Sections: Our top picks | Flat fee MLS FAQs | Full company rankings
If you’re selling your house by owner in Baltimore, Maryland, a flat fee MLS listing service can help you get more exposure for your property without breaking the bank.
We identified and ranked 25 flat fee MLS services available in Baltimore. They offer a combined total of 50 listing plans ranging from $75 to $4,000. Here are the 4 best plans, according to the data.
- Budget Plans in Baltimore, Maryland range from $75 to $299. They typically include basic services like an MLS listing syndicated to sites like Zillow and Realtor.com, plus a few extras like downloadable documents. Consider a Budget Plan if you’re looking for the cheapest possible way to get more exposure for your listing.
- Standard Plans in Baltimore range from $325 to $599. These usually include additional tools and features like showing scheduling software, virtual contracts, and even remote broker support. Good Standard Plans usually offer the best value for FSBO sellers in terms of price vs. useful services.
- Premium Plans generally aren't worth it. Upfront fees in Baltimore, MD start at $89 and reach $4,000. Some include hefty, additional fees at closing (0.5-1% or more). Most Premium plans don't offer enough support to justify the high price tag. We recommend hiring a discount real estate broker instead.
Our team spends hundreds of hours each month researching flat fee MLS listing services across the country so you don't have to. We look at a wide range of factors to calculate our rankings, including:
- Customer experience: Do they consistently deliver good experiences for customers?
- Value for money: Do they include a solid number of services for the fee you pay?
- Track record: Have they been in business and stable for many years?
We continually refresh existing data, add new companies to our library, and look for new ways to make our pages more useful. See our full methodology.
Top 4 flat fee MLS listing plans in Baltimore, MD
-
Best Budget Plan
Budget
Homecoin.com$95Home valuation 25 photos on MLS Seller contact on listingView Details -
Best Standard Plan
Standard Package
BuySelf Realty$399Remote broker support Showing scheduling tools Seller contact on listingView Details -
Customer's Choice
Platinum
OwnerEntry.com$399Home valuation Remote broker support Unlimited listing changesView Details -
Most Services & Support
Gold
OwnerEntry.com$299Home valuation Remote broker support Unlimited listing changesView Details
FAQs about flat fee MLS in Baltimore, MD
- Baltimore, Maryland flat fee MLS listing companies offer bundled and a la carte marketing and support services for people selling their homes without a realtor, also known as listing for sale by owner (FSBO).
- Budget flat fee listing plans in Baltimore, Maryland start as low as $75 and usually just get your property listed on Baltimore, Maryland MLSs and popular sites like Zillow and Realtor.com, which helps increase your exposure among local buyers.
- Standard plans in Baltimore, Maryland start at $325 and go up to $599. They often include more services and support, like downloadable documents, showing scheduling tools, and yard signs.
- Premium plans in Baltimore, Maryland range from $89 to $4,000+ and may include more deluxe services like professional photography, a comparative market analysis (CMA), and remote broker support.
- Most flat fee MLS brokers charge a flat, upfront fee that’s nonrefundable. Some also charge additional fees at closing. Others may charge additional fees for canceling your listing agreement early or even just updating your listing details.
- Flat fee MLS may be a good option if you’re (a) committed to selling without a realtor and (b) have a good understanding of the logistics, risks, and time requirements that come with a FSBO sale.
- Most home sellers looking to save money should also consider a low commission real estate company. These brokers get you full, in-person representation from a licensed agent for 50% less than the average listing commission rate in Baltimore, Maryland, which is comparable to many Premium flat fee MLS plans.
- Consider a flat fee MLS company if you're an experienced home seller, committed to selling your home by owner, and looking for a relatively cheap way to give your listing a visibility boost. If this is you, some Basic and Standard plans offer decent value for the money.
- If you’re looking for anything above a Budget or Standard flat fee MLS plan, a discount real estate broker may offer better value. Discount broker pricing can be comparable to Premium flat fee MLS packages, but gets you full in-person representation from a licensed agent.
- There are lots of free for sale by owner websites, including Zillow, Craigslist, and ForSaleByOwner.com. Most of these options don’t get your listing on the MLS, so they can be a good option for testing the waters or supplementing your flat fee MLS plan.
