in a timely manor. 

At ADDvantage®, we have succeeded is both categories of delivering excellent service to Realtors® and our Orlando home owners for 5 years in a row. 

Our formula for success was simple to think of but very difficult to implement. We decided in 2005 that all calls will be answered “live” by a human between the hours of 8:00am-8:00pm 7 days a week.  

We are the only Florida flat fee MLS or full service real estate service has done this…Even Saturday and Sunday. 

Realtors® throughout Florida now know ADDvantage® as the real estate company that is always available. Our positive reputation with Orlando Realtors® helps you get more showing because when a Realtor® searches the MLS and sees our name they know one phone call gets immediate gratification….Instant showing instructions! 

It’s no secret Realtors® don’t love flat fee MLS services because we represent competition for listings and flat fee MLS services are notorious for horrible service to both teh Realtors® and their clients. 

Our approach since we started ADDvantage® in 2005 was to do the opposite of what we perceived as “business as usual” real estate. Hence, ADDvantage® was born and we now we enjoy without doubt the best reputation of any flat fee MLS service in Florida. 

ADDvantage is also a “concierge” flat fee MLS service because 2 of our flat fee MLS plans blend in with other full-service listings. 

ADDvantage® offers 2 hybrid flat fee MLS plans where we represent the seller, take all calls, schedule all showings and negotiate all offers right through closing. The seller benefits by often getting a higher price for their home. These 2 plans also add additional value to our already good reputation because unlike a flat fee listing, these listings are imputed into the MLS as an “Exclusive Right of Sale Listings” not “Exclusive Agency.” Full-service listings are designated in the MLS as “Exclusive Right of Sale Listings” and flat fee listings are “Exclusive Agency.” 

The names of these plans are ADDvantage Plus™ and ADDvantage Success™. With a “Plus” listing, the seller “works” all unrepresented buyer leads in an effort to sell without paying any commission. With ADDvantage Success, our Orlando agents “work” all unrepresented buyers to help sell your home. 

The seller never pays more than one commission which is typically 3%. Just one agent will be earning that commission. Regardless of which plan you choose and the saving are at least 50%. The “Success” plan removes the hassles of working with buyers. But, some sellers want to work the buyers so I recommend “Plus.” 

List your Miami home with the company that has earned the trust of Orlando Realtors, ADDvantage®.

1-877-232-9695

Should you trust your Orlando home sale to any flat fee MLS broker?

Thursday, May 28th, 2009

Orlando home owners who are considering using flat fee MLS to sell their property often face the dilemma of trust. Everyone wants to save 50% in real estate commissions, or possibly pay zero. That’s why flat fee MLS listings in Orlando are popular. But, can you trust that you are going to receive everything as promised?

Most Orlando home owners do not fully trust Realtors®. For whatever their reasons, this remains a fact. I am Keith Gordon, broker for flat fee MLS Orlando listing service ADDvantage®.

I belong to 26 Florida MLS Realtor Associations, including the Mid Florida Regional MLS. I have been a licensed Florida real estate broker since 1984. My honest real estate brokerage dealings for the past 25 years has earned me a reputation as being forthright, respected and as a result, zero complaints with the Division of Real Estate in my 25 years of brokerage activity.

Trust will always be an issue when money is involved, especially big real estate commissions. Because 6% represents huge money, Orlando by owners have turned to an alternative way to list and sell real estate in Florida…Flat Fee MLS.

I have found that many of our clients even doubt our honesty and sincerity until they have listed and dealt personally with our staff. Once they see our professionalism and have experienced our easy to use MLS listing software, the trust barrier comes down. We are timely with our MLS edits once you are a client and our overall customer satisfaction is unapproachable.

