To list a property on the MLS, you hire a licensed real estate broker who belongs to the Multiple Listing Service that covers your area, sign a listing agreement, and give the broker the documentation and disclosures needed to build the record. The broker uploads the listing, and from there it syndicates out to Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, and hundreds of agent and brokerage sites. Homeowners cannot post directly. The MLS is a private cooperative database restricted to licensed professionals, and that gatekeeping is exactly why a single upload reaches so many buyers at once.
Some metro areas are covered by more than one MLS. Ask which system your broker belongs to, and if your home sits near a boundary, ask whether cross-posting to a second MLS is possible.
Choose a Listing Arrangement
The agreement you sign with your broker sets the terms of the relationship. Three basic structures exist.
- Exclusive right to sell. The broker earns a commission no matter who finds the buyer, including you. Most common, and gives the broker the strongest incentive to market the home.
- Exclusive agency. The broker has the exclusive right to represent you, but if you produce a buyer yourself without the broker’s help, no commission is owed.
- Open listing. You can engage several brokers at once; only the one who brings the buyer gets paid, and if you sell it yourself, no one does. Few brokers put serious marketing dollars behind an open listing.
Full-service brokers typically charge a percentage of the sale price, with the national average around 5.5 percent split between listing and buyer’s agents. Flat-fee MLS services charge a one-time fee, commonly $100 to $500, for entry and basic exposure, leaving showings, negotiations, and transaction management to you. Commissions are always negotiable. No law or industry body sets a fixed rate.
Whatever model you pick, the listing agreement should state the listing duration, the services the broker will provide, and how compensation works.
How the NAR Settlement Changed Commission Offers
Practice changes from the National Association of REALTORS settlement took effect on August 17, 2024, and they matter the moment you start drafting your listing. Offers of compensation to a buyer’s agent can no longer appear on any MLS platform.1National Association of REALTORS®. What the NAR Settlement Means for Home Buyers and Sellers
You can still offer buyer concessions through the MLS, such as credits toward closing costs. And you remain free to offer buyer-agent compensation outside the MLS through your own marketing or direct negotiation.1National Association of REALTORS®. What the NAR Settlement Means for Home Buyers and Sellers Buyers now also sign a written representation agreement with their agent before touring homes, whether in person or virtually.2National Association of REALTORS®. Consumer Guide to Written Buyer Agreements For you as a seller, the practical effect is that buyer-agent compensation becomes a negotiation item on the offer rather than something advertised in the listing. Talk it through with your broker before pricing.
Gather Your Property Information
MLS data entry forms are detailed. Having everything ready before you sign the listing agreement keeps the process moving.
- Legal description and parcel number. The legal description sits on your deed. The assessor’s parcel number (APN or tax ID) appears on your property tax bill or the county assessor’s website.
- Square footage. Most MLS systems require heated or conditioned living area measured to local standards. A recent appraisal or professional floor plan is the safest source. Overstating square footage invites legal trouble after closing.
- School district and zoning. Buyers filter by school assignment, so the correct district code matters. Zoning tells buyers what they can do with the property.
- Condition details. Roof age, HVAC type and age, water heater, appliances included in the sale, and utility providers.
- HOA information. Association name, monthly or annual dues, and any special assessments. Buyers will usually request governing documents and a resale certificate before closing.
Photographs are required. Most MLS platforms enforce minimum pixel dimensions, and listings without photos get dramatically less traffic. Cover the exterior front, the main living areas, the kitchen, and the bathrooms at a minimum. Professional real estate photography typically runs $150 to $400.
Your asking price should come out of a comparative market analysis. You will also sign a property disclosure form covering known material defects, which is a legal obligation in most states.
Federal Disclosures That Attach to the Listing
Lead-Based Paint for Pre-1978 Homes
If your home was built before 1978, federal law requires you to disclose any known lead-based paint or lead-based paint hazards, provide any inspection reports you already have, and include a Lead Warning Statement in the sales contract.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 U.S. Code 4852d – Disclosure of Information Concerning Lead Upon Transfer of Residential Property You are not required to test for lead paint or remove it. You only have to share what you already know.4Environmental Protection Agency. Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Rule Fact Sheet
Buyers also get a 10-day window, unless both parties agree to a different timeframe, to test for lead hazards before the contract becomes binding.5Environmental Protection Agency. Lead-Based Paint Disclosure Rule Section 1018 of Title X Your broker typically prepares the paperwork, but accuracy is your legal responsibility. Skipping or misrepresenting lead paint information can trigger federal penalties and civil liability.
Fair Housing Rules for the Listing Description
Everything you and your broker write in the marketing remarks is subject to the Fair Housing Act. The Act prohibits any notice, statement, or advertisement related to the sale of a home that indicates a preference, limitation, or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, or national origin.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 U.S. Code 3604 – Discrimination in the Sale or Rental of Housing
Because MLS remarks feed out to every syndicated portal, language that sounds harmless can create liability. “Perfect for young professionals” can read as discouraging families with children. Mentioning proximity to a specific house of worship signals a religious preference. “Great for empty nesters” implies families with kids are unwelcome. The prohibition also extends to how the property is marketed, including choosing channels that exclude certain groups or steering prospects toward or away from particular neighborhoods based on protected characteristics.7U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Activities Prohibited Under Section 804 Describe the property and its features, not the person you imagine living there.
Submission and Activation
Once the paperwork is complete, your broker enters the listing through a secure MLS portal. Under the NAR Clear Cooperation Policy, a broker who begins any public marketing of a property, including yard signs, social media posts, flyers, or website features, must submit the listing to the MLS within one business day.8National Association of REALTORS®. Participants Rights, Section 17 – Clear Cooperation Policy Statement 8.00 The rule exists to keep brokers from holding listings privately to funnel leads to their own brokerage.
Your broker verifies required fields, checks that photos meet quality standards, and confirms the listing complies with MLS rules, including keeping your personal contact information out of public fields. The listing then moves to active status, and syndication feeds usually push it to consumer sites within hours. You will get a confirmation with a unique MLS identification number. Keep that number; it tracks every inquiry and document tied to your sale. Review the live listing to confirm the price, remarks, and details match what you approved.
Coming Soon Status
Some MLS systems offer a Coming Soon status that makes the listing visible to agents while showings are not yet allowed. NAR does not set a national policy, so rules vary by local MLS. Common restrictions include a maximum of 14 days in Coming Soon and a prohibition on any showings, including by the listing agent, until the listing goes active. Once a listing leaves Coming Soon, it usually cannot return.
Keep the Listing Accurate
You have ongoing obligations after activation, and your broker faces potential fines for non-compliance.
When you accept an offer, the status must change to pending or under contract within the timeframe your MLS requires, commonly within two days of the status change.9CRMLS Knowledgebase. CRMLS Listing Status Definitions and Effects on Days Active in MLS Failure to update can result in fines against your listing broker, which may pass through to you depending on your agreement.
Price changes require your written authorization before the broker adjusts the figure in the MLS. Errors in the property description, whether wrong square footage, incorrect room count, or missing disclosures, need to be corrected right away. Inaccurate data creates misrepresentation liability and disrupts third-party feeds, where outdated information can linger even after the MLS record is fixed.
If the Listing Expires or You Withdraw It
Two statuses remove your home from active searches, and they behave very differently.
A withdrawn listing disappears from public search results, but your listing agreement with the broker remains in force. You cannot hire a different agent or sell independently while the contract is active, and the clock keeps running toward the contract’s expiration date. Sellers use withdrawn status for a temporary break from the market without ending the broker relationship.
An expired listing means the contract term ended without a sale. You are then free to relist with the same broker under a new agreement, hire a different broker, or take the home off the market. Listing agreements do not renew automatically. A relist creates a brand-new MLS record, which resets the days-on-market counter.
Two Things to Know Before Offers Arrive
These do not affect the listing itself, but they come up quickly once buyers show interest, and both can influence how you price.
If a buyer uses a VA loan, the property may need a wood-destroying insect inspection before closing. The VA requires this inspection in more than 30 states and territories, with additional county-level requirements in several others.10U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Local Requirements – VA Home Loans FHA loans can trigger similar requirements depending on the appraiser’s findings. A recent clear termite report eliminates a common source of delay.
On taxes, if you have owned and lived in the home as your primary residence for at least two of the five years before the sale, you can exclude up to $250,000 of capital gain from taxable income, or up to $500,000 for a married couple filing jointly if both spouses meet the use requirement and at least one meets the ownership requirement.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 121 – Exclusion of Gain From Sale of Principal Residence Gain above those thresholds is taxed as a capital gain. The closing agent will generally file IRS Form 1099-S reporting gross proceeds, though the filing can be skipped if you certify the home was your principal residence and the sale price is $250,000 or less, or $500,000 for a married couple.12Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 1099-S Keep records of your purchase price, improvement costs, and the dates you occupied the home.