7 Best Flat Fee MLS Tennessee Listing Services (2023)

7 best flat fee MLS services in Tennessee | What to consider before using a flat fee service | Other ways to save on realtor fees

When selling a house for sale by owner (FSBO) in Tennessee, 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 the time and experience 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 Tennessee.

However, if you haven't sold FSBO before, keep the following in mind:

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

• You'll probably still need to pay a buyer's agent fee, since most buyers use an agent and other sellers won't make them pay for their agent out of pocket.

• The biggest potential downside of a flat fee MLS listing is that your home may sell for less than it would with an agent, despite all the time and effort you put in. Homes sold without a realtor sell 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 on real estate commissions, but you'll have a dedicated agent by your side.

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

7 best Tennessee flat fee MLS companies

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

If you're able to sell your house for close to what an agent could get for it, a flat fee MLS listing service will save you thousands of dollars. For example, on a $400,000 sale, a listing agent charging a 3% commission would set you back $12,000. But with a flat fee MLS listing service, you're more likely to pay just $300–500 in fees.

You'll still have to 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 buyers already have to pay cash for a down payment, agent commissions typically come from the seller's proceeds.

Unfortunately, buyer's agents often have the upper hand in FSBO sales, simply because they have more experience with these negotiations. The typical FSBO seller pays more in concessions and sells for about $120,000 less than the median sale price of homes sold through an agent.

You’ll have more control over the sale

In a typical real estate transaction, a listing agent acts as an intermediary between the seller and the buyer's agent. You're often in the dark about what's going on behind the scenes. Listing your home yourself means you know what's going on at every stage of the sale.

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 types of listings because they worry FSBO sellers will be hard to work with or need extra help from the buyer's agent, which could cause a conflict of interest. 

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're not in a hurry to sell, you may not need much more than an MLS listing and a way for buyers to get in touch.

If you're on a tighter timeline or don't have much experience with selling real estate, you can choose a plan that features broker assistance with pricing, paperwork, and negotiations. While these plans cost more, they're typically still cheaper than a traditional real estate agent commission.

You'll likely encounter extra fees

Some companies may draw you in with a flat fee offer, only to charge additional fees or a percentage of your sale price at closing. Some may even retain a portion of the buyer's agent commission, which will impact your bottom line.

Some fees aren't necessarily hidden but can quickly add up, like charges for listing edits, price changes, lockboxes, and additional photos. For example, this Houzeo customer found out that they'd have to pay an extra $140 for the ShowingTime app in order to receive showing requests from agents and buyers — which is pretty essential to selling a house.

7 best Tennessee flat fee MLS companies: Full Breakdown

Martin Properties: Best for sellers who are confident their home will sell quickly

Pros

• You can choose a 3-month, 6-month, or 12-month listing term.
• All packages allow you to add open houses to your MLS listing without paying an extra fee.

Cons

• The basic package only includes one free listing change.
• The broker doesn’t offer any help with pricing or paperwork, even at higher price tiers.
• The higher-priced plans don't offer a lot of extra value for the money.

Martin Properties fees and services

The owner, Don Martin, is a 30-year real estate veteran. Customer reviews commend him for making the process easy and patiently answering questions.

Martin Properties allows free, unlimited changes to the listing. Payment for services is due upon choosing your package, and no refunds are issued. You can cancel anytime for free.

If the transaction involves a buyer’s agent, the company charges a .1% admin fee from the buyer's agent commission (which you pay for).

ResultsMLS: Best for sellers willing to pay for full support

Pros

• Its packages range from a basic MLS listing to full service.
• You can request a free comparative market analysis to help you price your property.
• The broker offers contract reviews and negotiation assistance for an extra fee.

Cons

• The packages don’t allow unlimited changes.
• Its plans are more expensive than others on this list.

ResultsMLS fees and services

ResultsMLS offers plans with more support and services than other companies. It caters to a variety of sellers: those who want to do most, some, or almost none of the sale process themselves.

It's more expensive than other flat fee MLS services, but depending on your home value, even the most expensive option may be cheaper than paying a listing agent commission.

The company has a very detailed website, including informational videos, that makes comparing package options easy. Customer reviews praise the owner, Susanne Flynn, for her responsiveness, kindness, and professionalism.

Tennessee Flat Fee MLS: Best for sellers wanting a simple, affordable listing

Pros

• Its cost-effective packages offer the same basic services as other, more expensive companies.
• If you choose the upgraded package, you can get a virtual tour on Realtor.com.

Cons

• Free changes only include the listing status, not the property description or photos.
• None of the packages offer agent support on offers, contracts, negotiations, or closing.

