Frequently asked questions about ListingSpark

ListingSpark is a real estate technology company whose goal is to provide clients with a great home buying or selling experience at a fraction of the cost of traditional real estate brokerages.

Get started by clicking on the "Get Started" button in the upper right hand corner, entering your home details, and creating your free ListingSpark account to list your home or property.

Yes, you can complete your entire ListingSpark listing online by following our guided process that will walk you step by step through each phase.

It takes about 20 minutes to create a listing using ListingSpark. We'll ask for details about your home, you'll set your price, and e-sign any necessary documents.

Once your listing is completed, our team gets to work reviewing and submitting your listing to your MLS. We'll also ship you a lockbox and send a photographer to take pictures of your home. If there is any additional information that needs to be verified our team will reach out to you by email. Once the listing is live, you will receive a link to your MLS listing, be able to set up showings, and be able to start receiving offers.

A listing will typically go live same day, depending on what additional information may be required, after all of the listing information has been completed and pictures have been provided. If you use ListingSpark's free professional photographer the average turnaround time to receive pictures is 4-5 days.

Your ListingSpark listing stays active on the MLS until your home sells or you choose to cancel with no short expiration date to track or renew. You can keep your home listed for as long as you need to find the right buyer, and you can update the price or details at any time through your dashboard at no extra cost. Many MLSs require a 12 month listing agreement, which will auto-renew or be cancellable any time.

The MLS (or Multiple Listing Service) is a real estate database that is used by brokers and agents to list properties for sale. It is a way for buyers and sellers to find each other and to see what is available on the market. The MLS also provides information on recent sales, trends, and prices. The MLS is an important tool for real estate professionals, and is an essential tool for anyone interested in buying or selling a property. Having your property on the MLS is also the launchpad for your listing to be accessible on all the other 3rd party sites.

The MLS is a database of homes for sale that is only accessible to real estate agents and licensed brokerages. This means that if you want to list your home on the MLS, you will need to find a real estate agent or brokerage who is willing to work with you. ListingSpark's technology and brokerage-based MLS participation gets you into the MLS quickly without the typical 3% barrier to entry most listing agents are going to charge in commissions.

We list your home on the MLS (the #1 resource for home buyers) as well as every major real estate website. Your listing will be posted on Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, Redfin, and 100+ other sites, ensuring buyers see your home.

ListingSpark listings show up as 'agent listed' on Zillow, which is where most buyers are searching on Zillow, not the less accessible FSBO section for self listing sellers.

Yes, it's very important that you review your listing documents for information that could be misleading because sellers can run into potential legal liability with the buyer. Once your listing is submitted, we'll send you a link to your live MLS listing. Please review it promptly and let us know if anything looks inaccurate (square footage, beds/baths, features, etc.). MLSs hold the listing brokerage and seller responsible for accurate information, so catching errors early protects you and helps your home show up correctly across all the sites your listing syndicates to. You can request changes anytime through your dashboard or by contacting our support team.

ListingSpark is a licensed real estate brokerage in Texas, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee. When you list with us, your home is placed on the local MLS that serves your property's area, the same MLS that local agents use, and then syndicated out to Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, and 100+ other sites. If you're not sure whether we cover your area, reach out and we'll confirm.

Yes, ListingSpark can list land or lots for sale.

Yes, you can list as many properties for sale as you want using ListingSpark.

You can make changes for free to your listing as often as you would like through your ListingSpark account.

No, ListingSpark pays for all photography costs! We will send a professional photographer to your home at any time that works best for you to take professional pictures of your home.

You can use your own photos, however we highly recommend that you take advantage of the free professional photographer provided by ListingSpark.

Photo Rules: You may only use original photos that you have taken or have written permission to use. You may not use: screenshots of photos, thumbnails of photos, Google Maps photos, photos with yard signs or other contact information in them, photos with writing on them, or photos with watermarks on them.

ListingSpark ships you a free digital lockbox allowing buyer's agents to easily show your home. You can also show your home yourself if you would like. The lockbox will track anytime it is accessed by an agent and report that information in your ListingSpark account.

