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Written by Ashley Simon
Editor's note: In March 2024, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) lost an antitrust lawsuit, leading to changes in real estate fees nationwide. As of August 17, 2024, buyer's agent commissions are no longer covered by the seller and must be negotiated separately.
In the fall of 2023, Thorsteinn and his wife decided it was time to find a real estate agent to sell their home in the Seattle metro area.
After a series of disappointing experiences with conventional agents who refused to offer any discounts despite Thorsteinn doing much of the legwork himself, he decided to explore alternative options.
An online search led Thorsteinn to Clever Real Estate, a company that matches home sellers with local agents who offer full service for a lower listing fee. Intrigued by the potential savings, Thorsteinn signed up on Clever’s website and was sent the names and contact info of three local agents.
Thorsteinn decided to work with Jeff Dickinson, a personable agent with deep knowledge of Thorsteinn’s local market. Soon after, the home selling process kicked into high gear. With Jeff’s expert guidance on pricing, preparation, and negotiation, Thorsteinn received four offers just days after it was listed on the MLS.
I felt what Jeff did for his 1% [listing fee] was more than any realtor had ever done for us before.”
In this case study, we’ll take a detailed look at Thorsteinn’s experience using Clever Real Estate to find and sell with a real estate agent.
How Thorsteinn rated his experience with his Clever agent
| ⭐ Overall rating | 5 out of 5 |
| Service quality | 5.0 |
| Communication | 5.0 |
| Professionalism | 5.0 |
| Cost and savings | 5.0 |
| Ease of use | 5.0 |
Service quality: Thorsteinn felt that his agent provided a higher level of service than any realtor he’d worked with in the past.
Communication: Communication from Clever was excellent throughout the process. They quickly provided Thorsteinn with three qualified local agents to choose from and followed up to ensure he selected one he was happy with. His Clever agent, Jeff, was responsive and kept Thorsteinn informed as the sale progressed.
Professionalism: Thorsteinn was impressed with the professionalism and level of service provided by Jeff. He felt that Jeff’s pricing advice was directly responsible for them receiving multiple offers and selling over the asking price.
Cost and savings: The savings Thorsteinn achieved by using Clever were substantial. He estimates he saved around 2% on the listing agent commission compared to a traditional 3% fee.
Ease of use: Signing up online and getting matched with agents was “extremely easy”.
Sale details
| Initial list price | $1,394,950 |
| Final sale price | $1,540,000 |
| # of offers received | 4 |
| Listing fee | 1% |
| Buyer’s agent commission | 2% |
Selecting an agent through Clever
When Thorsteinn began his search for a real estate agent, he knew he wanted a different experience than what he’d had in the past.
“We had used the same agent for three other properties in the past — going back 20-30 years — and we did all the work. The agent did absolutely nothing. We found the place and it was a friend/relative. And I went to [my agent] and said ‘Are you going to give me a break on the 3%?’ He said, ‘We don’t give breaks!’ And it just rubbed me the wrong way.”
Thorsteinn considered selling the house himself, and that’s when a Google search led him to Clever Real Estate and the world of discount real estate commissions.
“But [Clever Real Estate], it’s not really discount, you know,” Thorsteinn said. “I mean, I felt what Jeff did for his 1% was more than any realtor had ever done for us before.”
Within hours of contacting Clever, Thorsteinn received the names and contact info of three local agents. “They had the three names to us within hours… and all of them were extremely well-picked. The experience was positive all the way.”
Thorsteinn was impressed with all the agents. One of the agents came to the meeting incredibly prepared and had lots of statistics, house details, and what the market looked like.
But when Thorsteinn and his wife met Jeff, they knew he was the right choice. “Once we decided on Jeff I just threw everything away.” Jeff had good reviews from past customers, was personable, lived fairly close to Thorsteinn, and was very familiar with the area.
Another bonus was the fact that Jeff was offering a 1% listing fee in order to win Thorsteinn’s business. Clever Real Estate typically guarantees a 1.5% listing fee. We called Jeff and asked what drove him to offer a lower rate. He said that another local agent had offered Thorsteinn a 1% listing fee, so he agreed to lower his rate to be competitive.
