The home prices in Chicago increased by 0.9% to reach an average price of $328,000 in August 2022. Home sellers may require the help of a REALTOR to sell their homes in such a situation. Here are our rankings of the best REALTORS in Chicago who will help you sell the property for the best price without any hassle.
Reviews: Best REALTOR in Chicago
1. Vanessa Carlson
🔥 Best Overall
Venessa Carlson
- ⌛ 16 years experience
- Covers major IL MLS
5/5 (35 Reviews)
Vanessa Carlson
💰 Sales volume: $68 million
👩⚖️ About: Vanessa Carlson is a realtor based in Illinois. She covers some major MLS’ and has 5-star consumer ratings. She has been in the real estate industry for the past 16 years. As per realtor.com, she has 455 listings under her belt.
🥇 Accolades: She launched a discount flat fee brokerage to provide exceptional online listing FSBO services. She is additionally associated with Houzeo which is America’s #1 Flat Fee MLS listing service.
iRealtyFlatFeeBrokerage
🏡 About: iRealty is a discount brokerage that offers sellers affordable MLS packages and a 0.75 percent closing rebate to buyers. For a first-time seller, they offer full-service alternatives as well as additional tools such as a yard sign and all legal documentation required by FSBO sellers.
Houzeo.com
💰 Save Thousands on Commission: Venessa offers his services through Houzeo’s plans typically for a small flat fee. This will save you thousands. If your buyer is unrepresented, you save the buyer agent commission as well.
📣 Maximum Exposure: Listings get syndicated to the MLS, Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, Trulia, and hundreds of other websites. Houzeo also has nifty social media sharing tools. No other platform gives you this much exposure.
⚡ Fast Listing & Changes: Through Houzeo, Venessa offers all his services 100% online. Listing is easy and changes are fast. So you can focus on what is most important – your sale.
📱 Cutting-edge Technology: Through Houzeo, Venessa provides various tech-enabled solutions. These include:
- IntelliList Listing Management System: Lets you manage your listing 100% online.
- Houzeo Showings: Manage showing appointments online.
- Houzeo Offers: All offers are summarized online. You can view and compare offers, or counter an offer. In a multiple-offer situation, you can also call for the highest and best offers.
- Buyer Search: Buyers can contact you directly on Houzeo.com instead of going through a real estate agent.
- Houzeo Settlement Agent Platform: Guides you to your closing.
No other Realtor comes close to offering such features.
👉 Our Take: Venessa Longo is our top pick because his services deliver an unbeatable combination of savings, and tech features, and covers all the major MLS’ in Illinois.
»SAVE: Start your free listing on Houzeo.com today!
- Covers some major MLS’ in Illinois
- 16 years of experience
- All her services are 100% online from listings, changes, showings, and offer management
Venessa has 5-star ratings on Houzeo.com.
Vanessa Carlson is a licensed Illinois REALTOR from Elmhurst. Her main service areas include:
- Crystal Lake
- Elmhurst
- Harwood Heights
- Lake in the Hills
- Morton Grove
- Oak Park
- Palos Heights
- Villa Park
- Aurora
- Carpentersville
- Forest Park
- Hinsdale
- Inverness
- La Grange
- Oak Brook
- Saint Charles
- Buffalo Grove
- Bensenville
- Chicago
- Des Plaines
- Elgin
- Geneva
- North Riverside
- River Forest
- Skokie
- Downers Grove
- Elk Grove Village
- Hickory Hills
- Lincolnshire
- Palatine
- Westchester
- Franklin Park
- Hoffman Estates
- Roselle
- Batavia
- Deerfield
- Orland Park
- Park Ridge
- Schaumburg
- Western Springs
- Winnetka
- Lake Forest
- Maywood
- Rolling Meadows
- Carol Stream
- Glenview
- Mount Prospect
- Naperville
- River Grove
- Schiller Park
- Barrington
- Broadview
- Cicero
- Itasca
- Lake Zurich
- Palos Hills
- Riverside
- Vernon Hills
- Arlington Heights
- Berwyn
- Burr Ridge
- Melrose Park
- Highland Park
What are REALTOR Agents?