I believe there are three areas that Orlando, Florida owners have trust issues with:

1) Buyer leads are one area that flat fee MLS home sellers do not fully understand. At ADDvantage®, our policy with regard to buyer leads has been effective and honest since we started ADDvantage® back in 2005. Once a buyer lead is received by us from any source such as Realtor.com or Homes.com, we promptly forward it to our seller in real time 7 days a week from 8:00am-8:00pm. This level of service is unheard of in the real estate. Between these hours, all emails and calls are answered “live” by our staff and forwarded to our Orlando flat fee MLS sellers…Either by phone and/or email. Our relentless attention to all details has earned ADDvantage ® the best reputation in all Florida for delivering the most reliable and trusted flat fee MLS service. As well, all leads and Realtor® calls for showings are stored in the sellers account in their easy reference and retrieval.

2) The next point of trust or dis-trust is how Realtor.com and IDX works. Most Orlando by owners do not fully understand the nuances of Realtor.com and why should they. Fact is, no seller contact information is allowed, by rule of Realtor.com, to be published in Realtor.com. ONLY the listing broker’s phone number and name may appear. All Realtor® websites such as Coldwell Banker and remax.com receive their MLS listing data directly from Realtor.com through a feed called IDX. This means all websites that display MLS listings contain the listing brokers contact information, not the sellers. So, sellers must implicitly trust the flat fee MLS broker to professionally handle buyer leads. The sellers contact information is displayed on our site http://www.getmoreoffers.com and sites such as Homes.com.

3) Offers from Realtors® are another big trust issue. Sellers do want the marketing and cost saving offered by flat fee MLS listing services but, “don’t touch my offers.” Sellers would prefer their offers going directly to them and not through the flat fee broker. At ADDvantage®, we facilitate our seller’s deals and would never impede the sale. We forward all offers directly to our sellers (8:00am-8:00pm 7 days) and call notifying of the offer being forwarded by email. We have never mishandled an offer in 5 years. Most offers do come through ADDvantage® as Realtors® prefer the “listing broker” to initially receive the offer and then forward the offer to the “self-represented” seller. From there, the buyer’s agent and seller negotiate the offer. As a note, it is clearly stated in the MLS to call seller directly for all showings and includes the seller’s phone number. But, it has been Realtor® protocol for 80 years to deal only with the listing broker. This also assists ADDvantage® with timely updating the MLS listing status from “active” to “contract pending” an MLS board requirement.

 

Trust will remain an issue when big money is involved. Orlando by owners that do choose ADDvantage will soon believe it is possible to trust a flat rate MLS service with your home sale and still 50% off the cost of a traditional listing….Or, possibly pay no commission if you sell without a Realtor®. At ADDvantage®, we have earned our reputation as Orlando’s most trusted and hardest working flat fee MLS broker. We consistently deliver more offers, more buyer leads and Realtor® feedback on all showings. We do this 7 days a week from 8:00am-8:00pm for 5 years in a row.

Cal us anytime 1-877-232-9695 

 

 
 
 

 

 

 
<a href=”http://technorati.com/faves?sub=addfavbtn&amp;add=http://flatfeemlsorlando.com”><img src=”http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/btn-fave2.png” alt=”Add to Technorati Favorites” /></a>
 

 

ADDvantage®, an Orlando, Florida “By Owner” and Flat Fee MLS listing Service, introduces a new innovation in discount real estate called ADDvantage Success™.

Sunday, April 19th, 2009

ADDvantage®, an Orlando, Florida “By Owner” and Flat Fee MLS listing Service, introduces a new innovation in discount real estate called ADDvantage Success™.

This unique MLS listing plan has all the features of a full-service listing but you pay a low price of $499.

This offer exceeds all other flat rate offers because you don’t sacrifice service and you only offer a commission to the buyer’s agent.

ADDvantage Success™ guarantees Orlando sellers the most powerful Internet marketing available on important websites such as Homes.com Realtor.com, MSN Craigslist, Vast, Yahoo, Zillow, AOL Oodle, RSS feeds, IDX feeds and many more features to help u sell faster.

