Quick answer: A 1% listing means your house is listed on the MLS like any other listing, but the listing fee is 1% of the sale price. HOMKEYS offers it through our licensed Florida real estate partner, because HOMKEYS is not a brokerage. Any pay to a buyer’s agent is separate and negotiable. A lower listing fee can leave more money with you, but a listing still takes time, and no one can promise a price or a date.
Many Florida owners want the reach of the open market without giving a large share of the sale price to fees. A 1% listing is one way to do that. This guide explains how it works, what a listing agent does, how the cost compares with a typical commission, and when a cash sale or creative terms may fit you better.
What Is a 1% Listing?
A listing is when a licensed real estate brokerage markets your home for sale, most often on the MLS. MLS stands for Multiple Listing Service. It is the shared database agents use to find homes for their buyers.
In a 1% listing, the fee for the listing side is 1% of the final sale price. The home is still a full MLS listing.
HOMKEYS LLC is not a real estate brokerage, and we do not list homes ourselves. When you choose a 1% listing with us, the listing goes through our licensed Florida real estate partner. You sign a listing agreement with that brokerage, and the licensed partner brokerage handles the listing.
How a 1% Listing Works, Step by Step
1. Compare your options
We look at your house, your loan, and your timing. When they fit, we show you a 1% listing next to a cash offer and creative terms, in writing, so you can compare.
2. Sign a listing agreement
The listing agreement is the contract with the brokerage. It sets the fee, how long the listing lasts, and how it can end. Read all of it, and ask questions before you sign.
3. Set the list price
The agent can show you recent sales of similar homes nearby. You choose the price. A price that is too high can make a home sit.
4. Get the house ready and go live
The home gets photos, a written description, and an MLS entry. You decide whether to make repairs first. In Florida, a seller must disclose known problems that affect value and are not easy to see.
5. Showings, offers, and negotiation
Buyers tour the home and make offers. Florida law requires a transaction broker to present all offers and counteroffers in a timely way, unless you direct otherwise in writing.
6. Under contract to closing
Most buyers need a loan, so expect an inspection, an appraisal, and loan approval. A licensed Florida title company handles the closing and pays out the money as the settlement statement shows.
What a Listing Agent Does
- Pricing help. Pulls recent sales so you can set a realistic price.
- MLS entry. Puts your home in front of agents and buyers who search the MLS.
- Marketing. Photos and a clear description of the home.
- Showings. Sets times for buyers and their agents to see the home.
- Offers. Presents offers to you and helps you respond.
- Paperwork. Helps keep the contract, inspection, and closing dates on track with the title company.
In Florida, the law presumes a real estate licensee works with you as a transaction broker unless a different relationship is set in writing. A transaction broker must deal honestly and fairly, account for all funds, use skill, care, and diligence, and disclose known facts that materially affect the value of a home and are not easy to see. Ask which relationship your listing agreement creates.
The 1% is a full service listing, the same package you would get in a regular transaction: pricing advice, professional photos, the MLS listing and syndication to the big home search sites, showings, offer review and negotiation, and help through inspection, appraisal and closing. Everything is written into the listing agreement with our partner brokerage before you sign.
What It Costs: 1% Compared With a Typical Commission
Real estate commissions in Florida are not set by law. They are negotiable. Since August 17, 2024, under the NAR settlement changes, offers to pay buyer agents are no longer posted on the MLS, and buyers sign written agreements with their own agents. A seller can still choose to offer some pay to a buyer’s agent, or not.
So there are two separate costs to think about: the listing fee, and any buyer agent pay you agree to. A 1% listing changes only the first one.
Example math, for illustration only
The numbers below are an example. They are not a quote, an average, or a prediction of what your home will sell for. The 3% listing fee is a round number we picked to show the math. It is not a typical or required rate.
| Item | 1% Listing | Example 3% Listing Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Example sale price | 300,000 dollars | 300,000 dollars |
| Listing fee | 3,000 dollars | 9,000 dollars |
| Doc stamp tax on the deed (70 cents per 100 dollars in most counties) | 2,100 dollars | 2,100 dollars |
| Buyer agent pay | Only if you agree, negotiable | Only if you agree, negotiable |
| Title costs, repairs, payoff, and holding costs | Varies | Varies |
In this example, the listing fee is 6,000 dollars lower with a 1% listing. The other costs stay the same in both columns, so that 6,000 dollars is the difference. Ask a title company for a written estimate of your net before you decide. Our guide to Florida seller closing costs explains each line.
