Clever Real Estate Reviews | Updated July 2022

⚡ Jump to: Clever vs. the competition | Clever pros and cons | How does Clever work? | Seller savings | Buyer savings | Clever reviews | FAQs

What is Clever Real Estate?

Clever Real Estate is a free, nationwide service that matches you with full-service realtors from top national and regional brokerages in your area (think Coldwell Banker, Century 21, etc.). It promises commission savings, no hidden fees, and zero obligations.

Sellers: Clever matches you with top local agents and pre-negotiates a 1% listing fee. Clever claims its sellers save $9,600 in commission fees, on average.

Buyers: In addition to finding you a buyer’s agent, Clever offers 0.5% cash back on qualifying homes. On a $400,000 purchase, that’ll put $2,000 back in your pocket.

💰 SAVE: Connect with Clever and see how much you could save

We dove deep into Clever’s agent matching service to help you understand the ins and outs and decide whether it’s worth a try.

✍️ Editor’s take: Is Clever Real Estate worth it?

Clever Real Estate is our top pick for most people looking for a real estate agent. We compared Clever to ten other agent matching services and found it offers the best value in terms of savings, agent quality, and customer support.

Clever’s real estate agents are fully vetted, with strong sales records and excellent customer reviews. Many come from name-brand brokerages like Keller Williams and RE/MAX, so you’ll get the exact same service as a traditional agent.

Clever also gives you multiple agent matches to interview and compare. If the agents don’t feel like a good fit, you can request more — or simply walk away. You won’t owe Clever a dime.

Last but not least, Clever offers the best rates in the industry. As a seller, you’ll pay a listing fee of just 1% — way lower than the industry average of 2.5–3%. On a $400,000 home, that amounts to savings of up to $8,000.

Clever vs. the top competitors

We compared Clever to ten other agent matching services on the three metrics that we think are the most important: agent quality, savings, and customer service. Here’s how Clever stacked up against the competition.

Agent quality

Clever gets top marks for agent quality. Many of its agents come from recognizable national brands, like Berkshire Hathaway, Keller Williams, and Century 21. Along with Ideal Agent, Clever has the highest performance standards of any agent matching service. The agents we found on Clever were rigorously vetted and had proven track records in terms of sales, years of experience, and positive customer feedback.

Some other services, like HomeLight, have almost no vetting standards for agents and let almost any realtor with a license into their networks. Other agent matching networks claim to have vetting standards, but fail to enforce them consistently. As a result, agent quality is generally higher at Clever.

Customers we spoke to praised agent quality at Clever more than anything else. One seller, John, said, “[Our agent] provided all that any higher commission agent would have. He worked hard, spent time, gave excellent advice, and was extremely responsive.”

Clever agents come from top local and national brokerages, such as Berkshire Hathaway and RE/MAX. So customers get the exact same service as they get with a traditional agent, but for less.

Seller Stephen Rushfeldt said, “[My agent] was very responsive and kept a handle on every aspect of the transaction for me. I definitely received the same level of service as a full commission contract.”

The only other agent matching service we found that has similar vetting standards is Ideal Agent. However, Ideal Agent has far fewer agents overall than Clever, so your chances of getting matched with a good agent in your area are higher with Clever.

Savings

Clever’s commission rates are objectively the best in the industry. With a listing fee of just 1%, you’ll only pay a fraction of the 2.5–3% traditional real estate commission. Other discount agent matching services don’t come close to Clever’s rates. Ideal Agent’s 2% listing fee, for example, is still twice as high as Clever’s. And while Redfin does offer a 1% listing fee, you’ll only get that if you sell and buy with Redfin. There’s no such requirement with Clever.

Plus, Clever offers Clever Cash Back, which is a check that eligible buyers receive after closing worth up to 0.5% of the final purchase price. Few other agent matching services offer buyer savings and those that do — such as UpNest — tend to be less than Clever’s and come with a lot more restrictions.

Some of the customers we spoke to were initially concerned that there must be a “catch” with the fees being so low. After meeting with their Clever partner agents they realized they’d be making no sacrifices in terms of service.

As customer Ron told us, “At the outset I was very concerned about what I was going to get for my money in terms of services and I brought that to [my realtor’s] attention and asked, ‘What am I not getting that I would get with a regular, local real estate agency?’ and she said, ‘You’re getting everything. We are a local real estate agency and there’s nothing that you won’t be getting.’ She assured me of that and I took her word for it and that’s the way it ended up.”

And as another customer, Mick, said, “Honestly, because of the lower commission through Clever we were expecting the service to not be as good, but that wasn’t the case at all. We’ve sold multiple houses and this was by far the best experience we’ve had.”

