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Top 1% Commission Realtors | How Real Estate Commission Works | Companies to Avoid | What’s a 1% Commission Realtor? | How to Choose a Discount Realtor | Alternatives
1% commission realtors offer a discounted listing fee of 1% instead of the typical 3%.
You might be skeptical of 1% commission, and for good reason. Very few discount brokerages actually offer 1% rates. Those that do are often available only in select markets or sacrifice services to compensate for the lower rate.
The best discount brokerages that we reviewed have a 1.5% listing fee. Though not quite 1% commission realtors, these brokerages offer the lower rate without compromising service, attention, and the drive to sell your home for top dollar.
So how do you spot the best 1% commission realtors near you? We’ve done the research — digging through customer reviews, calculating savings, and uncovering hidden fees — to help you find the best 1% commission realtors (and which ones to avoid).
The 4 Best 1 Percent Commission Realtors
🔥 Tip: We recommend shopping around to compare discount brokerages before hiring an agent. In most cases, it’s completely free to inquire with no obligation to work with an agent.
» Skip to: How Do Real Estate Agents Get Paid?
1. Clever Real Estate
| ✅ Pros of Clever Real Estate | ❌ Cons of Clever Real Estate |
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Clever Real Estate is our top pick among discount real estate brands. It offers the best combination of low rates and seller support.
It’s free to work with Clever to find top-rated local agents from firms like Berkshire Hathaway, RE/MAX, and Keller Williams. The company pre-negotiates a 1.5% commission on your behalf.
The average home seller saves $7,000 on commissions, just for finding their agent through Clever.
Clever’s 1.5% commission is full service and includes a comparative market analysis, pricing strategies, staging advice, professional photography, marketing, showings, open houses, and more.
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💰 Meet top agents and save thousands! 💰
Clever Real Estate negotiates lower commissions with top agents near you so you can get amazing service AND save thousands.
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2. Redfin
| ✅ Pros of Redfin | ❌ Cons of Redfin |
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Redfin provides sophisticated home search tools and salaried, in-house agents to help you sell your home. The company offers a 1% listing fee to sellers, but only if they also buy their next home with a Redfin agent. Otherwise, sellers pay a 1.5% listing fee.
However, Redfin has minimum fees in certain areas that can add up to $8,500, limiting your savings when selling a lower-priced home.
You also might not get the hands-on service you expect, since Redfin agents juggle three times as many customers as traditional realtors. Redfin customer reviews report flaky agents and missed appointments.
Additionally, Redfin is technology-oriented, and much of their process takes place online. If you’re uncomfortable conducting business through a computer or phone app, Redfin may not be right for you.
» Read More: Redfin Reviews: A Complete Guide for Buyers and Sellers
3. SimpleShowing
| ✅ Pros of SimpleShowing | ❌ Cons of SimpleShowing |
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SimpleShowing offers a guaranteed 1% commission real estate listing fee. But availability is limited. The company operates only in Texas, Florida, and Georgia, and you’ll find agents mainly in cities like Atlanta, Dallas, Tampa, Orlando, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale.
Like Redfin, SimpleShowing relies on technology to offer services at lower prices, and it has minimum fees that could be higher than 1% in some markets. Make sure to read your agreement carefully before you sign with SimpleShowing.
4. Redefy
| ✅ Pros of Redefy | ❌ Cons of Redefy |
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Redefy offers a 1% commission for homes that sell above $1 million. At lower sale prices, Redefy charges a flat $3,500 listing fee. For many sellers, $3,500 is significantly less than what they would have paid with a traditional 2–3% commission agent.
But Redefy has some serious drawbacks. For one, you’ll pay a nonrefundable $500 when you sign a listing agreement with Redefy. Up-front fees are not a standard practice among 1% commission companies, and they increase your risk and out-of-pocket costs.
Also, Redefy isn’t a full-service brokerage. Instead of getting personalized, one-on-one help from a licensed agent, Redefy connects you with agents from its in-house team. Its agents juggle four times as many transactions as the average realtor, and they may not give your home the attention it deserves.
Finally, Redefy doesn’t have nationwide coverage. It’s available only in nine states: Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
How Do Real Estate Agents Get Paid?
