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10 min read Jan 29, 2024

HomeLight Reviews: Are They the Best Way to Sell in 2023?

Editor
Edited By

Jason Joshi

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Editor
Edited By

Jason Joshi

Editor, Houzeo
About

Jason is a passionate content editor working at Houzeo. He has an eye for detail and keeps himself updated with the recent trends in the real estate market. He also likes to travel and explore places.

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✍️ Editor’s Note: HomeLight has been accused for price fixing and false advertising by HomeOpenly. Watch how HomeLight vs. HomeOpenly’s lawsuit threatens the existence of agent referral networks.

» SKIP THE HASSLE: Start Your Free Listing on Houzeo.com
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HomeLight is an agent-matching service. They have an automated platform that provides agent suggestions within minutes.

Editor’s Rating

4.6

User Rating

1.6
(9 Reviews)

Write a review

Pros

  • HomeLight has an extensive network of real estate agents.
  • They recommend agents within minutes of information submission.
  • There is no obligation to select the agent they recommend.

Cons

  • Your agent will have to pay a referral fee to HomeLight.
  • There is no scope for commission savings.

HomeLight is a tech-centric real estate company that offers a range of services. They are most commonly known for their agent-matching service. HomeLight has an extensive network of agents. They use a referral algorithm to pair the potential agents with you.

However, HomeLight does not have strict eligibility criteria for the agents. Agents who have a brokerage license can join their network.

Instead of relying on an agent who may not meet your expectations, why not sell your house yourself? Listing companies like Houzeo help you get on the MLS for a nominal flat fee. Moreover, selling the FSBO way also allows you to save thousands on commission.

    ✍️ Editor’s Take: We recommend selling your home with Houzeo instead of HomeLight. Houzeo’s stellar customer service helps you at every step of home-selling. Compare HomeLight vs. Houzeo.

Is HomeLight a Legitimate Company?

Yes. HomeLight is a legitimate real estate company founded in 2012 by Drew Uher. According to their website, they have partnered with 28,000 agents and have served 1,079,300 clients.

HomeLight’s technology sets them apart from other agent-matching services. Their platform uses an algorithm to pair potential agents with you within minutes. However, HomeLight doesn’t offer savings on real estate commissions. You will spend around 6% in commissions to sell your property.

Moreover, HomeOpenly has accused HomeLight of price fixing and false advertising. Watch the video to learn the truth about the HomeLight vs. HomeOpenly case.

How Does HomeLight Work?

Finding a real estate agent on HomeLight’s platform is fairly straightforward. You need to select the “I’m selling” option on the home page of their website. You have to fill out a form that is used to establish the criteria for agent recommendations.

  • Provide Information: Enter property details like the address, size, type, and built year. You also need to enter your contact information.
  • Get Recommendations: You will initially get 3 agent recommendations. If these agents don’t meet your expectations, you can ask for more matches.
  • Interview Agents: You can interview the agents on call.
  • Sign the Listing Agreement: Once you have picked an agent, you’ll need to sign a listing agreement with them.

After the paperwork, the listing agent will put the home on the MLS. They also help you find prospective buyers and negotiate with them.

    ✍️ Take Note: If you are searching for a buyer’s agent, you need to fill in information like your desired location, type of property, and mortgage status.

Other HomeLight Services

» Jump to: HomeLight Simple Sale | HomeLight Home Loan | HomeLight Buy Before You Sell

HomeLight Simple Sale

HomeLight Simple Sale, earlier known as HomeLight cash offer connects home sellers to cash buyers who buy properties as is. You can expect a quick cash offer after signing up. Moreover, you can close the deal in as few as 10 days of accepting the offer.

However, most cash buyers do not offer a fair market value for your house. So, you may have to settle with a lowball offer for a quick sale.

» HomeLight Simple Sale Reviews: Read reviews on HomeLight Cash Offer to know about the efficacy of their program.

HomeLight Home Loan

This service makes mortgage pre-approval easy for home buyers. They help you to get pre-approved within 5 minutes. They can also offer an earnest money deposit of up to $100,000 to cover financial contingencies.

HomeLight Buy Before You Sell

It is also known as the HomeLight Trade-in program. In this service, HomeLight evaluates the equity of your home and uses this equity to purchase a new one. Once you move out, HomeLight helps you sell your old home.

HomeLight Coverage

HomeLight has offices in Arizona, California, and New York. However, they have nationwide coverage.

How Much Does HomeLight Cost?

