Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the difference between a traditional real estate company and Franklin Bell Realty? The basic differences between a traditional real estate company and Franklin Bell Realty is what we charge for the same MLS Listing Service. We charge a Flat Listing Fee instead of a % (or commission) of the sale to LIST your property.
   
   The other major difference is you retain your 'by owner' status and reserve the rights to show, sell and advertise your property yourself. If you sell your property to a buyer not working with an agent you pay NO COMMISSION! You now have total control in the sale of your home, which is lost when you list with a traditional realtor.
   
   
2. Who handles the negotiation with the flat fee service? If you choose to represent yourself for the flat fee; you will negotiate the offer directly with the buyer or buyer's agent. As part of our listing service as your Real Estate Consultant, we gladly review all offers with you prior to acceptance at no additional cost to you; giving you peace of mind that you are not alone in the sale of your home. 
   
   If you choose to hire Franklin Bell Realty to represent your interest in the sale of your property, we will: negotiate the offer on your behalf, write the contract, calculate the Seller's net sheet, review the home inspection, schedule the closing, submit documents to the closing attorney and review the HUD-1 for a smooth closing for an additional 1% commission of the sales price at closing, whether you find the buyer yourself or if there is a buyer's agent involved in the transaction.
   
   
3. Can we sell our home ourselves? Yes! Unlike traditional real estate you retain your 'by owner' status. You reserve the right to show, sell and advertise your property yourself. If you sell your property to a buyer not working with an agent you pay NO COMMISSION!
   
   
4. Why will agents show my property? Buyer's agents search the MLS exclusively to locate properties that match their buyer’s criteria. When an agent matches their buyer’s criteria to your property, they will see that there is a commission payable for the sale of your property. This commission will be the motivation for the real estate agent to direct their buyers to your property.
   
   
5. Are there any hidden costs? There are no hidden costs. You pay us the flat listing fee at the time of listing. At closing, you pay the realtor who procured a buyer the percentage you specified in the listing contract. If you sell your property yourself, without the help of a REALTOR, you do not owe any commission. From the portion of agent commission you offer the buyer's agent there is an administrative fee which is withheld, this is part of the commission paid and not in addition to the commission.  The only other fee is a document retention fee which is $199.00 and is paid only if your property closes.
   
   
6. Do we have access the Realtors MLS? No, only licensed brokers and agents that are members of the MLS have access to the REALTORS MLS. The general public only has access to the public MLS access sites such as Realtor.com, MyFloridaHomesMLS.com, Homes.com, etc.
   
   
7. How do we make changes to our MLS listing? You may make changes to your MLS listing at any time. Simply e-mail us; we will make the changes for you.  We do not charge extra for changes.
   
   
8. Can we terminate our MLS listing early? Yes, you will need to sign a status change form.  There is no additional charge to terminate early.
   
   
9. Can we place our own sign on the property? Yes, however your listing is listed with Franklin Bell Realty, agents will be looking for our logo to show your property. Agents typically will not show properties that have the traditional ‘For Sale By Owner’ sign - the choice is up to you.  You do have the option to have both, but we strongly recommend our sign, as it resembles a 'For Sale By Owner' sign, but also allows agents to know they are able to earn a commission.
   
   
10. How long does it take for our MLS listing to appear on the REALTOR's MLS and Realtor.com? Once we receive the MLS paperwork from you we will upload the listing into the MLS the same day, provided we receive the paperwork by 2PM (M-F), if the paperwork comes in after the 2PM cutoff we will enter your listing in the system the next business day.
    
    Agents will have access to your property information immediately on the MLS. Realtor.com and all the other public access web sites feed directly off the MLS your listing will appear on these public MLS access sites within 24-72 hrs.

Client Testimonial