 

Highlights of ADDvantage Success™

  • 9 month MLS listing in the Mid Florida Regional MLS - Orlando’s MLS. You can cancel anytime with no fee or other complications.
  • Agent Assure®…We guarantee you’ll never miss a Realtor® showing. Agent Assure® is our concierge showing service. We schedule and confirm all showings for so you only communicate with ADDvantage®, never a Realtor®. We are here 7 days a week…Even Saturday and Sunday. Your exact showing instructions will be given to Realtors® just they way you want. And, an email sent for your records. ($199 value, free with ADDvantage Success™)
  • Feedback…Orlando home sellers need feedback from Realtor® showings. Our system will automatically send an email to each Realtor® that shows your home requesting feedback. ($99 value, free with ADDvantage Success™)
  • Agent Activate®…Local expertise and knowledge helps you sell faster. Our local agent knows your home and you. They will never miss an opportunity to show and sell your home. If one of our agents is successful selling your property, we will REFUND the ADDvantage Success™ $499 fee at closing. Our Agent Activate® service engages our best Orlando agents or local affiliate to work with each buyer prospect. You pay only the offered buyer’s agent commission, the same commission you are offering any agent (which is typically 3%). If our agent sells, we take the deal from contract-to-close. Our agents will pre-qualify buyers, show your property, write the offer, negotiate the offer, inspection and inspection related negotiating, if any, assist with financing, work with your title company or real estate lawyer and complete the closing in a professional manor. Having an agent help with negotiatons often results in a higher sales price, a faster sale and less hassles.
  • Broker Assist… Advice 7 days a week. If an offer comes from an outside buyer’s agent, other than ADDvantage®, our house broker will consult, advise, review the contract, check for missing disclosures and assist in the closing. There will be a transaction fee of $395 at closing if this occurs. (A $799 value)
  • Street Smart ADDvantage®…Powerful and Effective Realtor® eblast. Since 2005, ADDvantage® has been promoting properties throughout Florida by email. This email, called the Street Smart ADDvantage® eblast, is reserved for sellers offering a 4% or greater buyer’s agent commission. Twice a month, most local Orlando Realtors® within 35 miles of your property will receive the eblast. Street Smart ADDvantage® is the best read Realtor-to-Realtor email in Orlando, Florida. (A $599 value, free with ADDvantage Success™)
  • An Exclusive Right of Sale Listing in MLS, not an Exclusive Agency. At times, “by owner” listings are passed over because Orlando Realtors® perceive them as too much work. While there is only a slight chance of this occurring to your listing, the cost savings of listing flat fee in the MLS far outweigh any possible lost showings. But, why loose a Realtor® showing when there is a solution? List the property in the Orlando Mid-Florida MLS as an Exclusive Right of Sale Listing, NOT as an Exclusive Agency…Which is how all flat fee listing in Florida are inputted into the MLS. Because you will be represented by ADDvantage®, we will input ADDvantage Success™ listings into the MLS as Exclusive Right of Sale listings. It is a better way to get more showings, it is more professional and is exactly the same as a full-service listings.
  • Realtor.com Showcase…25 Pictures on Realtor.com. We will upgrade your Realtor.com listing to “showcase” with a longer property description (2400 characters) and 25 pictures. Realtor.com is the world’s most important real estate website. ($49 value, free with ADDvantage Success™)

Call us anytime 1-877-232-9695 or vist our website for more details on ADDvantage Success™ flat fee MLS.

What happened to the Orlando, Florida market? It is crazy busy!

Tuesday, February 24th, 2009

Ever since February 10, our phone at ADDvantage® has been ringing off the hook.

January and the first part of February were as slow as I have ever seen in my 26 years as a real estate broker.

This is great news for Orlando home sellers. I have an excellent pulse on how business is in Florida as I belong to 20 Florida MLS Realtor boards. I am the broker for Florida based ADDvantage®, a flat fee MLS listing service.

