7 Best Flat Fee MLS Pennsylvania Listing Services (2023)

What to consider before hiring a flat fee MLS service | 7 best flat fee MLS companies in Pennsylvania | Other ways to save on realtor commissions

When selling a house for sale by owner (FSBO) in Pennsylvania, posting on the multiple listing service (MLS) greatly increases the number of buyers who will see your listing. Agents use the MLS to find properties for their clients, and listings are automatically syndicated to real estate sites like Zillow, Redfin, and Realtor.com.

While a traditional listing agent charges 2.5–3% to sell a home, a flat fee MLS service will list your house on the local MLS for just a few hundred dollars.

However, you'll need to consider the trade-offs before paying for this type of service.

Who should use a flat fee MLS listing service?

A flat fee MLS listing can work particularly well if you have experience with real estate transactions and time to sell a house on your own. 

If you decide to sell FSBO, you have plenty of flat fee MLS listing services to choose from in Pennsylvania. 

However, if you haven't sold FSBO before, keep these considerations in mind: 

• You'll essentially be your own agent. You'll handle the pricing, showings, paperwork, buyer financing reviews, and negotiations on your own. While some flat fee MLS companies offer broker assistance, it'll cost you a premium, and the level of service usually falls short of what a typical listing agent provides.

• You'll probably still need to pay a buyer's agent fee, since most buyers use an agent.

• You risk selling your house for less than it would with an agent, despite all the time and effort you put in. FSBO sellers typically pay more in concessions and sell for about for about 6% less on average, canceling any commission savings. That may explain why the majority of sellers who try the FSBO route end up listing with an agent.

If you want a less risky way to save money, you may want to consider hiring a reputable discount broker. You'll still save thousands, but you'll have a dedicated local realtor by your side.

» SAVE: Get a top local agent, pay half the commission

7 best flat fee MLS listing services in Pennsylvania

Do you need an MLS listing?

If you decide to sell without a realtor, the only way you can get on the multiple listing service is with a flat fee MLS company. The MLS is where most real estate agents find properties for their clients, and posting on the MLS is how your listing gets on home-buying websites like Zillow, Realtor.com, and Redfin. If you're not on the MLS, buyers will have a much harder time finding your property.

What to consider before hiring a flat fee MLS service

You’ll save on listing fees

Realtor commissions typically cost thousands of dollars, but most flat fee MLS services in Pennsylvania only cost $100–500. By comparison, the standard 3% listing agent commission on a $300,000 house sale costs $9,000.

You'll still pay a buyer's agent to negotiate against you

A flat fee MLS listing helps you avoid paying a traditional listing agent's fee, but you'll still need to cover the buyer's agent commission. Almost all buyers work with an agent, and since the buyer has to pay cash for a down payment, agent commissions come from the seller's proceeds.

Buyer's agents often have the upper hand in FSBO sales, simply because they have more experience with these negotiations. In 2022, the typical FSBO home sold for $120,000 less than the median sale price for homes sold through an agent.

You’ll have more control over the sale

Many FSBO sellers enjoy having more control over how their house is priced, marketed, and presented to buyers. Without a realtor, you can also negotiate directly with buyers and their agents, which some sellers find more personal than communicating through a listing agent.

You may miss out on leads

Flat fee MLS listings don't always get as many leads as they should. Buyer's agents may caution their clients against pursuing these listings because they worry FSBO sellers will be hard to work with or need extra help. 

Additionally, MLS rules require a licensed agent to post a listing. So your contact information will only appear in the Agent Remarks section on the MLS — not directly on sites like Zillow and Redfin.

Most of the time, you'll depend on your flat fee broker to forward you inquiries and showing requests. If your flat fee MLS listing agent manages a lot of listings, they may not forward leads promptly, as this Houzeo customer found out.

You can choose the services you need

Most flat fee MLS companies have different packages so you can choose the level of support you need to sell your home.

If you have experience selling homes, you may only need an MLS listing and lead forwarding. If you're less experienced, you can choose a plan that features broker assistance with pricing, paperwork, and negotiations. While this plan costs more, it's typically still cheaper than a traditional real estate agent commission.

You'll likely encounter extra fees

Some companies have a reputation for hidden fees, such as an extra percentage or additional fees at closing. Other companies keep part of the buyer's agent commission, which ultimately comes out of your pocket.

Some fees aren't necessarily hidden but can quickly add up, like charges for listing edits, price changes, lockboxes, and additional photos. For example, one Houzeo customer found out that they'd have to pay an extra $140 for an app to receive showing requests from agents and buyers.

7 best flat fee MLS listing services in Pennsylvania: Full breakdown

HomeZu: Best value for most sellers

Pros

• Even the basic plan comes with a 25+ photo limit.
• Both packages include free listing changes and cancellations.
• All plans include lead forwarding and disclosure forms.

