Updated October 2026. This page is about the paperwork: the eight clauses to read in any flat fee realtor’s listing agreement before you sign, with Beycome’s own terms shown next to each one.
Before you hire a flat fee realtor, read eight lines of the listing agreement: the fee, when it’s earned, anything due at closing, the term, cancellation, refunds, photo or change limits, and buyer-agent compensation. As of October 2026, entry plans we checked ran from $85 to $499 upfront, and several add 0.1% to 1.25% at closing.
Jump to: 🪜 The 8 clauses · 💲 Closing fees · ⏱️ Term & cancel · 🤝 Who does what · ❓ FAQ
Key takeaways
- “Flat fee” on the home page doesn’t always mean flat at closing. Look for the words “at closing”, “compliance fee” or “minimum commission”.
- Check when the fee is earned. At Beycome, it’s earned when the listing is published on the MLS, and $0 is due to Beycome at closing.
- Compare the listing term and photo limits, not just price. Six months with 25 photos is a different product from the MLS maximum.
- Since August 17, 2024, buyer-agent compensation can’t be offered on the MLS. A good agreement says plainly who decides it. At Beycome, you do.
A flat fee realtor is a licensed broker who lists your home on the MLS for a set price instead of a percentage. Service levels range from a bare MLS entry to full help with pricing and negotiation. If you’re still choosing a level, our guide to flat fee listing agent service levels lays them side by side. This page assumes you’ve picked one and now have an agreement in front of you.
Which clauses should you read before signing?
Here are the eight that change what you pay or what you can do. Beycome’s answer is in the last column, from our listing agreement and package pages this month.
| Clause | What to look for | Beycome |
|---|---|---|
| Fee | A dollar figure, paid when | Basic $99, Enhanced $399, Concierge $1,399, paid when you choose a package |
| When it’s earned | At listing, at sale, or both | Earned when the listing is published on the MLS |
| Due at closing | “Compliance fee”, “transaction fee”, “minimum commission” | $0 due to Beycome at closing |
| Listing type | Exclusive right to sell, exclusive agency, open listing | Exclusive right to sell with limited services (open listing where the state allows) |
| Term | Months, renewal fees | The maximum the state and MLS allow**, no renewal fee |
| Cancellation and refund | Fees, conditions, refund policy | No cancellation fee*; no refund once the listing is live |
| Photos and changes | Photo caps, paid edits | Maximum photos the MLS allows; unlimited changes at no charge |
| Buyer-agent compensation | Who sets it, who pays it | Your choice; Beycome doesn’t set, collect or pay it |
Read the agreement itself, not a summary. Nolo has plain-English articles on listing agreements, and a real estate attorney can review one for a modest fee if anything looks off.
How do you spot a fee at closing?
Search the agreement and the pricing page for three phrases: “at closing”, “compliance fee” and “minimum”. They’re where a flat fee stops being flat. Here’s what several companies’ own pages said when we read them on October 20, 2026 (named, not linked):
- Houzeo: Bronze $399 with $0 at close; Silver $449 plus 0.5%, Gold $479 plus 1% and Platinum $499 plus 1.25% at close, with a $999 minimum commission on Silver and up.
- List With Freedom: from $89 plus a 0.5% “compliance fee” at closing on its Gold plan, 0.25% on higher plans.
- Unreal Estate: from $85 plus a 0.5% compliance fee if you close.
- HomeZu (Florida and Texas pages): from $399 plus a 0.1% transaction fee at closing.
- Brokerless ($99) and Homecoin ($149) say they charge nothing at closing.
On a $417,500 sale, the September 2026 national median from NAR, a 0.5% closing fee is $2,087.50 on top of the upfront price. Houzeo’s 1.25% Platinum fee would be $5,218.75. These are their published rates, not commissions you negotiate with a buyer’s agent, but the same note applies to every % figure on this page: commissions are not set by law or NAR rules and are fully negotiable, sellers choose whether to offer buyer-agent compensation and how much, and such offers can’t be shown on the MLS since August 17, 2024.
To be fair, a closing fee isn’t hidden if it’s printed on the page, and some sellers prefer paying less upfront. Just put it in your math. Our breakdown of how a flat rate commission is paid runs the full totals.
What should the term and cancellation lines say?
The term is how long the listing stays on the MLS before it expires. Six months sounds like plenty until a slow winter. Then you pay to renew, or your listing goes dark. Houzeo’s Bronze plan, for example, lists 6 months and 25 photos; its Platinum plan gives 12 months (read October 20, 2026).
Beycome’s term is the maximum the state and MLS allow: 24 months in most places, 12 in Maryland and Pennsylvania, with no renewal fee.
Cancellation is the other half. Look for any fee, any condition tied to offers, and what happens to your money. At Beycome you can cancel with no cancellation fee, except Georgia MLS’s mandatory $25. A listing under contract can’t be canceled, and there’s no refund once it’s live. Most flat fee companies we read have a similar no-refund rule, so that part is normal.
Who does what under the agreement?
A limited-service listing means the broker does some jobs and you do others. The agreement, or the package page it points to, should spell that out. Here’s how it splits at Beycome:
- Beycome: gets your listing onto the major home search sites and the MLS; handles MLS rules and updates; provides state forms and e-signature.
- You: set the price, host showings (with ShowingTime where your MLS offers it), review offers and decide every term.
