A 1% commission real estate agent is any agent that lists your home for a 1% listing fee - a huge discount compared to the 2.5-3% most agents charge. On $434,100 home (the median U.S. sale price)[1] that’s roughly $8,200 that stays in your pocket at closing instead of going to your listing agent.
If you're researching these types of agents, you probably have a lot of questions. The two I hear most often are: "Are 1% commission realtors legit?" and "What do I give up to get that rate?"
The answer: 1% agents are legit, and a handful of full-service brokerages have charged that rate for years. But the number only tells part of the story. Some companies that advertise 1% actually charge 1.5%. Others charge minimum fees that push the true rate to 2% on lower-priced homes. And service can range from a dedicated local agent to a rotating team you’ll never meet in person.
I’m a former licensed agent who has advised clients on the pros and cons of low commission agents. Below, I rank the best 1% commission realtors for 2026, explain how the model works and how to find agents near you, and lay out the real benefits and drawbacks so you can decide whether a 1% listing fee makes sense for your sale.
Top 1% commission realtors of 2026
We evaluated all of the national and regional discount companies on actual fees (including minimums), coverage, service scope, and verified customer reviews. These five came out on top.
Listing Fee
Active Since
Buyer Savings
Our take
Reviews
Service details
Locations
Clever Real Estate delivers the best combination of savings and service of any competitor that we’ve reviewed. Its agents are held to high standards and provide full service and support for just a 1.5% listing fee, saving you thousands when you sell your home. In states where it's permitted, buyers can also get cash back at closing. Clever has more agents (19,000+) in more markets than most other low-commission options, plus the highest customer rating among brands we evaluated. Unlike some of its competitors, Clever also allows you to choose your own agent. It matches you up with multiple agents, and you can choose the one that best fits your needs.
Read the full Clever Real Estate review.
Pros
- Low 1.5% listing fee for sellers — about half the typical rate
- Up to $500 cash back for buyers
- Agents have strong sales records and great customer reviews
- Compare agent service packages and credentials before making a decision
Cons
- Fewer agent options in certain rural areas
- Add-ons like professional home staging may cost extra
Listing Fee
Active Since
Buyer Savings
Our Take
Reviews
Service details
Locations
1 Percent Lists offers an appealing 1% listing fee model that provides significant savings, especially for sellers of high-value properties across 19 states. The brokerage is known for its comprehensive service, which includes professional photography, MLS listings, contract negotiations, Bluetooth lockboxes, and robust social media marketing, making it a cost-effective option compared to other discount realtors. However, due to fewer customer reviews available, it can be difficult to gauge the quality of service based solely on past experiences. We recommend that prospective clients talk directly with an agent to get a better idea of the services offered.
Pros
- 1% listing fee, allowing for potentially substantial savings
- Comprehensive full-service plan covering all aspects of the selling process
- Increased exposure through listings on multiple MLSs
Cons
- Limited review information makes it hard to assess service quality
- Limited service area compared to other discount realtors
Listing Fee
Active Since
Buyer Savings
Our take
Reviews
Service details
Locations
Houwzer has a 1% listing fee, which is among the lowest of any low commission brand. It also offers an enticing buyer rebate of up to half the buyer broker fee. However, Houwzer agents work as a team and handle 3x the transaction volume of traditional agents. Reviews indicate that the higher client load and remote handling of transactions can sometimes impact agents' responsiveness.
Pros
- 1% listing fee is low compared to competitors
- Broker fee capped at 1% for buyers
- Agents provide full service and support
Cons
- Agents handle a high volume of transactions
- Small percentage of reviews mention service quality issues
Listing Fee
Active Since
Buyer Savings
Our take
Reviews
Service details
Locations
Trelora Real Estate offers a competitive commission rate of just 1% for buyers and sellers. The team provides full-service listings and hands-on support from listing through closing. With an impressive 4.7-star rating across 3rd-party review sites, Trelora is a trusted choice for buyers and sellers. However, some customers complain about the lack of personalized service offered through Trelora’s team-based model.
Pros
- Low listing fee
- Generous buyer rebate
- Fast sale process
Cons
- Lack of personalized service
- Spotty communication
- Attention to detail can be questionable
Listing Fee
Active Since
Buyer Savings
Our take
Locations
Service details
Reviews
Redfin is an established discount brokerage that offers impressive savings — especially if you buy and sell with a Redfin agent. While the company's standard listing fee is 2% it's reduced by an additional 1% if you also purchase a home within a year. However, Redfin may not be the best fit for those seeking personalized, high-touch service, as some customers have noted that Redfin agents are often less involved than traditional agents.