REALTOR Agents are real estate professionals adhering to the code of ethics laid down by the National Association of REALTORS (NAR), America’s largest real estate association.
For becoming a licensed member of the NAR, a real estate agent or broker has to be a certified member of a local REALTOR association and complete their NAR Code of Ethics training.
The designation of REALTORS in Chicago is open to a variety of professionals like commercial brokers, agents, appraisers, property managers, and counselors working in the real estate sector.
» NAR Code of Ethics: A Comprehensive Guide.
What is the Average Commission for REALTORS in Chicago?
The average REALTOR commission in Chicago is typically between 5% and 6%. However, this fee is negotiable and varies from sale to sale depending on the region and the firm REALTORS work for.
🔎 Average Real Estate Agent Commission: Know what is the average real estate commission in the US!
💸 Want To Save On The REALTOR® Commission?
We have got you covered. Sell your house with Houzeo.com for a small flat fee – as less as $349!
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Real Estate Agent vs. Real Estate Broker vs. REALTORS
Sr. No. | Defining Features | Real Estate Agent | Real Estate Broker | REALTOR® |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Explanation | A real estate professional possessing the license to assist people in buying, selling, or renting real estate. | A real estate professional having in-depth knowledge of the field, who has obtained a license after completing additional coursework beyond the agent level. | Real estate agents or real estate brokers can become realtors by becoming members of the NAR. They follow the NAR Code of Ethics and are held to a higher standard than real estate agents and brokers. |
2. | Training | No additional training is required except the completion of the prelicensing coursework | Required to undergo additional training pertaining to contracts, insurance, taxes, and ethics | Same as a Real Estate Agent and/or Broker |
3. | Eligibility | Required to pass the pre-licensing exam to obtain an agent’s license | Required to have some experience working as an agent and obtain a broker’s license after completing additional coursework | Same as a Real Estate Agent and/or Broker |
4. | Mode of Operation | Real estate agents are required to work for a broker or a brokerage. | Brokers can either start their brokerage or work independently as agents. | Same as a Real Estate Agent and/or Broker |
5. | Responsibility | Seller agents are required to help the seller price the property, host open houses, be present during the inspection, provide contract assistance, etc. | Brokers are required to oversee other agents working for them and hold other roles depending on whether they are a Principal Broker, Managing Broker, or Associate Broker. | Same as a Real Estate Agent and/or Broker |
How to Find REALTORS in Chicago
Home sellers can find the right REALTORS in Chicago with proper research. If you wish to sell a single-family home or a condo, it is essential to find a REALTOR specializing in that sale.
We have listed the process for finding a Chicago REALTOR who will help you in your real estate journey.
How to Find REALTORS in Chicago
- Look for real estate agents or brokers who are members of the NAR.
- Verify whether they provide cutting-edge tech.
- Check their customer reviews.
- Find out whether they offer optional online paperwork.
- Interview Realtors and convey your requirement.
- Compare the Realtors based on commission percentage and services provided.
- Finalize the one that best understands your real estate goals.
» Best REALTORS: Check out our rankings of the top REALTORS across the country
Alternatives to Top REALTORS in Chicago
If saving money is the main goal you should consider the following:
1. Sell with Flat Fee MLS Companies
With Flat Fee MLS companies, you can save thousands of dollars in commissions and take advantage of their technology to sell your house fast in the US. These companies will list your property on your local MLS for a flat fee of a few hundred dollars.
They also offer a range of other services like showing management, offer management, and digital transaction management. These companies are the cheapest way to get your house on the MLS and maximize your profits.