HomeLight’s agent matching services are free for sellers and buyers. HomeLight will charge your agent a referral fee. This fee is around 33% of your agent’s commission. While this is standard industry practice, it still is roughly 1% of the listing agent’s commission.

For instance, if your home’s value is $300,000, your agent will charge you $9,000. Out of this, HomeLight will keep around $3,000.

Homelight Real Estate Reviews

HomeLight has secured a 4.6 out of 5-star rating based on 533 reviews on Google. Moreover, the company has a 4.3 out of 5-star rating on Better Business Bureau based on 118 reviews.

HomeLight Reviews: Praises

✅ Rishi had a great experience with HomeLight. He also praised the agent he was matched with.

Rishi MashelkarUSASubmitted 2022

Utilizing HomeLight made it simple to track down the top expert realtor local to us. The entire process was so fast and simple. Our real estate met us and came up with a plan quickly. They were exceptionally knowledgeable about the local market and the bigger housing trends. They helped us price the house accurately leading to a fast sale!

Source: Google

✅ Simon was delighted with HomeLight’s customer service. He was also happy with the agent he hired through HomeLight.

Simon TangUSASubmitted 2022

The HomeLight experience was great and easy to use. The website was intuitive and connected us with a great agent that provided us with a set of options. We ended using him as the sellers agent for the retail listing, and his team moved the process along fairly smoothly He was communicative and provided regular updates on the markets included detailed reports. We would highly recommend HomeLight to others!

Source: Google

HomeLight Reviews: Complaints

❌ HD Boesch felt that the agency that HomeLight recommended did not help him get the right price for his home.

HD BoeschUSASubmitted 2019

I awarded Active Realty to sell my house, because this real estate company was identified by HomeLight as one of the best agencies to sell homes fast and for a high price. Unfortunately it turned out to be the opposite. The price target for this house as set by the agents was so much above the market value, that it took three significant price reductions and a total time of 6 months to have sold my house at a low price. So I cannot say that HomeLights recommendation was a good one.

Source: Google

❌ Richard emphasized that he could have potentially saved thousands of dollars by not using HomeLight to find the agent.

Richard KnappUSASubmitted 2021

This company hides how they are paid and that cost me thousands in referral fees as a licensed agent I was “matched” with was an agent I already knew. Zero stars for being a shady company hiding behind fine print.

Source: Google

Pros and Cons of Homelight.com

Let’s have a look at some major advantages and limitations of finding an agent through HomeLight.

👍 Pros

HomeLight offers some benefits to home sellers.

  • Wide Network of Brokers: HomeLight Inc. has a network of over 28,000 agents.
  • Quick Suggestions: HomeLight instantly gives you an agent recommendation after you fill out an online form.
  • No Obligation to Hire Agents: HomeLight doesn’t oblige you to hire the agent through them. If you don’t find a desirable match, you can walk away.
  • Coverage in Smaller Towns: HomeLight has a good network in smaller towns as compared to some of their competitors.

👎 Cons

There are certain disadvantages to using HomeLight to find an agent.

  • No Scope to Negotiate Commissions: The agents of HomeLight real estate have to pay a referral fee. This eliminates your scope to negotiate the commission.
  • No Savings: HomeLight doesn’t offer any savings through their service, unlike other real estate companies.
  • Unreliability of Services: Your experience entirely depends on the agents you collaborate with.

Homelight Competitors Reviews

» Jump to: HomeLight vs. Houzeo | HomeLight vs. UpNest | HomeLight vs. Opendoor

1. HomeLight vs. Houzeo

HomeLight and Houzeo, are both tech-centric platforms that simplify your real estate journey. However, the approach of both companies is different.

HomeLight helps you locate an agent who charges around a 3% commission. On the other hand, Houzeo helps you list on the MLS for a minimal flat fee. You can manage the entire sale process online through Houzeo’s dashboard and mobile app.

HomeLightHouzeo
Listing Fee3% Commission$399
Customer Rating4.6 stars (532 reviews)4.9 stars (5,450 reviews)
CoverageNationwide47 states + Washington D.C.
Mobile App
Showings Management Platform
Offer Management Platform
Counter an Offer
Request Highest and Best Offer
Home Inspection Dashboard

2. HomeLight vs. UpNest

UpNest likes to call itself a “real estate agent marketplace,” where the agents compete for your listing. Since there is higher competition, these agents offer services at discounted prices.