Pros
- 2% listing fee, and up to 0.25% cash back for buyers
- Convenient home search site with high marketing visibility for sellers
- Significant savings if you buy and sell with Redfin
Cons
- Agents handle more transaction volume and may be less hands-on
- Reviews on 3rd-party sites are lower than many competitors'
- High minimum fees in some markets
How 1% commission real estate agents work
When you hire a 1% commission real estate agent, the basics of your home sale shouldn't actually change. Your home still goes on the MLS, buyers still tour it, and offers still get negotiated. What changes is the fee your listing agent takes at closing, and sometimes the way your agent is paid and staffed behind the scenes.
Here’s what that could mean for your commission rate and your service.
What you pay
It's crucial to understand that the 1% figure covers your listing agent’s fee only. It doesn’t include the buyer’s agent fee, which most sellers still offer to attract buyers. Nationally, the average listing fee is 2.76% and the average buyer’s agent fee is 2.70%, for a total of 5.46%, according to our 2026 survey of real estate agents.
Estimated listing-side commission only, based on Clever's latest agent survey (434 agents, updated August 2026). Your buyer's agent fee is negotiated separately after the 2024 NAR settlement, and actual low commission fees vary by company and market.
So, to be honest, a “1% commission” usually means a total commission of about 3.5% to 4%, not an actual 1% rate.
But that’s still a meaningful cut from the 5% to 6% that has been standard for decades, but it’s worth knowing before you compare quotes. Both fees are deducted from your proceeds at closing and itemized on your Closing Disclosure under federal rules from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau[2] so you’ll see exactly what each agent is paid before you sign.
Two important things to remember. First, sellers usually pay the buyer's agent fee. This has been the standard practice for years, and the recent NAR lawsuit settlement hasn't changed that. Second, minimum fees can raise your effective rate. A 1% rate with a $5,000 minimum is really a 2% commission on a $250,000 home, for example. Always calculate your effective rate on your own estimated sale price, not the advertised number.
What services you get
We purposely included companies on this list that offer full service: MLS listing, professional photography, pricing guidance, showings, negotiation, and closing coordination. We think this is the best option for most sellers, and it's the key reason the 1% commission category is worth considering over a flat-fee MLS listing or selling on your own.
Where 1% brokerages differ is in who actually delivers that service, and the quality of service provided:
- Dedicated local agent. Clever Real Estate is one option that matches you with an agent at a traditional brokerage who has agreed to a 1.5% rate. You get one point of contact who lives and works in your market.
- Franchise agent. 1 Percent Lists uses local franchise offices, so your experience may depend on the specific office and agent.
- Salaried team. Houwzer, Trelora, and Redfin use in-house, often salaried agents organized into teams (a listing specialist, a transaction coordinator, a closing manager). It’s efficient for straightforward sales, but you may work with several people instead of one, and customer reviews indicate that a lot of the communication happens by phone, text, and email.
If you feel you need one-on-one support, it's best to choose a service that provides a dedicated local agent. If you feel your home sale is straightforward and you're in a seller's market, a franchise agent or a salaried team might do just as good a job.
Either way, it's best to ask each company and agent who is handling the listing from start to finish, and if you'll be passed to another agent after signing a listing agreement. This will set the right expectations and help you decide if the company is the best fit for you, or if you should keep looking.
Can you negotiate lower rates?
Yes, you can absolutely negotiate realtor fees. They have always been 100% negotiable, and you don’t need a discount brokerage to ask. In a LendingTree survey, 64% of buyers and sellers who asked for a lower commission got one, but only 31% asked in the first place.[3]
That said, if your preferred agent charges a 2.5% to 3% listing fee, don’t expect to talk them down to 1% (that's a huge pay cut for an agent who's used to earning 2-3x more). You’ll have the most success when you’re in a seller’s market, selling a higher-priced or move-in-ready home, or are willing to buy your next home with the same agent.
“Two things separate the sellers who get a lower commission from those who don’t. First, they ask. Far less than half of the sellers I meet with even bring it up. Second, they happen to hire an agent who needs the business badly enough to take less," says Michael Perna of the Perna Real Estate Team, located in Detroit, MI.