The calls are coming from Realtors® seeking showing instructions and un-represented buyers. Buyers have finally realized that if you are going to buy property in Florida, now is the time.

If you aren’t getting action on your FSBO listed property or you are looking for a better way to sell, try us. We are the most advanced flat fee MLS listing company in Florida.

Our systems are so advanced that we are going national with our MLS listing software.

Our flat fee MLS programs start at $349 and end at $799 plus $500 at close. They all do something different as far as marketing and representation.

All of our programs are flat fee. You pay just the buyers agent and if you sell “by owner” you pay zero commission.

Call us anytime….we are here 8:00am-8:00pm 7 days. 1-877-232-9695

Home Warranty Can Make Your Flat Fee MLS Orlando Listing Stand Out

Thursday, December 4th, 2008

Marketing, marketing, marketing are the key “words” to having success in Orlando’s real estate market. At ADDvantage, we are specialists in finding new ways to get buyers and Realtors to pay attention to our MLS listings.

We are the creators of Street Smart ADDvantage Realtor eblast which is Florida’s most successful Realtor-to-Realtor email.

We also offer the most unique and least expensive flat rate MLS contract-to-close listing plan, ADDvantage Plus.

We now bring another approach to garnering more attention for your Orlando MLS listing…Offer a Home Warranty.

Because the premium for the home warranty is paid only if you close, you gain the benefits that come with advertising the warranty and defer payment.

The other “why didn’t I think of that sooner” thought is that most Orlando Realtors that present offers will request that the flat fee MLS Orlando seller pay for a home warranty. The cost is about $400. If are you going to buy a home warranty after an offer comes in, you might as well gain the benefits of being able to advertise that fact in the MLS and 100’s of other FSBO websites before you a requested to purchase one.

According to a Gallup poll, 79% of both buyers and sellers rate home warranties as one of the most important considerations when buying or selling a home.

Call us anytime abut our Orlando flat fee MLS listing plans. We are here from 8:00am-8:00pm 7 days a week 1-877-232-9695.

Orlando Homeowners Benefit from ADDvantage Plus Flat Fee MLS…Gets More Deals Done

Thursday, November 13th, 2008
We have seen a flurry of contracts get done this past week. Five for ADDvantage Plus flat fee MLS sellers, our contract-to-close plan, and three from our basic flat fee MLS plan, MLS ADDvantage.

 
The Orlando market is active again with buyers and Realtors. October was a record slow month at ADDvantage as everyone was waiting for the smoke to clear from the elections, the credit crunch and a general sense of uncertainty. Now, buyers and Realtors are taking advantage of low interests rates, a 35% drop in real estate prices and Realtors are no longer wasting time with short sales.

 

ADDvantage has flat fee MLS listings in Orlando, Tampa and many other Florida cities. We have a good pulse on Realtor activity throughout Florida. Our phone has been very busy with Realtors setting appointments for buyers and we are seeing a significant uptick in the number of executed contracts in Orlando, Tampa, Miami and other Florida cities..
Selling a home in Orlando using ‘by-owner’ MLS leaves the seller in charge of all contract negotiations. Some sellers know enough to represent themselves and others other just wing it. For those that need contract assistance, we offer ADDvantage Plus, our contract-to-close flat fee MLS plan.

Near 25% of ADDvantage listings are ADDvantage Plus. The sellers that do choose the ADDvantage Plus flat fee plan say the service they received was the best they have every experienced from a Realtor.

There are 5 reasons to consider using ADDvantage Plus to sell your Orlando, Florida property.

First, an ADDvantage Plus listing uses an Exclusive Right of Sale listing in the MLS. This type of listing looks and acts just like a full-service listing without the 6% cost. ADDvantage Plus cost is $799 and $500 at close. Sellers save about 50% off a traditional MLS listing. Unlike a basic flat fee listing, when using ADDvantage Plus, we take all calls, schedule all Realtor and buyer showings, and negotiate all offers with you. More contracts get done when I negotiate with ‘fellow’ Realtors. I go right after what my seller client wants and I have the advantage of being able to be more direct with the buyer’s agent. My 25 years as a Florida real estate broker and professional negotiator go a long way in getting the most out of every offer.

