A traditional sale costs 5–6% of your home's price in commissions. On a $400,000 home that is $24,000 — more than most people's annual savings — for work you can do yourself in a few focused hours a week. This guide is the listing agent's playbook, written for the owner: preparing the home, pricing it with real comps, listing it on MLS9 for 0% commission, running showings, negotiating offers and getting to the closing table. You keep the commission. The buyer pays a fair price. Nobody in the middle.
Know your number before you do anything
Start with what you will actually walk away with. Take a realistic sale price, subtract your mortgage payoff (call your servicer for a payoff quote, not your statement balance), subtract seller closing costs of roughly 1–2% for title, escrow and transfer taxes, and subtract any repairs or concessions you expect. That is your net.
Now compare it to the same sale with a 6% commission taken off the top. The difference is the reason you are reading this guide. On MLS9 you keep that money, or you use part of it to price aggressively and sell faster — your choice.
If you are buying another home, this net is your down payment. Know it precisely before you shop, and know your timeline: do you need to sell first, or can you carry both for a month?
Checklist
- Get a written payoff quote from your mortgage servicer
- Estimate closing costs at 1–2% of price
- Run the Seller Net calculator: MLS9 vs. traditional
- Decide whether you need to sell before you buy
Choose your path: instant offer or list
You have two ways to sell on MLS9. An instant cash offer gives you a firm price in days with no showings, no repairs and a closing date you pick. Listing puts the home in front of every buyer and typically brings a higher price, in exchange for a few weeks of showings and some uncertainty.
Request the instant offer first even if you plan to list. It is free, non-binding and gives you a floor: the guaranteed number you can fall back on. If the listing route would net you more than a few percent above it, listing is probably worth the effort. If not, cash may be the smarter trade.
You can also do both: list the home and keep the cash offer as a backup that you can trigger if the listing goes slower than you like.
Checklist
- Request a free instant cash offer
- Estimate your listing net with a realistic price
- Compare the gap against the time and effort of showings
- Decide: cash, list, or list with cash as a backup
Price it with real comps, not hope
Pull sales of similar homes within a half mile that closed in the last six months: similar age, style, bed and bath count, and within about 20% of your square footage. Ignore asking prices of active listings — those are what sellers want, not what buyers paid.
Adjust each comp for differences. A renovated kitchen might add $15,000–$30,000 in a mid-priced market; a missing garage might subtract $10,000–$20,000. Land on a range, then choose your list price based on market speed: at or slightly below the range in a slow market, at the top of it when homes are going under contract in days.
Overpricing is the most expensive mistake a seller makes. Homes that sit for 30-plus days sell for less than homes priced right on day one, because buyers assume something is wrong. Pricing right does not mean giving it away — it means capturing the buyers who are actively looking right now.
Checklist
- Gather 3–6 closed comps from the last 6 months within a half mile
- Adjust for condition, size, garage, lot and updates
- Check current days-on-market in your area
- Set a list price, and a floor you will not go below
Prepare the home to photograph and show well
Buyers decide in the first ten seconds online and the first thirty seconds in the doorway. Work on those moments. Declutter aggressively — clear half the items off every surface, remove personal photos and pare closets down so they look roomy. Rent a storage unit if you need to.
Fix the small things buyers notice and inspectors flag: dripping faucets, cracked outlet covers, burned-out bulbs, sticking doors, chipped paint, a wobbly railing. A weekend and a few hundred dollars here prevents thousands in repair requests later. Do not start major renovations; you rarely get the money back.
Deep clean everything, including windows and grout. Then work the exterior: mow, edge, mulch, trim shrubs below the windows, power-wash the walkway and put a new mat at the door. Fresh mulch and a clean entry return more per dollar than anything inside.
Checklist
- Declutter every room and closet; remove personal items
- Fix minor repairs (faucets, outlets, doors, paint touch-ups)
- Deep clean including windows, grout and appliances
- Refresh landscaping and the front entry
Shoot photos that stop the scroll
Photos are your marketing. Hire a real estate photographer if you can — it costs $150–$300 and pays for itself many times over. If you shoot yourself, use a wide lens or a phone in 0.5x, hold the camera at chest height, shoot from corners, turn on every light, open every blind and shoot mid-morning or late afternoon when the light is soft.
Lead with your best exterior shot, then the kitchen, then the main living space. Aim for 25–35 photos covering every room, the yard and any standout features. Skip bathrooms with the lid up, closets, and anything blurry. Straight vertical lines matter; tilt corrections are easy in any photo app.
Write a description that sells the life, not the specs: morning light in the kitchen, the walk to the park, the new roof that means no surprises. Then list the facts buyers filter on — beds, baths, square feet, year built, lot size, systems and their ages.
Checklist
- Hire a photographer or shoot wide, bright and level
- Capture 25–35 photos: exterior, kitchen, living, every room, yard
- Order photos with the strongest first
- Write a description with a story and then the facts
List on MLS9 for 0% commission
Listing on MLS9 takes about ten minutes: address, price, details, photos and description. Your listing goes live to every buyer on the platform and is commission-free, which buyers notice — they are not paying a padded price and you are not paying anyone to bring them.