Tennessee Flat Fee MLS fees and services

Tennessee Flat Fee MLS is a low-cost option for getting your home listed on the Tennessee MLS. It offers free status changes with all its packages. The plans differ only by the number of listing photos and the length of the listing term.

The company offers less support than others, so it’s a better option for sellers who are confident about marketing their own property, scheduling showings, conducting open houses, and making sure they’re adhering to the timeline once the house is under contract.

Tennessee Flat Fee MLS doesn’t offer refunds once the property is listed.

Houzeo: Best for sellers wanting many à-la-carte options

Pros

• You can fill out, sign, and submit all your seller’s paperwork on the Houzeo app.
• When you enter your address, Houzeo autofills publicly available data about your property.
• Houzeo offers additional services like contract reviews and agent showings à-la-carte.

Cons

• You have to pay extra for pricing assistance.
• There are no forms or disclosures included in the lower-priced plans.
• Its entry-level package is expensive for what you get.

Houzeo fees and services

Houzeo offers mid-range pricing and many services. Its IntelliList Listing Management system guides sellers through listing their property and offers tips to simplify the process. It also autofills forms from public information and automatically assigns documents you’ll need.

Houzeo Offers allows you to manage offers and counteroffers online, and Houzeo Showings lets you manage showing requests.

Customer reviews commend the company on customer support and service and its ability to thoroughly answer questions.

Homecoin: Best for sellers wanting a basic service with optional add-ons

Pros

• Its entry-level package is one of the better values on this list.
• Sellers can receive comparable sales, a home value report, and disclosures for free.
• All MLS listings come with free, automatic email forwarding and email and text notifications.

Cons

• Homecoin doesn't offer a full-service option.
• The à-la-carte options can add up quickly, especially if you want help with forms.

Homecoin fees and services

Homecoin offers an affordable flat fee MLS listing service with optional add-ons — such as professional photography and forms help. However, prices for the add-ons can add up quickly.

Online reviews for Homecoin are positive. Home sellers praise the easy-to-use automated platform and professional communication from the customer service team.

This service is better for experienced sellers, since the company doesn't offer features like agent check-ins or a scheduling platform for showings.

Sellers can cancel their listing anytime for free as long as there are no pending offers.

Flat Fee Group: Best for sellers wanting robust packages

Pros

• Packages include many services.
• Sellers can choose if they want to work alone or have the full support of an agent.
• Some packages come with marketing material, contracts, and disclosures.

Cons

• The packages are priced higher than some other flat fee MLS services.
• You may not need everything that’s included in the higher-priced packages.

Flat Fee MLS fees and services

Flat Fee Group's packages include a lot of services to help you sell your home quickly. But you may not need all of the services, and you'll still have to pay a higher price to get what you do need.

All of its packages include support from an agent. The Done For You package is essentially a full-service listing package, just from a remote agent instead of a local one.

List With Freedom: Best for experienced sellers who know what services they need

Pros

• If you know exactly what you need, you can get a cheaper package and buy extras separately.
• There’s no cancellation fee for live listings.
• You can pay a little more for showing and open house assistance.

Cons

• There are only six photos included in the base package.
• It offers no built-in pricing support or home valuation.
• It charges the buyer’s agent a compliance fee of .25%.

List With Freedom fees and services

List With Freedom was founded in 2005. Its packages are a little pricier than some of its competitors, but you can choose a lower-priced package and add on what you need.

Reviewers say its customer service is excellent and that it's quick to help and answer questions.

The company offers refunds within 14 days of placing an order, but only if you haven't signed the listing agreement and the property hasn’t been listed on the MLS. After the property is listed, there's no fee to cancel it.

List With Freedom charges the buyer’s agent a 0.25% compliance fee, and additional fees may apply based on your property's location.

Flat fee MLS companies in Tennessee by city

In Tennessee, you'll also find some smaller flat fee MLS companies that operate in certain cities. These local companies are more likely to offer flexible service packages and have more area expertise than the national brands.

How to get an MLS listing without a Realtor in Tennessee

Top alternatives to a flat fee MLS listing service in Tennessee

Sell with a discount broker

The best discount realtors offer the same services as a traditional real estate agent, but at a much more competitive rate — 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 Hawaii, Clever Real Estate 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

You can try selling your house without listing on the MLS, but this option tends to work best when you already have a potential buyer lined up.

Listing on your local MLS helps you find buyers. Most buyers search online for homes, and having an MLS listing gets you on major real estate websites like Zillow and Redfin. Plus, 86% of active home buyers have a real estate agent, and those agents use the local MLS to find properties for their clients.

If you don't secure an MLS listing, your marketing exposure will be limited to a yard sign and sites like Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace.

» LEARN: FSBO vs. Realtor Facts and Statistics

FAQ about flat fee MLS listings in Tennessee