Frequently Asked Questions
Click on a question below to see the answer.
All that changes when you cancel your mls listing with one agent and go with another, is the realtor's name, company and phone number. That is it.
What you should change is your price or the commission amount you are offering or better pictures or improve issues in the home. One of those mentioned is why your home is not selling.
We are state licensed Real Estate Brokers, which is the highest designation an agent can become. It takes many classroom hours and years of experience to become a broker. Being a broker, you can own your company and sponsor other agents.
* All Virginia listings look the same on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service). We get a lot of clients that were listed with 6% agents, cancel with them and list with us. We even get a lot of agents listing with us because their brokerage will not give them a discount on their personal homes.
The key to selling a property is the listing price, commission, home location and condition of the home, not the listing agent. We can advise you on the listing price and the selling process.
Sometimes sellers think they are doing something different, but this is not the case.
We are listing on the same local MLS as any other agent, but instead of charging a 3% commission at closing we are charging you a low flat fee,
We have "unbundled" our services. You pay for the service that fits your needs. We are your listing agent. Your listing will look the same, as all other listings. How much you pay us to list is not mentioned on the MLS. The only commission listed on the MLS, is how much you are offering to pay the buyer or leasing agent.
We are your listing agent, but instead of working for a high commission, we are working for a flat fee. We provide all the same services as any agent. There is only one REALTOR® MLS in your area, and this is where we will be listing your property.
Depending on the listing package, we can help you with pricing, contract review and contract negotiations. We are full service agents. We have done traditional 6% real estate in the past, but do it this way, because it is a fantastic service.
We are your listing agent, however if a buyer comes to you directly as a FSBO - FOR SALE BY OWNER you can sell to them and not pay a buyer agent commission, but we are still your listing agent and still here to help you with the process (depending on listing package)
We have been doing this for many years and provide you all the tools for a successful sell, but ultimately the sell of your property depends on what you do. If you overprice your property, there is no magic any agent can do.
List 2 Sell - 4P's of selling
- Price
- Presentation (staging)
- Photos
- Putting on the MLS
We have been doing this many years and sold thousands and thousands of properties. The only commission agents care about is theirs. How much they are offered is posted on the MLS. The listing agent commission is not posted on the MLS. You decide how much you are going to offer the buyer's agent. You are not a FSBO on the MLS. Your listing looks just like all other listings and feeds to all the websites any other agents listings feeds to. The MLS controls this.
- Decide on a listing package
- Order directly on the website
- Set up Your Account
- Fill in basic property Details
- Upload your photos
- Fill in the MLS Data Input Sheets (all the info on your property)
- Fill in the MLS Listing Agreement.
- Order the delivery of your sign and/or lockbox
- Then we get it all and key you into the MLS and the FSBO website
- We set up delivery of your post sign,mail sign panel and maillock box (if you ordered them) - you should have within 2 business days
- Once we have your listing info, you can be listed within 2 business days
- We will email you a link to the listing for proofing
More FAQs
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What you will find with us is that you are talking directly with the Realtor that will be listing your property. We are the listing company and care about you and our business. Often these companies you find on the web are not even located in Virginia. They are simply 3rd party referral sites. Debbie Kent has been a REALTOR® since 1994. We offer traditional (6%) and flat fee listing services. If you are willing to do the work of the listing agent (set up your account, upload pictures, fill out the MLS Listing Agreement and fill out the MLS Data Input Sheets which takes about 2-3 hours), this flat fee program is for you. Remember you do need to check your email, phone and text every day with this program.
Fear is a key factor with many folks (is it too good to be true). If sellers ask a traditional agent about a flat fee listing, of course they are going to discourage the seller. They want the 3% for that listing.
You can save that 3% if you are willing to spend 2-3 hours to do the listing agents job.
If you are after a very experienced, highly qualified agent... Debbie Kent is here for you. She has dedicated her career to saving sellers and buyers thousands since 1994.
She has received Top Agent Award for 2016, 2017 and 2018 and is a member of the Million Dollar Club.

Agents can call you directly with basic questions. Should agents or consumers call or email us with questions, we forward youtheir contact info.
The MLS will not allow your contact info or web addressed on public websites.
If we get calls or emails on your property - we forward them to you via email.
All Agents can see your contact info and in the agent remarks where they are instructed to contact you direct for info and showings and to send all offers to you and to me.
We must be keep in the loop and cc on all contract related correspondence - even if you do not select a plan that includes contract review, negotiation, etc.
