ListingSpark is a real estate brokerage firm and For Sale By Owner platform. It caters to a select few markets in Texas. In this blog, we’ll give you the skinny on ListingSpark pricing, services, ListingSpark reviews, and whether their $7/day model is legit or not.
Key Takeaways
- It is NOT $7/Day: ListingSpark bills monthly. An average home sells in 55-70 days. So budget at least $588. Likely more in the current market.
- High Hidden Fees: ListingSpark charges a $196 Termination Fee, $350 Transaction Coordination Fee (if no buyer’s agent), and fees related to Spark Title.
- Basic Technology: ListingSpark technology does not help you manage showings or offers. The listing is also manual, so time to list and to make listing changes is high.
- Bottom Line: For most Texas home sellers, we recommend listing with Houzeo instead. Houzeo has great reviews, no hidden fees, and is fast!
What is ListingSpark?
ListingSpark is an FSBO listing platform and one of the licensed real estate brokerages based out of Texas with headquarters in Austin, TX.
It helps you list your home on Multiple Listing Service (MLS) for $7/day, skipping the average real estate agent commission. Owned by Aaron Jistel, the company also provides title and closing services under its title company, SparkTitle.
ListingSpark real estate services, however, have significant downsides.
How Does ListingSpark Work?
⭐ STEP 1- Select a Package
Select one of the two ListingSpark real estate packages to list your home on MLS:
Package 1: $7/day pay-as-you-go
Package 2: 0.5% of the sales price at closing
⭐ STEP 2- Enter Property Details to List Your Home
Describe your listing, and upload photos and videos of your home to create an appealing virtual tour of your home.
Once payment and details are verified, ListingSpark will list your home on MLS and other real estate platforms for a daily fee.
⭐ STEP 3- Manage Showings
Interested buyers will contact you for showings and inquiries upon finding your home on any of the listing sites.
⭐ STEP 4- Sell Your Home
When you’ve decided to move on with one of the offers, you can enlist the help of ListingSpark’s services to get the paperwork started.
How Will ListingSpark Help You as a Seller?
⭐ Technical Support
ListingSpark will list your home on MLS, but you will be left to handle all inquiries and sales processes on your own. As a first-time FSBO seller, this can be overwhelming.
⭐ Agent on Demand
If you want further help in selling your home, you can hire one of their real estate agents for $975. The agent will help you with negotiations, pricing reviews, and contract compliance.
⭐ Title and Closing Services
ListingSpark offers title insurance and escrow services under Spark Title. Spark Title is in Austin, TX.
⭐ Other Services
- Lockbox: A real estate lockbox is a padlock-shaped device attached to the doorknob of your house. It secures the house and gives access to buyer’s agents who undertake the showings.
- Photography: ListingSpark provides a professional photography service to help you create a visually appealing tour of your house.
- Yard Sign: ListingSpace delivers to you a For Sale yard sign as a part of their basic service.
💲 All The Benefits and Maximum Savings
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$7/day Listing Fee: What’s the Catch?
⭐ It is NOT $7/Day, You’ll be Billed Monthly
The charges of ListingSpark real estate services are accrued on a 28-day billing cycle. So, even if you choose the $7/day subscription plan, you will be billed $196 every 28 days for as long as you list with them.
⭐ Charges Add Up As You List Longer
On average, a house sits on the market for 55-70 days. Going by the $7/day listing fee, it’ll cost you almost $500 to list your home on MLS. So, the longer your home sits on the market, the higher the charges you’ll pay.
⭐ You’ll Pay a $196 Termination Fee if You Cancel the Subscription
If you opt to cancel the subscription before the sale of your house, you will need to pay a minimum termination cost of $196.
⭐ You’ll Be Charged $350 For Unrepresented Buyer
As a seller on the MLS, you are required to offer a commission to a buyer’s agent. For an unrepresented buyer, however, you may be charged a Transaction Facilitation Fee of $350 at the closing.
⭐ Spark Title Involves High Closing Costs
ListingSpark makes an extra $$$ from their affiliated title company, SparkTitle. SparkTitle opens a title for you for free once you sign up for ListingSpark, but you’ll pay multiple fees at the closing stage.
👉 Closing Costs for Sellers: Know what your closing costs cover and ways you can lower them
⭐ Lockbox Facility Has No Guarantees
ListingSpark offers a locking service, but it’s not guaranteed to deter theft or unauthorized entry. The site specifies that it does not always control who has access to any lockbox. So, ListingSpark won’t be responsible for determining whether a lockbox has been used. In case of any damage or theft, you will have to pay $150 lockbox fees.
ListingSpark Coverage
The company ListingSpark offers Flat Fee MLS services in only one state, Texas.
ListingSpark covers the markets of Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Waco, Bryan/College Station, Corpus Christi, and Killeen/Temple.
