Brokerless Inc. is a Florida-based nationwide Flat Fee MLS referral service founded in 2006 by real estate broker, Jack Laufer. Their listing plans, ranging from $99 to $188, may seem affordable. However, they do not provide you with features beyond a bare-bones MLS listing.
Their plans do not offer pricing support, offer management, paperwork for selling a home, etc. While essential upgrades, such as call forwarding service, open house alerts, and more, can add over $50 to $100, increasing your total cost.
Furthermore, Brokerless assigns you a local broker partner to handle your MLS listing. You cannot choose the broker, and their identity is disclosed after you purchase the plan. Some of them may also charge a transaction or closing fee, disclosed only in the listing agreement.
As a result, the advertised $99 starting price may not reflect your actual selling costs. Once you factor in paid add-ons and any broker-specific transaction or closing fees, the total price can increase significantly.
Additionally, we found many seller reviews highlighting negative experiences with Brokerless’ leadership. One reviewer, Erin Davidson mentioned, “…I messaged customer service and the actual owner Jack called me super rudely and agitated like what do you want?! I was in disbelief that this was the customer service!!”
No, I do not recommend Brokerless for most home sellers. Their Flat Fee MLS packages range from $99 to $188. However, these low-priced plans have several drawbacks, like limited choice of broker, no selling support, etc.
Here’s a breakdown of these drawbacks:
- No Control Over Broker Selection: Brokerless assigns a local broker partner to handle your MLS listing, and you cannot choose who represents you. Since broker experience, responsiveness, and fees can vary, you may end up with someone who doesn’t match your expectations.
- Possible Closing or Transaction Fees: Additional transaction or closing fees may apply depending on the third-party broker assigned to you. These charges are not always reflected in the advertised listing price and may only be disclosed in the listing agreement.
- Limited Hands-on Selling Support: Brokerless offers a DIY selling experience with minimal broker assistance. Sellers are responsible for handling disclosures, negotiations, contracts, and other paperwork, making the service better suited for experienced homeowners.
- Mixed Customer Feedback: Brokerless ratings on Google are 4.6 stars, while they have a 2.9-star rating on Trustpilot. Moreover, many sellers alleged that when they reached out to Brokerless’ customer support, the owner directly picked up the call and berated them for their questions.
My suggestion: Compare Brokerless with other Flat Fee MLS services that are more transparent about their broker assignment process. Many of these alternatives also include pricing guidance, paperwork assistance, offer management tools, and responsive customer support.
Key Takeaways
- What is Brokerless? Brokerless is a Florida-based nationwide Flat Fee MLS referral service that connects sellers with local partner brokers for MLS listings.
- Brokerless has a 4.6-star Google rating based on 138 reviews, a 2.9-star Trustpilot rating from 2 reviews, and a 5-star BBB rating based on 1 review.
- Brokerless assigns you a local partner broker through their referral model. You cannot choose your broker or review their services before purchasing a plan.
- The $99 starting price may not be the final cost. Some partner brokers charge additional transaction or closing fees that are disclosed only in the listing agreement.
- Brokerless’ coverage extends to all 50 states and D.C.
- Unlike Brokerless, competitors like Houzeo offer an MLS listing with pricing support, paperwork, etc. Meanwhile, Beycome provides more photos and a longer listing term at $99. While Homecoin has a free FSBO listing option, which Brokerless doesn’t offer.
Is Brokerless Legit?
Yes, Brokerless.com is a legitimate real estate company founded in Florida in 2006 by Jack Laufer. The company has operated in the real estate industry for nearly two decades and has helped thousands of sellers, as per their website.
However, Brokerless is not BBB-accredited. Moreover, they connect sellers with local partner brokers for MLS access rather than directly listing properties. Brokerless does not publicly identify the local partner brokers who handle their customers’ MLS listings.
The company also operates through the domain ByOwnerFlatFeeMLS.com, which offers similar Flat Fee MLS listing services. Unlike Brokerless, ByOwnerFlatFeeMLS.com has little to no customer feedback on independent review sites.
Brokerless Reviews: What Do Google, Trustpilot, and BBB Say?
