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Written by Hannah Warrick
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If you’re looking to sell a house and save on realtor commission fees in Illinois, we recommend hiring a discount real estate brokerage. A good full-service discount real estate broker provides the same general services and support as a traditional real estate agent but for a fraction of the price.
| Company | Our Rating | Listing Fee | Availability | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
🏅 Best overall
Clever Real Estate |
Excellent
|
1.5% ($3,000 min.)
|
Statewide
|
Learn More |
Redfin Illinois |
Very good
|
1.5% ($4,000 min.)
|
Greater Chicago
|
Learn More |
Chicagoland Top Discount Real Estate Brokers |
Very good
|
1% ($3,328 min.)
|
Greater Chicago
|
Learn More |
The Real Estate Witch Team evaluated 864 discount real estate brokers in Illinois based on a variety of key factors, including fee structures, customer reviews, sales performance, and more. Our guide will help you choose the right brand to fit your budget and desired level of service.
Some low-commission realtors only serve local areas in Illinois. See more options available in Chicago.
⚡️ In a hurry? Find top discount realtors near you now.
Top full-service discount real estate brokers in Illinois
Upfront Fee
Listing Fee
Customer Rating
Availability
Overview
Pricing
Contact
Reviews
Our take: Clever is our top pick in Illinois for home sellers looking to save on realtor commission without sacrificing full service.
What we like: Clever gets you discounted rates (up to 50%) from non-discount realtors. Plus, Clever’s agent matching service is highly rated and free to use with no obligation.
How it works: Clever matches you with top local realtors from major brokerages like RE/MAX and Compass. You compare options to find the best fit and get the special 1.5% listing fee (same as Redfin) no matter which real estate agent you choose.
Pros
- Sell with a traditional agent from a name-brand brokerage (not a discount agent) and receive full service
- Agents work for up to 50% off their typical rate when you go through Clever
- Most agent selection by far — choose from many top Illinois real estate agents
Cons
- No guarantee you’ll be able to work with a specific agent or brokerage you have in mind
- Add-ons like professional staging, drone photos, and 3D tours may cost extra (agents will break down what’s included during their listing presentation)
Fee structure
- 1.5% listing fee ($3,000 min.) at closing
- 2–3% buyer’s agent commission at closing
Website: listwithclever.com
Phone: 1-833-225-3837
Hours: 7 a.m.–9 p.m. CST, 7 days a week
Address: 4625 Lindell Blvd, 2nd FL, St. Louis, MO 63108
Total reviews nationwide:
| Weighted avg. | 5.0 | 3,055 |
| Trustpilot | 5.0 | 2,755 |
| 4.8 | 300 |
Total reviews from Illinois:
| Weighted avg. | 4.9 | 138 |
| Trustpilot | 4.9 | 136 |
| 5.0 | 2 |
Upfront Fee
Listing Fee
Customer Rating
Availability
Overview
Pricing
Reviews
Contact
Our take: Redfin’ is an established discount real estate brokerage that offers a decent value overall for most home sellers. Unfortunately, Redfin isn’t available outside of Chicago area in Illinois.
What we like: Redfin’s 1.5% listing fees can net you solid savings, and you can get an additional 0.5% listing fee savings if you sell and buy with Redfin within 12 months. Redfin is also a large, well-established brand with more real estate agents to choose from than other local discount realtors.
Things to watch out for: Redfin’s tech-centric and team-based approach to selling isn’t for everyone. Redfin conducts most of the process remotely, and you work with a Lead Agent and a back-office team. Redfin also has a minimum $4,000 fee in Chicago and surrounding areas. So if your home is below $265,000, you’ll pay slightly more than the advertised 1.5% rate.
Pros
- Solid listing fee savings
- Established brand and decent discount agent selection
- Tech-forward approach may appeal to some sellers
Cons
- Higher minimum fee vs. other Chicago options
- Limited availability in Illinois outside of Chicagoland area
- Less real estate agent selection than Clever
Fee structure
- 1.5% listing fee ($4,000 min. in Chicagoland) at closing
- 2–3% buyer’s agent commission at closing
- 0.5% listing fee refund if you also buy with Redfin within 12 months
*Not enough data available at this time
Website: redfin.com
Phone: 1-844-759-7732
Hours: 10 a.m.–7 p.m. CST, 7 days a week
Address: 112 S Sangamon, #400, Chicago, IL 60607
Areas served: Avondale, Bridgeport, Bucktown, Central Chicago, Far North Side, Glenbrook Countryside, Lincoln Park, Logan Square, North Side, Northwest Side, North Wheaton, Pilsen, Roscoe Village, South Loop, South Side, Southwest Side, West Loop, West Side, West Town, and more
Upfront Fee
Listing Fee
Customer Rating
Availability
Overview
Pricing
Reviews
Contact
Our take: Chicagoland Top Discount Real Estate Brokers offers great potential for savings with a low 1% listing fee. However, its limited service offerings and lack of transparency could pose a challenge to some home sellers.