- 💡 FACT: Houzeo’s Flat Fee MLS & For Sale By Owner Packages are available nationwide. Find your state here.
ListingSpark: Pros and Cons
✅ Pros
- Lists your property on MLS and other real estate websites like Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, Redfin, etc.
- Provides For Sale sign, professional photography service, and lockbox facility.
- Responsive to emails and phone calls.
- User-friendly interface that helps you navigate and manage your listing easily.
❌ Cons
- The $7/day Pay-as-you-go plan becomes costly in the long run. It doesn’t cover most services needed to make home selling hassle-free and successful.
- Operates only in Texas.
- You pay a buyer’s agent commission as a Transaction Facilitation Fee if the buyer is unrepresented.
- You pay a termination cost if you decide to terminate your listing at any point.
ListingSpark Customer Reviews
Most ListingSpark reviewers praise their strong customer service but highlight their additional costs.
ListingSpark Positive Customer Reviews
✅ Brenda in Texas raved about their customer service.
✅ Stephanie praised ListingSpark’s easy listing process and responsive staff.
ListingSpark Negative Customer Reviews
❌ Garrett highlighted ListingSpark’s unexpected closing costs.
❌ Barry highlighted ListingSpark’s additional costs he was unaware of.
Who is ListingSpark Suitable For?
- Sellers who don’t care about the additional charges.
- Experienced sellers who already know the steps involved in selling a house in America and who can manage most things on their own.
- Home sellers who have a hot property that can sell fast.
👉 How to Sell My House Fast: Find out how you can sell your house fast and maximize your net proceeds
Best Cost-Effective Alternatives to ListingSpark
We suggest some better alternatives to list the property on MLS. Since most of the following companies offer flat fee MLS and services with no additional fees, it will ensure that your listing experience is stress-free.
1. Houzeo.com
🔥 BEST FLAT FEE MLS LISTING SERVICE
Houzeo.com
- Listing Fee: $349+
- Available nationwide
4.9/ 5.0
(4,351 reviews)
4.9/ 5.0
(4,351 reviews)Why It’s #1: Houzeo has thousands of 5-star reviews. It offers the best combination of maximum savings, advanced technology, 5-star customer support, and listing exposure.
Packages: Houzeo typically offers 4 Flat Fee MLS packages.
- Bronze Package – $299+: It is the best for selling a lot. Your listing gets syndicated to Zillow, Trulia, Realtor, Redfin, and more.
- Silver Package – $349+: This includes everything that home sellers typically look for.
- Gold Package – $399+: It is Houzeo’s signature MLS package and includes all the technology Houzeo is known for Houzeo Showings, Houzeo Offers, and DigiTransact.
- Platinum – $999+: It includes the assistance of a licensed broker to help you with negotiations, disclosures, and closing.
👉 Our Take: We recommend the GOLD plan. You’ll have all the access to Houzeo tech, making managing showings and offer negotiations easy!
» Houzeo Reviews: Houzeo is 100% online. You can finish listing formalities in less than 60 mins.
- Near Nationwide Coverage: Houzeo covers 47 states + DC.
- No Listing Agent Commission: With Houzeo, you only pay a small flat fee to list on MLS and get access to all the Houzeo tech.
- 100% online: Easy listing, fast changes, online showings, and online offers.
- Max Exposure: Listings get syndicated to Zillow, Realtor.com, Trulia, Redfin, and 100s of other real estate sites.
- Fast Listing: Rush listing option gets you listed within a business day with Houzeo Concierge.
- Real Estate On the Go: Houzeo Mobile App mimics most functionality of the Houzeo web platform, including Offers and Showings.
- 5-Star Customer Service: Superb support that minimizes Houzeo complaints.
- No Hidden Fees: There are no Houzeo hidden fees.
» Is Houzeo Legit: Learn more about Houzeo.com’s locations and services.
Houzeo has 4.9 out of 5 stars on Google & Trustpilot.
» Houzeo Reviews: Check out what customers have to say about Houzeo.
Houzeo is available nationwide.
2. Creekview Realty
EXPENSIVE PACKAGES
Creekview Realty
- Listing Fee: $600 - $1,400
- List within 48 hours
- 4.8/5.0
(88 reviews)
4.8/5.0
(88 reviews)Creekview Realty offers 2 expensive MLS listing packages, including one full-representation package.
- Basic Package – $600: It includes a listing term of 6 months. Other services include realtor key box usage, CSS scheduling service, yard sign, and all forms. The seller can cancel at any time.
- Full-Representation Package – $1,400: The package has all the services from the basic package. Additionally, sellers get full representation services, including contracts, repair negotiations, and other paperwork assistance.
Listing Upgrades: If you want to make any changes to your listing, you must purchase upgrades separately. We’ve summarized all enhancements below.