We’ve compiled a list of the best Flat Fee MLS listing services near you:
2. Sell with Discount Brokers
Discount Brokers are licensed individuals or companies that help you sell your home at a low commission or flat rate. Most discount realtors charge a single fee for the entire sale.
These Flat Fee Realtors have the tools to provide excellent exposure to home sellers. They offer social media exposure, a personalized website, and other features despite offering their services at a lower rate than traditional real estate brokers.
Here are our top recommendations:
Discount Brokers | Fees |
Redfin | 1.5% of the sale price |
Ideal Agent | 2% of the sale price |
Houwzer | $5000 Flat Fee |
HomeLight | 2.5% of the sale price |
⚡ Discount Real Estate Brokers: Check out detailed reviews of top discount real estate brokers near you.
3. Sell “For Sale By Owner”
77% of the FSBO sellers sold their houses in 2 weeks. Advanced FSBO websites like Houzeo help you sell your home fast and make a successful sale.
The best part about selling a house by owner is the freedom to make decisions about your home sale without a Realtor. Since there is no listing agent involved, you end up saving thousands of dollars on the seller agent commission which would have been impossible otherwise.
⚡ Sell Your Home Fast As FSBO: Check out our tips for selling your home like a pro with FSBO
Selling with a REALTOR vs. FSBO vs. Flat Fee MLS
4. Sell to “We Buy Houses for Cash” Companies
When selling a home fast for cash, you can skip on repairs to reduce your expenses. Selling your house as-is will save you money and time. Home sellers get 50% – 70% of the property’s market value for their houses, whether it’s a distressed property or not.
Lesser paperwork and inspections when selling their houses to cash companies speed up the closing process significantly.
⚡ Companies That Buy Houses for Cash: Check our rankings of the top cash companies!
5. Sell to iBuyers
iBuyers are companies that buy houses for cash. The price is decided with the help of their proprietary algorithm, recent real estate data, and in-house experts. An iBuyer offers and closes the deal within 24 hours. However, there are certain pitfalls when dealing with an iBuyer.
- The offer price is sometimes way lower than the actual market price
- Their offer price is generally non-negotiable
- Charge steep service fees – generally 5%-14% of the sale price
Hence, iBuyers are only recommended if you want a quick sale rather than to save your money.
⚡ iBuyer Reviews: See who’s No.1 in America!
Final Word
Having a good REALTOR® when selling a house can make the process cakewalk. Their guidance can help you get the best price for your property in the most hassle-free manner.
However, with the average REALTOR commission being 6% across the nation – split 50-50 between the listing and the buyer agent, your profits on the sale are substantially reduced. Additionally, seller closing costs will eat away at your profits.
Although there is no escaping the closing costs, opting for Flat Fee real estate agents, empowered by Houzeo, can help you save 3% listing agent commission.
Frequently Asked Questions about REALTORS in Chicago
How much do Realtors make in Illinois?
The average Realtor salary in Illinois is $84,687 as of November 23, 2022, but the range typically falls between $72,251 and $100,378.
How many realtors in Illinois?
There are 51,381 realtors currently working in the state of Illinois.
What are the real estate commission rates in Illinois?
The average commission rate for listing agents is 2.68% of the final home price and 2.56% for buyer's agents, for a total of 5.24%.
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Also Read
- Selling a House As Is in Illinois: Selling your house involves various steps like pricing, marketing, negotiating, paperwork, etc. Check out our comprehensive guide for selling your house as is in Illinois
- How to Sell a House By Owner in Illinois: Home sellers who wish to sell their homes should know these things before they start. Read to know what steps to take.
- Companies That Buy Houses for Cash in Illinois: If you wish to sell your house fast in Illinois, then opt for cash home buyers. Check out the best ones who can help you!
- Real Estate Companies in Illinois: Good real estate companies provide modern solutions to the modern home seller. Click to know what they do!
- Real Estate Websites in Illinois: Top real estate websites use advanced technology to increase efficiency and reduce the time required for a real estate transaction. Check out the best near you!