📊 Realtor survey insights
Real Estate Witch’s annual survey of over 800 real estate agents found that agents are most likely to reduce their fees when:
- The homeowner is listing multiple properties for sale (46.9% of agents surveyed)
- The homeowner also plans to buy with them (45.7%)
- There’s high competition for clients in their market (42.6%)
- The homeowner is a repeat client (41.6%)
- The property has a higher value (40.5%)
In short, agents are most willing to work for less when they see client loyalty or the potential for multiple deals.
Why agents consider working for 1%
It's fair to be skeptical of the business model, and you may be wondering how an agent can make a living on just a 1% commission on a home sale.
The truth is that an agent earning 1% on 40 transactions a year makes roughly the same gross income as one earning 3% on 13. Some agents prefer working with more sellers to get experience under their belt and potentially get referrals.
Also, 1% commission companies feed their agents a steady stream of leads, which removes the agent’s biggest expense: marketing and prospecting. Salaried models like Houwzer and Redfin replace per-deal commission with base pay plus bonuses, removing the pressure of any single sale.
The agents we spoke with said the model works best on well-priced, move-in-ready homes in active markets, where a listing needs less hands-on effort to sell. It’s a tougher fit for complex sales, slow markets, or overpriced homes that demand real agent time. We’ll get into that in the pros and cons below.
1% commission realtors: Pros and cons
Pros
- The savings are real, and they get better with a higher sale price.
- You usually get full service.
- Sellers who use them are mostly satisfied.
- You have more leverage now to lock in a lower rate.
Cons
- Minimum fees can quietly raise your rate.
- You could get handed off to a team.
- 1% agents may spend less money on marketing.
- A bad agent and a slow sale can erase your savings.
✅ Pros of a 1% commission realtor
Savings: Cutting your listing fee from 2.88% to 1% saves about $8,200 on a median-priced home and more than $13,000 on a $700,000 home. Commissions also reduce your taxable gain when you sell (the IRS treats them as a selling expense that lowers the amount realized).[4] But a lower fee still puts more cash in your pocket on closing day.
Full-service: The top 1% brokerages include the things that actually sell a home: MLS exposure, professional photos, pricing advice, negotiation, and closing support. This isn’t a limited-service or flat-fee MLS arrangement.
Sellers are mostly satisfied: In our 2026 survey of 500 recent sellers, 82% of those who used a low-fee agent rated the service as good as or better than a traditional agent, and 69% felt their home sold for the same or more. (Small sample, so read those as directional.) Attitudes are shifting, too: 72% of all sellers said they’d trust a 1.5% agent to do as good a job as a 3% agent, at least with some reservations.
Your leverage is better than it was. Since the NAR settlement, commission is a normal conversation on every transaction, and 1% services are the most reliable way to lock in a lower rate without negotiating.
❌ Cons of a 1% commission realtor
Minimum fee: Most 1% brokerages carry a $2,500 to $5,000 minimum. On a $200,000 home, a $5,000 minimum is a 2.5% fee, the same as a traditional agent. The lower your price, the less a 1% rate actually saves.
You may get handled by a team: This one trips up the most sellers: the agent who pitches you may not be the one who handles your transaction. Christina Rordam, a 21-year top-producing realtor with Florida Realty Investments in Orlando, has seen it repeatedly.
“A lot of times, somebody’s offering a discounted rate and they sell 50, 100-plus homes. But to handle that volume, much of it is outsourced. Maybe it’s outsourced to a VA in another country. Maybe it’s outsourced to AI. Maybe you meet with one agent who’s the face of the team, and then a junior agent who just got their license six months ago handles the negotiations of your contract.”
And not every discount agent has deep experience with your property type or neighborhood. Ask about recent sales nearby, average days on market, and list-to-sale price ratio.
Less money for marketing. At 1%, an agent earns less per deal, which can mean fewer dollars for staging consultations, premium photography, or targeted ads for your property. Ask specifically what’s included and what costs extra.
A slow sale can erase the savings. This is the risk that matters most. A well-priced home in an active market rarely needs extra attention. An overpriced home in a slow market does, and thin representation shows up as extra days on market and price cuts.