- If you need to sell your house fast or are selling a home that needs major repairs, consider a Baltimore, Maryland cash home buyer. These companies buy homes in almost any condition for cash, often in a matter of days. You avoid realtor commissions and many will even cover your closing costs. The tradeoff is that investors typically pay less for homes to offset risk and ensure they can turn a profit.
Pros ✅
- Increased exposure: Gets your listing on the MLS while still letting you technically sell by owner
- Potential savings: Usually a fraction of the typical 2.7% most realtors in Baltimore, Maryland charge to sell a home
- Useful extras: Plans often include some useful add-on services like showing scheduling tools and downloadable documents
- More control: Many let you manage your own listing, pick and choose services to pay for, and generally run your own show
Cons ❌
- Limited service: Handling your own sale is difficult and time consuming, no matter how many “tools” a plan includes
- No in-person support: Key services like home valuations and pricing advice can’t be accurate without visiting the home
- Quality issues: Plans can look good “on paper,” then technology, services, and/or support turn out to be low quality
- Lower sale price: FSBO homes sell for $100,000 less on average than comparable homes listed by agents
Here’s a quick breakdown of the average flat fee MLS broker in Baltimore, Maryland to help guide your search:
- Brand rating: 4.7
- Customer rating: 4.7
- Total # of reviews: 133
- Years of verified activity: 9
- Budget plan: $215 | 4.3 value score
- Standard plan: $434 | 4.3 value score
- Premium plan: $816 | 4.0 value score
The Baltimore housing market has cooled since this time last year, according to the latest data (April 2025)
- Baltimore is currently in a seller's market, with buyer demand outpacing the inventory. At the end of April, there were 2240 active listings (3.8%, year over year), with 1045 new properties listed over the course of the month (-0.9%, year over year).
- The median home sale price in Baltimore last month was $245,000, up 22% from $189,875 last year.
Baltimore, Maryland homes are taking longer to sell and netting a higher premium compared to last year
- Baltimore properties spend a median 37 days on market — that's 3 days slower than last year
- The average Baltimore home sells for 102% of its original list price, up 0.6% year over year.
- Baltimore houses are experiencing more price drops compared to last year. 31% of properties dropped their price last month. That's a 0.8% increase compared to this time last year.
Best flat fee MLS companies in Baltimore, MD (Full rankings)
Editor’s note: Our list of flat fee MLS services in Baltimore is ordered by Overall Rating (high to low). Companies with high Overall Ratings offer the best balance of customer scores, track records, and value across all plans, but won’t always have the highest individual Plan Ratings.
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Homecoin.com
Statewide in MarylandPlans (1)ReviewsCompany Info-
Best Budget Plan
Budget
$95- 12-month listing term
- No early cancellation fee
- Up to 10 listing changes
- 25 photos on MLS listing
- Seller contact info on listing
- Manage your own listing
- Downloadable documents
- Professional home valuation
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
-
-
OwnerEntry.com
Statewide in MarylandPlans (3)ReviewsCompany Info-
Customer's Choice
Platinum
$399- Unlimited listing changes
- Max photos on MLS
- Manage your own listing
- Downloadable documents
- Professional home valuation
- Offers & negotiation support
- Fliers & brochures
- Remote broker support
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Seller contact info on MLS listing
- Yard sign
- Lockbox for door
-
Most Services & Support
Gold
$299- Unlimited listing changes
- Max photos on MLS
- Manage your own listing
- Downloadable documents
- Professional home valuation
- Fliers & brochures
- Remote broker support
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Seller contact info on MLS listing
-
Good value
Silver
$199- 6-month listing term
- Unlimited listing changes
- Max photos on MLS
- Manage your own listing
- Downloadable documents
- Fliers & brochures
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Seller contact info on MLS listing
-
-
List With Freedom
Statewide in MarylandPlans (3)ReviewsCompany Info-