Cons

• This company isn't the cheapest option if all you want is a no-frills plan.
• The Contract Review package includes only one free contract review (each additional one costs $100).
• The company retains 0.1% of the buyer's agent commission.

HomeZu fees and services

HomeZu offers two MLS packages, although the only difference between the two is that the more expensive one includes a contract review by a licensed agent. The company has very positive reviews, and it operates throughout most of Pennsylvania.

Overall, the basic MLS Listing package is good value for money, with a 25+ photo limit, free cancellation, and free listing changes. But beware that if you need the 12-month listing upgrade, it'll cost you an extra $99. Interestingly, you can hire HomeZu via Flat Fee Group and get the 12-month listing for the same price as HomeZu charges for a six-month listing.

The Contract Review package is also competitively priced, but you'll only get a single review. Every additional contract review will cost an extra $100. If you need multiple contract reviews, you'll quickly end up paying a lot more than you would with an alternative company.

Also, HomeZu retains 0.1% of the buyer's agent commission. While you'll only have to pay this if the buyer has an agent, remember that most buyers use agents.

ISoldMyHouse.com: Best for online resources

Pros

• Both packages are good value for what you get.
• The company generally has positive customer reviews.
• The free online resources can help you learn how to sell on your own.

Cons

• The basic package includes only 10 photos.
• Some customers complain that customer service operates almost entirely online.
• Neither package comes with many free extras.

ISoldMyHouse.com fees and services

ISoldMyHouse.com is a nationwide brokerage with generally favorable online reviews. It offers two plans in Pennsylvania, which are very similar in their services.

The entry-level package is Get LISTED! Essentially a no-frills deal, you'll get a six-month listing and lead forwarding. While fairly cheap, the major drawback of this plan is that it only includes up to 10 photos. Since photos are an important part of drawing in interested buyers, that limit may be too restrictive for you.

The more premium Get SOLD! package includes 25 photos (or whatever maximum the local MLS allows) plus a 12-month listing. While it's a bit more expensive than Get LISTED!, overall it provides better value for money.

Also, while ISoldMyHouse.com generally has good reviews, some past clients complain that its customer service operates almost entirely online. If you prefer talking to a representative over the phone, you may want to look elsewhere.

Flat Fee Group: Good for customer service

Pros

• Flat Fee Group's main MLS package is excellent value for money.
• Customer reviews online are very positive.
• Both packages come with lead forwarding and phone and email support.

Cons

• The Broker Assist package is more expensive than similar packages elsewhere.
• There are no options for sellers who just want a bare-bones package.

Flat Fee Group fees and services

Flat Fee Group is an organization of brokers that operates nationwide, with a single broker covering each state. In Pennsylvania, the partner broker is actually HomeZu.

That means when you use Flat Fee Group, you get the same services as you would if you had hired HomeZu directly. But, interestingly, the prices are different.

Flat Fee Group's Premium package is better value than HomeZu's similarly priced package, since you get more photos and a longer listing term. But the Broker Assist package — which is essentially just Simple Choice's Contract Review package — is more expensive.

HomeZu has excellent customer reviews, so you can expect the same level of customer service if you use them via Flat Fee Group.

Flat Fee Realty — Pennsylvania: Best for a no-frills listing

Pros

• The company offers a competitively priced plan.
• You can upgrade to 25 photos for a reasonable price.
• Your listing's status and price changes are free.

Cons

• The photo limit is very low.
• Flat Fee Realty retains 0.25% of the buyer's agent commission.
• There's only one flat fee plan and no option to upgrade to a longer listing term.

Flat Fee Realty — Pennsylvania fees and services

Flat Fee Realty, like Flat Fee Group, is an organization of brokers, with each broker covering different areas and offering different rates and services. In Pennsylvania, Flat Fee Realty’s partner broker is Garth Bellows, who has mostly positive reviews online.

Flat Fee Realty only offers one package, which at $179 is one of the cheapest in the industry. However, it only comes with a six-month listing and six-photo limit, which will be too low for most sellers. Fortunately, you can upgrade to 25 photos for $50, which is still very competitively priced, although there's no option for upgrading to a longer listing term.

Beware that if the buyer uses an agent, Flat Fee Group will retain 0.25% of the buyer's agent commission. While this practice is common and helps cover transaction costs, 0.25% is much higher than what other companies charge.

While you won't pay this fee if the buyer doesn't have an agent, almost all buyers do have agents. So you'll probably need to increase the buyer's agent commission you're offering to cover the commission that that agent will otherwise lose to Flat Fee Realty.

Unreal Estate: Best value on premium plans

Pros

• You only pay for your MLS listing if you sell.
• With Clever, you can get exclusive, competitive rates for the most popular plans.
• Online reviews praise the company's customer service.

