Fresno area homeowners do have several options when it comes to selling their homes: they can list their home with a local real estate agent, they can attempt to sell the home by owner, or they can sell through a combination of the two: a flat fee MLS listing. To do this, the seller would need to locate a member of the Fresno Association of Realtors MLS system that would list the property for a small upfront fee rather than charging a listing commission on the back end. The seller would agree in writing to compensate a buyer's agent if their buyer-client ended up purchasing the home. In doing this, virtually any agent in Fresno, Clovis, Kingsburg, Prather or surrounding areas could potentially sell the home.

It is like hiring a huge sales force at a discounted cost.

With around one million residents, Fresno County's real estate market is certainly dynamic with homes of many price points from basic and entry-level homes to high-end homes or agricultural properties with acreage. Flat fee MLS listings can benefit virtually any property owner because the savings increases proportionately to the price. For instance, a seller with a one hundred thousand dollar home might save two to three thousand dollars compared to a different broker by utilizing a flat fee company. A seller with a two million dollar home might save fifty or sixty thousand dollars. With today's real estate prices, it is easy to see the popularity of flat fee MLS throughout the State of California including Fresno.

It is important to utilize state-promulgated forms and disclosures when selling property in California. Prior to listing, any seller needs to make sure their broker will either provide the correct forms, or that the seller can locate the forms. They also want to make sure that if they are using either a traditional agent or a flat fee listing service that the person they are dealing with is in fact licensed in the State of California and a member of the correct MLS system. Listing a Fresno area property in the Westside Los Angeles system, the Orange County SoCal MLS system, or the Sacramento Metrolist system, for instance, would not be very beneficial for a Fresno County home seller. Fresno area real estate agents use the Fresno MLS to locate properties. Fresno area buyers performing Internet searches also use websites that pull a limited view feed from the actual Fresno MLS. Sellers need to be very mindful of this and not waste time by listing in an out-of-area system.

Fresno real estate promises to be interesting the next several years. The county's agricultural base remains strong; ethanol companies have decided to locate some operations in the county and food processing companies continue to operate in the Fresno area. Government employers like the IRS and Caltrans remain a relatively large source of jobs. With a slowdown in new home construction and decline in real estate related jobs, Fresno will be in a transitional period and homeowners will definitely be more mindful of the need to cut costs in real estate transactions.