Second, our 8:00am-8:00pm 7 days a week live phone support ensures no calls or appointments will be missed. We do a better job of phone support than any Orlando real estate company. We schedule all appoinments for the seller, confirming each one with the seller and then send an email for a record. Because the seller is not directly communicating with Realtors, ADDvantage Plus adds a professional touch that Realtors prefer.

Third, when listing flat fee with ADDvantage Plus, our Street Smart ADDvantage Realtor eblasting program is included. The seller must offer at least a 4% buyer’s agent commission to opt into Street Smart ADDvantage eblast. The eblast contains details about each property and every Orlando Realtor within 35 miles of a Street Smart listing receives the eblast. Our website tracks all hits from the Street Smart Eblast so sellers can measure the results. The eblast is sent twice a month and is recognized as Orlando Florida’s most well-read Realtor-to-Realtor email.

Forth, I believe Orlando flat fee MLS sellers benefit greatly when I act as the contract negotiator. Two Realtors working together often can get the deal done faster and possible at a higher price for the seller. Real estate contracts can be tricky and Realtors can be aggressive with self-represented sellers because they know more.

Fifth, is that all buyer leads from Realtor.com, Homes.com and other FSBO websites go to the seller. Sellers remain “by owner” when it comes to paying a commission. Sellers only pay a commission if a Realtor is involved. ADDvantage never earns a commission.

A note about physically being in Tampa Bay… All offers are handled by fax or email. My physical location does not interfere with the representation process. Even if there are ‘inspection related’ issues, one of my strengths happens to be my knowledge of construction and the ‘trades.’

Call us anytime, 1-877-232-9695 or visit our flat fee MLS Florida website.

http://www.blogcatalog.com/directory/business/real_estate

Real Estate Blogs - BlogCatalog Blog Directory

<!– Start Copying here –>
<a href=”http://www.justrealestate.org”>Real Estate agents</a><br>
Worldwide real estate companies directory and property buyers and sellers guide.
<!– End Copying here –>

Is an ADDvantage Flat Fee MLS Listing in Orlando worth $349?

Thursday, November 6th, 2008
Orlando flat fee MLS sellers get what they pay for at ADDvantage…Live 7 day 8:00am-8:00pm guaranteed buyer lead forwarding, proactive flat fee MLS listing plans, faster customer edits and an overall better flat fee MLS listing experience.
Because you are reading this blog you are aware that the Internet is packed full of flat fee MLS websites that offer MLS listings from $99, $159, $199, $249, $299 and then there’s an ADDvantage flat fee MLS listing which costs $349. Why the difference in price?
The difference is the same as Becks v. Miller, Mercedes v Ford and so on. Even at our higher price, we have twice as many flat fee MLS listings in Florida than our closest competitor offering anything similar to what we offer.
Why do so many Florida by owner with MLS sellers choose ADDvantage? The reason is ADDvantage goes the extra mile to ensure 100% reliability to their flat fee seller clients. This is not the case with cheaper flat fee offers. Many flat fee websites claim they are national and therefore better. The opposite is the truth…they are not even licensed in Florida! They simply refer the listing to a local brokerage in the state where the property is located.