On Google, Brokerless has a 4.6-star rating based on 138 reviews. On Trustpilot, they hold a 2.9-star rating based on 2 reviews. They have a 5-star rating on BBB from a single review.
| Website | Rating | Review Count |
|---|---|---|
| BBB | 5 stars | 1 |
| Trustpilot | 2.9 stars | 2 |
| 4.6 stars | 138 |
We analyzed the reviews of Brokerless and noticed that most of the positive feedback mentioned:
However, the complaints highlighted:
- Possible tactics to upcharge sellers
- Alleged unprofessionalism from company leadership
- Unhelpful customer service
- Communication issues with partner broker
What Do Positive Brokerless Reviews Say?
✅ Commissions savings
Several sellers liked Brokerless for the low-cost Flat Fee MLS service, which helped them avoid paying a traditional 3% listing commission. Reviewers noted that they were able to retain thousands more from their home sale while still gaining MLS exposure.
Sharing their experience, Max Power stated:
I had an excellent experience with Brokerless.com and highly recommend them to anyone considering selling without a traditional listing agent. Their service saved me thousands in seller’s agent commissions, which by itself was huge, but what impressed me even more was the support. They were responsive, knowledgeable, and genuinely helpful throughout a fairly complicated process. Whenever questions came up, they were quick to provide clear answers and practical guidance, and they helped make sure the process stayed on track and went smoothly from start to finish.
Source: Google
Nicholas Capra, who had a similar experience, said:
I am a real estate investor. I used Brokerless to sell my personal home and a rental property in a different state. Brokerless gave me all of the assistance that I needed to get my properties sold. Any time that I had a question, they were right there to answer. Plus, they saved me a ton of money! This is the only service that I will use to sell a property.
Source: Google
✅ Nationwide broker network
Sellers appreciated Brokerless for their nationwide network of local real estate agents. Reviewers said this made it easier to list multiple properties across different markets and helped match sellers with the appropriate local MLS.
Karen Garcia shared their experience and said:
Brokerless, Inc. has been our listing hero for over a year. Really easy and quick listing process. Their large network of real estate agents is impressive and there’s always someone available for us. Jack is great giving advise and matching us with the best local MLS for each one of our properties. Highly recommended.
Source: Google
Here’s what Kalyn Slagle had to say:
Working with Brokerless was a breeze! I believe we started with 11 properties scattered all over the US and Jack made it so easy! We have sold almost all of them over the course of a few weeks, which is always a plus! I plan to use this service for my personal properties, too! Thank you so much for providing this MLS service at a great price! Cant wait to work with you again soon!
Source: Google
✅ Quick listing process
Some sellers said Brokerless helped get their properties listed within 24 hours or by the next day, including over weekends and holidays.
Praising Brokerless Inc., Cindy Hadfield stated:
Brokerless, Inc. is an amazing, attentive, and caring company. They went above and beyond to get my listing up in 24 hours even at Christmas. This level of professionalism needs to be honored. Thank you to the people at this amazing company for making this process so easy.
Source: Google
Here’s what Heather Harris had to say about their experience:
Amazing Service!!! I needed to find a flat fee listing company on a friday mid day. All other companies charged more and wouldn’t be open until Monday. I was able to list my property next day on a Saturday. Everything went perfectly and it was a smooth process. We were under contract the same day!!! Best Company Ever!!! I highly recommend.
Source: Google
What Do Negative Brokerless Reviews Say?
❌ Alleged upselling and unexpected fees
Some reviewers alleged that Brokerless attempted to add charges beyond the initial price. One reviewer cited a refund-processing fee, while another said a proposed listing-related upcharge was later waived after they questioned it.
Here’s what Paul Ladendorf had to say:
First the guy tells me its going to be an upcharge to get my property listed. Then after I question him about it he tells me he will wave the upcharge. Then he starts talking to me like I’m a 2 year old as if I couldn’t figure out how to fill out the listing app and keeps assuming I went to the wrong link. But no, he was wrong. After he realizes that, then he tells me to lie on the application. I told him I wouldn’t do that and to refund my money. Luckily, he did.