Decent value
Platinum +
$395 + 0.2%*- 12-month listing term
- No early cancellation fee
- Unlimited listing changes
- Max photos on MLS
- Seller contact info on listing
- Manage your own listing
- Downloadable documents
- Transaction coordination
- Yard sign
- Showing scheduling tools
- Virtual house tour
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Professional photos
- Professional home valuation
- Remote broker support
- Offers & negotiation support
- Lockbox for door
-
Decent value
Platinum
$195 + 0.2%*- 6-month listing term
- No early cancellation fee
- Unlimited listing changes
- Max photos on MLS
- Seller contact info on listing
- Manage your own listing
- Downloadable documents
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Professional photos
- Professional home valuation
- Remote broker support
- Offers & negotiation support
- Yard sign
- Lockbox for door
-
Decent value
Gold
$89 + 0.5%*- 6-month listing term
- No early cancellation fee
- Unlimited listing changes
- 25 photos on MLS listing
- Seller contact info on listing
- Manage your own listing
- Downloadable documents
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Professional photos
- Professional home valuation
- Remote broker support
- Offers & negotiation support
- Yard sign
- Lockbox for door
-
-
Mr. Lister Realty
Statewide in MarylandPlans (1)ReviewsCompany Info-
Decent value
Basic
$550- 12-month listing term
- No early cancellation fee
- Unlimited listing changes
- 20 photos on MLS listing
- Seller contact info on listing
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Downloadable documents
- Manage own listing
- Yard sign
- Lockbox for door
-
-
BuySelf Realty
Baltimore, MarylandPlans (3)ReviewsCompany Info-
Best Standard Plan
Standard Package
$399- 7-month listing term
- No early cancellation fee
- 20 photos on MLS listing
- Seller contact info on listing
- Downloadable documents
- Yard sign
- Lockbox for door
- Showing scheduling tools
- Remote broker support
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Manage own listing
-
Good value
Total Package
$599- 18-month listing term
- No early cancellation fee
- 25 photos on MLS listing
- Seller contact info on listing
- Downloadable documents
- Professional home valuation
- Yard sign
- Lockbox for door
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Manage own listing
-
Decent value
Economy Package
$299- 3-month listing term
- No early cancellation fee
- 8 photos on MLS listing
- Seller contact info on listing
- Downloadable documents
- Remote broker support
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Manage own listing
-
-
Brokerless
NationwidePlans (3)ReviewsCompany Info-
Good value
$149 MLS By Owner
$149- 6-month listing term
- Unlimited listing changes
- 25 photos on MLS listing
- Seller contact info on listing
- Downloadable documents
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Manage own listing
-
Good value
$99 MLS By Owner
$99- 6-month listing term
- Unlimited listing changes
- 6 photos on MLS listing
- Seller contact info on listing
- Downloadable documents
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Manage own listing
-
Good value
$188 MLS By Owner
$188- 12-month listing term
- Unlimited listing changes
- 25 photos on MLS listing
- Seller contact info on listing
- Downloadable documents
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Manage own listing
-
-
Flat Fee Susie
NationwidePlans (2)ReviewsCompany Info-
Good value
$199 DIY MLS By Owner
$199- 6-month listing term
- No early cancellation fee
- Unlimited listing changes
- 25 photos on MLS listing
- Seller contact info on listing
- Downloadable documents
- Showing scheduling tools
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Manage own listing
-
Good value
$99 DIY MLS By Owner
$99- 6-month listing term
- No early cancellation fee
- Unlimited listing changes
- 6 photos on MLS listing
- Seller contact info on listing
- Downloadable documents
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Manage own listing
-
-
ISoldMyHouse.com
NationwidePlans (2)ReviewsCompany Info-
Good value
Get Sold!
$399- 12-month listing term
- No early cancellation fee
- Unlimited listing changes
- Max photos on MLS
- Seller contact info on listing
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Downloadable documents
- Manage own listing
- Yard sign
- Lockbox for door
-
Decent value
Get Listed!