- Artur AI assistant: helps with offers and negotiation on Basic and Enhanced. It’s software, not a person.
- Concierge: an expert works with you on pricing, negotiation and paperwork whenever you need it, with a closing coordinator 7 days a week. You still make every call.
If you want that fuller help, the Concierge flat fee realtor package is the one to read. If you’d rather keep the work and the savings, the Basic and Enhanced packages start at $99. Beycome lists in 17 states and DC.
What does the agreement say about the buyer’s agent?
This clause changed the most in 2024. Under NAR’s settlement practice changes, offers of compensation to buyer brokers can’t be made on an MLS. A listing agreement written after August 17, 2024 should say so, and say who decides whether to offer anything.
Sell smarter
List your home on the MLS from $99
A flat fee instead of a percentage, and $0 to Beycome at closing. You stay in control of your sale.
Sell your home →Buy smarter
Get up to 2% back at closing
On homes listed by other agents, Beycome credits you up to 2% of the price at closing (1% kept, $1,499 minimum; not on FSBO homes or homes listed by Beycome sellers).
Buy a home →In Beycome’s agreement, Beycome doesn’t offer compensation to buyer brokers through the MLS and pays $0 to them. If you choose to pay one, you agree it directly with that broker in writing. There’s a free template in your dashboard under Legal Forms. Our article on buyer agent commission for sellers covers how to decide, and the National Association of Realtors posts its settlement FAQs.
Plenty of our sellers close with a buyer’s agent on the other side; we work with them every day. Others sell to a buyer with no agent. In Beycome internal data for 2026, about 36% of Beycome sales closed so far had a buyer with no agent.
Is the broker actually licensed where you live?
Ask which brokerage holds the license in your state, then check it on your state’s real estate commission site. It takes two minutes. Beycome is licensed in 18 states and DC and lists in 17 states and DC, through licensed affiliates. Beycome has helped 22,000+ homeowners sell and saved them over $225 million (Beycome internal data, October 2026).
For fair-housing and settlement rights during the sale, HUD and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau both publish consumer guides.
More from this series, each on its own question:
- Flat fee buyer agents, seen from the seller’s side.
- Where to spend what a flat fee saves.
- Selling and buying at once.
- FSBO first or MLS first.
- Flat fee MLS alternatives compared.
Need a price before you sign anything? Try the home valuation calculator.
Flat fee realtor agreement questions
What is a flat fee realtor?
A licensed broker who lists your home on the MLS for a set price instead of a percentage of the sale. Services vary by package.
Do flat fee realtors charge anything at closing?
Some do. Several add 0.1% to 1.25% or a minimum at closing. Beycome charges $0 at closing.
Can I cancel a flat fee listing agreement?
Usually, with conditions. At Beycome there’s no cancellation fee except Georgia MLS’s $25, and you can’t cancel once under contract.
Who pays the buyer’s agent with a flat fee listing?
You decide. You can offer nothing, or agree a fee with the buyer’s broker in writing. It can’t be offered on the MLS.
Do I need a realtor to sell my house?
No, it’s not required; it’s your choice. A full-service agent does most tasks for a commission; a flat fee realtor costs less and you handle more.
What does “exclusive right to sell with limited services” mean?
One broker holds the listing, but provides a set list of services. At Beycome, nothing more is owed at closing even if you find the buyer.
* Cancel free: no cancellation fee, except Georgia MLS’s mandatory $25; listings under contract can’t be canceled; no refund once the listing is live. ** Listing term: the maximum the state and MLS allow (24 months; 12 in MD and PA).
Beycome prices as of November 2026: Basic $99, Enhanced $399; Concierge $1,399. Basic is $129 in California and Illinois. “$0 at closing” means no Beycome fee at closing; taxes, title costs and any buyer-agent compensation you agree to still apply. Competitor prices are from their own sites, read October 20, 2026, and may change.
All % figures are examples or published rates. Beycome figures are Beycome internal data, 2026. General information, not legal advice; rules vary by state and MLS.
Sources
- NAR, Settlement FAQs, read October 28, 2026.
- NAR, Existing-Home Sales, September 2026, read October 28, 2026.
- Houzeo, List With Freedom, Unreal Estate, HomeZu, Brokerless and Homecoin pricing pages, read October 20, 2026.
- Beycome, listing package features, October 2026.
- Beycome, Concierge package, October 2026.
Disclosure & Disclaimer
Beycome provides real estate services through affiliated licensed brokerages and has a commercial interest in the services and business models discussed on this blog. Content reflects Beycome’s perspective and may promote our services; it should not be treated as independent or neutral reporting.
Articles are provided for general informational and educational purposes only, not as financial, tax, legal, or investment advice or a recommendation for your particular situation. Reading this blog does not create a brokerage, advisory, or other professional relationship.
Information, opinions, pricing, service descriptions, and comparisons reflect the sources and information available when an article was published or last updated and may change. Although we aim for accuracy, we do not guarantee that all content is complete, current, or applicable to your circumstances. Laws, market conditions, and service availability vary by location. Examples and estimated savings are illustrative, depend on stated assumptions, and do not guarantee individual results.
Verify relevant information directly and consult qualified professionals before making decisions. Beycome services are subject to applicable agreements, eligibility requirements, and state-specific terms.