We understand why some customers would be skeptical of such a deep discount, but all of our research shows that they are legit. We suggest giving Clever a try and interviewing its agents so you can see for yourself how the quality remains high even with such low rates.

Customer service

Clever is one of the few agent matching services — along with Ideal Agent — that requires its concierges to be fully licensed real estate agents. That matters since concierges can legally give you real estate advice only if they are licensed.

Many other agent matching services, like HomeLight and UpNest, don’t require their concierges to be licensed. This means they can only offer limited help with your real estate transaction.

We were particularly impressed by how Clever has improved its customer service over time. Before, a single Clever Concierge was responsible for handling the entire customer journey. Today, there are  multiple Clever Concierge Teams, each dedicated to handling just one aspect of the customer journey.

The result is a better and more streamlined experience. As customer Steve said, “Clever was very responsive and walked me through every step of the process and checked in regarding the service I received.”

Clever Concierges are also willing to step in if a customer has concerns about their agent or their real estate transaction. In the rare event that an agent isn’t living up to expectations, Clever Concierges may exclude that agent from future transactions.

No other agent matching service we found went to the lengths that Clever Concierges did to ensure their customers were satisfied. On the contrary, other services were difficult to get in touch with and were often unhelpful with solving concerns after the initial agent match was made.

Pros and cons of Clever

✅ Pros

• Clever offers the best savings in the industry. It charges a listing fee of 1%, well below the industry average of 2.5–3%. On a $400,000 house, that amounts to savings of $8,000.
• Clever has a nationwide network of top local real estate agents who work for major brand brokerages, like Keller Williams, RE/MAX, and Berkshire Hathaway. Agents are fully vetted and must meet minimum performance criteria, such as 5+ years of real estate experience and excellent reviews from past sellers and buyers.
• The Clever Concierge Team’s service provides helpful and knowledgeable advice at every stage of your real estate transaction, from matching you with a realtor to helping resolve any issues that may arise. Clever Concierge Team staff are fully licensed realtors, allowing them to legally provide in-depth and expert advice about your real estate transaction.
• Eligible buyers can get a check after closing worth up to 0.5% of the final purchase price through Clever Cash Back. Unlike other buyer rebates, Clever Cash Back can be spent however you like and usually doesn’t require lender approval.

❌ Cons

• As with most agent matching services, coverage does vary, especially in rural areas. While Clever is available nationwide and has top agents in most areas, there may be some areas where fewer agents are available.
• You’ll get the most savings on higher priced homes. For homes under $350,000, you’ll pay a flat listing fee of $3,000.

How does Clever work?

Clever’s service is designed to match you with the best possible agents to suit your particular situation and priorities.

The Clever Concierge Team tries to learn as much as they can about your real estate needs to hand-pick highly personalized agent matches. But the company also leverages advanced algorithms and streamlined technology to make the process incredibly fast and easy.

Other agent matching services often rely too much on either an algorithm to make a match (which often leads to agent mismatches) or too much on customer service reps to do the matching (which tends to be slow and cumbersome). Clever, however, provides a good balance between technological innovation and human oversight. In our experience, the result is a fast process that doesn’t sacrifice quality.

How do you use Clever? 

Step 1: You sign up on Clever’s website, via a simple form that asks you some basic questions about your upcoming sale or purchase. This includes property type, price, and what you’re looking for most in an agent.

Step 2: A Clever Concierge reaches out via phone or email to learn a little more about your specific situation and needs — and to answer any questions you might have about Clever’s service or real estate in general. (Note: You can choose to opt out of the phone call and connect directly with agents if you prefer.)

Step 3: Clever’s team will then scour its 14,000-strong partner agent network and identify the best matches for you based on location, experience, and a variety of other data points.

Step 4: Clever will send out individual agent introductions via text message or email (you can choose one or the other, or both) so you can set up interviews and start comparing your options. You can see which brokerage the agent works for and visit their websites, Zillow profile, and social media pages.

Step 5: You can schedule a meeting with your recommended agent. You can choose to interview your agent either in-person or over the phone.

Step 6: Once you’ve identified the perfect agent and signed, you can hit the ground running. Clever’s team will continue to provide service throughout your sale or purchase to ensure your agent is meeting your expectations and back you up if any issues arise.

Are Clever’s partner agents good?

Yes, we found that Clever’s partner agents are consistently high quality. They have to meet specific performance criteria, including having at least 5+ years experience as a realtor and a proven track record of success. If a partner agent isn’t performing up to standards, Clever is willing to remove them from their networks.

The customers we spoke to who used Clever were consistently impressed by how good Clever’s partner agents were. As one customer, Ron, told us, “Whenever I had questions or recommendations, I’d either email or call [my agent] and she was receptive to everything. […] On a rating of one to 10, I’d give [her] a 10. I even gave her a little thank you card because I really feel like I found a friend. Every step of the way, there were zero problems.”

