Flat fee MLS listing in Detroit, Michigan
List your Detroit home on the MLS for a flat package fee rather than a percentage listing commission, choosing how much of the sale you handle yourself.
Before selling a home in Detroit
The thing that catches Detroit sellers out is the water department, not the building department.
The water closing bill can take up to 30 daysDetroit Water and Sewerage has to produce a final water read and a real estate closing bill for the sale, and the department’s own page says the request may take up to 30 days to complete. On a normal closing timetable that is not a formality you can leave until the week before.
You will need identification to request itThe request asks you to verify the last four digits of a social security number, a driver’s license number or a tax identification number, so it is not something a third party can quietly file for you without your details.
Selling a tenanted house is a different transactionDetroit requires rental property to be registered and to hold a Certificate of Compliance, which follows a city property condition inspection and a lead clearance report. Registration does not carry over: the city states that rental registration remains valid permanently unless there is a change in ownership, so the buyer registers again.
Selling your own homeThe city exempts single-family owner-occupied dwellings from the Certificate of Compliance. It is required for commercial buildings, other structures and residential rental property, and an owner-occupied house is carved out by name rather than simply going unmentioned.
Our own advice rather than a city rule: request the water closing bill when the property goes under contract, not when the closing date is set. Thirty days is the department’s own stated outside figure, and a closing can be shorter than that.
Straight from the city: Request a DWSD real estate closing bill
What this is based on, from the city’s own pages:
Summarized from the city’s own published guidance. Requirements change, so confirm anything that affects your closing date with the city directly.
Which school district is this property in?
School district boundaries do not follow city boundaries, so an address in Detroit is not necessarily in the district the city is named after. Enter the address and we will tell you which district the parcel sits in, and link you to that district directly.
School districts in Detroit
All of Detroit is in Detroit Public Schools Community District.
Boundaries near a city line can still surprise you, so check the address above. Boundaries from the U.S. Census Bureau.
What you save on a Detroit sale
Four example prices, using our MLS Listing package at $599. Your own number is the one that matters, and the calculator will do it.
Sale priceAssumed 3% listing sideOffer SupportYou save
$100,000$3,000$1,299$1,701
$160,000$4,800$1,599$3,201
$230,000$6,900$1,949$4,951
$320,000$9,600$2,399$7,201
The comparison column assumes a listing side charge of 3% of the sale price. It is an illustration for comparison, not a rate any brokerage is required to charge; real estate compensation is negotiable and another brokerage may quote you more or less.
Add-ons such as photography, signage and a lockbox are separate and are listed on the add-ons page.
Want it with your mortgage payoff included? Use the proceeds calculator.
What you get for the fee in Detroit
Most people who search for a flat fee listing are trying to do one thing: stop paying a percentage of their own equity to the listing side. The usual way to do that is an entry-only service, where your home goes on the MLS and everything after that is yours to handle.
That is not this. The fee is flat, and how much of the transaction we handle is the package you choose.
How it works, step by step, or the side-by-side comparison.
Detroit sits in Wayne County. Coverage runs across the whole county, and the fee is the same wherever the property is.
Common questions
Does Detroit require an inspection before I sell my house?
Single-family owner-occupied dwellings are named as an exception to the Certificate of Compliance. The programme applies to rental property, so whether the house is tenanted or lived in by you changes what the city expects before the sale.
What is the water closing bill and why does it matter?
Detroit Water and Sewerage produces a final water read and a closing bill for the sale, and the department says the request may take up to 30 days. It is the most common reason a Detroit closing slips, and it is entirely avoidable by starting it early.
I am selling a rented house in Detroit. What changes?
The city requires rental property to be registered and to hold a Certificate of Compliance, which follows a property condition inspection and a lead clearance report. The city states that registration does not survive a change in ownership, so your buyer will register the property again in their own name.
Can you list a house that has tenants in it?
Yes. The lease transfers with the property, so showings are arranged around the tenant and the lease is disclosed to buyers.
What if the home does not sell?
Anything due at closing is only ever charged on a closing, so no sale means none of it is owed. The package fee is paid when you start and is refundable in full until the listing goes on the MLS. You can withdraw in writing at any time before you accept an offer.
How soon can the listing go live?
As soon as 48 hours once we have signed paperwork and your photographs. If we are arranging professional photography, allow time for the shoot to be booked and edited. Same-day entry is a $99 add-on when the file is already complete.
Selling in Detroit? Tell us the address and we will verify we serve your area and recommend a package.
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