What we like: The discount real estate company boasts a low 1% listing fee, which is significantly lower than the industry’s typical 2.5–3% listing commission. Also, if you’re selling in the Chicagoland area, this brokerage may have more market knowledge than other discount real estate companies in the area.
Things to watch out for: Aside from an MLS listing and photography package, it’s unclear what other services are included. This could be problematic for sellers who need comprehensive, full-service support throughout their selling process.
Pros
- Low 1% listing fee
- Local market understanding of the Chicagoland area
Cons
- Lack of transparency about what’s included in the service
- Limited transaction history and review data in Illinois
Fee structure
- 1% listing fee ($3,328 min.) at closing
- 2% buyer’s agent commission at closing
*Not enough data available at this time
Website: chicagolandtopdiscountrealestatebrokers.com
Phone: (773) 987-8224
Address: 5151 N Harlem Ave, Ste 201, Chicago, IL 60656
Areas served: Greater Chicago
Top full-service discount real estate brokers in Chicago
| Company | Our Rating | Listing Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|
Lucid Realty |
Very good
|
1–2.5%
|
Learn More |
Lincoln-Way Realty |
Very good
|
$2,500
|
Learn More |
|
Chicagoland Top Discount Real Estate Brokers |
Very good
|
1% ($3,328 min.)
|
Learn More |
» MORE: Compare all full-service discount real estate brokers in Chicago.
Other discount real estate brokerages in Illinois
Assist-2-Sell, a well-established discount real estate broker and flat fee MLS company, has experienced a decline in recent years. While local offices typically offer full-service and tiered, flat fee pricing options, the specific details may vary. We didn’t include Assist-2-Sell in our Illinois list because we couldn’t find any data about the company in the state. There was no available information regarding pricing, recent transactions, or customer reviews to confirm the company’s current activity in Illinois.
Discount Realtor is a real estate referral service that matches you with a discount realtor in Illinois. Its real estate agents either offer discount commission or a flat fee listing on the local MLS. We left it off our Illinois list because we couldn’t verify pricing details or find any reviews or transactions for this company.
Limited-service and flat fee MLS Illinois brokers
Sellers who have more experience in real estate may be interested in using limited-service or flat fee MLS companies. These brokerages offer less support but for a lower fee than full-service discount realtors.
| Company | Our Rating | Listing Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Best for sellers wanting affordable realtor support
Circle One Realty |
357 reviews
|
$295–645
|
Learn More |
Unreal Estate |
100+ reviews
|
$0–599 upfront + 0.5% at closing
Use code “Clever” to save
|
Learn More |
Prello Realty |
41 reviews
|
$295–795
|
Learn More |
» MORE: Compare all flat fee MLS services in Illinois.
Next steps: Start interviewing real estate agents
Related articles
Average Real Estate Commission in Illinois: Knowing the standard commission rate in your area can help you avoid overpaying for a real estate agent and accurately estimate costs when you sell your home.
Illinois Seller Closing Costs and More: Read this guide for a complete breakdown of the costs of selling a house in Illinois, including tips on how to save on your sale.
How to Sell a House Without a Realtor in Illinois: Selling your home without a realtor means you won’t have to pay a listing commission, but do the positives outweigh the negatives? Read this guide to find out if FSBO in Illinois is right for you.
How to Negotiate Realtor Commissions: Negotiating real estate fees centers on knowing the market and your situation, then using that info while talking to multiple agents.
How to Choose the Right Realtor to Sell Your House: When selling a home in today’s market, choosing the right listing agent is key. Most people hire the first traditional real estate agent they interview — here’s a better approach.
Why trust us
Data sources
Our Research Team gathered 1,936 discrete pricing and service models to create our initial list of Illinois discount real estate brokerages. We then compiled and analyzed a further 52,179,813 publicly available data points tied to past transactions, customer reviews, licensing info, and more to categorize each service and create our final list and rankings.
Methodology
The Real Estate Witch Team used public business directories to identify every company in the Illinois calling itself a discount real estate broker or agent. We then filtered that list down and ranked the top Illinois options based on the following criteria:
- Service level: We only included and rated full-service discount real estate brokers to start, which we think are the best option for most home sellers. These companies offer the same key services you’d expect from a traditional realtor, including in-person representation and end-to-end support.
- Pricing: We assessed each company’s fee structure and cross-referenced it with the service model to determine who was offering (a) the best overall value — price vs. service — and (b) the fewest unfavorable pricing terms, like high minimums, nonrefundable upfront fees, or other hidden costs.
- Customer reviews: We evaluated all verifiable customer reviews for each service. We considered not only the total review counts, average customer ratings, and key positive and negative themes, but we also assessed factors like how recent and relevant the reviews were to customers making hiring decisions right now.
- Sales activity: We looked at available data about past transactions to gauge sales performance and activity level.
Editorial policy
Credible, primary sources power our pages. When you hire a service through a link on this page, we may earn a small commission. But this doesn’t influence our advice or ranking methodology. Learn more about Real Estate Witch here.
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