When you sell or buy with a Clever partner agent, you’ll get the same service and support you’d expect from a traditional agent charging full commission.

Full service for Clever sellers includes:

• Comparative market analysis (CMA) and pricing strategy
• Recommendations for pre-listing repairs and staging
• Professional photography
• Full listing on the MLS and hundreds of other real estate sites
• Showings and open houses
• Help with offers, counteroffers, and negotiations
• Contract and paperwork support
• Closing and title coordination
• And more

Full service for Clever buyers includes:

• Real-time MLS alerts
• On-demand house tours
• Help with offers and counteroffers
• Support during inspection and any renegotiations
• Final walkthrough and closing coordination
• And more

Clever’s partner agents sign an agreement that stipulates they must provide 100% full service. Clever’s Concierge Team will check in with you and the agent on an ongoing basis to ensure your agent is delivering the promised level of service and support.

Why do agents agree to work for just 1%?

You may be wondering why any real estate agent — especially one who already has a solid track record — would agree to work for 1% commission when the standard rate is 2.5-3%. In fact, Clever’s 1% model is a win-win for both agents and customers.

Here’s why: Agents typically spend a lot of time and money on marketing and trying to find new clients. Clever takes on this work for real estate agents by sending potential clients to them, which in turn means agents don’t have to spend as much on marketing. The result is that agents get more business — which is good for their bottom lines — and are able to pass on the savings to you. So everybody wins.

How much can sellers save with Clever?

Clever sellers typically save between 40–50% on total commission fees vs. what they’d typically pay with a full-service agent. That translates to about $9,600 in average savings.

Based on our research, Clever is currently the only nationwide, full-service real estate brand offering a true 1% listing fee (or $3,000 on homes under $350,000). As of this writing, Clever has the best average savings and lowest commission rates of any brokerage or agent matching service in the U.S.

See for yourself how much you could save with Clever by entering your home’s sale price below.

Clever Real Estate savings calculator

How Clever’s commission rates work for sellers

All Clever partners agents have agreed to offer full service and support for a fraction of the typical 2.5–3% listing fee rate. You’ll get the same service as you would with a traditional agent, but at a significantly reduced rate.

• Sellers with homes over $350,000 pay a 1% listing fee
• Sellers with homes under $350,000 pay a flat $3,000 listing fee

In addition to the listing fee, expect to offer a competitive buyer’s agent fee to incentivize local agents to show your home to their clients. Buyer’s agent fees are negotiable and vary by market, but 2–3% is typical and encouraged. 

With Clever, you’ll usually pay a total commission between 3–4%. That’s nearly 50% less than the typical 6% total commission most sellers pay.

Finding a buyer’s agent through Clever

Clever can also match you with an agent when buying a home. As is the case with most real estate transactions, you won’t have to worry about covering your real estate agent’s commission. That comes out of the purchase price and is set by the seller, not the buyer.

But you may be eligible for Clever Cash Back — which is a check worth up to 0.5% of your purchase price — after you close. Clever Cash Back is available in 41 states and is a legit way to help put some extra money in your pocket to spend as you like.

Those savings are great, but the main factor you should consider when shopping around for a buyer’s agent is quality. Your buyer’s agent is there to help you find homes for sale, negotiate a sale price with the listing agent, and help guide you through closing.

Fortunately, Clever’s buyer agents are high quality and come from name-brand brokerages, like Berkshire Hathaway and Century 21. They are held to the same standards as all of Clever’s partner agents, meaning they must meet minimum performance standards, such as a minimum number of transactions, years of experience, and positive customer reviews.

This vetting process ensures that no matter which agent you get matched with through Clever, they’ll have the necessary experience to help you find a house that fits your needs and budget.

How much can buyers save with Clever?

Eligible buyers can get some savings through Clever with Clever Cash Back. The program offers you a check of up to 0.5% of your new home’s final sale price after closing.

While 0.5% doesn’t sound like a lot, keep in mind that homes are big-ticket items. Because of this, a small percentage can easily add up to thousands of extra dollars to spend as you like. As you can see, 0.5% is a significant amount of money, regardless of your price point.

Are you eligible for Clever Cash Back?

Clever Cash Back is available in the 41 of 50 U.S. states that allow commission rebates and cash back rewards for home buyers. 

Clever Cash Back is not currently available in Alaska, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Tennessee.  The U.S. Justice Department supports commission rebates and cash rewards for home buyers and is actively working to make them legal in all 50 states.

Also note that Clever Cash Back has some purchase price criteria.

Homes purchased in qualifying states for over $150,000 are eligible for 0.5% cash back. Buyers who purchase homes between $50,000 and $150,000 get a flat $250. Purchases of homes below $50,000 are not currently eligible. 