Cons

• Photo limits are low on the two cheapest plans.
• Only the most expensive plan includes unlimited listing edits.
• Customer support is available only via chat or email for the two lower-tier plans.

Unreal Estate fees and services

Unreal Estate operates in most of the country and has a variety of plans at competitive rates. Its Starter plan will get you on the MLS, and you'll only have to pay 0.5% when your house actually sells. While this plan is unique and may appeal to some, it has an extremely low five-photo limit.

The next level plan, Basic, is a bit better and costs $99 plus 0.5% at closing. The price is good, but the photo limit is still low at 15, and you'll have to settle for chat- or email-only support.

The Deluxe and Premium plans offer the best overall value, since they both have high photo limits.

However, if you use code Clever, Unreal Estate will drop the 0.5% charge on its Basic, Deluxe, and Premium plans. So you'll pay a flat rate of $99, $250, or $450.

Houzeo: Best for managing listings online

Pros

• It's easy to manage your listing and home showings online.
• Most of Houzeo's online reviews are positive.

Cons

• Listing changes are expensive for the entry-level package.
• All packages are pricey for what they offer.
• Some customers complain that the mobile app is buggy and frequently crashes.
• Reviews note that customer service is often difficult to reach and slow to fix errors.
• Some customers complain about serious mistakes and hidden fees.

Houzeo fees and services

Houzeo is a nationwide company that offers four different pricing plans. Most are poor value for money, with the cheapest Bronze plan providing only a three-month listing and just six photos. Both of the premium plans will set you back a costly $999. Only the Silver plan, at $399, is comparable to what other companies offer, although the six-month listing term is still on the low side.

While Houzeo mostly has good reviews online about its customer service, there are some serious complaints. Some customers said they felt pressured to provide positive reviews, while others complained that their listings contained errors — such as being posted to the wrong MLS or displaying the wrong list price. Difficulty contacting customer service was also a common theme of negative Houzeo reviews.

The one positive we can say about Houzeo is that its online platform makes it easy to create your listing and manage showings. However, for most sellers, that benefit doesn't outweigh the risks.

FSBO.com: A decent backup option

Pros

• FSBO.com is an established brand with a nationwide footprint.
• Buyers on this platform are specifically looking to purchase FSBO homes.

Cons

• The company offers only one plan with no upgrade options.
• The price is expensive for what you get.

FSBO.com fees and services

FSBO.com is another service that operates nationwide, including throughout Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, there's not much to recommend FSBO.com over most of its competitors.

For one, it only has one plan with MLS access. Unlike other companies, there's no option to upgrade any feature of this plan. While there's a cheaper FSBO package, it doesn't include a listing on the MLS, so we don't consider it worth bothering with.

What's worse, the MLS Package doesn't offer you much for the cost. For $400 (plus extra fees at closing in some counties), you'll only get up to 20 photos and a six-month listing. Other companies offer 12-month listings, maximum photo limits, and extras like lead forwarding and disclosure forms for the same price or less.

FSBO.com is really only worth considering if one of the better value brands we mentioned above isn't available in your area.

Pennsylvania flat fee MLS listing services by city

Many flat rate companies offering local MLS access in Pennsylvania only operate in specific cities and counties. These local companies are often better able to provide area expertise and flexible service than national or statewide companies.

How to get an MLS listing without a realtor in Pennsylvania

Top alternatives to a flat fee MLS service in Pennsylvania

Sell with a discount broker

The best discount realtors offer the same real estate services as a traditional full-service agent, but for a fraction of the cost. While traditional realtors charge 2.5–3%, discount realtors charge as little as 1–2%.

Some discount brokers even offer flat rates, typically starting at about $5,000.

More discount realtors are becoming available, but not all offer the same level of service, savings, and value. That's why we recommend talking to realtors from a few brokerages before making a decision.

If you want to compare your options in Pennsylvania, Semya-Moya may be a good place to start.

When you request an agent through Clever, you'll receive multiple agent matches from top local brokerages, like RE/MAX and Keller Williams. You can compare agents and choose the best one for you.

Clever's agent network includes 19,000 top-performing realtors across the country — who all offer discounted rates through Clever's network. When you sell your home, you'll pay a listing fee of just 1.5% (about half the typical rate).

Try selling for sale by owner without an MLS listing

It's technically possible to sell your house without listing it on the MLS. But this method isn't likely to work all that well unless you already have a buyer lined up.

Without an MLS listing, fewer buyers will know your house is for sale. The MLS is the main way real estate agents find properties for their clients. It also guarantees that your listing gets on popular home-buying websites, including Zillow.

If you forgo an MLS listing, you'll have to rely on less effective sites like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. Or you can hope that a buyer sees the for sale sign in your yard.

» LEARN: FSBO vs. Realtor Facts and Statistics

FAQ about flat fee MLS listings in Pennsylvania