Before I became a real estate broker to deal with my own real estate, I paid a discount agency $500 to list it on the MLS and slap a lockbox on it. I still offered 3% to the buyer’s agent because otherwise no agent will show it to their client. Since commissions are paid out of the seller’s proceeds, the vast majority of buyers will employ a buyer’s agent. By not going on the MLS, you effectively cut out 80%+ of your potential buyers. All the other marketing stuff that agents offer such as open houses, color ads in nice magazines etc. are not very effective and you can do without it or do it yourself if you are compelled to do so. Ask the listing agent to give you a list of houses in the area with address and listing prices, sold prices, CDOM and ADOM in case you are in a non-disclosure state and set the price yourself. You want to price right, not too low but also not too high to avoid getting a stale listing that is shunned. Since the market is not that superhot no more, the exposure to the MLS is very desirable.

An other option instead of a flat listing fee is the ‘exclusive agency’ listing. Real estate agents truly dislike the ‘exclusive agency’ listing which allows you to market and sell the house while the agent tries to sell it too. If you find the buyer, the agent gets absolutely nothing compared to the traditional listing of ‘exclusive right to sell’ where he gets paid regardless when the house is sold.