Mere Posting: How a Flat Fee MLS® Listing Works

What's included

• Your home on the MLS® System through PropTx, which feeds 14 Ontario boards, including Toronto (TRREB), Ottawa, London, Niagara and Oakville-Milton; Alberta homes too
• Your home on realtor.ca, typically followed by MLS®-fed sites such as HouseSigma, Zolo and Condos.ca
• Up to 40 photos, your description, your price and the full property details
• Showing requests from buyer agents sent straight to you to confirm, and realtor.ca inquiries forwarded to you
• Price, photo and detail changes while you're listed, plus the conditional and sold updates

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What sellers say

Flat fee MLS® prices

Plus 13% HST on Ontario listings; no tax on Alberta listings. The monthly plan can be cancelled any time.

What a mere posting can save you

Enter your asking price to compare a typical listing agent's commission, with 13% HST, against a mere posting. You still choose what to offer a buyer's agent, and that's only paid if their buyer buys.

What is a mere posting?

Only a registered brokerage can put a property on the MLS® System. A mere posting is a way to get that listing without hiring a brokerage to sell your home. You sign a Mere Posting (Limited Service) Representation Agreement with the brokerage (read ours). It lists your home on the MLS® System and realtor.ca, and you deal directly with buyers, tenants and their agents.

The brokerage represents you on a limited-service basis only. It won't show your property, advise you on price or negotiate offers for you. That's why it costs a flat fee instead of a commission.

You'll also see it called a flat fee MLS® listing or an MLS® entry-only listing. They mean the same thing.

Mere posting vs full service vs a private sale

What the brokerage does, and what you do

Robin Hood Realty Limited, Brokerage does:

• Holds your listing agreement and enters your home on the MLS® System, with your photos, description, price and details.
• Sends it on to realtor.ca, where only the brokerage's contact details can appear (an MLS® rule). Inquiries are forwarded to you.
• Tells buyer agents in the listing how to reach you, and sends their showing requests to you to confirm.
• Makes your price, photo and description changes, and marks the listing conditional, sold or leased when you tell us.

What you do as the seller

• Set your asking price and the commission you offer a buyer's agent.
• Confirm showings and show your home, or let buyer agents show it to their clients.
• Answer buyers' and agents' questions.
• Receive offers, which are made out to you and come to you directly, and decide whether to accept, sign back or decline, ideally with your real estate lawyer.
• Close the sale with your lawyer.

How a mere posting works with us

1. Choose a plan and pay. It takes a few minutes, and your account is created for you.
2. Add your home's details, photos and ID, then sign the mere posting agreement online. A guided form asks for what the MLS® System needs.
3. We enter your home on the MLS® System. It's sent on to realtor.ca, and we email you your MLS® number when it's live.
4. Buyers and their agents contact you. You confirm showings, answer questions and receive offers directly.

The buyer agent's commission on a mere posting

Most buyers have an agent, and on the MLS® System the listing says what that agent will be paid if their buyer buys. On a mere posting, you choose that amount, as a percentage or a flat amount, and it's only paid if that agent's buyer buys your home. If a buyer comes with no agent, there's no buyer agent commission to pay.

Offer too little and some agents may skip your home, so check what's usual in your area. For a rental, many landlords offer half of the first month's rent to the tenant's agent. What a mere posting saves you is the listing side of the commission.

Is a mere posting right for you?

It suits owners who know roughly what their home is worth, can take calls and confirm showings, and are comfortable reviewing an offer with a lawyer. Landlords like it too: a rental on realtor.ca reaches tenants and their agents without paying a leasing agent.

It's a harder fit if you can't be reached during the day, you'd rather not be at showings or deal with buyers, or you want advice on pricing and negotiating. In that case a full-service agent may be worth the commission.

Questions