Who a 1% commission realtor is right (and wrong) for
Here's an easier way to think about 1% commission realtors, and whether or not this is a good option for you:
A 1% agent may be right for you if:
- Your home is move-in ready and priced realistically for your market
- Homes like yours are selling in weeks, not months
- Your sale price is high enough that minimum fees don’t bite (generally $300,000+)
- You’re comfortable with some communication happening by phone, text, and email
You may want to think twice if:
- Your home needs work, has an unusual layout, or is hard to price
- Your local market is slow or inventory is piling up
- You want one dedicated agent who handles everything personally
- Your home is priced under about $250,000, where a $3,000 to $5,000 minimum fee changes the math
Bottom line: paying less doesn’t automatically mean you’ll come out ahead. In the right situation, a 1% agent saves you real money. In the wrong one, those savings can disappear through price drops, extra time on the market, or the frustration of starting over with a new agent.
📍Find 1% commission realtors near you
Availability is local. 1 Percent Lists, Houwzer, and Trelora each operate in specific states, while Clever and Redfin cover all 50. The fastest way to see who actually serves your ZIP code is to compare matched agents directly rather than guess from a static list.
Find 1% agents in your state. Select your state below to see which discount brokers near you offer 1–1.5% listing fees, or get matched with top-rated local agents who’ve pre-agreed to a 1.5% fee.
Methodology
🔍 How we conducted our research to rank 1% commission agents
1. Comprehensive data collection. We compiled every national and regional brokerage that advertises a 1% listing fee, or close to it, and pulled each company's fee terms from its own website rather than from aggregators. Where a company publishes a minimum commission, we recorded the amount. Where it doesn't publish one, we say so rather than estimate (an unpublished minimum is unknown, not zero).
2. Evaluation criteria. Each company was assessed on:
- What you actually pay. We compared each advertised rate against agent fees reported in Clever Real Estate's February 2026 survey of 533 partner agents. Advertised rates alone are misleading, so we also calculated each company's effective rate across several sale prices to determine where the minimum fee exceeds the percentage. A 1% rate with a $5,000 minimum is a 2% commission on a $250,000 home and a 5% commission on a $100,000 one.
- Customer experience. We aggregated verified customer reviews from third-party platforms, such as the Better Business Bureau, Consumer Affairs, Trustpilot, and Zillow agent profiles, weighting each platform's rating by its review count rather than averaging them evenly. We also read review text for recurring service themes: responsiveness, who handles the transaction, and whether sellers felt represented.
- Availability. We verified each company's live coverage state by state, because a 1% fee is worth nothing if the company doesn't operate in your market. We report coverage as the number of states served, not as "nationwide," unless a company genuinely serves all 50.
- Service scope. We only included companies offering full service: MLS listing, professional photography, pricing guidance, showings, negotiation, and closing coordination. Flat-fee MLS and limited-service providers are a different category and are covered separately.
3. Expert verification. We interviewed practicing, top-producing agents in several markets about how discounted listings actually get staffed and serviced, and what sellers give up at a lower rate. None of them has a financial relationship with Clever. Their comments appear throughout this guide, attributed by name and brokerage.
4. Updates and accuracy. Fees, minimums, and coverage change often — Redfin, Houwzer, and SimpleShowing have all changed terms in the past year — so we re-verify every figure in this ranking rather than carrying it forward. All pricing, minimums, and coverage data on this page was last verified in August 2026. We refresh the ranking quarterly.
Disclosure: Clever Real Estate is owned by the same company that publishes Real Estate Witch. We disclose that at the top of this page, apply identical scoring to Clever and its competitors, and say so plainly where a competitor beats Clever — 1 Percent Lists, Houwzer, and Trelora all charge a lower listing fee than Clever does. No agent interviewed for this guide has any financial relationship with Clever.
🛡️ Why you can trust us
This guide is built on hands-on experience, primary research, and interviews with practicing agents.
Our author. Steve Nicastro is a former licensed real estate agent (Charleston, SC) who closed roughly $6 million in transactions and has personally bought and sold 30+ homes. The guide was reviewed for accuracy by Tony Chahal and edited by Katy Baker.
Our realtor sources. We interviewed practicing, top-producing agents across several markets — none of whom
have a financial relationship with Clever:
- David Baca — Life Realty District, Henderson / Las Vegas metro, NV
- Christina Rordam — Florida Realty Investments, Orlando, FL (21-year top producer)
- Michael Perna — The Perna Team, Metro Detroit, MI (24 years; 8,000+ homes sold)
- Ashley Oshinsky — Broker/Owner, Higher Living Real Estate, Metro Detroit, MI
- Tracy Trammel — realtor, Washington, D.C.
