Unrepresented Flat Fee MLS Seller's Bill of Rights
(Self Rep: SOLO & SoloMAX Plans)
Published in 2005
We are committed to principled and straightforward business practices that will protect the best interest of unrepresented flat fee MLS listed sellers. As a matter of principle, we believe that American property sellers have a right to know exactly how their unrepresented flat fee MLS listing will be handled and that such procedures should be stated in writing by the MLS listing company. We hereby institute the unrepresented Flat Fee MLS Bill of Rights to protect the unrepresented flat fee MLS property seller from the detrimental and unscrupulous practices of many flat fee MLS companies. We hope that in doing so, more sellers will be educated about how to protect themselves from unscrupulous business practices. We stand committed to the belief that the following tenets constitute ethical standards that should be employed by all flat fee MLS companies:
- The unrepresented flat fee MLS seller will receive all buyer leads from all Internet sources such as Homes.com and other websites including that of the unrepresented flat fee MLS service unless expressly stated otherwise.
- Buyer leads will be forwarded by email or phone in a timely manner to the unrepresented flat fee MLS seller.
- Flat fee MLS sellers will not be charged a cancellation fee for canceling their MLS listing.
- Flat fee MLS sellers will not be held to any form of a referral kick-back arrangement in lieu of a cancellation fee.
- The flat fee MLS company will disclose if any buyer leads are referred or sold to an outside company for a fee or referral commission.
- The flat fee MLS service provider will disclose to the seller if they are using the unrepresented flat fee MLS seller's leads for their own agents in an attempt to procure a sale on the seller's property or for any purpose other than assisting the seller in their pursuit of a buyer.
- The flat fee MLS company will disclose to the seller whether or not the flat fee MLS service is a member of the local MLS board that the seller's property will be inputted into and if they are not inputting the listing into the appropriate MLS board themselves, will disclose to the seller who the MLS listing agent will be and provide contact info for that agent.
- The flat fee MLS service will display their hours of operation clearly on their website.
- Changes, edits and cancellations will be handled in a professional, timely manner.
- Flat fee company will confirm which MLS system the seller's property will be inputted into.
We pledge to uphold the tenets contained herein by:
- As stated in the Flat Fee MLS Listing Agreement, all leads (unless otherwise disclosed) shall be considered property of the seller.
- Buyer leads from all sources (unless otherwise disclosed) shall be given seller contact information, documented via the GetMoreOffers Instant Leads System and forwarded to the seller via email or phone.
- We charges no cancellation fee to withdraw/cancel a seller's MLS listing.
- We does not require sellers who withdraw/cancel their MLS listing to enter into any kind of referral agreement.
- We does not sell leads belonging to their unrepresented flat fee MLS listed sellers to any other party. We do, however, reserve the right to follow up with prospects after 5 days and if the prospect has no intention of pursuing the seller's property, We reserves the right to offer our real estate services.
- We does not seize buyer lead prospects that come in on their unrepresented flat fee MLS listed sellers' properties and try to sell that property themselves for the purpose of earning the offered buyer's agent commission unless the seller has engaged the Agent Activate® service.
- All areas are serviced directly by an We Real Estate Network broker. The listing agent name and contact information will always be disclosed to the seller.
- We are available by phone from 9AM-6PM every day of the week. This is clearly stated on our website.
- Our sophisticated online software makes it easy for sellers to request changes to their listing. Typically, changes are made the same day and confirmations of the changes are emailed to the client when completed.
- During the sign-up process, We will display the default MLS that corresponds to the seller's property address. The seller will have the opportunity to change or add another MLS if preferred.
Definitions:
Buyer Leads: Phone calls or emails from an interested party ("potential buyer") which was generated from an advertisement (print, yard sign or Internet) which resulted from the flat fee listing published on the MLS, through Realtor.com or through other Internet websites, including that of the unrepresented flat fee MLS service and media which makes reference to the unrepresented flat fee MLS seller's property.
Unrepresented Flat fee MLS seller or seller: The property owner that wishes to list unrepresented flat fee MLS.
Flat fee MLS Service or Company: The website or service that is offering unrepresented flat fee MLS listing services.
Timely manner: Within 24 business hours
Referral kick-back arrangements: A practice where the flat fee MLS service refers a buyer lead that was generated off an advertisement from a unrepresented flat fee MLS seller's property to another party through a referral agreement in an attempt to earn a "referral commission" (typically 25%) of the commission earned on the sale price of the property by a third party broker.