It used to be that, when you needed a product or service, you picked up the telephone book to find a business that provided it. Then you called to make sure that the store had what you were looking for, or you called to schedule an appointment. You finished up the process by going to the store or going to the business to get everything worked out.

This was true of a wide variety or products and services, and changed with the internet. Now, as a society, we regularly make online purchases ? from books to banking, from personal care items to personal training, we buy it all online. Many of also sell items online, using auction services rather than yard sales.

It only makes sense, therefore, that as time goes on more buying and selling is done online. One of the newest trends, in fact, is buying and selling homes online.

For those who are buying homes, it is easy to search online for properties. Home buyers can search for properties for sale in their neighborhood. Home buyers can search online for homes in neighboring areas, neighboring states or across the country.

Home buyers can search through MLS listings to find homes that match their criteria: home with a certain number of bedrooms, bathrooms, living space or that are within a set price range. And, when home buyers do this research on their own, they find that they can save ? in the form of rebates of the buyer's agent's commission ? when they do buy a home.

In addition, they find that, by using flat fee real estate services, they are not left alone when it comes time to make an offer or to close on the property.

Likewise, those who are selling a home online can take advantage of Flat Fee MLS listings and other flat fee real estate services to save when they sell property. Unlike traditional for sale by owner home sellers, they are able to effectively market their homes ? to both online home buyers and buyers' agents alike.

However, those who sell a home online using a Flat Fee MLS listing and other flat fee real estate services save thousands of dollars more than traditional home sellers. This is because they will not have to pay a seller's agent commission.

As a result, buying and selling homes online using flat fee real estate services allows both parties ? the buyers and the sellers ? to save thousands of dollars during the transaction. The savings, however, are not the only benefit.

Both buyers and sellers will also benefit from being able to do research on their schedule ? even if that means looking for properties or creating marketing materials in the middle of the night. Both buyers and sellers will have the satisfaction of knowing that they were in control of the transaction. And both buyers and sellers will know that, when they need help, they are able to get it.

Buying and selling homes online using flat fee services ? both flat fee home buying and Flat Fee MLS listings ? is a relatively new trend. However, buying and selling homes online allows buyers and sellers to fit the process into their schedules and to save thousands of dollars at the same time.