Our data. Savings estimates use the U.S. median existing-home sale price, as reported by the National Association of Realtors as of August 2026. Seller behavior and sentiment figures come from a 2026 Clever Real Estate survey of 500 U.S. adults who sold a primary residence in the past two years. Agent fee-reduction data comes from Real Estate Witch's annual survey of 800+ real estate agents.
How we rank companies. We score what a seller actually pays including minimum fees, customer experience from count-weighted third-party reviews, verified state-by-state availability, and full service scope. Clever Real Estate shares ownership with Real Estate Witch; we apply identical scoring to Clever and its competitors and say so when competitors win.
FAQ
Are 1% commission realtors legit, or what’s the catch?
They’re legit. 1 Percent Lists, Houwzer, and Trelora are licensed brokerages with hundreds to thousands of verified reviews, and Clever’s partner agents work at established brokerages like Keller Williams and RE/MAX. The catch isn’t legitimacy, it’s the fine print. A $5,000 minimum turns “1%” into 2% on a $250,000 home, some brands that advertise 1% actually charge 1.5%, and team-based models may hand your file to someone other than the agent who pitched you. Read the listing agreement, calculate your effective rate on your own price, and ask who personally handles your sale.
What does a 1% listing fee mean?
A 1% listing fee is a commission equal to 1% of your home’s final sale price, paid to your listing agent at closing. It covers your agent’s side only. If you also offer a buyer’s agent fee (most sellers still do), your total commission will typically land around 3.5% to 4%, compared with a national average total of 5.70%.
How can 1% commission agents charge such low rates?
Volume. An agent who closes 40 deals a year at 1% earns roughly what one closing 13 deals at 3% earns. Low-commission companies generate leads for their agents, which removes the agent’s biggest expense, marketing and prospecting. Salaried models like Houwzer and Redfin replace commission with base pay plus bonuses, so no single deal carries the same pressure.
How much will I actually save with a 1% commission realtor?
On the average priced U.S. home, dropping from the 2.88% average listing fee to 1% saves about $8,200. On a $700,000 home, it’s more than $13,000. But the savings only hold if the home still sells at full price and on schedule. A listing that sits 90 days can lose most of that in mortgage payments, taxes, and insurance.
Do I still have to pay the buyer’s agent?
It’s your call, but in most cases sellers still do. Since the NAR settlement took effect in August 2024, you’re no longer required to offer buyer’s agent compensation through the MLS. In practice, most sellers still offer 2% to 3% to attract the widest pool of buyers, because most buyers are financing and can’t easily pay their agent out of pocket. Only about a quarter of buyers pay cash. Skipping it could shrink your buyer pool, especially in a slower market.
What’s the difference between a 1% and 1.5% commission realtor?
About half a percentage point, which is roughly $2,200 on a median-priced home. 1 Percent Lists, Houwzer, and Trelora charge a true 1%. Clever charges 1.5%, and Redfin charges 2% (dropping to 1% if you also buy with Redfin within a year). The 1.5% options tend to offer wider coverage and, in Clever’s case, a dedicated agent at a traditional brokerage, so the extra half point buys something. Whether it’s worth it depends on your home and how much hands-on help you want.
Related links
Working with a 1% commission realtor is one of the best ways to save on real estate commission, but other options are worth considering. Check out these resources to learn more.
2% Real Estate Commission A 2% listing fee runs about $8,700 on a median-priced home, or roughly $3,800 less than the national average rate, with more agents to choose from than at 1%. See which companies list at 2% and when the extra point is worth paying.
3% Real Estate Commission See what a 3% listing agent actually does for the money, and the realistic ways to pay closer to half.
What Companies Offer the Lowest Real Estate Commission Fees? After hundreds of hours of research, we compiled a definitive ranking of the best low commission real estate companies. Compare savings, service quality, and pound-for-pound value to find the right option.
How to Negotiate Real Estate Commission: No matter what you’ve heard, real estate commission is always negotiable. Learn proven tips and tricks for persuading your agent to sell your house for less than the typical 3% listing fee.
How to Sell Your House without a Realtor: This guide outlines the steps to selling without a realtor, the pros and cons, and the costs.