- Professional Photography: $225
- Comparative Market Analysis: $100
- Additional Yard Sign: $50
👉 Our Take: We recommend their Full-Representation Package of $1,400. With the package, you’ll receive services similar to those from a traditional agent.
Creekview Realty may be an excellent option if you are an inexperienced seller or expect a complicated sale. Here are some of its advantages.
- Easy for First-Time Seller: If you are an inexperienced seller, then selling with them can be easy but costly.
- Strong Customer Support: Creekview Realty has an excellent 4.8 out of 5-star rating on Google Reviews. This indicates they provide strong support to their customers.
- Full Coverage in Texas: With offices in Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, and Houston, Creekview has a good reputation and serves the majority of Texas markets.
In our research, we found some primary deal breakers with Creekview Realty.
- Expensive Packages: Creekview Realty offers only two packages. The $600 package is not a great deal – sellers can get a similar package for much less. Additionally, you will need to pay for extra services such as photography and put down a $100 deposit for a lockbox, so your final bill will likely be higher than $600. However, Creekview Realty’s $1,400 full-service package could be a better option, if you are ready to pay more.
- Insufficient Information on their Website: Creekview Realty’s website doesn’t mention how many photos you can upload or how many changes you can make to your listing.
Creekview Realty has 4.8 out of 5 stars (88 reviews) on Google.
Creekview Realty Reviews: Check Creekview Realty Google reviews and choose accordingly!
Other Options You Should Consider
1. Sell to iBuyers
iBuyers make an offer on your property within 24-48 hours and can close within 7 days or more. Most iBuyers like Opendoor and Offerpad are also known to offer the Fair Market Value (FMV) for your property.
Selling to an iBuyer has certain significant drawbacks. These include:
- Limited coverage, restricted to metro and urban areas
- Strict eligibility criteria without exceptions
- Non-negotiable offers
- 5% service fee
- 2% – 8% repair costs
👉 Our Take: We recommend iBuyers if your house meets the iBuyer company’s eligibility criteria.
» iBuyer Reviews: Check out rankings, pros, cons & alternatives of top iBuyers in America
2. Sell to “We Buy Homes for Cash” Companies
Unlike iBuyers, “We buy homes for cash” companies help you sell your house as-is fast. They can even close within 7 days or any date you choose. “We buy homes for cash” companies also make cash offers for homes outside metro areas or in difficult-to-sell locations.
Here’s why traditional cash home buyers could be a bad option for you than an iBuyer:
- They make lowball offers and offer only 50% – 70% of market value.
- Their offers are non-negotiable
👉 Our Take: We recommend selling to a cash home buyer if you are selling a distressed house “as-is” without looking for the best price.
» “We Buy Homes for Cash” Companies: Check out America’s biggest cash home buyer companies in 2023
“We Buy Homes for Cash” Companies Near You
3. Sell With Flat Fee MLS Services
The most effective method for customers to buy or sell a house is through MLS listing websites. 95% of homebuyers use online tools to find their dream homes. And 89% of home sellers chose the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) to sell their homes quickly.
Listing with a Flat Fee MLS service gets your house on the market within just 24-48 hours. Flat Fee MLS is one of the best ways to sell your house fast, and it has 4 major benefits:
- MLS is the fastest way to hit the market, plus your listing is syndicated to Zillow, Realtor.com, etc.
- Your listing gets maximum exposure.
- You can negotiate all offers.
- You skip paying commission or service fees.
👉 Our Take: We recommend Flat Fee MLS companies for most home sellers. They are fast, and you will save thousands in commissions.
Should You List With ListingSpark?
We do not recommend ListingSpark to most Texas home sellers. The service has just too many additional charges that are not fully transparent in the $7/day slogan. Houzeo discloses all charges upfront.
👉 Flat Fee MLS Texas: Check out our rankings of the best Flat Fee MLS services in Texas!
FAQs
1. What is ListingSpark in real estate?
ListingSpark is a tech-driven Austin-based FSBO listing platform and a real estate brokerage firm that helps you to list your home on Multiple Listing Service (MLS) for a subscription fee.
2. Is Listing Spark legit?
While ListingSpark is a legit licensed brokerage firm, the claim of $7/day has many layers of additional costs that may plunge you into losses rather than gains at the end.
Resources for Home Sellers
- Selling A House As Is: Selling a house “as is” is the best option for home sellers who want to save time and money. Here is a handful of information that you need to know beforehand.
- Discount Real Estate Brokers: Check out our rankings of the best Discount Real Estate Brokers in America.
- Companies That Buy Houses For Cash: Home sellers have less paperwork and inspections when they opt to sell their houses to cash companies. Learn everything you need to know about cash companies.
- How to Sell a House by Owner: Know the ins and outs of selling a house on your own in America in our comprehensive guide.
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