5 reasons why Orlando FSBO sellers believe ADDvantage is worth the extra money:

1) We are the only Orlando flat fee MLS service that guarantees (it is actually in our listing agreement) 8:00am-8:00pm 7 days a week live buyer lead and Realtor assistance. Our live phone support is one reason why we are a more expensive flat fee MLS service. The common belief is that all calls go directly to the seller so why would anyone pay for extra live phone support of 8:00am-8:00pm? The fact is ADDvantage has answered over 2,900 calls live over the past 12 months from Realtors and buyers needing assistance. Flat fee MLS websites all say they same thing: that “Buyers and Realtors call the seller directly.” This is absolutely FALSE; we put the same remarks in the MLS as all flat fee services do which states “call the seller directly for all showings and offers.” The reason we have received over 2,900 calls is because Realtors are a busy bunch of people and often fail to slow down and read the Realtor remarks. Some read them and can’t find the seller, and some couldn’t care less what the remarks say and call the listing broker as protocol. Also, NO seller contact information is allowed in Realtor.com. These are the reasons why Orlando flat fee MLS sellers need reliable phone support. Is losing one buyer lead or missing one Realtor showing worth tying to save $150 and list with an unreliable cheaper flat fee service?

2) We are the only flat fee MLS service in Orlando, Miami, Tampa or Jacksonville that spends so much time making sure our flat fee sellers are ready for an offer. Just yesterday at 6:45pm, a Saturday evening, I received a call from an Orlando Realtor that was making an offer on a property she had shown earlier in the day. She reached me at 6:45 pm Saturday and received the advice she needed which was where to send the offer. I asked her if she needed the seller’s disclosure statement she said yes. I simply went to our “user docs” area of our seller’s control panel and emailed it to her. She got what she needed, the flat fee seller received excellent service as their offer wasn’t delayed and this was all made possible because our MLS Administrators did their job to ensure all clients have completed their seller’s disclosure. I believe that we are the only flat fee service in Florida that spends the needed resources to follow up with clients and mail “welcome letters” to inform sellers of what their responsibilities are. The list goes on about other success stories that flat fee sellers have experienced at ADDvantage. It all starts with excellent phone ethic and we take the time to get the details right. We help Realtors and buyers today, not tomorrow or Monday.

3) Another point about paying more for an ADDvantage flat fee listing is buyer leads. In our listing agreement we state that all buyer leads belong to the seller, not us. This is not the case with many flat fee MLS listing services in Florida who take the leads for their own purposes.

4) Another point is the listing agreement. Our flat fee listing agreement states that we answer the phone 8:00am-8:00pm 7 days and that a seller can “unconditionally” withdraw a MLS listing at anytime with no fee or penalty. By the way, “suspend” is not the same as unconditionally withdraw. Many other terms can be used that don’t mean you have the right to permanently cancel your listing with no penalties. Listing flat fee isn’t always cut and dry unless you’re dealing with ADDvantage.

5) Lastly, our flat fee MLS listing plans have more proactive features such as Street Smart ADDvantage Realtor eblast and ADDvantage Plus contract-to-close.

Cheap is cheap and with ADDvantage you simply get more.

Call us anytime, we are here 1-877-232-9695 or visit our flat fee MLS listing website getmoreoffers.com

 

 

 

 

In Florida, There Are So Many Options to List Your Orlando Home in the MLS

Wednesday, November 5th, 2008

In Florida, there are so many options to list your Orlando home in the MLS. Some services charge $69, while others charge $159; and then there is ADDvantage.

By owners listing in the MLS choose the ADDvantage brand of flat fee MLS 2 to 1 over others because of reliability.

Selling a home in Orlando is not as simple as getting listed in Mid-Florida Regional MLS. There are Realtors showings, appointment requests from buyers, questions from buyers and Realtors about listed properties and seller’s disclosures to manage. All these events happen fast or slow depending on which Orlando flat fee MLS listing service you choose to list with.

ADDvantage is the faster flat fee MLS listing service in Orlando and we guarantee that every detail of your MLS listing will be perfect. All calls that we receive will be answer “live” by one of our professional MLS Administrators from 8:00am-8:00pm 7 days a week.

Over 2,900 Realtors or buyers have called ADDvantage over the past 12 months looking for assistance. Every call was answered live and every call transcribed into an email and sent to our flat fee MLS client.

Call us anytime, 1-877-232-9695