{"id":975211,"date":"2026-10-31T05:39:42","date_gmt":"2026-10-31T09:39:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.houzeo.com\/blog\/?p=975211"},"modified":"2026-10-31T06:31:32","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T10:31:32","slug":"flat-fee-mls-customer-story-charlene-sold-her-home-easily-with-houzeo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.houzeo.com\/blog\/flat-fee-mls-customer-story-charlene-sold-her-home-easily-with-houzeo\/","title":{"rendered":"Charlene S. Sold Her Home with Houzeo and Saved about $9,000"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Charlene Scher wasn\u2019t hunting for a new way to sell a house. She wasn\u2019t comparing platforms or reading reviews late at night. She had a second home to sell and a plan to handle it herself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI found Houzeo on accident really.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That accident ended up saving her $8,721.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s what makes her story worth reading. Charlene used to be a real estate agent. She knew the traditional route inside out. She knew the commissions, the paperwork and the process. When it was time to sell, she still picked Houzeo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her home hit the MLS on January 21, 2025. It sat for a little over four months. Then came an offer above asking, a final price of $305,000 and a number at the end that made the whole decision look very smart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s how it happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Meet Charlene<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Charlene spent time as an agent in another state. She understands how a sale works, where the money goes and what a commission really costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That matters here. Most sellers trust the traditional model because they don\u2019t know any different. Charlene knew exactly how it worked. She just wanted a better version.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Decision to Sell<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Charlene and her family decided to sell their secondary home. It had done its job, and it was time to let it go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her first instinct was a confident one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI figured I can do this!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And she probably could have. But she also knew what the usual deal looks like. In most traditional sales, the seller pays around 4% in commissions. On a home that sells for $305,000, that comes to $12,200.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Twelve thousand dollars. For one sale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An Accidental Discovery<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Then she came across Houzeo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The pitch was simple. Put the home on the MLS, get a licensed professional in her corner and pay a fraction of the usual cost. Charlene chose the Gold plan. The listing fee was $429. The commission was 1%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let that sink in. One percent, against the four she knew so well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For someone who had seen the old math up close, the new math was hard to ignore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What She Got Along the Way<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Cheaper can sound like less. It wasn\u2019t here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Gold plan gave Charlene a full toolkit to sell her home with confidence:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s the same kind of support she\u2019d expect from a full service sale, minus the full service price tag. Photos, showings, offers, paperwork and a licensed broker to lean on. Everything a seller needs, handled in one place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Going Live on MLS<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
On January 21, 2025, her home went live on the MLS at $302,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next part was refreshingly easy. Houzeo handled the agent assignment, so there was no scramble and no chasing people down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHouzeo made it easing assigning an agent, communicating with myself and the agent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Communication is where many sellers feel left in the dark. Charlene didn\u2019t. Everyone stayed in the loop, and she stayed in charge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Waiting Game<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Real estate doesn\u2019t always move fast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her home stayed on the market for a little over four months. Spring arrived. Showings came and went. Charlene kept her cool, and her tools and team kept her informed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Patience is part of the game. So is having the right support while you wait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Offer<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
On June 2, 2025, the home sold for $305,000.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s $3,000 above the asking price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s the part that surprises a lot of sellers. Paying a lower commission didn\u2019t mean settling for a lower price. The home sold above asking, and the savings stayed in Charlene\u2019s pocket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Closing Day<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The sale closed on July 7, 2025. Keys changed hands. Papers were signed. The second home became someone else\u2019s first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And Charlene walked away with a lot more than she expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Numbers<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Now for the math, because this is where the story really lands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At 1% on a $305,000 sale, Charlene\u2019s commission came to $3,050. Add the $429 listing fee and her total cost was $3,479.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A traditional 4% commission on the same sale would have been about $12,200.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That leaves an estimated savings of $8,721.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A former agent with a front row seat to the old way did the math and chose the new one. She didn\u2019t have to settle for less service, less exposure or a lower price. She just paid less to get there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSaved me about $9k on my transaction.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n