Source: Trustpilot
Mariajose Hidalgo shared their experience and stated:
We heard nothing until today, Saturday, when I sent an email asking if there was anything else that was needed from us. The response was asking for the price of the property and then my husband received a call from Jack, the owner. At this point, I had already told my husband I cannot work with this company as I am getting an email with one or two questions and getting nothing else. To add to this, Jack decided that he needed an additional commission of .2% in order to list the property. My husband told him that we just wanted our money back since we needed this property listed a few days ago and it appears that it had not gotten anywhere. Jack got angry and condescending, told us there was a $25 processing fee for refunding our money and off he went. Extremely unprofessional services and I would not recommend them to anyone.
Source: Google
❌ Reports of unprofessional communication
Some reviewers described negative interactions with Brokerless’ owner. Sellers alleged rude or dismissive communication from the company’s top management.
Esther Trinh said about this:
Jack is a mean guy, bad customer service, and rude. I have never met anyone is rude like him. He will scream at your face if you call him and ask questions. He will say you are stupid if you ask questions. OMG, I have a bad experience with him, very terrible!!!!
Source: Google
Erin Davidson, who faced a similar situation, shared:
Did not get as far as using the service because I paid twice and did not receive an email for the next steps so I messaged customer service and the actual owner Jack called me super rudely and agitated like what do you want?! I was in disbelief that this was the customer service!! Customer service is the easy part just be a decent person people are paying you for it!
Source: Google
❌ Unresponsive customer support
Some reviewers reported difficulty reaching Brokerless after payment, including unanswered calls and delayed or missing follow-ups. A few also described customer-service interactions as unhelpful or unprofessional.
Sharing their negative experience, Jeff Burnett stated:
Not a good experience at all. By all means use another company. Plus they don’t want to talk to you after they have gotten your money. The owner is super unprofessional. And when you look at other comments you can see the same pattern. If I could give below a 1 start I certainly would.
Source: Google
Here’s what seller Pudgy TFB had to say:
DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY! The people who run this are not professional at all. After paying I could not get anyone to answer the phone or return my calls. The one and only time I got someone on the phone they literally yelled at me and claimed we didn’t have a account yet I was logged in while on the phone with them. Did this service help us sell our home? No Did they take our money? Yes Do they answer the phone? No Are they helpful? No They also run multiple websites that offer this service so you know they are shady…
Source: Google
❌ Poor communication with partner broker
Some sellers reported communication issues after being assigned a partner broker through Brokerless. Reviews mentioned missed showing requests, unanswered emails, and delayed responses. This poor coordination may have caused sellers to miss potential buyers.
Seller She Made, who faced this situation, said:
The realtor contracted by Brokerless to do the MLS Listing was Collective Realty out of Charlotte NC. We requested to remove the listing from MLS after learning that we had missed phone communications from buyer’s agents to schedule showings and also never received any of the requested emails showing proof of funds requested before showings and other vital communications. We learned about the missed showing requests after a realtor called us personally after several attempts through Collective. She got our contact number from the security at the front desk of the building. We are uncertain how many other potential showings were missed. The email address was through Brokerless/Collective Realty and again never received any of the email communications that buyer’s agents said were sent with multiple attempts.
Source: Google
What Are the Pros and Cons of Using Brokerless?
You might like Brokerless’ flat fee services and quick listing process. However, expensive add-ons, limited guidance, and alleged unprofessional behavior of the company leadership are considerable drawbacks.
✅ Brokerless Pros
- Nationwide Coverage: Brokerless offers services in all 50 states and D.C. through their network of licensed affiliated brokers.
- Low Entry Price: Starting at $99, Brokerless can get your home listed on the MLS and syndicated to major real estate sites such as Zillow, Trulia, and more.
- Fast Listing Process: Brokerless can help sellers get their properties listed quickly, with some listings reportedly going live within 24 hours. For example, Kathy Davidson‘s property was listed in under 24 hours and received inquiries shortly afterward.
❌ Brokerless Cons
- Unknown Third-Party Broker: Since Brokerless assigns a local broker after purchase, sellers may have limited ability to evaluate the broker’s service before paying. As a result, some sellers alleged that they faced communication issues with their assigned brokerage, including missed buyer-agent calls and missing documents.
- Unprofessional Behavior: Many Brokerless’ negative reviews alleged that when they called customer support, the owner would often directly pick up the call. However, instead of helping them out, he reportedly dismissed their concerns. For instance, Esther Trinh accused the owner of berating them when they asked him questions.