$299- 6-month listing term
- No early cancellation fee
- Unlimited listing changes
- 10 photos on MLS listing
- Seller contact info on listing
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Downloadable documents
- Manage own listing
-
-
ByOwner.com
NationwidePlans (1)ReviewsCompany Info-
Fair value
MLS Listing
$499 + 0.1%*- 6-month listing term
- No early cancellation fee
- Unlimited listing changes
- 50 photos on MLS listing
- Seller contact info on listing
- Downloadable documents
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Professional photos
- Professional home valuation
- Remote broker support
- Offers & negotiation support
- Manage own listing
- Yard sign
- Lockbox for door
-
-
National Flat Fee MLS
NationwidePlans (2)ReviewsCompany Info-
Fair value
Premium MLS Showcase Package
$299- 12-month listing term
- 25 photos on MLS listing
- Downloadable documents
- Yard sign
- Lockbox for door
- Fliers & brochures
- Showing scheduling tools
- Remote broker support
- Virtual house tour
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Manage own listing
-
Fair value
Standard MLS & Realtor.com Package
$199- 6-month listing term
- 10 photos on MLS listing
- Yard sign
- Fliers & brochures
- Remote broker support
- Virtual house tour
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Downloadable documents
- Manage own listing
-
-
NetRealtyNow
Statewide in MarylandPlans (1)ReviewsCompany Info-
Decent value
Flat Fee MLS Listings
$299- 6-month listing term
- No early cancellation fee
- Unlimited listing changes
- 50 photos on MLS listing
- Seller contact info on listing
- Downloadable documents
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Manage own listing
-
-
Our Property Team
Statewide in MarylandPlans (1)ReviewsCompany Info-
Fair value
Flat Fee MLS Listing
$295- 6-month listing term
- Unlimited listing changes
- 25 photos on MLS listing
- Seller contact info on listing
- Showing scheduling tools
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Downloadable documents
- Manage own listing
-
-
Flat Fee Listing
NationwidePlans (1)ReviewsCompany Info-
Fair value
MLS Listing
$349- 6-month listing term
- Max photos on MLS
- Seller contact info on listing
- Remote broker support
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Downloadable documents
- Manage own listing
- Yard sign
- Lockbox for door
-
-
Flat Fee Group
Baltimore, MarylandPlans (2)ReviewsCompany Info-
Good value
Showcase
$399- 6-month listing term
- No early cancellation fee
- Unlimited listing changes
- Max photos on MLS
- Seller contact info on listing
- Downloadable documents
- Yard sign
- Lockbox for door
- Showing scheduling tools
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Manage own listing
-
Fair value
Basic
$299- 6-month listing term
- No early cancellation fee
- Unlimited listing changes
- Max photos on MLS
- Seller contact info on listing
- Downloadable documents
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Manage own listing
-
-
List With The Otter
Statewide in MarylandPlans (2)ReviewsCompany Info-
Decent value
6 Month Single Family Listing
$200- 6-month listing term
- Unlimited listing changes
- Max photos on MLS
- Seller contact info on listing
- Downloadable documents
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Manage own listing
-
Decent value
6 Month Multi- Family Listing
$250- 6-month listing term
- Unlimited listing changes
- Max photos on MLS
- Seller contact info on listing
- Downloadable documents
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Manage own listing
-
-
Best Choice Flat Fee
Baltimore, MarylandPlans (4)ReviewsCompany Info-
Good value
Showcase
$399- 6-month listing term
- No early cancellation fee
- Max photos on MLS
- Seller contact info on listing
- Downloadable documents
- Yard sign
- Lockbox for door
- Fliers & brochures
- Showing scheduling tools
- Social media marketing
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Manage own listing
-
Fair value
Basic
$299- 6-month listing term
- No early cancellation fee
- 50 photos on MLS listing
- Seller contact info on listing
- Downloadable documents
- Fliers & brochures
- Showing scheduling tools
- Remote broker support
- Staging advice
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Manage own listing
-
Fair value
Premium
$799- 12-month listing term
- No early cancellation fee
- Max photos on MLS
- Seller contact info on listing
- Downloadable documents
- Professional home valuation
- Yard sign
- Lockbox for door
- Fliers & brochures
- Showing scheduling tools
- Social media marketing
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Professional photos
- Remote broker support
- Offers & negotiation support
- Manage own listing
-
Fair value
Full Service
$999- No early cancellation fee
- Max photos on MLS
- Seller contact info on listing
- Downloadable documents
- Professional home valuation
- Offers & negotiation support
- Transaction coordination
- Virtual contract software
- Yard sign
- Lockbox for door