Showings are logged and managed through your ListingSpark dashboard and ShowingTime. When a buyer's agent wants to see your home, you'll receive a showing request by text or email and can approve or decline it so you stay in control of when people come through. We ship you a free SUPRA lockbox that lets verified agents access the home for approved showings, and it records each time it's opened so you can see showing activity in your account.

Buyer's agents reach out to our listing team that's available 7 days a week so nothing slips through the cracks to schedule showings and submit offers, and unrepresented ("FSBO") buyers can contact you using your yard sign. We work closely with you to promptly keep you up to date on questions, showings, and all offers come straight into your ListingSpark dashboard.

When you list with ListingSpark, we are listed as your broker in the MLS. Agents are not allowed to reach out to solicit your business once you are working with a broker.

Open houses can help, but they matter less than they used to — the vast majority of buyers start their search online, so great photos and accurate pricing do most of the heavy lifting. If you have the time, an open house can create urgency and bring in nearby buyers, especially in the first couple weeks of your listing. If you host one, declutter, secure valuables and any sensitive documents, and make sure the home is clean and well-lit. ListingSpark's Premium plan includes open house signage to help you promote it.

Staging helps buyers picture themselves in the space, but you usually don't need to hire a professional. For most homes, decluttering, deep cleaning, depersonalizing (removing family photos and excess decor), and arranging existing furniture to show off each room's purpose is enough. Professional staging is most worth considering for vacant homes or higher-end properties where empty rooms are hard to visualize. Whatever you do, finish staging before your professional photos are taken. Virtual staging is also a viable alternative that's included in the ListingSpark Premium plans.

No, ListingSpark believes that you do NOT need to pay a seller's agent a 3% commission to effectively sell your home. With ListingSpark you pay for only the plan you selected. There are no additional hidden fees or commissions.

Unlike most traditional agents and brokers, rather than charging a percentage-based commission (6% is what we most commonly see in Texas), ListingSpark charges a low flat rate no matter what the final sales price is. On top of the ListingSpark fee, you are free to choose whether or not you would like to offer a buyer's agent commission and how much that would be. Most of our sellers choose to invest their savings on the listing side and offer a commission to the buyer's agent to help drive traffic to their listing.

See ListingSpark pricing and plans

The amount of the commission can vary depending on the area and the type of home, but it is typically around 6% of the final sales price. So, if you are selling a home for $400,000, the commission would be $24,000. The buyer's agent would then receive half of that, or $12,000.

In August 2024, new rules from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) settlement took effect and changed how buyer's agent commissions work. Two things matter most for sellers:

1. Buyer's agent commission can no longer be advertised in the MLS. You can still choose to offer compensation to a buyer's agent, but it's now negotiated outside the MLS, typically in the purchase contract. This is one reason why it's helpful to have our 7 day a week support team to help handle any inbound inquiries from prospective buyers and agents.

2. Buyers now sign a written agreement with their agent before touring homes, spelling out how that agent gets paid.

What this means in practice: offering a buyer's agent commission is completely optional and fully negotiable. Many sellers still choose to offer one to attract more buyers, but it's your call. With ListingSpark you decide whether to offer a commission, offer a buyer credit instead, or offer nothing at all.

No, offering a buyer's agent commission is entirely your choice. Many sellers still offer 3% to incentivize agents to bring buyers, and you can also offer a credit the buyer can put toward their own agent or closing costs. You're also free to offer nothing at all, though keep in mind that most listings offer some compensation, and offering none could reduce buyer-agent traffic to your home. Whatever you decide, you are never obligated to accept any offer from anyone.

Price is only one piece of an offer. When comparing offers, also weigh: the buyer's financing (cash vs. mortgage, and whether they're pre-approved), the size of the earnest money deposit, contingencies (financing, appraisal, inspection, home-sale), the proposed closing timeline, and any concessions or credits requested. A slightly lower offer from a well-qualified buyer with few contingencies can be stronger and more likely to close than a higher offer that's shaky. If you receive several offers, you can ask everyone to submit their "highest and best." All of your offers come into your ListingSpark dashboard so you can compare them side by side. We also have an optional upgrade for Agent on Demand to have an experienced agent step in to assist with reviewing, countering and strategizing all the way through closing.

