Private Sale Vs. Listing On MLS: What’s Right For You?

Private Sale Vs. Listing On MLS

Hamilton is a beautiful city in Canada by Lake Ontario. It offers you a perfect combination of nature, waterfalls, parks, lively arts and many more. All of these make it an amazing city to live in. The economy of Hamilton is growing pretty rapidly which helps in opening up new options for people to live, work and raise a family there. The real estate market in Hamilton is offering people great opportunities to sell their property at a great price.

Selling your home in Hamilton can be quite exciting as you as a seller get multiple buyers who offer you great deals for your property. However, it is essential for you to choose the right method for selling your home in Hamilton. You can either choose the private sale option which can be quick and more personal or you can also list your property in MLS which is a platform that helps you showcase your property to a large number of potential buyers. Both of these options are quite amazing and provide you with multiple advantages. So, it is important that you make the right choice according to your needs.

In this blog, we will discuss all the essential information about private sales and MLS to help you make the best decision. Here, you will learn the full explanation of private sales, the advantages of private sales, and the challenges you will face in private sales. You will also gain knowledge about what MLS is, the benefits of MLS and the challenges you will face in MLS. All of this information will help you to choose which option will be the ideal one for you. It will also help in selling your home more quickly while getting the best deal for your home.

Private Sales Explained

Private Sales Explained

When a homeowner tries to sell their property directly to the buyer without hiring a real estate agent then it is called a Private Sale. It is also known as “for sale by owner” (FSBO). It is a type of sale in which you as a seller are completely responsible for the entire selling process. This includes all the factors of selling like setting the right price for your property, marketing your home to find a potential buyer, negotiating the price with the buyer and the transaction of money.

In private sales, your property is not listed publicly which means you will need to find a buyer by using personal networks, self-advertising of your home, and word of mouth to attract the buyers towards your property. You as a seller will have full control over all the decisions regarding your property. Private sales allow the buyers and sellers to directly have a conversation to negotiate the price without the involvement of any third person like the real estate agent.

Benefits Of Private Sales

Benefits Of Private Sales

There are several amazing advantages of private sales. It makes the selling process more simple and considered more appealing to homeowners. Private selling offers you better control, keeps you comfortable and provides you with more flexibility. Read on to discover the benefits of private sales.

1. Cost Savings

One of the biggest benefits of private sales is that it helps in saving you money. Because in the private sales process, there is no requirement for real estate agents to avoid spending your money on paying the high commission fees. The commission fees of a real estate agent range between 4 to 5 percent + HST. Not having to pay fees to the real estate agent can help in cost savings and allow the seller to be more flexible and set an ideal price for their home.

2. Direct Negotiations

The process of private sales offers sellers the perfect opportunity to directly deal with potential buyers. You as sellers will not be required to have any middleman while trying to sell your home. This also allows you to have straightforward communication while helping you make quick decisions regarding your property. It also leads to a better understanding between the sellers and the buyers as both parties are able to explain their situations in a more suitable manner. Direct negotiations will help in coming up with a mutual agreement without the involvement of a real estate agent.

3. Faster And More Secure

Private sales help in selling your home faster while making sure that the process is secure in comparison to other selling methods. Because the sellers manage the complete process, it requires less paperwork and also helps in avoiding delays. By talking to the buyer directly you can increase the speed up the process of selling your property. In addition, you as a seller will also have complete control over the entire process while helping to enhance the security and making sure that you find a buyer who is seriously interested in buying your property.

Challenges Of Private Sales

Challenges Of Private Sales

Even though private sales have lots of benefits. There are certain challenges that you will face when you are trying to sell your home. Understanding these challenges is quite important as it will help in making the right decisions for selling your property. Below you will find out about the challenges that many sellers face in private sales.

  • Limited Number Of Buyers: Your property does not get advertised in the private sales process. This will not be able to attract a large number of potential buyers to your property.
  • Challenges In Pricing: While you are setting the price of your property. It is essential that you do not overprice or underprice your home. It can be a bit difficult to set the ideal price without getting help from a professional.
  • Complicate The Legal And Paperwork: It can be quite an overwhelming task to manage important legal documents and contracts without the help of a real estate agent. So, sellers need to make sure that they complete all the paperwork according to the laws.
  • Difficulties In Negotiation: One of the biggest challenges that sellers face in private sales is negotiating directly with the buyers. It can lead to misunderstanding, tension and missing out on opportunities if a seller is not being careful while selling.

What Is MLS?

What Is MLS?

MLS stands for Multiple Listing Service. It is a database that allows all the real estate agents to list the properties for sale along with the information about that property. The MLS helps real estate agents share the complete details of the property like the descriptions, pictures, square footage, features, and pricing with other professional real estate agents. All real estate agents have access to the property listing of MLS which allows them to be completely up to date with the latest information about all the properties that are listed in MLS.

