What Is Flat Fee MLS?
Flat Fee MLS Explained Simply
The MLS — Multiple Listing Service — is the database all licensed Realtors use to find homes for their buyers. When your home is on the MLS it appears automatically on Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, and hundreds of other real estate websites. The MLS is where buyers find homes.
Traditionally, getting your home on the MLS required hiring a listing agent at 2.5-3% of your sale price — on a $600,000 home that's $15,000-$18,000 — just for the listing side, before the buyer's agent commission.
Flat fee MLS changes this. You pay a one-time flat fee to get your home listed on the MLS. You keep full control of your sale. You save the traditional listing commission. Putnam Realty Group offers flat fee MLS listings starting at $499 — and every level includes AI-powered pricing intelligence built from actual sales in your specific neighborhood.
What Makes Putnam Realty Group Different
Any discount broker can put your home on the MLS for a flat fee. What makes Putnam Realty Group different is the AI assistant built into every service level — trained on actual closed sales data from your specific subdivision, not national averages. You get real local market intelligence regardless of which service level you choose.
Service Levels
Choose Your Level of Service
Every seller's situation is different. Choose the level that fits your comfort, timeline, and goals.
$499
Level 1 · Flat Fee + AI Assistant
Designed for experienced, hands-on sellers who want full MLS exposure with AI-powered guidance at every step. You manage showings and communicate directly with buyers.
- MLS listing entry and all required documentation
- AI Assistant — built on actual closed sales from your neighborhood. Pricing guidance, transaction checklists, deadline reminders, and Q&A at every stage
- ShowingTime — showing requests and confirmations sent directly to you
- One complimentary 15-minute agent consultation per transaction
- MLS Status: Limited Service · Seller Representation: Transaction Broker
Text Michael · 941-662-9941
$2,450
Level 2 · Flat Fee + AI + Agent Support
MLS exposure with professional structure — plus AI-powered local market intelligence and defined agent touchpoints at every stage. Your listing appears on the MLS under Putnam Realty Group as Transaction Broker.
- Everything in Level 1
- Local comparable sales lookup from your specific market
- Custom MLS property description drafted for your home
- Pricing consultation and in-depth market analysis
- Standard photography by Michael Putnam
- Drone still photography
- Offer review guidance — Michael walks you through key terms
- Critical contract deadlines loaded in Transaction Desk
- 5 defined agent touchpoints from listing through closing
Text Michael · 941-662-9941
5%
Level 3 · Full-Service Representation
Comprehensive, hands-on representation from listing through closing. You focus on your move — Michael handles everything else, backed by AI-powered pricing and local market data from day one.
- AI-powered pricing strategy and in-depth local market analysis
- MLS listing, professional marketing, and full showing management
- Offer negotiation and contract strategy
- Full contract-to-close management
- Coordination with title, lender, and all parties
- 5% total (2.5% listing side · 2.5% buyer's agent)
Text Michael · 941-662-9941
📄 View full service menu with all details →
Optional Add-Ons
Additional Services Available
Available with Level 1 and Level 2. Level 2 includes standard photography and drone stills — drone video is an add-on for both levels.
| Service | Fee | Payment |
|---|
| Personal photography (standard) | $175 | Upfront |
| Drone photography — still photos | $175 | Upfront |
| Drone photography — video | $400 | Upfront |
| Agent-hosted open house (3 hours) | $175 | Per event |
| Professional Marketing Package | $775 | Upfront |
The Professional Marketing Package includes drone footage and short-form video for social media, Facebook Marketplace listing, Putnam Realty Group Facebook Page post, 3,000-member local Facebook Group feature, multiple Moving to SW Florida group posts, Nextdoor promotion, Instagram Stories and Highlights, Pinterest listing post, and TikTok on Putnam Realty Group.
How Much You Save
Real Savings at Every Price Point
The traditional listing agent commission in Sarasota County is 2.5-3% of the sale price. Here is what you save at various price points by choosing Putnam Realty Group flat fee services over a traditional 3% listing commission.
| Sale Price | Traditional 3% Commission | Level 1 — $499 | You Save |
|---|
| $400,000 | $12,000 | $499 | $11,501 |
| $500,000 | $15,000 | $499 | $14,501 |
| $600,000 | $18,000 | $499 | $17,501 |
| $700,000 | $21,000 | $499 | $20,501 |
| $800,000 | $24,000 | $499 | $23,501 |
| $1,000,000 | $30,000 | $499 | $29,501 |
You Still Offer the Buyer's Agent Commission
Flat fee MLS does not eliminate the buyer's agent commission. Most sellers offer 2-2.5% to the buyer's agent to ensure their home is shown to the maximum number of buyers. The savings come entirely from the listing side — replacing the traditional 2.5-3% listing agent commission with a flat fee. On a $600,000 home you save $17,501 on the listing side while still cooperating fully with buyer's agents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Flat Fee MLS Questions Answered
Will buyer's agents show my home if it's a flat fee listing? +
Yes — as long as you offer a competitive buyer's agent commission in the MLS, buyer's agents will show your home. The listing side commission (what you pay your listing agent) is invisible to buyer's agents. What they see is the commission offered to them — typically 2-2.5% in our market. If you offer a fair buyer's agent commission, your home will receive the same showing activity as any traditional listing.
What is a Limited Service listing vs Full Service? +
A Limited Service listing means the listing broker's obligations are limited to placing the home on the MLS and providing basic documentation. The seller takes on more responsibility for communications, showings, and negotiations. A Full Service listing means the broker actively represents the seller through the entire transaction including negotiations, contract management, and closing coordination. Florida law requires that the service level be clearly disclosed in the listing agreement and the MLS — buyers and their agents know which type of listing they are dealing with.
What happens when I get an offer? +
With Level 1, offers come directly to you. You review them, negotiate directly with the buyer's agent, and sign contracts yourself. The AI assistant can walk you through the key terms of any offer, but the decisions are yours. With Level 2, Michael reviews the offer with you and explains every term — purchase price, contingencies, financing type, closing timeline, and any seller contributions — so you can make a confident, informed decision before responding.
Does flat fee MLS work in Sarasota County? +
Yes — flat fee MLS is fully legal and actively used in Sarasota County and throughout Florida. The Stellar MLS, which covers Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, and surrounding counties, accepts limited service listings. Your home appears on the same MLS as every other listed home, and buyers and buyer's agents have no way to distinguish a flat fee listing from a traditional listing in most search results.
How do I know what to price my home at? +
Every Putnam Realty Group service level includes access to our AI home valuation tool — calibrated from actual MLS sold transactions in your specific subdivision. This gives you a data-driven starting point for pricing based on what homes like yours have actually sold for, not national averages or automated estimates that don't know your community. For subdivisions where we have built a dedicated valuation tool, you can get your estimate instantly and free at floridahomevalueai.com.