Don't take a low offer personally, and don't ignore it. A counteroffer keeps the conversation going and can lead to a deal. Counter at or near the lowest number you'd realistically accept, and lean on your pricing data to back up your position. Sometimes a low opening offer is just a buyer testing the waters, and a confident, well-supported counter brings them to a fair price.

Pricing is the single biggest factor in how quickly your home sells and for how much. The goal is to price in line with what comparable homes ("comps") in your area have actually sold for recently, not just what similar homes are currently listed at, and not an emotional number. In all our plans, we include the ability to set up a call with one of our experienced agents to discuss your local market, data we are seeing, and what the most ideal strategy would be to make you successful.

Get a free Comparative Market Analysis

A Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) is a report and strategy session that estimates your home's value by comparing it to similar nearby homes that have recently sold, are currently for sale, or were taken off the market. It's the same approach agents use to recommend a list price. ListingSpark offers a free CMA call with an experienced agent, and our pricing tools use MLS data to help you land on a competitive number with confidence.

Get a free Comparative Market Analysis

Once you accept an offer, your home goes "under contract" and moves toward closing, which typically takes 30-45 days. Here's the general flow: the buyer typically submits earnest money, completes any inspections and appraisal, and finalizes their financing, while title work is opened to make sure the property can transfer cleanly. ListingSpark handles the paperwork for you (all the contracts, forms, and addenda are generated and e-signed online) and you can close remotely, signing online if the county allows e-signatures or with a traveling notary at no extra cost. Our team and built-in title process help keep everything on track through to closing day.

Estimate your closing costs with the net sheet calculator

ListingSpark provides title and closing services through Spark Title, our title company. We open a title for you once you sign up for ListingSpark, so the title can be ready even before you have an offer. Spark Title is currently only offered in Texas; other locations coming soon.

No, ListingSpark doesn't require you to work with any particular title company, including Spark Title. However, we strongly encourage considering Spark Title for a smoother process and additional benefits. When you engage with Spark Title during the listing setup, they proactively handle the title work, often resulting in faster closings and offer competitive fees. As a sister company, communication between ListingSpark and Spark Title is seamless. Ultimately, the choice of title company is yours.

Technically yes, but Spark Title was designed specifically to help you maximize your profits and make closing a breeze. If you choose to work with another title company, you're missing out on a huge benefit of working with a brokerage that has a sister title company, and a process that no one else offers in Texas.

Yes, ListingSpark provides the disclosure forms that you are required to provide to buyers. You will fill and sign them electronically through your ListingSpark account.

ListingSpark offers two payment options. Our Spark plan for $2,995 ($395 paid up front and the remainder paid only when your house sells) and our Premium plan for $4,495 ($995 paid up front and the remainder paid only at close).

See ListingSpark pricing and plans

No, ListingSpark clients will be billed a flat sign-up fee depending on their selected plan. When your home sells, the remaining total for your selected plan will be paid at closing.

Yes, you can cancel your listing with ListingSpark at any time. If you're not happy, simply inform us that you want to cancel your listing, and we'll take it down. The upfront setup fee is refundable before your listing goes live; once your listing is live it is non-refundable because it covers setup services we have already provided, like photos, your sign, the lockbox, and listing setup. In cases where a contract has been executed or you are actively negotiating with a buyer, MLS regulations mandate that we leave the listing in a pending status until the listing closes or the contract is terminated.

We are here to help! ListingSpark has a support team available 7 days a week through chat, email, or phone, from 9:00am (Central) to 8:00pm (Central).

Most definitely. ListingSpark is a licensed real estate brokerage firm in Texas, Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee.

Yes, some of the best in the industry, who are eager to help you get your home sold. Considering our annual volume of listings, our agents see more situations annually than most agents see in their entire career, so you're in good hands with ListingSpark.