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What comes to your mind when we say... Alabama?

Beautiful county landscapes? Musical heritage? The abundance of iron and steel natural resources? Sweet tea? Southern friendliness? Or the fierce football rivalry between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Auburn Tigers?

Fondly known as the Yellowhammer state - a nickname whose origin dates back to the Civil War days - Alabama has a rich history and culture embedded in its roots and has been an integral part of the United States history since it became the 22 nd state of the country on 14 th December 1819. However, we are not here to talk about any of the aforementioned things.

We are here to talk about Alabama real estate, more specifically the 4 best flat fee MLS companies in Alabama that need your attention if you are buying or selling your house in this Yellowhammer state. If you are a home seller then Flat-Fee MLS companies in Alabama, like Houzeo, can help you save thousands of dollars. On the other hand, if you are a buyer looking for a home in Alabama then you are surely going to love it because property rates in Alabama are one of the lowest in the country!

Don't believe us?

Let us convince you.

Alabama is surely a good place to live, not only for its low property rates, but also for its weather, its countrylike natural landscapes, beautiful inland waterways, and dense forests too.

Alabama is just as famous as the other southern states for its amicability and well-preserved rural communities. If you love outdoor activities then Alabama's southern hot weather will surely complement your activities. The education is looked after by the state government and various highly rated schools and colleges are located here.

In the early days, Alabama was mostly an agricultural state but now has diversified with several industries like technology, manufacturing, finance, and aerospace. The tax rates are also low here in comparison to other states. If you are looking to get rid of the chaotic urban life and settle in a slow-paced countrylike location then Alabama is surely a place you should consider buying a property in.

Many of the counties in Alabama are cheaper to live in when compared to the national average. In many of the parameters like grocery, transportation, and other miscellaneous expenses, Alabama is quite cheaper than the national average prices.

Cost of Living in Alabama

When it comes to housing and property rates, real estate in Alabama is approximately 40% cheaper than the national averages. According to Zillow's Home Value Index, in April 2021, the median home value in Alabama was $165,000, which is 41% cheaper than the US property rates, in the same month, of $281,000.

Alabama Home Values

For Sale by Owner is a process where the homeowner themselves put their homes for sale and list it on the MLS, without the help of a real estate agent.

Now, why would someone do that?

It's simple: to save the 6% commission that you'd rather pay to the agents as commissions. A for sale by owner home seller in Alabama can put their home on the market for sale all by themselves and list it on the Multiple Listing Service Alabama using a flat fee MLS package. MLS is a database of properties where buyer agents search for properties and recommend them to their clients. Hence, it is vital that you list your home on the MLS, as 88% of buyers still work with a buyer agent.

But there are a few things you should keep in mind while going for sale by the owner.

Less support: You are the broker for your own home sale. Since you are going ahead without an agent, you are the only one responsible to price your property, market your house, show it around to buyers, negotiate on the price, and do the legal paperwork.

Low Sale Price: According to the National Association of Realtors' 2020 report, "FSBOs typically sell for less than the selling price of other homes; FSBO homes sold at a median of $217,900 last year (up from last year), and signiﬁcantly lower than the median of agent-assisted homes at $242,300."

Buyer's Agent Fee: Going with a flat fee MLS in Alabama allows you to save 2%-3% of the agent commissions that you'd pay to the listing agent but save the remaining 2%-3% ONLY if the buyer is not represented by an agent. If a buyer is through an agent, you have to pay the buyer agent's commission.

But, don't be disheartened. If you still want to save thousands of dollars but don't want to take on the hectic process of for sale by owner then you can choose Houzeo's Gold MLS Package for Alabama at $399 and enjoy all the flat fee MLS listing benefits along with seller disclosures and escrow agent. Additionally, you can opt for add-on services like contract reviews, pricing assistance, agent showings, real estate firms, and yard signs.

This is why Houzeo is one of the best flat fee MLS companies in Alabama.

Alabama Homes Listed on Houzeo

Houzeo allows you to list your property on the MLS within 48 hours, many times your property is listed on the same day you submit the listing details. Your home will not only be listed on the MLS but also be shown on some of the best real estate websites like Zillow, Trulia, Realtor, Redfin, and many more. Houzeo's flat-fee MLS packages for Alabama range from $299-$399. You can choose any one as per your requirements.

Houzeo has zero hidden charges and no cancellation fee at all. They also allow you to take on add-on services as per your needs. Houzeo's website will auto-populate all the available data in your listing once you enter your address, saving you hours of time and frustration. Other than that, Houzeo has 100% digitized documents, this enables you to fill out, sign and submit all of your paperwork, right on their website.