- Expensive Add-ons: Brokerless packages range from $99 to $188. However, they lack essential services like a showing management system, open house alerts, a call forwarding service, etc. These tools cost $50 to $100 each, which could easily double the flat fee.
- No Pricing or Negotiation Help: Brokerless’ plans may not include pricing assistance or hands-on offer-negotiation support. Sellers who need help setting a competitive price or navigating buyer offers may need to handle these steps themselves.
- Partner Broker Fees May Apply: Since Brokerless works through third-party broker partners, some of them may charge additional transaction or closing fees. These costs can vary by broker and may only be disclosed after you purchase a plan.
- Fewer Digital Tools: Brokerless may offer limited digital tools for managing offers compared to other Flat Fee MLS platforms. For instance, sellers may not have a dedicated dashboard to send counteroffers or request the highest and best offers from buyers.
How Does Brokerless Work?
Brokerless works by connecting you with a local broker who lists your home on the MLS for a flat fee. You submit your property details online, while you typically handle the home sale yourself. Here’s how the process generally works:
- Purchase a Package: Select and pay for the Flat Fee MLS plan that fits your listing needs and budget.
- Submit Your Property Details: Enter your home’s information, asking price, photos, and how much buyer-agent commission you are willing to cover.
- Get Matched With a Local Broker: Brokerless connects you with a local broker who reviews and posts your listing on the appropriate MLS.
- Publish Your Listing on the MLS: After approval, your home is listed on the MLS and will be syndicated to major real estate websites.
- Manage Buyer Inquiries: Respond to buyers and their agents, schedule showings, and share requested information.
- Close the Sale: Coordinate with the buyer, title company, attorney, or closing agent to complete the transaction.
No, sellers do not need to pay the buyer’s agent commission. Since the 2024 NAR settlement changes, sellers are no longer obligated to offer buyer-agent compensation through the MLS. However, you may still choose to negotiate a buyer-agent commission to attract more buyers. However, this can add to your overall selling costs beyond Brokerless’ flat listing fee.
What Plans Does Brokerless Offer?
Brokerless offers three Flat Fee MLS listing plans priced at $99, $149, and $188. The core services of all three plans are the same. However, the main differences are the photo limit, listing term, and open-house promotion.
Erin Davidson complained that they paid twice for a plan but did not receive any email outlining the next steps. They messaged customer support and received a call from the owner, who was allegedly rude to them. As a result, Erin did not get to use the service despite paying for a plan twice.
1. Basic: $99
The Basic plan is Brokerless’ lowest-priced option for sellers who need MLS exposure for up to six months and can market their home with a limited number of photos. The key features of this plan are:
- 6-month local MLS listing
- 6-month Realtor.com listing
- Up to 6 photos on the MLS
- Syndication to Zillow, Trulia, and Homes.com
- No listing-agent commission
- Ability to set a buyer’s agent commission
- Required forms and disclosures
- Free MLS status changes
- Seller contact information displayed on the MLS
2. Standard: $149
The Standard plan offers the same six-month listing term as the Basic plan but increases the MLS photo limit to 25. This plan offers:
- 6-month local MLS listing
- 6-month Realtor.com listing
- Up to 25 MLS photos
- Syndication to Zillow, Trulia, Homes.com, and other sites
- No listing-agent commission
- Ability to set a buyer’s agent commission, with none required
- Required forms and disclosures
- Free MLS status changes
- Seller contact information displayed on the MLS
3. Premium: $188
The Premium plan provides the longest listing term and the highest photo allowance. It also includes open-house alerts. Key features are:
- 12-month local MLS listing
- 12-month Realtor.com listing
- Maximum MLS photo allowance
- Syndication to Zillow, Trulia, Homes.com, and other sites
- Open-house alerts
- No listing-agent commission
- Ability to set a buyer’s agent commission (optional)
- Required forms and disclosures
- Free MLS status changes
- Seller contact information displayed on the MLS
Brokerless’ $99, $149, and $188 plans have relatively few differences. Plus, none of the plans offer strong value for sellers who want hands-on support or modern tools to manage a sale. Limitations of the plans include:
- No Offer or Negotiation Support: You are generally responsible for reviewing offers, making counteroffers, and negotiating with buyers or their agents.
- Limited Package Differentiation: Paying more mainly increases photo limits and listing duration rather than adding substantial seller support.
