Avoid These 3 MLS Mistakes

Louisiana REALTORS • March 6, 2019

The MLS is a powerful tool and critical resource when it comes to selling a home.  The Multiple Listing Service is accessible between listing brokers and other real estate brokers as a private offer of cooperation and compensation.  Essentially if you are putting your house for sale, the MLS is the best tool to make it as visible as possible to buyers .  The MLS, just like with most things, is best leveraged if you work with a knowledgeable and professional REALTOR® and pay a little extra attention to how your property is represented.  While the layout featuring the address, price, photos, and a brief description is pretty simple, there are some common mistakes that can be easily avoided.  These mistakes can be costly in terms of time and money.

Too Much Ordinary Text in Your Listing Description

While the description of the property is an important element in any listing, it’s more important to entice a potential buyer to consider it, rather than listing each and every detail. Instead of providing a robust explanation of the home, offer a concise, well-crafted depiction that makes potential buyers want to come to see for themselves. The old saying a picture is worth a thousand words has never been truer than it is in the MLS.

Too Few Pictures

Not including enough pictures puts your listing at a severe disadvantage.  In the world of Facebook and HGTV, consumers are craving attention getting visual material more than ever before. This is especially true for the way that people shop for homes.  While it’s crucial to include enough pictures, the quality of the pictures is tantamount to a successful sale.  A prospective buyer’s first impression should not be a poorly lit, grainy image.  Listings with professional pictures tend to close faster and for more money, so this is a minimal investment but an easy and important one.

Missing the Mark on Price

At the end of the day, it ultimately comes down to whether the property is properly priced.  The experience and expertise of a knowledgeable and professional REALTOR® is an important resource when it comes to determining an accurate asking price.  Setting the dollar amount too low can leave a lot of money on the table, setting it too high can leave the home on the market too long.  Basing the price off market conditions, and managing expectations are two top tasks that your REALTOR® should provide. 

By Louisiana REALTORS® • September 21, 2026
From the Louisiana Department of Insurance: Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple joined Governor Jeff Landry and Senate Insurance Committee Chairman Kirk Talbot today to announce that Louisiana is investing an additional $20 million in Fortified homes, bringing the total amount invested in state Fortified projects this year to $100 million. Governor Landry announced that $20 million from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will be transferred to the Louisiana Office of Community Development Restore Resilient Opportunities for Overhead Fortification (Restore ROOF) program to strengthen residential structures and reduce long-term disaster risk. Earlier this year, the Legislature passed a bill that allows $50 million in additional Katrina and Rita bond money from Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation to be added to the Department of Insurance’s Louisiana Fortify Homes Program (LFHP). Also beginning this year, LFHP is projected to receive approximately $30 million annually from taxes and fees the Louisiana Department of Insurance collects from the insurance industry. “Building stronger homes is a vital part of making homeowners insurance affordable in Louisiana,” said Commissioner Temple. “I appreciate Governor Landry’s leadership and support as we work with legislators like Chairman Talbot to make Louisiana a national leader in the adoption of Fortified roofs.” The Louisiana Department of Insurance (LDI) has finalized its promulgation of Regulation 136—Fortify Homes Premium Discounts. The purpose of Regulation 136 is to implement the statutory provisions set forth in La. R.S. 22:1483, et seq. , which require that all Louisiana property and casualty insurers provide premium discounts or insurance rate reductions for homes constructed or upgraded in accordance with the fortified standards created by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. View Regulation 136 here .
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