Going On “The Market”…(Where Is That Anyway?)

You've probably heard the term, "I'm putting my house on the market. " Or, that house just came on the market."

The biggest market for home buyers is the Internet. And, if you are like most homeowner's, you'll want every buyer to know your home is for sale, which means your home should be on as many real estate sites as possible.

The MLS is the first place homes are posted when they are working with an agent. Then the agent can place the home on all of the IDX sites (Internet Data Exchange) as well as Zillow, and the like. The homeowner can also request not to be placed on certain sites. For my services, I've included additional venues and ways we advertise a home.

For purposes of this guide, you should know that when your home gets listed on the MLS, it is also getting time-stamped. Much like Zillow time stamps a property, so does the MLS. As an agent, we can see the history of the home - when it goes on the market, off the market, under contract and sold. It also tells us how often a homeowner adjusted their price and if they keep switching agents.

If you are planning on selling your home, it is best NOT to just test the market, as you may be sending off negative signals to potential buyers. The assumption is that there must be something wrong with the home to be on the market so long.