Clever Real Estate Reviews: Is it Really 1.5%? (2024 Update)

Clever Real Estate is an agent matching service. Clever connect sellers to agents from their partner network. Sellers pay 1.5% of their home's sale price to their Clever-matched agent as commission at closing.

Editor’s Rating

4.5

User Rating

3.5

(4 Reviews)

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Pros

• You skip paying the hefty 3% listing agent commission.
• Your listing gets syndicated to major real estate websites.
• You can sell from anywhere in the US.

Cons

• 1.5% commission to sell a home is too high.
• Clever cannot help you if you have problems with your agent.
• Clever has little to no technology to help you list or sell faster.

Clever Real Estate is a nationwide agent-matching service. They connect you with top real estate agents from firms like Keller Williams, Century 21, etc. These are usually full-service agents that handle your home sale for just a 1.5% listing fee.

Clever Real Estate offers better savings than traditional agents. But, if you want to save even more on commissions, explore Flat Fee MLS companies. Your home can get listed on the MLS without any expense on listing agent commissions.

✍️ Editor’s Take: For most home sellers, we recommend Houzeo. With Houzeo your property will be on the MLS within 24-48 hours. You can swap the 1.5% listing fee for an affordable flat fee. Furthermore, Houzeo’s technology ensures a smooth selling process. Compare Clever Real Estate vs. Houzeo.

Is Clever Real Estate Legit?

Yes, Clever Real Estate is a legitimate company. Founded in 2017, they are a well-known agent-matching service in Missouri, USA. Benjamin L. Mizes and Luke H. Babich are the company’s co-founders.

Clever Real Estate has solidified their reputation as a reliable service through various reviews on credible websites. They also have an A+ accreditation on BBB since 2022.

Coverage

List With Clever has a wide network of 14,000 agents. So, you can match with a top real estate Clever agent from anywhere in the country.

Clever Real Estate Services

Clever’s agents offer several services at a 1.5% listing commission. Some of these services include:

• Comparative market analysis
• Professional photography
• MLS listing and syndication to other real estate sites
• Showings and open houses
• Assistance with offers, counteroffers, and negotiations
• Contract and paperwork support
• Closing and title coordination

It’s worth noting that staging assistance isn’t included in their 1.5% commission fee. So, you’ll have to pay for additional home staging.

How Does Clever Real Estate Work?

Here are 5 steps sellers need to follow to sell with Clever Real Estate:

• Get Started: Enter your home’s zip code on Clever’s website to initiate contact.
• Enter Your Details: Select your property type, agent preference, home’s worth, and desired selling timeframe, and add your personal details.
• Consult a Representative: You will receive a call from the company for an additional inquiry. Answer the questions and get suitable agent recommendations via email.
• Evaluate Agents: Review the provided list of agents and select those you wish to interview.
• Select Your Agent: Compare and contrast agents based on your selling priorities and make your final selection.

From this point forward, you and your agent will work together to facilitate the sale of your home. While Clever will no longer be involved in the selling process, you can always contact their concierge team to resolve any queries.

List With Clever Fees

If you choose to work with Clever Real Estate agents, you would have to pay 1.5% of your home’s sale price as commission at closing. Furthermore, for homes priced under $350,000, there’s a fixed minimum commission of $3,000.

Let us understand this by an example:

Suppose your home sells for $500,000 on the MLS. If you were to sell the traditional way, you would pay a whopping $15,000 (3% of $500,000). However, when you sell with a Clever agent, you pay just $7,500, which is half the traditional realtor’s commission.

💡When Do You Need to Pay? Selecting your desired agent via Clever is 100% free. You need to pay the 1.5% listing commission to the agent after your home sells.

Clever Real Estate Reviews

Clever Real Estate has 4.8 out of 5 stars based on 319 Google reviews. On the other hand, they have been rated 4.96 out of 5 based on 93 BBB Clever reviews.

Positive List With Clever reviews praise their partner agents for a smooth sale. However, negative feedback centers on the lack of essential services like home staging. This can make the overall sales process quite expensive.

Positive Clever Real Estate Reviews

✅ John V. experienced a smooth selling process with a Clever Real Estate agent. He successfully sold his house with the company for a second time.