Real estate agents get paid a commission based on a percentage of a home’s sale price. The average total commission is 5.49%.
Average Real Estate Agent Commissions
| Avg. Commission | Cost for a $400,000 Home Sale | |
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| Seller’s Agent | 2.8% | $11,200 |
| Buyer’s Agent | 2.69% | $10,760 |
| TOTAL | 5.49% | $21,960 |
The total commission is typically split between the buyer’s agent and the seller’s agent, with each receiving 2–3% of the total sale price.
If you paid the average commission rate on a $400,000 home sale, you’d owe the buyer’s and seller’s agents $21,960 of your profits.
Additional Costs for Sellers
Commission is usually the largest expense for home sellers, but there are other costs to consider:
- Supplies and labor for home repairs and renovations
- Closing costs like title insurance and prorated property taxes
- The remaining balance of your mortgage
These expenses add up and cut into your profits significantly.
Since selling a house comes with so many costs, it can be worth it to save where you can. By working with a 1% commission realtor, you could save thousands on your home sale.
Which 1 Percent Commission Realtors to Stay Away From
Some 1% commission realtors aren’t worth the savings. Here are a couple brokerages that might have attractive fees but fall short on service and support.
Trelora
Trelora is a discount real estate brokerage operating in a handful of cities across seven states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Washington.
Although its savings might be appealing on paper, the company lacks the hands-on support and personal service other discount realtors offer. Unless you want a DIY approach, your commission savings won’t be worth the sacrifice on service and support.
Assist-2-Sell
Assist-2-Sell is a discount real estate brokerage franchise operating throughout the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico.
You could pay as little as $2,995 to sell your home. However, that’s the minimum amount. The fee varies, but how much you can expect to pay is a mystery — Assist-2-Sell doesn’t list commission fees anywhere on the site. Unknown fees should be a red flag for sellers.
What’s a 1 Percent Commission Realtor?
A 1% commission realtor is a real estate agent who works on a 1% listing fee commission (rather than the typical 2.5–3% commission for traditional realtors).
Real estate agents with a 1% commission agree up front to accept this amount as compensation for closing a deal on a home.
🛑 A word of caution: Some real estate agents charge minimum fees. Before signing a contract with any agent, carefully read the fine print. Before you hire them, you should understand potential hidden fees and what services they’re providing (or not providing).
When you work with a 1 percent commission realtor, you’ll still be expected to pay the buyer’s agent commission — typically 2.5–3% of the home sale price. But with significant savings on the seller’s agent side, it’s still worth it to work with a 1% commission realtor.
Who Should Choose a 1 Percent Commission Realtor?
Working with the right 1% commission realtor gives you the best of both worlds: lower costs than a traditional real estate agent without sacrificing quality service. Agents are professionals at marketing your home and selling it for more money than you could yourself.
Interview two to three agents before committing to anything, and make sure you’re not opting out of important services in exchange for a lower fee.
How Much Can I Save with a 1% Commission Realtor?
To illustrate how a 1% commission realtor can help you save, we crunched the numbers for a $400,000 home sale:
| Traditional Agent | 1% Commission Realtor | |
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| Seller’s Agent Commission (2.8% vs. 1%) | $11,200 | $4,000 |
| Buyer’s Agent Commission (2.69%) | $10,760 | $10,760 |
| Total Commission (5.49% vs. 3.69%) | $21,960 | $14,760 |
| Total Savings | $0 | $7,200 |
3 Things to Look for in a Discount Real Estate Broker
Even at 1% commission, your realtor is still making a good chunk of change on your home sale. They should be providing the same expertise and hands-on guidance you’d expect from a traditional realtor.
Look for these three things when working with a discount real estate broker:
💸 Pricing assistance: Discount realtors should help you price your home strategically by completing a comparative market analysis (CMS).
📸 Marketing services: At minimum, marketing services should include a listing description, photography, a listing on the MLS, and private and public showings.
📃 Negotiation and contract support: A real estate agent should help you negotiate upon receiving offers and throughout the due diligence period. They should also provide all legal paperwork and thoroughly explain all contract options and contingencies.
Make sure your real estate agent is contractually obligated to help you with these professional services. Otherwise, you may not get your money’s worth.