However, as many Upnest reviews highlight, your agent may lack local expertise. Moreover, you need to select the agents based on the proposals they submit.

3. HomeLight vs. Opendoor

Opendoor is the largest iBuyer in America, extending cash offers on homes. The cash offers from HomeLight Simple Sale and Opendoor are up to 80% of your home’s fair market value.

However, Opendoor has strict eligibility criteria for the houses they buy. So, if your house needs repairs, you might not be able to sell it with Opendoor.

Other Options You Should Consider

  • Sell to an iBuyer: iBuyers purchase homes needing minimal repairs in as-is condition. They can be a great option if you want to sell your house fast.
  • Sell to Cash Home Buyers: Individual cash home buyers make all-cash offers, usually within 24 to 48 hours. They also let you skip listing on the MLS.
  • Sell For Sale By Owner: FSBO websites help you list and sell a house yourself, saving thousands in agent commissions. Many FSBO websites will also help you with the paperwork.

Is HomeLight a Good Option For You?

HomeLight is a viable choice for those who are looking for agent recommendations. However, this convenience comes at the cost of a 3% commission fee. Instead of paying thousands to an agent, you should list on the MLS FSBO.

Houzeo is the top alternative to get on the MLS. For a flat fee, you’ll be on the MLS in under 24 hours. Moreover, Houzeo’s tech-centric approach and 5-star customer support will make home selling a breeze.

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HomeLight.com FAQs

Who owns HomeLight?

Drew Uher Owns HomeLight. He established this company in 2012 to simplify the agent search process. However, unlike most modern real estate companies, HomeLight doesn't offer any savings on real estate transactions.

What is HomeLight Real Estate?

HomeLight is an agent matching service that uses technology to filter suitable real estate agents for you. The company charges a referral fee to your agent, which is roughly 1% of your home's sale price.

What is HomeLight's referral fee?

HomeLight charges a referral fee to the agents partnered with them. This is 33% of their commission, or usually 1% of your home's sale price.

What is HomeLight Simple Sale?

HomeLight Simple Sale program helps you connect with cash buyers who are ready to close the deal in as little as 2 weeks. This program is ideal for sellers who want to sell a property without repairs.

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Reviews
1.6
(9 Reviews)
  • James

    Verified Reviewer

    Homelite was a nightmare from the very beginning. Twice, we received leads from a different source. Homelite then sent over their lead on the same address. We declined. They still tried to sue us after they closed

  • Brenden

    Verified Reviewer

    Not at all, just another place to waste your money as a realtor

  • Alison Bessette

    Verified Reviewer

    This is an absolute scam just to get your info and give it to a bunch of realtors that charge to help sell your home the link I actually thought i was signing up for was to get an all cash offer on my house which you never even get one and I was extremely upfront when I stated that in no way was I interested in having realtors contact me but guess what now they are and since I the text message where I clearly state to not give my information to anyone and they still did I will be filing a complaint with first my states attorney and then anyone else who may handle regulating this kind of blatant disregard for a consumer.

  • Mark Wright

    Verified Reviewer

    worst experience representing buyer than ever. Seller had no support and had no idea of how the process worked. Home was not listed correctly. Unless you REALLY know all the ins and outs of real estate. Stay away from this. it will cost you.

  • Leslie Carver

    Verified Reviewer

    Homelight has been a terrific resource for me!

  • Kim

    Verified Reviewer

    I have not worked with them, however I can show you the value of a Realtor 100 times over! All I hear is Negative about them!

  • lilian

    Verified Reviewer

    2nd Nov 2023

    I lost up to $55k while trading on Binary Options .I tried getting my money out from the option broker account and was unable to place a withdrawal. I found my self wading through excessively complicated terms which seemed impossible to meet, all because I traded with an unregulated broker. I did not panic, I have good news . I lost over $55k to an unregulated broker who stocked my trading capital and denied me access to my account. I have recovered all my lost funds, through the help of a certified binary recovery expert. If assistance is needed, kindly get in contact with {nick jover 4 at gmaiI com } and you will be guided on effective steps to take and get back all your lost funds in days, You can

  • Charles Kimball

    Verified Reviewer

    18th Jan 2024

    I keep receiving calls and text messages wanting to buy my house and/or help find an agent. I have repeatedly told them that I am not interested in selling my home and to quit contacting me. If HomeLight continues to contact me, I will contact TREC.

  • Anonymous

    Verified Reviewer

    3rd Mar 2024

    DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME WITH HOMELIGHT. BIG SCAM!

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