And does Thorsteinn feel like they made the right choice?
“We made the right choice,” Thorsteinn said. “I would give 80% of the credit to him and then the rest would have been the fact that the house kind of sold itself. But the strategy was perfect.”
Pricing and listing the home
Thorsteinn was particularly impressed with Jeff’s pricing strategy.
“We live in a fairly popular area and things tend to sell really quickly,” he said. But there was a house very similar to theirs in the neighborhood that was put on the market for around $1,550,000, and nobody looked at it.
Jeff advised them to list their home around $1,390,000, which Thorsteinn felt was low — a house across the street had sold less than a year before for $1,420,000. But they trusted Jeff’s advice.
“And he was 100% correct,” Thorsteinn said, “because we had people practically breaking down the doors and we had four offers.
Jeff also helped them determine the best day to put the home on the market: January 17th. “We had lines out the door. The open house was just crazy, and people were waiting outside to get in and we ended up selling for $150,000 over asking.”
Services Thorsteinn received from his Clever agent
Thorsteinn was impressed by the speed at which their agent, Jeff, helped them get their home ready for listing. “Photography was done four days before the house was officially listed,” he said. Jeff provided a comparative market analysis and pricing advice.
Jeff brought in a stager, and Thorsteinn and his wife liked that the stager helped them unclutter the house and make a few minimal adjustments to get the home ready for buyers.
Jeff also provided guidance through negotiations and closing. Three of the offers they received had escalation clauses, and Jeff helped Thorsteinn and his wife navigate the offers to sell the house for $150,000 over asking.
“I don’t quite understand how all that works, but the end result pretty much speaks for itself,” Thorsteinn said.
There were also a few other services that Jeff had in the works, but ended up being unnecessary because of how quickly the house sold. Jeff printed brochures with photos of the house that arrived the day they accepted an offer. Thorsteinn also said that his agent planned on having placards all over the house that noted features, but the home sold so quickly that they didn’t need it.
What didn’t go according to plan
One regret Thorsteinn had is that he wished he had negotiated a more reasonable closing time. The buyer proposed a 20 day closing time, and they didn’t even think of pushing back on it.
“We never thought how much work it was to empty the house out and do all those kinds of things. I think we just underestimated it.”
Final thoughts
We asked Thorsteinn what he would recommend to somebody who’s considering finding a real estate agent with Clever.
Contact them and get your agent matches, Thorsteinn said. He and his wife delayed contacting anyone for about six months because of their bad experience with real estate agents in the past. “We always walked away with a bad taste in our mouth,” he said. But Clever? “It’s not really discount, you know?”
We also asked Thorsteinn what stood out the most about working with Clever.
“The obvious, of course, was the savings,” Thorsteinn said. “But also the level of service. We were amazed at the level of that. Like I said, this was better than anything that we paid 3% for in the past.”
Helpful resources for finding a realtor
How to Find a Real Estate Agent: Finding the right real estate agent can make or break your home buying or selling experience. Don’t settle for the first agent you meet: learn the secrets to connecting with top-performing realtors who have the skills and expertise to help you achieve your real estate goals.
Clever Real Estate Review: Choosing the wrong real estate agent can cost you time, money, and peace of mind. Our in-depth review breaks down who should (and shouldn’t) use Clever to find a real estate agent.
Top 6 Low Commission Realtors + Companies: Want to save thousands on realtor fees without compromising on service? We spent hundreds of hours researching the best low commission real estate companies to find the top options. Whether you’re looking for the lowest rates, the most experienced agents, or the best overall value, you’ll find a company that meets your needs.
Find The Best 1 Percent Commission Realtor Near You: A 1% commission realtor can save you thousands in listing fees without sacrificing the hands-on service you need for a smooth sale. Learn which companies offer the lowest rates and how to unlock these savings in your area.
How we source customer stories
Real Estate Witch is dedicated to providing readers with first-hand experience and stories from customers who have actually bought and sold with low commission real estate brokerages. Our experts interview customers who have recently worked with discount brands so that readers can make the best decision for their real estate journey.
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