See cash as is, creative terms and a 1% listing side by side, in writing. It takes about a minute.
See my optionsWho a 1% Listing Fits, Compared With Cash and Creative Terms
| Factor | 1% Listing | Cash, As Is | Creative Terms |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Your home is listed on the MLS through our licensed partner brokerage | HOMKEYS buys the home in its current condition | HOMKEYS buys subject to your mortgage, or you finance the sale |
| Price | Set by the market, often the highest | Usually the lowest | Often higher than cash |
| Speed | Slower, depends on a buyer | Usually the quickest | Often quick |
| Repairs and showings | Repairs are your choice; showings yes | None for you | Usually none for you |
| Main risk | The home may not sell at your price or by your date | You may leave money on the table | The loan may stay in your name, and the due-on-sale clause applies |
A 1% listing often fits when
- The home is in good shape, or you can handle repairs first.
- You have equity left after your loan payoff and costs.
- You can keep paying the mortgage, insurance, taxes, and HOA dues while the home is for sale.
- You do not have a hard move out date.
A cash sale may fit better when
- The home needs major work that buyers’ lenders or insurers may not accept.
- You need a firm closing date.
- You do not want showings.
Creative terms may fit better when
- You owe close to what the home is worth, so fees would use up most of your equity.
- You have a low interest rate loan that has value to a buyer.
- Your home is paid off and you would like monthly income from seller financing.
Learn more in our guides to subject-to home sales and cash offer vs listing vs selling on terms.
Questions to Ask Before You Sign a Listing Agreement
- What does the fee include, and is there a minimum fee?
- How long does the listing last, and how can I end it?
- Do I owe anything if the home does not sell?
- Will I offer any pay to a buyer’s agent? If so, how much?
- Which brokerage relationship does this agreement create?
You can check any Florida real estate license for free with the Florida DBPR license search. Also think about taxes. A higher sale price can mean a larger gain. The IRS lets many owners exclude part of the gain on a main home. A tax professional can tell you how this applies to you.
How HOMKEYS Offers the 1% Listing
HOMKEYS LLC is a Florida home buyer, not a brokerage. We give sellers three ways to sell: a cash purchase as is, creative terms (buying subject to your existing mortgage, or seller financing), and a 1% listing on the MLS through our licensed Florida real estate partner. We put the options that fit your house side by side, in writing. Every closing goes through a licensed Florida title company.
Subject to qualification, property inspection, and transaction terms.
We do not promise a sale price or a sale date. Markets change, and buyers need loans. We also do not give legal or tax advice, and we welcome your attorney’s review of any agreement.
We work with sellers in many Florida areas, including Spring Hill, Port Charlotte, and Fort Myers. See our areas we buy for the full list.
To compare a 1% listing with your other options, tell us about your home or call (305) 914-4191.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a 1% listing mean?
It means the fee for listing your home is 1% of the final sale price. Your home goes on the MLS like other listings. With HOMKEYS, the listing is handled by our licensed Florida real estate partner, because HOMKEYS is not a brokerage. Any pay to a buyer’s agent is a separate choice and is negotiable.
Do I have to pay the buyer’s agent?
Not automatically. Since the NAR settlement changes took effect on August 17, 2024, buyers sign written agreements with their own agents, and offers of buyer agent pay are no longer posted on the MLS. You can choose to pay some, all, or none of it. Buyers may ask for it in their offer, and you can negotiate.
Will my home still be on the MLS?
Yes. A 1% listing is a real MLS listing placed by a licensed brokerage, so agents and buyers who search the MLS can find it. What the fee covers is set in your listing agreement, so read it closely and ask what is included before you sign.
How long will it take to sell with a 1% listing?
No one can promise that. Time on the market depends on price, condition, location, and whether the buyer needs a loan. Our city pages show recent days on market from public data. If you need a firm closing date, compare a cash offer too.
Can I switch to a cash offer if my home does not sell?
You can ask us for one. Any cash or terms offer depends on the house and the numbers at that time, so we cannot promise one in advance. Your listing agreement says how and when the listing can end, so check it first.
Not legal advice. This guide is general information about Florida home sales. Laws change and every situation is different. Talk with a Florida attorney, tax professional, or insurance professional about your own case before you sign anything.
Tell us about the house. We will show you cash, terms and listing side by side, in writing. Subject to qualification, property inspection, and transaction terms.
See my optionsCall (305) 914-4191Sources
⌂ Equal Housing Opportunity. HOMKEYS LLC does not give legal or tax advice. Talk with a Florida real estate attorney or tax professional about your situation.