MLS stands for multiple listing service. Every home for sale listed by a real estate agent, unless it is specifically exempted from MLS, will be listed in the Prescott MLS. However, only real estate agents and other professional affiliates and/or subscribed members can access Prescott MLS, but that doesn't mean a home buyer or home seller can't get the same information -- just not directly. The MLS is a sharing of comprehensive home information among real estate professionals. Listings brokers enter the data about a home for sale and offer to share the commission with a broker who brings a buyer. It's an online software that contains all the specifics about a home, from the address, age, square footage, number of bedrooms, baths, upgrades and schools districts to types of financing the seller will consider, and more. There is generally at least one to a dozen photographs of the home, plus a link to a virtural tour, if one exists. Home buyers make the mistake of believing they can access this information through online feeds to other services, but the data the public can receive is: - Limited in scope
- Can be outdated
- Often inaccurate
Many services offer to provide home buyers with a list of available homes on the market, but few provide comprehensive data. To get that information, you need to ask your real estate agent to set you up on a home search. An agent can enter your name, e-mail and home search preferences into a search engine on the MLS that will send you automatic e-mails of new listings. This way you will receive up-to-the-minute information that you can't really get anywhere else. If you're beginning a Home Search, lucky you! Let me know to customize a search for you that will automatically send you updated listings. Tell me about the features that are important to you. I am happy to provide you with the information you need in order to be a savvy buyer! |