Houzeo auto-populates your listing details when you input your property's address, this will save you a lot of typing and researching

Houzeo also strong digitization which allows you to receive, sign and submit all the relevant documents right from the comfort of your home

A la carte services as per your requirements are available

No mobile app (soon to be launched)

List with Freedom is considered to be one of the best flat fee MLS companies in Alabama and is quite popular among the FSBO Alabama home sellers for its affordable flat-fee packages which range from $89-$295. If you are an experienced seller and know exactly what services you require, then this is the right choice for you.

The company operates in the majority of the Alabamian counties and will help you save thousands of dollars!

Some of the most affordable flat fee MLS packages you will see

Add-on services are available, in case you need something extra

Showing and open house assistance services are available for a little extra cash

Operates in a majority of the counties in Alabama

No cancellation fee, even for live listings

If you purchase their basic package then you will be able to upload only 1 photograph of your property

No built-in home valuation or pricing support

Flat Fee Group is a little expensive than the aforementioned website, however, their services and benefits justify their prices. They are one of the best flat fee MLS companies in Alabama when it comes to marketing your home. They help you set up a full-fledged web page to make your property stand out. Their packages range from $399-$999.

Set up a free web page along with listing your property on the MLS

In case you get frustrated as an FSBO home seller, you can easily switch to a full-service agent

Only one MLS listing flat fee package, the other two are full-service options and are priced higher

The MLS package allows only a few photos and a few changes to your property listing

At $179, Flat Fee Realty allows you to list your Alabama home on the local MLS and popular real estate websites like Zillow, Trulia, Realtor, and attract buyers, and that is quite reasonable. If you are a budget-conscious FSBO home seller who needs a simple and affordable flat-fee MLS package then this is the right option for you.

Alabama's seller disclosures are included in your listing

Pay only a little more to post 25 photos on the MLS, instead of the standard 6

No contract assistance or pricing assistance

Flat Fee Realty won't actually be the one who lists your home, instead, they will direct you to an Alabama-based broker who will list your home on the MLS. So, in case you have any queries, you will have to talk through 2 parties instead of 1

As we talked about some of the best flat fee MLS companies in Alabama, we should also tell you that some flat fee MLS companies are quite notorious for marketing gimmicks and predatory practices like a free listing on the MLS and then charging you a percentage at the time of closing. They might also slap some hidden charges on you and make you pay thousands of dollars when you only expected to pay hundreds of dollars.

But the companies that we mentioned above are all reliable and a trusted real estate brand among home sellers and that's why you should not worry about any malpractices from the aforementioned companies.

However, if you still have unresolved concerns about flat fee MLS companies in Alabama then we suggest you go with these options:

Discounts brokers are those brokers - can be companies or individuals - who work at a discounted fee or a flat fee, instead of a 2%-3% standard listing agent commission. Their fee can be as little as 1%. However, do remember this, you still have to pay the buyer's agent commission of 2%-3%.

Here's a list of the best flat fee discount brokers that operate in Alabama.

Selling without an MLS listing

This alternative is suggested only when you have a buyer ready to buy your house. If you have a buyer lined up then you don't need to pay a flat fee or hire an agent or a discount broker for your home sale.

If you don't have a buyer and you go with not listing on the MLS then you are potentially losing out on 88% of the buyers who are buying through an agent, and agents #1 way of finding a fantastic home for their clients is... you guessed it right, it is the Multiple Listing Service, the MLS.

If you don't use an MLS then you can only rely on social media marketing and sites like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist, or worse... your yard sign.

iBuyers

iBuyers are companies that will buy your home for cash outright. The price is decided with the help of their proprietary algorithm, recent real estate data, and their in-house experts. An iBuyer can offer and close the deal within 24 hours, however, there are certain pitfalls when dealing with an iBuyer.

Their offer price is sometimes way lower than the actual market price

Their offer price is often non-negotiable

They charge steep service fees - generally 5%-14% of the purchase price

Hence, iBuyers are only recommended if you want a quick sale rather than save your money. Currently, only one iBuyer operates in Alabama, only in Birmingham county, and that is Offerpad. However, selling to them will cost you around 6%-10% of the home's price.

So, in this article, we discussed the best flat fee MLS companies in Alabama that you can use in your FSBO journey and save thousands of dollars. We also discussed the details, pros, cons, and the things to remember when dealing with a flat-fee MLS company.

Before you choose and pay towards any flat-fee package make sure you go through that company's details and see if they have any hidden charges. You don't want to pay thousands of dollars instead of hundreds that you expected, do you? Happy home selling!

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4 Best Flat Fee MLS Companies in Alabama in 2021 - Houzeo Blog

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What comes to your mind when we say... Alabama? Beautiful county landscapes? Musical heritage? The abundance of iron and steel natural resources? Sweet tea? Southern friendliness? Or the fierce football rivalry between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Auburn Tigers?