- Limited Technology: There is no dedicated dashboard for managing counteroffers or requesting highest-and-best offers.
Although the plans are affordable, they essentially provide a bare-bones MLS listing. If you want more guidance, stronger technology, and built-in support, consider comparing Brokerless with more comprehensive Flat Fee MLS platforms before choosing a plan.
Does Brokerless Offer Add-Ons?
Brokerless offers optional upgrades for features that can be important when marketing and managing a home sale. These features include additional listing photos, open-house promotion, buyer-agent showing coordination, etc.
While each add-on is priced separately, choosing several may noticeably increase your total listing cost.
| Add-ons | Cost |
|---|---|
| Expand Photo Limit | $50 |
| Open House Alerts | $50 |
| Dual Listing | $99 |
| ShowingTime tool | $50 |
| Call Forwarding Service | $50 |
| Call Forwarding + ShowingTime Tool | $100 |
-
🚨Important: These upgrades cover features that can be important to attract buyers and manage showings. However, if you need several of them, your final cost can rise quickly, reducing the appeal of the low starting price.
Does Brokerless Operate in Your State?
Yes, Brokerless offers services in all 50 states and D.C. They have an extensive network of brokers spread across the country.
Who Are the Best Brokerless Competitors?
The best Brokerless competitors are Houzeo, Beycome, and Homecoin. We evaluated these Flat Fee MLS services based on seller support, plan affordability, and FSBO listing availability. Here’s how they compare with Brokerless.
We conducted a comparative analysis to identify Brokerless’ top competitors based on key factors like seller support, plan affordability, and FSBO listing availability. We aim to provide a fair and data-driven comparison.
- Market Comparison: We evaluated different types of home-selling solutions, their services and company policies.
- Pricing Structure Assessment: We evaluated the true value of each platform by breaking down upfront flat fees, potential hidden costs, and percentage-based commission structures.
- Consumer Feedback Review: We analyzed seller reviews from Yelp, BBB, Trustpilot, and Google to understand satisfaction levels and common concerns across platforms.
- Support and Assistance Evaluation: The level of transaction support was evaluated by measuring the availability of dedicated closing coordinators, comparative market analyses, and advanced tools.
- Selection Criteria: We chose the competitors based on how they differ from Brokerless’ model to ensure a balanced mix of alternatives.
1. Brokerless vs. Houzeo
Brokerless charges affordable flat fees for an MLS listing. However, services that can help you sell your home faster come with a price tag of their own. You will have to pay $50 for each extra service, like ShowingTime integration, open house alerts, etc.
On the other hand, Houzeo’s packages include all essential services such as open houses and showing management, along with virtual assistance from a broker. Moreover, Houzeo’s mobile app makes home selling easy and efficient. Read Houzeo reviews to know all the benefits you will get at a flat fee.
| Brokerless | Houzeo | |
|---|---|---|
| Listing fee | $99 onwards | $399 onwards |
| Coverage | Nationwide | Nationwide |
| Unlimited open houses | ❌ | ✅ |
| Google Ratings | 4.6 stars (138 reviews) | 4.9 stars (11,300+ reviews) |
| Mobile App | ❌ | ✅ |
| Showings management | ❌ | ✅ |
| Offer management | ❌ | ✅ |
| Counter an offer | ❌ | ✅ |
| Request highest and best offer | ❌ | ✅ |
| Home inspection dashboard | ❌ | ✅ |
2. Brokerless vs. Beycome
Brokerless’ $99 plan is a basic MLS listing option with a limited photo allowance and a shorter listing term. To get more photos, a longer listing period, and other promotional features, you may need to upgrade to one of their costlier packages.
In comparison, Beycome’s $99 plan includes more photos, a longer listing term, and unlimited listing updates. Depending on your needs, Beycome might offer more features at the same starting price.
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🚩Important: Beycome’s Trustpilot page has been flagged for breaching the platform’s guidelines. So be sure to consider this alongside the additional features when evaluating their service.
3. Brokerless vs. Homecoin
Although Brokerless encourages sellers to list their home FSBO, they do not appear to offer a free FSBO listing option. You must purchase a paid package to list your home on the MLS through their service.
Homecoin offers a free FSBO listing option for sellers who want to market their home independently. If you also want MLS exposure, you can upgrade to one of their paid Flat Fee MLS plans.