Cash back rewards vs. buyer rebates

Some real estate companies and agents offer home buyer rebates — or commission rebates — as an incentive for buyers. We recommend cash back over rebates, when possible, because cash back is way less complicated.

Buyer rebates and cash back programs are subject to the same state restrictions, which means both are available in the same 41 states.

Buyer rebates have one major disadvantage: they’re almost always issued as closing credits, which limits how they can be used. Cash back, on the other hand, is issued as cash, so you can usually do whatever you want with it.

In other words, when you see a company advertising a seemingly enticing “up to x%” commission rebate, proceed with caution. Things might not turn out as promised. If you qualify for a company’s cash back program, that might be a surer bet.

» SAVE: Buy with Clever, qualify for 0.5% cash back!

Clever Real Estate reviews from real customers

Clever reviews online give the company a rating of 4.9 out of 1,558 reviews across Trustpilot and Google. Plus, Clever Real Estate received an A+ rating on the Better Business Bureau (BBB), which is the highest rating it awards.

What customers like about Clever

Customers tend to praise Clever for two main things: the quality of their agents and the savings. We repeatedly found Clever reviews that highlighted how effective and diligent agents were, with some customers even saying they had built friendships with their agents after their real estate transaction closed.

This quality is likely a reflection of Clever’s vetting process for agents. Unlike some other agent matching services, Clever doesn’t let just any realtor into its network. Instead, realtors need to have a great track record in terms of experience, sales, and customer reviews.

Customers also pointed out that they saved a lot on commission with Clever. The listing fee with Clever is just 1% — a fraction of the 2.5–3% that’s typical for the industry — which on a $375,000 house amounts to savings of $7,500.

Some customers admitted they were initially skeptical about these savings, or worried there was a “catch.”They were quickly reassured after meeting their realtors that they’d get the same service as a traditional, full-priced real estate agent, but for thousands less.

Where customers thought Clever could improve

While Clever has very few negative reviews, no company is perfect and occasionally customers felt let down. A few customers were disappointed with the quality of their agents, with some wishing their agent had gotten a better price for their home or were located closer to them.

Other negative experiences were a result of Clever’s commission structure not being explained clearly. For example, some customers were under the impression that the 1% listing fee is the only cost they would have to pay. In fact, as is true when selling a house with any agent, homeowners also have to cover the buyer’s agent commission (which is typically around 2.5–3%) as well as any closing costs.

Fortunately, Clever has made changes to its customer service so that today different Clever Concierge Teams are responsible for different steps of the customer journey. We suspect that this more focused approach to customer service will help cut down on misunderstandings and give customers a clearer idea of how the service works.

Bottom line: is Clever right for you?

Based on our research of Clever and other popular agent matching services, we think Clever offers the best overall service for the vast majority of buyers and sellers. Clever’s partner agents are consistently high quality, its savings for both sellers and buyers are the best in the industry, and you can try it for free with zero obligations.

The only situation where you may want to look elsewhere is if you’re selling a house at a low price point — typically less than $100,000. At that price, a traditional, full-priced real estate agent may be able to provide a better deal given Clever’s flat $3,000 listing fee for homes less than $350,000.

For all other sellers and buyers, however, Clever is a good deal. You’ll get a top, local full-service real estate agent and you’ll pay only a fraction of the price. In other words, you could save thousands of dollars for the exact same service as you’d get from a traditional broker.

Our advice: Start your real estate journey with Clever. You’ll have an expert in your corner from the beginning, but because Clever is free and comes with no obligations, you’ll still be able to pursue other options at any point.

Methodology

We strive to deliver objective reviews. The Real Estate Witch Team and its mystery shoppers tested and researched Clever and 10 other agent matching services over a six-week period. We regularly update all our reviews to ensure they are accurate and relevant. Our goal is to help you find an agent who can get you the best possible value when you buy or sell your home.

Disclosure

Real Estate Witch is a partner brand of Clever. However, this does not affect our evaluations. We form our opinions based on the same facts we share with you, and we apply the same objective standards to Clever that we do to all companies we review. Our focus is on the facts and to let you know who Clever is right for — and who it isn’t.

Related Links

How To Choose a Realtor: The Complete Guide: A good agent can make a big difference in how well your real estate transaction goes — and how much you get for your house. Find out how to choose the right realtor for you.

Top 10 Low Commission Real Estate Agents + Top Companies: Low commission real estate companies can help you save thousands on your home sale. Check out our ranking of the best low commission companies. 

Discount Real Estate Brokers and Agents: Everything You Need to Know: Discount brokers can save you a lot of money, but some come with significant drawbacks. Here’s what you need to know if you’re considering a discount real estate agent.

FAQs about Clever Real Estate