Set your showing preferences during listing: which days and hours work, how much notice you need, and whether you want to be present. Buyers request times from your listing; you approve or propose another slot with one tap.
Fill out your state's seller disclosure form honestly and completely and attach it to the listing. Disclosing a known issue up front protects you from lawsuits later and builds the trust that gets offers accepted quickly.
Checklist
- Create your MLS9 listing with price, details, photos and description
- Set your showing windows and notice requirements
- Complete and attach the seller disclosure form
- Review the live listing on your phone
Run showings like a pro
Approve showing requests promptly — buyers touring several homes in an afternoon book with whoever answers first. Before each showing: lights on, blinds open, temperature comfortable, counters clear, pets out of the house, valuables and medications locked away.
Greet buyers, point out anything not obvious (the new furnace, the extra storage, the quiet street) and then give them space. Buyers need to picture themselves living there, and they cannot do that with the owner narrating every room. Be available for questions and be honest in your answers.
Track who came and follow up the next day with a short message: thank them, ask if they have questions and let them know how to submit an offer. Every showing that ends without feedback is information you are leaving on the table.
Checklist
- Approve showing requests within an hour
- Stage the home before each showing (lights, blinds, temperature, pets)
- Give buyers room to explore; answer questions honestly
- Follow up with every buyer the next day
Evaluate and negotiate offers
Offers arrive in your MLS9 inbox with price, financing, earnest money, closing date and contingencies laid out side by side. Price matters most, but not only price: a cash offer or a large down payment with a solid pre-approval is more likely to actually close than a higher offer with thin financing.
Read the contingencies. A 10-day inspection period is standard; 21 days is a buyer keeping their options open. An appraisal contingency means the buyer can renegotiate if the appraisal comes in low; a buyer waiving it is taking that risk for you. Look at the requested closing date against your own plans.
Counter in writing through MLS9. You can counter on price, closing date, contingency lengths, what stays with the house, or all of them. If you have multiple offers, tell every buyer and set a deadline for best and final. Then pick the offer most likely to close at the best net, and sign.
Checklist
- Compare offers on price, financing strength, contingencies and timeline
- Verify pre-approval letters and proof of funds
- Counter in writing; do not negotiate by phone alone
- Accept the offer most likely to close at the best net
Under contract: inspection, appraisal and repairs
Once signed, the buyer's earnest money goes to the title company and the clock starts. Expect an inspection within the first week or two. Make the home accessible, leave utilities on and do not be present for the inspection itself — buyers and inspectors speak more freely without the owner in the room.
The buyer may request repairs or a credit. Respond to the substance: real safety and big-system issues deserve a fair response; cosmetic nitpicks do not. Credits are usually easier than repairs — the buyer picks their contractor and you avoid disputes over workmanship.
The lender's appraiser will visit if the buyer is financing. Leave a copy of your comps and a list of improvements with dates and costs on the counter. If the appraisal comes in low, you can lower the price, split the difference or hold firm if the buyer can cover the gap.
Checklist
- Confirm earnest money was deposited with the title company
- Make the home available for inspection with utilities on
- Respond to repair requests on safety and big-ticket items only
- Prepare a comps and improvements sheet for the appraiser
Close and collect your proceeds
The title company prepares the deed, the settlement statement and the payoff to your lender. Review the settlement statement a day or two before signing: the sale price, your payoff, prorated taxes and each fee should match what you expect. Question anything unfamiliar.
Schedule movers so you are out before the final walk-through, leave the home clean, and gather every key, remote, manual and warranty for the buyer. Take photos of meter readings on move-out day and cancel or transfer your utilities effective the day after closing.
You sign at the title company or with a mobile notary; it takes about 30 minutes. Once the deed records and the buyer's funds are in, the title company wires your proceeds — usually the same or next business day. The commission you did not pay is now in your account.
Checklist
- Review the settlement statement before signing
- Move out and clean before the final walk-through
- Leave keys, remotes, manuals and warranties
- Provide wiring instructions to the title company in person or by verified phone call
Common questions
Do buyers really come to a home without a listing agent?
Yes. Buyers search by price, location and features, not by who listed the home. MLS9 puts your listing in front of every buyer on the platform, and commission-free pricing is a selling point.
What if a buyer has an agent who wants a commission?
You decide. You can offer a buyer-agent fee as a concession if it wins you the sale, decline, or counter with a price adjustment. Nothing about MLS9 obligates you to pay any agent.
Who handles the paperwork?
MLS9 generates the purchase agreement and tracks counters; the title company (or closing attorney in attorney states) prepares the deed and settlement documents and handles the money, exactly as in any sale.
How long will it take to sell?
A well-priced, well-presented home in an average market typically goes under contract in 2–4 weeks and closes 30–45 days later. Instant offers close in as little as 10 days.
Do I have to disclose problems with the house?
Yes. Every state requires sellers to disclose known material defects. Disclose in writing on your state form; it protects you and speeds up negotiations.