Best Flat Fee Companies Near You
If the services of Brokerless don’t excite you, here are the top flat fee companies that serve your state.
Other Options You Should Consider
- Sell FSBO: For Sale By Owner websites help you list and sell a house yourself. This way, you save thousands in agent commissions and retain complete control over the selling process. Many FSBO websites will also help you with the paperwork.
- Sell through a Realtor: Traditional Realtors list your property on the MLS and help you at every step of home selling. However, you have to pay them 3% of the home’s sale price for this convenience.
- Sell fast for cash: If you want a quick and hassle-free solution, then you can sell your home fast for cash to cash buyers. Additionally, this process allows you to sell your home as-is without any repairs.
Is Brokerless Worth the Cost for Home Selling?
Yes, you can consider selling with Brokerless if you don’t mind paying extra for add-ons. On top of a flat fee, you may have to pay for services like showing time management, open house alerts, call forwarding service, etc. This way, you might end up paying more and saving less than expected.
We recommend selling through Houzeo. With an all-in-one plan bundle, you get all the listing essentials like pricing assistance, virtual broker support, offer management, and more. Plus, the Houzeo mobile app guides you through listing, documentation, and more.
We implemented a rigorous multi-platform evaluation framework to provide an objective, fact-based analysis of Brokerless’ services. This review avoids single-source bias by analyzing verified customer touchpoints across primary consumer intelligence networks.
- Cross-Platform Aggregation: We gathered raw review data across Google, Trustpilot, and BBB to eliminate platform bias. Each platform weights sentiment differently, so aggregating across all three corrects for the blind spots any single source would introduce.
- Verified Customer Sampling: Our analysis evaluated 130+ specific consumer touchpoints to ensure statistical relevance, filtering out unverifiable or duplicate accounts to protect data integrity.
- Temporal Weighting: Reviews were time-stamped and weighted so recent feedback (last 6–12 months) carries more influence than older reviews, ensuring the analysis reflects current service levels rather than historical performance.
- Customer Service Analysis: We scrutinized customer interactions with customer service, identifying communication gaps.
- Alternative Cross-Referencing: We compared Brokerless directly with competitors to baseline their market value.
- Category Tagging: Each touchpoint was coded against recurring themes like pricing transparency, agent responsiveness, closing timeline, etc., so the review speaks about specific, actionable dimensions of service rather than a single blended star rating.
Resend Code
Reviews
(4 Reviews)
Bob
Verified Reviewer
Rachelle
Verified Reviewer
2nd May 2024
This guy and his business is a joke.. Stay away….
Rachelle
Verified Reviewer
2nd May 2024
Having used this place before , I also had problems with their site and people being unprofessional. We called upon them last week, shame on me, before reading the reviews. I can see its true when its said, misery loves company, as I have much company. Last week we filled out all they asked, had to send them money before anything could be done. Then we heard nothing and saw nothing after a week, so we emailed this person Mo,,,he tells us they can’t post our home because the previous agent, neglected to removed us (cancel) from the MLS listing, Well as Mo was on the phone with my husband, I phoned our previous agent telling her of our problem. She immediately did as they asked, we told them it had been done and we assumed all was well,, Here we are another day, no listing with this Brokerless Co. My husband emails them, because heaven forbid you bother them with a phone call, and tells them we still are not listed on the MLS, to which the owner Jack Laufer writes this scathing reply on how hard he works but refuses to work on demands.. Demands? The only demands came from him.. He stated he would refund the monies we were charged for his “nothingness” . Anyone care to bet we don’t see that Refund?? Stay away from this dog & pony show, they don’t even list you on the full MLS,, but they will be quick to charge you !
Mr. President
Verified Reviewer
10th Feb 2024
Jack Laufer is Very rude and condescending.
30th Sep 2024
I signed up for Brokerless. When I was talking to them PRIOR to signing up, the were kind, understanding, patient, and helpful. AFTER I signed up, they became aggressive, unhelpful, and in a few instances disrespectful. My experience is that standard RE agents tend to boycott self-listed houses. My house was in a price category that should have sold quickly. I had very few showings and a lot of low-ball, scammish offers. Eventually, I sold it… but at a massive discount. I would never use Brokerless again.