The Dutchess County MLS Explained
What is the Dutchess County MLS? Which real estate broker database is relevant for Dutchess County NY? Can I sell my home through a flat fee MLS listing?
As of 2017, Dutchess County NY is effectively covered by the Hudson Gateway MLS, otherwise known as the HGMLS. The HGMLS is the primary broker to broker Multiple Listings Service database in the Greater Hudson Valley.
The HGMLS is owned and operated by the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors, otherwise known as HGAR. HGAR operates a very modern, professionally managed private and public facing MLS system called Matrix.
HGAR has done a tremendous job of expanding its reach and merging with neighboring Realtor boards and Multiple Listing Services over the years.
As of 2017, the HGMLS has approximately 37,000 property listings from just over 10,000 HGAR members associated with 1,370 different real estate offices in Westchester, Bronx, Orange, Putnam, Queens, Dutchess, Ulster, Rockland, Sullivan and New York Counties.
While there does appear to be a Mid-Hudson Multiple Listing Service based in Poughkeepsie, NY and operated by the Dutchess County Association of Realtors, it is unclear from a cursory internet search how active or widely used they are.
To make things more confusing, there also appears to be a Columbia Greene Northern Dutchess Multiple Listing Service operated by the Columbia Greene Board of Realtors. However, it is also unclear from a cursory internet search whether this MLS is active or widely used in Dutchess County NY.
Therefore, it’s important to understand going forward that when we refer to the Dutchess County MLS, we mean the HGMLS!
Can I list my home on the Dutchess County MLS for a flat fee?
Absolutely. There is no requirement for you to pay a certain commission rate in order to sell your home. Don’t be fooled by conniving real estate agents who will try to convince you that having to pay 6% in commission in order to sell is some sort of law. It’s not!
In fact, the HGMLS is very professional in making sure that all broker and agent participants know that there is no standard commission rate and that they cannot give any guidance on commission rates. The only truth is that real estate commissions are negotiable!
With that said, the Dutchess County NY MLS does require participants to offer some form of commission, regardless of how much that may be, to cooperating brokers. In other words, you need to offer buyers’ agents some form of commission on the Hudson Gateway MLS.
However, this does not mean you need to reveal how much you are paying to your listing broker. It is standard practice for listing Realtors to only enter how much commission they are offering buyers’ agents in the HGMLS. That means other agents won’t automatically be able to tell that you’ve only paid your listing broker a flat fee!
When you combine this ability to stealthily avoid paying full commission yet still access the HGMLS through one of our brand name, traditional brokerage partners, you truly get the real thing! Other brokers won’t automatically know that you’ve signed up for a flat fee MLS listing!
This is a huge contrast versus most flat fee MLS listing services where it’s very easy for even the most junior agent to figure out what is going on. Embarrassingly enough, many flat fee MLS companies which claim to be national in scope will put their branding on photos and make it excruciatingly obvious that their listings are not real listings. What’s the point of getting on the MLS if you’re just going to get boycotted by traditional agents?
Risks to be aware of when selling through a Dutchess County flat fee MLS listing
Looking to jeopardize your home sale? There’s no better way to do it then to insult every real estate agent in Dutchess County by listing with a typical mom and pop discount broker.Unbelievably, most flat fee MLS brokers have the most offensive of names, including ones which describe brokers becoming extinct or For Sale By Owner in their company name.
What do you think happens when a real estate agent looks up a company they’re unfamiliar with?
There’s no better way to make a local real estate agent’s blood boil than by listing your home with your typical, shady flat fee broker.
Dutchess County NY real estate agents are not dumb and you need their cooperation to sell your home. That’s why it’s more important than ever to discreetly list your home for sale on the Dutchess County MLS through one of our brand name, traditional brokerage firm partners who have good relations with the wider brokerage community.
Our broker partners never openly discount and primarily engage in full service, normal commission work. Your listing will be discreetly mixed in with their full commission listings, and your savings will be our little secret!
Read the Full Article: https://www.hauseit.com/dutchess-county-mls-ny/
Disclosure: Hauseit (https://www.hauseit.com) and its affiliates do not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, tax, legal or accounting advice. You should consult your own tax, legal and accounting advisors before engaging in any transaction. The services marketed on Hauseit.com are provided by licensed real estate brokers and other third party professional service providers. Hauseit LLC is not a licensed real estate broker nor a member of any multiple listing service (MLS).