Most clients take their own photos, however if you want to hire a professional. Contact us to see if we have someone in your area that we recommend.
The cost of hiring a professional can range from $200 - $600. Photos are important and may be money well spent.
You will place your order, set up basic info in your account, upload your photos, fill out the required MLS Listing Agreement and then the MLS Data Input Sheet.
Once we receive all back from you, we will then key in your listing and we will send you a copy of the active listing to proof once you are listed.
You are already saving 3% on the listing side. You want your listing to be just like all the other listings out there (offering 3%).
If you went to work today and had 5 supervisors offering you 3% but 1 offering you less, who will you work for?
Some agents refuse to show properties not offering 3% or will discouage the buyers from purchasing your property. It is not right, but it is reality.
Pricing your home is critical to selling your home as well. If your property is overpriced - it will not sell.
If you are getting a lot of showings and no bites, either you are overpriced or your home needs some work.
Build Trust
Establish and maintain a positive track record in the marketplace.
Advertise Honestly
Adhere to established standards of advertising and selling.
Tell the Truth
Honestly represent our product and services, including clear and adequate disclosures of all material terms.
Be Transparent
Openly identify the nature, location, and ownership of the business, and clearly disclose all policies, guarantees and procedures that bear on a customer's decision to buy.
Honor Promises
Abide by all written agreements and verbal representations.
Be Responsive
Address marketplace disputes quickly, professionally, and in good faith.
Safeguard Privacy
Protect any data collected against mishandling and fraud, collect personal information only as needed, and respect the preferences of customers regarding the use of their information.
Embody Integrity
Approach all business dealings, marketplace transactions and commitments with integrity.
Flat Fee REALTOR ® Virginia MLS
Listing on the Virginia MLS for a low flat fee or flat rate is the best way to sell real estate, in our opinion. Our opinion is based on over 20 years of experience and having done the traditional 6% model many of those years. Flat Fee listing works because you are getting the exact same product of listing on the Virginia MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE as with any agent but you are saving a ton of money. It's really a "no-brainer". Do the research, and you will agree.
Some in the industry call us limited service brokers that is only if you choose that level of service. We are full service brokers, if you choose. We offer a la carte services. We are discount brokers but do not compromise the service. You are listing direct with a local broker. Pay for what you need or want.
Many Virginia FOR SALE BY OWNERS or FSBO want very little service and the same goes for investors. However, many sellers, want and need more help and we are here to fill their needs as well.
There are many sites on the internet that are 3rd party referral sites. This means, they get your order for a listing, then bid it out for the lowest bidding agent. Some agents are willing to work very cheap to get a listing, with hopes of getting buyer leads from that listing, so they can make a 3% buyer agent commission. We do not do that, you are listing directly with your listing agent. Please give us a call, so we can discuss in detail, if you like.
What is the MLS?
Yes, the MLS seems like an invention of the modern age. But, in fact, the term “multiple listing”—and the overarching concept behind it—was first coined in 1907. Back then it described the old practice in which real estate agents would gather regularly at offices or conferences to trade info about homes they were trying to sell, hoping this network could help connect them with buyers. In 1908, the National Association of Real Estate Exchanges (the organization that later became the National Association of Realtors®) endorsed the use of this system by all agents. It quickly caught on from there, evolving, stage by stage, into the modern system in use today—online and fully searchable by price, neighborhood, and home features.
While the Virginia MLS may look like one large national database, it's actually a suite of approximately 700 regional databases. And they're quite territorial: Each regional MLS has its own listings, and agents pay dues to access and post homes on each one. This is why agents who want a broader reach for their clients may become a member of more than one MLS.
Best Choice Flat Fee ™ is a national group of flat fee brokers. What makes us different than other sites, with us you deal directly with you state broker. Most sites are referral sites, meaning they take your money and they look for the broker that is willing to list your property for the lowest fee. This is not good for you. You want to interview your broker and know exactly who you are dealing with and exactly what your fee will be.
How to sell your home:
#1 - Price
#2 - Presentation
#3 - Placement on the MLS
#4 - Photos
Other than these 4 items, nothing else really matters. Open houses do not work, description on the MLS does not work, agent open houses do not work. There is no other marketing you can do. It's that simple.
Each office is independently owned and operated under their state registered name/brokerage and solely responsible for their clients and listings. Flat Fee MLS states and cites
Questions & Answers
Answers to important Flat Fee MLS questions.
About Us
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Debbie Kent
540-582-5777
License #0225030213