- Fliers & brochures
- Showing scheduling tools
- Social media marketing
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Professional photos
- Remote broker support
- Manage own listing
-
-
sharpMLS.com
Statewide in MarylandPlans (3)ReviewsCompany Info-
Decent value
Premium For-Sale Package
$125- 6-month listing term
- Unlimited listing changes
- Max photos on MLS
- Seller contact info on listing
- Downloadable documents
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Manage own listing
-
Decent value
Deluxe For-Sale Package
$245- 12-month listing term
- No early cancellation fee
- Unlimited listing changes
- Max photos on MLS
- Seller contact info on listing
- Downloadable documents
- Yard sign
- Showing scheduling tools
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Manage own listing
-
Decent value
Standard For-Sale Package
$75- 6-month listing term
- Unlimited listing changes
- 6 photos on MLS listing
- Seller contact info on listing
- Downloadable documents
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Manage own listing
-
-
One Rate MLS
Statewide in MarylandPlans (1)ReviewsCompany Info-
Fair value
Standard
$275- No early cancellation fee
- Extra fee per listing change
- Max photos on MLS
- Seller contact info on listing
- Downloadable documents
- Professional home valuation
- Offers & negotiation support
- Yard sign
- Fliers & brochures
- Remote broker support
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Manage own listing
-
-
Cheapest MLS
Statewide in MarylandPlans (3)ReviewsCompany Info-
Decent value
Deluxe
$149- 6-month listing term
- 25 photos on MLS listing
- Seller contact info on listing
- Remote broker support
- Social media marketing
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Manage own listing
-
Fair value
Premium
$188- 12-month listing term
- Max photos on MLS
- Seller contact info on listing
- Showing scheduling tools
- Virtual house tour
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Manage own listing
-
Fair value
Basic
$99- 6-month listing term
- 6 photos on MLS listing
- Seller contact info on listing
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Manage own listing
-
-
Flat Fee MLS Sells
Statewide in MarylandPlans (3)ReviewsCompany Info-
Decent value
Showcase
$399- 6-month listing term
- No early cancellation fee
- Max photos on MLS
- Seller contact info on listing
- Downloadable documents
- Yard sign
- Lockbox for door
- Showing scheduling tools
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Manage own listing
-
Fair value
Premium
$799- 12-month listing term
- No early cancellation fee
- Max photos on MLS
- Seller contact info on listing
- Downloadable documents
- Professional home valuation
- Offers & negotiation support
- Yard sign
- Lockbox for door
- Fliers & brochures
- Showing scheduling tools
- Remote broker support
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Professional photos
- Manage own listing
-
Fair value
Basic
$299- 6-month listing term
- No early cancellation fee
- Max photos on MLS
- Seller contact info on listing
- Downloadable documents
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Manage own listing
-
-
FlatFeeMLS.com
NationwidePlans (3)ReviewsCompany Info-
Fair value
Better
$395- 6-month listing term
- 25 photos on MLS listing
- Yard sign
- Fliers & brochures
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Seller contact info on MLS listing
- Downloadable documents
- Manage own listing
- Lockbox for door
-
Limited value
Best
$595- 6-month listing term
- Max photos on MLS
- Yard sign
- Lockbox for door
- Fliers & brochures
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Seller contact info on MLS listing
- Downloadable documents
- Manage own listing
-
Limited value
Starter
$295- 6-month listing term
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Photos on MLS listing
- Seller contact info on MLS listing
- Downloadable documents
- Manage own listing
-
-
Buy Owner
Statewide in MarylandPlans (2)ReviewsCompany Info-
Limited value
MLS +
$99 + 0.2%*- 6-month listing term
- No early cancellation fee
- Unlimited listing changes
- 50 photos on MLS listing
- Seller contact info on listing
- Downloadable documents
- Fliers & brochures
- Showing scheduling tools
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Professional photos
- Professional home valuation
- Remote broker support
- Offers & negotiation support
- Manage own listing
- Yard sign
- Lockbox for door
-
Limited value
MLS Premium
$899 + 0.2%*- 12-month listing term
- No early cancellation fee
- Unlimited listing changes
- 50 photos on MLS listing
- Seller contact info on listing
- Downloadable documents
- Fliers & brochures
- Showing scheduling tools
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Professional photos
- Professional home valuation
- Remote broker support
- Offers & negotiation support
- Manage own listing
- Yard sign
- Lockbox for door
-
-
OnlineOwners.com Inc
NationwidePlans (1)ReviewsCompany Info-
Limited value
Standard