Warning Signs When Looking for a 1% Commission Agent
Not all 1% commission real estate agent services provide full service. Before you sign on with an agent, look for these red flags:
- Minimum fees: Minimum fees can eliminate savings if your house is priced lower. For example, a listing company advertises a 1% commission fee, but they charge a minimum $6,000 commission. If you sold a $200,000 home, you would pay a $6,000 commission, which is 3% of the sales price (instead of the “promised” 1%).
- MLS-only listing: Beware that some discount realtors only list your home on the MLS and leave you to figure out the rest. You don’t need to commission a real estate agent to do that. You can pay a simple flat fee to get your house on the MLS and do the rest of the sale yourself.
- No local agents: A discount realtor unfamiliar with your neighborhood and the local market can’t give you good advice on comps or pricing. They may overprice or underprice your home and cost you money because they lack local experience.
- Spotty availability: An agent who doesn’t respond to calls or emails quickly doesn’t take your business seriously and won’t work hard to sell your home.
Alternatives to a 1 Percent Commission Realtor
Discount agents are much less expensive than traditional brokers. Plus, they offer more support than for sale by owner (FSBO) sales, cash buyer companies, and iBuyers. But if you’re not sold on a 1% commission realtor, consider these other options.
Sell for Sale by Owner
Many homeowners want to save money on real estate agent commissions by selling the home themselves.
However, it isn’t easy. People who sell for sale by owner (FSBO) still have to pay to list the home, market it, manage paperwork, and hire a real estate attorney or title company to manage closing. You’ll also likely still pay a buyer’s agent fee, since nearly 90% of buyers use a real estate agent or broker to buy their home.
» MORE: Is Selling for Sale by Owner on Zillow Worth It?
Sell to a Company That Buys Houses for Cash
Companies like We Buy Houses, We Buy Ugly Houses, and Sundae buy houses quickly for cash. They’re generally interested in homes sold as is that they can quickly fix and flip.
For homeowners desperate to liquidate a dilapidated home as fast as possible, cash home buyers can be a valid option. However, sellers rarely get fair market value for their homes.
Cash buyers pay as little as 50% of the home’s fair market value, so the reduced effort isn’t worth the reduced profit for most sellers.
Sell to an iBuyer
An iBuyer (or instant buyer) is a real estate company that sells and buys homes automatically through technology. The service can make or accept an offer within 24 to 48 hours using algorithms to calculate home values. It’s unlikely you’ll get anything close to fair market value, but iBuyers can get cash in your hand quickly. Most transactions with iBuyers close within two weeks.
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Sell with a Traditional Real Estate Broker
Selling your home with a traditional broker is the typical selling experience. Traditional real estate agents provide all the services you expect, but they’ll likely charge closer to 3% commission on your home sale.
Find 1 Percent Commission Realtors Near Me
Not all 1% commission realtors are available nationwide. Once you identify what’s available in your area, we recommend shopping around.
Clever make it easy to meet top-rated local agents with experience and a proven track record in your neighborhood. Unlike other low commission companies, Clever’s agents work for well-known brokerages like Keller Williams, Century21, and RE/MAX. You’ll get the same white glove service at a fraction of the cost!
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🤝 Meet Trusted Real Estate Agents with Clever 🤝
Looking for an agent? Clever Real Estate’s licensed concierge team can introduce you to pre-vetted agents near you! You’ll choose between top-rated agents from major brokerages like Keller Williams, RE/MAX, and more. Best of all, you’ll save thousands, thanks to Clever’s affordable 1.5% listing fees.
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FAQ about 1 Percent Commission Realtors
Is 1% a good estate agent fee?
A 1% listing fee could help you save thousands in agent commissions. But it could also be a bad deal in disguise. Before you sign a listing agreement with a 1% commission realtor, make sure the agents are offering full service and that the company has a good reputation on third-party review sites.
What does list for 1% mean?
“List for 1%” means you’ll pay a listing agent or company 1% of your home’s sale price in exchange for help selling the home. Very few companies, however, offer full service and a 1% listing fee. When you see “list for 1%,” make sure you dig deeper into the company to understand what “1% service” means to them.
How much is 1 percent commission?
A 1% commission is 1% of the sale price of your home. A 1% commission on a home that sells for $350,000 would be $3,500.