✅ Richard S. achieved a timely and efficient sale with the company. Furthermore, he appreciated that he could make significant savings in the process.

Negative Clever Real Estate Reviews

❌ Binayug did not have a pleasant experience with their chosen Clever agent. They felt that the agent did not understand the expectations well.

❌ Nick Simeone’s experience reflects how time-consuming Clever’s agent-matching process is. You’ll have to interview multiple agents. As a result, he felt one loses a lot of time in the process.

Pros and Cons

Here are some pros and cons of Clever Real Estate:

👍Pros

• Lower Listing Fee: Clever partners with full-service brokers who charge a 1.5% listing fee instead of the usual 3%. This saves you thousands of dollars in commissions.
• Nationwide Coverage: Clever offers agent-matching services all over the country. So, you can connect with an agent and sell from anywhere in the US.

👎Cons

• Lack of Staging Services: Clever Real Estate agents offer only the most essential home-selling services. They do not provide home staging services that could help attract offers quickly.
• Lengthy Process: When using Clever’s services, you have to thoroughly assess the agents yourself. This might delay your selling process.
• Minimum Fee: You have to pay a minimum of $3,000 for homes priced under $350,000.

Competitors

» Jump to: Clever vs. Houzeo | Clever vs. Upnest | Clever vs. Redfin

Clever Real Estate has some potential competitors. We have selected them based on three metrics: savings, customer support, and control over the selling process.

1. Savings: Clever vs. Houzeo

Clever Real Estate is an agent-matching service. They connect you with the best agents from well-known brokerages. Clever’s partnered agents charge 1.5% of your home’s sale value.

Houzeo, on the other hand, is a Flat Fee MLS company. With Houzeo, you can skip the listing agent commission entirely and list on the MLS for a Flat Fee. As a result, your savings could be more.

2. Customer Support: Clever vs. Upnest

Clever Real Estate has a dedicated concierge team to help you select the best agent. You can also get any queries addressed throughout the selling process.

UpNest, on the other hand, also provides agent-matching services to sellers. However, their main objective is to match sellers and agents. Post this, Upnest will no longer be involved in the selling process. As a result, you might get limited support.

3. Control Over Selling Process: Clever vs. Redfin

Clever Real Estate allows you to interview their pre-vetted agents. You can compare agents and select the best one as per your needs. This gives you more control over the selling process.

On the other hand, Redfin, a discount brokerage, assigns you an agent from their team. As a result, you might have to work with an agent that doesn’t match your selling needs.

Other Options You Should Consider

• Sell to an iBuyer: Many iBuyers, like Opendoor and Offerpad, purchase hundreds of homes available in the market. iBuyers can be a great option if you’re wondering how to sell your house fast.
• Sell to Cash Home Buyers: Individual companies that buy houses for cash make all-cash offers, usually within 24 to 48 hours. Cash buyers let you skip the hassle of listing on the MLS, inspection, appraisal, etc.
• Sell For Sale By Owner: For Sale By Owner websites will help you list and sell a house by owner and save thousands in listing agent commission. Many FSBO websites will also get you listed on the MLS and help you with FSBO paperwork.

Clever Real Estate Reviews: Should You Sell With Them?

Yes, you may sell with Clever Real Estate. They connect you with experienced agents who offer their services for a fee of 1.5%. As a result, you save 50% in listing agent commissions on your home sale.

Furthermore, they also have a concierge team to assist you during the sale. Clever’s concierge will be of limited use however, because Clever doesn’t itself list your home. It’s partner agents do. Clever’s partner agents are independent agents, and are not beholden to Clever.

Clever’s partner agents also do not provide home staging services. Finally, Clever is more expensive that other discount real estate brokers. 1.5% commission is lower than the traditional 3%, but it is still thousands more than what you would pay with Houzeo.

We suggest selling your home with Houzeo. You can get your home listed on the MLS in 24 hours, manage your showings, review and compare offers. All online! Houzeo is a 100% online platform. Houzeo offers the best combination of maximum exposure, thousands in commission savings, and stellar customer support.

» Houzeo Reviews: Check out why more than 8,000+ home sellers have rated Houzeo 4.9 stars out of 5 on Google Reviews and Trustpilot.

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