$325- Extra fee per listing change
- Yard sign
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Seller contact info on MLS listing
- Downloadable documents
- Manage own listing
- Lockbox for door
-
-
Flat Fee Realty
Baltimore, MarylandPlans (1)ReviewsCompany Info-
Limited value
MLS Package
$199 + 0.2%*- 6-month listing term
- No early cancellation fee
- Unlimited listing changes
- 6 photos on MLS listing
- Seller contact info on listing
- Downloadable documents
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Professional photos
- Professional home valuation
- Remote broker support
- Offers & negotiation support
- Manage own listing
- Yard sign
- Lockbox for door
-
-
Home Ownership Works
Statewide in MarylandPlans (1)ReviewsCompany Info-
Limited value
Premium
$4,000*- Offers & negotiation support
- Transaction coordination
- Yard sign
- Lockbox for door
- Showing scheduling tools
- Remote broker support
- Professional photos
- Staging advice
- MLS listing & syndication
- Basic customer support
Not included
- Professional home valuation
- Seller contact info on MLS listing
- Downloadable documents
- Manage own listing
-
Related resources for Baltimore, Maryland
Why trust us
Data sources
Our Research Team identified 25 flat fee MLS brokers and 50 listing plans currently available in Baltimore, Maryland. We compiled and analyzed 3,285,126 publicly available data points tied to key factors like pricing, terms, services, and customer reviews to assess each company, determine our rankings, and choose our top picks in Baltimore, Maryland.
Methodology
We used public business directories and licensing databases to identify over 2,510 real estate services we believed to be “discount” brands. 50 of those brands were active in Maryland and 50 were available in Baltimore. We then manually verified pricing and services details for each company, categorizing them as either “full-service” or “limited service” (limited service is our general service-level categorization for flat fee MLS companies).
These flat fee MLS rankings pages feature brands and products we identified as limited-service. The full-service discount brands can be found in our discount real estate brokers library. Some companies offer both full-service and limited-service options, in which case they will appear in both libraries. But we evaluate and rank each offering using separate, product-specific methodologies.
We fed flat fee MLS pricing, services, customer ratings, and credibility data into our localized ranking methodology. We evaluate each brand across three core areas:
- Customer experience: We calculate a Customer Score that measures how customers feel about their experiences and outcomes with a given company over time. This score is primarily powered by customer ratings and feedback across reputable, third-party review platforms. We don’t just go by average customer rating, but consider the total number of reviews, how recent they are, and whether they’re local (attributed to a specific location) or generic (mixed together from all locations). In effect, Company X, with a 4.9 average customer rating across 20 reviews with no new reviews in the past 12 months, will get a lower Customer Score than Company Y, with a 4.7 average rating across 200 reviews with 50 in the past 2 months.
- Value for money: Our Value Score is essentially an index you can use to compare overall “bang for your buck” from brand to brand. It’s a combination of the individual Plan Ratings (price point vs. terms and services) for each of the company’s plans relative to its specific tier (Budget, Standard, or Premium). We primarily use this score to help calculate the Overall Rating (below) for each company. But it can be a useful metric for gauging how much value a company typically delivers, regardless of the plan you choose. That said, Plan Scores are going to be the best indicator of straight value for money on the individual plan level.
- Track record: Our Track Record Score assesses (a) how established a company is and (b) the distribution of activity over its lifespan. The highest scores go to brands that have been around for a long time and have consistent, verifiable activity over their lifespans, indicating a legit and stable business operation. The basic principle is that companies who have been around for fewer than 12 months or have irregular activity — e.g., 38 of their 40 total reviews were posted on the same day in their first month in business — present a higher risk to consumers compared to who have been in operation and thriving for many years.
Then we combined these individual scores into an Overall Rating, which determined our top picks and general company rankings in Baltimore, Maryland. Value Score makes up 60% of the Overall Rating, Customer Score is 30%, and Track Record is 10%.
🏢 Do you own or operate a flat fee MLS or limited-service brokerage in Baltimore, Maryland? Claim or add your business profile here.
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