The main purpose of MLS is to make sure that the houses that are listed are displayed on multiple online platforms to reach a maximum number of potential buyers and find the best buyer for the property. This helps the sellers to increase the speed of the selling process and get the best deals for their home. Lots of real estate agents can easily find the best properties that match the needs and requirements of the buyers. It also benefits the sellers as they can sell their property pretty quickly and with great profit.

Benefits Of MLS Listings

Benefits Of MLS Listings

There are multiple advantages of MLS listings which help in making a great difference by selling the process of selling a home. It helps in increasing the presentation of the home while showcasing your property to a large number of potential buyers. Read below to discover the benefits of MLS listing which will help in enhancing the selling of your home.

1. Expanding Your Property’s Reach

When you sell your home by using the MLS method then it guarantees to expand the reach of your property to a wide audience. The multiple listing service helps showcase the property of the seller to hundreds and thousands of potential buyers. This helps in sharing your property with several different platforms which helps in attracting many serious buyers towards your property. It increases the chances of selling the house even more quickly and with the best price.

2. Professional Representation

To list a property in MLS a seller will be required to take help from a licensed real estate agent. Only a licensed and certified real estate agent has access to list a property on the MLS. It makes sure that the process of selling a property is done by an experienced professional. A professional has the expertise and also provides assistance to the sellers by offering to help in setting a competitive price which eventually helps in marketing the house to find the best buyers.

3. Access To Qualified Buyers

When a property gets listed in the MLS then it helps in attracting a large number of potential buyers. Only the buyers who are serious about purchasing a home use the MLS. This allows the buyers to carefully examine the property along with their real estate agents. This helps in reducing the chances of failed transactions or delays in the transactions. MLS helps make the entire process of selling a property simple and makes sure that the seller will get the honest and best deal possible.

Challenges Of MLS Listings

Challenges Of MLS Listings

MLS offers you multiple amazing benefits but there are still various challenges that sellers have to face when they are trying to sell their home. Read on to discover some of the most common challenges that are connected with MLS listing. Knowing about these challenges will help you to be ready for them and make the right and informed decisions for your property.

  • Added Expenses: Listing your property in MLS requires you to pay some percentage of sales as the commission of a real estate agent or as membership fees. This becomes an additional expense in the sales of your property.
  • Competitive Market: MLS is a platform that has a large crowd so you have to be ready to face tough competition for selling your home among the other homes. Some properties are quite similar to each other which makes it even harder for your house to stand out.
  • Time Investment: It takes a lot of time to properly handle your property in an MLS listing. It includes you managing the showings while handling the offers. All of this requires consistent efforts and can consume quite a lot of time.
  • Limited Control: When the property is listed in MSL then sellers often depend on their real estate agents to find the best buyer for their property. This provides the seller with less control over the selling process.
  • Open Property Details: MLS or Multiple Listing Service is required to have all the information about the property. When it has the details then it can display the property in public. However, there are certain sellers who do not like to have this level of transparency.

Which Option Is Right For You?

It is important that you choose the best option between a private sale and listing on MLS to sell your property. Both of these options have their unique advantages and are best suited for your specific needs and circumstances. By understanding both options you as a seller will be able to make the right decision for your property.

Private Sale

Private sales are considered perfect for sellers who are looking to sell their homes faster while having more privacy about the sales. It will work best when you already have a buyer in your mind. This will also help in preventing the getting extra attention from the public listing. This is an ideal option for people who prefer to have less exposure to their property and off-market transactions.

MLS Listings

MLS is the best choice for sellers who want to attract a large number of buyers to their property so that they will have multiple options to choose from. This option is ideal for a market that has high competition. When a property has multiple buyers with different offers then it can also affect the price of your property. So, if you are looking for a strategic approach in selling your property then MLS will be the best option.

Stay Confident In The Process And Follow Your Intuition

It is quite easy to choose between a private sale and an MLS listing. It all depends on the priorities of a seller. Here, you have gained knowledge about the full explanation of private sales, their benefits, and the challenges you will face. You also learned about what MLS is, its benefits, and its unique challenges. Lastly, you read about which option will be the best suited for you. All the information you get will make the right decision while selling your property to make sure that the selling process will be smooth and safe.


If you are thinking of a private sale, we at Hamilton House Buyers can help you. Our team has skilled staff members with years of knowledge and a deep understanding of the market. We take care of all the paperwork and buy properties as-is, on your terms, making the process of selling your property simple and free of stress. If you have any questions, you can contact us by giving us a call at 647-800-4508. You can trust us to help you in selling your property.

Get More Info On Options To Sell Your Home...

Selling a property in today's market can be confusing. Connect with us or submit your info below and we'll help guide you through your options.

Get An Offer Today, Sell In A Matter Of Days...

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *