Prevu Review: DIY and Save Money (2024)

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  Written by Michael Warford

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  Edited by Ashley Simon

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  Reviewed by Steve Nicastro

Prevu alternatives | Pros | Cons | Reviews | How it works | Savings

Key takeaway: Prevu offers a cost-effective option for buyers and sellers, providing significant savings similar to other traditional brokerages. With discounted rates for sellers and rebates for buyers, Prevu can help you save money on realtor fees (although your alternatives may save you even more).

Prevu is a top low commission real estate company offering significant savings for both buyers and sellers. It stands out for its savings offered to both buyers and sellers, and its agents are generally knowledgeable and helpful. However, it lacks in agent selection and personalized support.

This review covers what to expect from Prevu as a buyer or seller, potential savings, and customer feedback. We also compare Prevu to competitors to see if you can find a great local agent with similar savings elsewhere.

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Prevu overview

Who Prevu works best for

Prevu offers a good choice if you live in an area where they have an agent who is well-suited to your needs.

If you’re looking to save on realtor fees, Prevu’s discounted rates for sellers and rebates for buyers are attractive. It may also be a good choice if you don’t mind doing some of the early legwork yourself.

However, this model may not be ideal for first-time buyers or those seeking more support. If you’re looking for an agent who is more hands-on and will guide you through every step of the real estate transaction, Prevu may not be a great fit. 

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Prevu vs. top alternatives

Prevu vs. Clever Real Estate

Both Prevu and Clever offer great savings: a 1.5% listing fee for sellers and a rebate for buyers. However, Clever offers more support with its fully licensed concierges and hand-picked local agent matches. It also operates nationwide, whereas Prevu is available in 13 states.^ℹ️Prevu is currently available in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.

Prevu vs. Ideal Agent

Ideal Agent is much more seller-focused than Prevu, offering a discounted listing fee but no buyer incentives. Sellers won’t save as much with Ideal Agent. Still, they may find greater support — Ideal Agent’s network is thoroughly vetted to provide a high-quality agent, and a concierge will guide you throughout the entire process.

Prevu vs. Redfin

Prevu and Redfin can offer comparable savings, depending on whether you buy and sell a house together. They both offer sellers a discounted listing fee of 1.5%. While Prevu offers a variable buyer rebate on select purchases, Redfin provides a 0.5% rebate only to customers who also sold with a Redfin agent.

Both Prevu and Redfin have potentially overextended agents. However, they close up to eight times as many real estate transactions as other brokerages. So customers should prepare to at least somewhat DIY their home sales or purchases.

Prevu vs. SimpleShowing

If you’re buying or selling a home valued at $500,000 in Florida, Georgia, or Texas, you should compare SimpleShowing with Prevu. SimpleShowing offers a 1% listing fee — the lowest real estate commission if its competitors — and a 1% buyer rebate. 

However, its minimum fees and variable services mean that it’s really only worth trying for those interested in highly-priced homes.

Prevu reviews: What customers say

Most customers are very satisfied with Prevu, especially with the lower cost and the service they received from their real estate agents.

Review site	Rating
Google	5/5 (1,200+ reviews)
Yelp	4.5/5 (11 reviews)
Average rating	5/5 (1,200+ total reviews)

Customers who worked with Prevu were generally pleased with the personalized support they received. Most positive reviews focused on the savings they received and on the quality of the agents.

Prepare for some DIY: Many customers appreciate that Prevu’s agents are more hands-off than traditional realtors. However, that approach didn’t work for everyone, and some customers felt that agents were difficult to reach and didn’t provide enough personal assistance.

It was a good fit for me as I tend to do my own research and need less hand-holding/have done enough legwork to know good questions to ask. As a picky person who knows what they want and doesn’t mind looking frequently for new properties by myself, I was also a good fit, as I believe Prevu does not help with that.

— D’rita B., March 2024, Google

✅ Genuine savings

Eligible sellers pay a listing agent’s commission of 1.5%, which is up to half of what a traditional agent would charge. For example, on a $750,000 sale, you’d save over $11,000 on realtor fees by using Prevu compared to a traditional agent charging 3%.

Buyers can also save through the rebate program, which is issued as a check after closing. Prevu doesn’t make public how the rebate is calculated and says that the amount varies by market, although it claims that buyers get an average of $25,000 back. While we couldn’t confirm that specific number, there are a number of reviews that praise the savings for buyers.

They were knowledgeable and reliable throughout our process as first time home buyers. Last not but not least, the commission rebate check was a big bonus!

— Michelle F.J., March 2024, Google

✅ High-quality agents with good service

Despite the discounted rate, Prevu’s agents provide the same range of services as a full-service realtor. Customers often felt that their agents provided useful advice and were knowledgeable about the local real estate market.

While some reviews mentioned that buyer agents were sometimes difficult to reach, especially early on in the home search process, others said their agents were quick to respond to texts and calls.

We have an excellent Prevu realtor Greg Cumings. Basically we attended open houses by ourselves. When we were ready to make offer, we contacted Prevu, who assigned Greg to assist us for further evaluation, negotiations, and closing. Greg has always been available, even late at night. He is apparently quite experienced. He was patient with us, knowledgeable, and provided invaluable input.

— Chi J., April 2024, Google

❌ Inconsistent savings

While Prevu does offer good savings, you’ll need to meet certain terms and conditions to qualify for the full amount.

Sellers must pay minimum listing fees, which means you could end up paying more than the advertised rate of 1.5%. Unlike some other discount brokerages, Prevu doesn’t state its minimum fees online, so you’ll need to ask before signing a listing agreement.

For buyers, the rebate amount varies by market and property. You may also need to get lender approval and be aware that there are restrictions on which properties qualify for buyer rebates.

We received our rebate quickly. Unfortunately, their website is quite deceiving. They show you an estimate of how much you would ‘save’ as a rebate, but they don’t take out their cut. They should post on their website how much commission they take.

— Jasmine, 2022, Google

❌  Some instances of limited support and availability

Your Prevu real estate agent may be able to provide only limited hands-on support during your transaction, especially during the early stages. You may have trouble getting your agent’s full attention, which could leave you feeling like you have to do much of the work yourself.

In some areas, Prevu has very little coverage and may just have one available local real estate agent. That also means that Prevu won’t often allow you to compare different agents and choose the one you feel is the best fit.

Buying or selling a house is a major decision, so you should go with the agent you feel best understands your needs and who can look out for your interests, not just the one who happens to be available.

I wouldn’t recommend going through Prevu if you are a first time buyer. They have area agents assigned who may not live close to where you live. In that case, you may get a substitute agent for each showing.

— Amit C., February 2024, Yelp

How much can I save with Prevu?

Prevu agents charge a listing fee of 1.5%, which is well below the nationwide average seller’s commission of 2.74%. On a $600,000 home sale, Prevu’s discounted listing fee would save you nearly $8,000.

Prevu’s listing fee	1.5%
Nationwide average listing fee	2.74% of home sale price
Amount saved with Prevu	1.3% of home sale price

Unlike some discount real estate brokers, Prevu offers savings for some buyers through its rebate program, which is issued as a check after closing. The specific amount varies depending on market and other conditions, but Prevu claims that buyers get back an average of $25,000.

Many customer reviews, especially from buyers, confirm that the savings through Prevu are legit.

Their rebate program is really unique compared to the much larger companies who don’t offer any competitive deal!

— Paden K., April 2024, Google

However, keep in mind that other brokerages offer discounted listing fees and savings for buyers, while also giving you more agents to choose from and providing more dedicated support. We recommend comparing Prevu to other companies and going with the one that provides the best combination of quality and savings.

How Prevu works

For the most part, working with Prevu is similar to working with a traditional agent:

1. Fill out an online questionnaire with some basic information about your property or budget.
2. Prevu connects you with a partner agent to get more information and set a game plan.
3. Kick off your home sale or purchase:
   • If you’re a seller and choose to sign a listing agreement with the agent, you’ll receive pricing guidance, an MLS listing, and professional photography.
   • If you’re a buyer, you can start browsing for homes online and schedule viewings on your own or with the help of an agent. When you’re ready, contact Prevu to submit an offer.
4. Your agent will also assist with reviewing or sending offers, negotiating, and closing. Sellers will pay a 1.5% commission to the Prevu agent, and eligible buyers will receive a rebate check after closing.

Prevu is a relatively small brokerage, so you won’t get much say in which agent you’re matched with. In some areas, Prevu may only have one available agent. We recommend always interviewing multiple agents before deciding on one. The quality of your agent and how suited they’re to your particular real estate needs are far more important than which brokerage they work for.

Prevu service breakdown

Prevu is a full-service brokerage that offers discounted listing fees for sellers and rebates for eligible buyers.

As a full-service brokerage, Prevu agents provide the following services to clients:

• Comparative market analysis (CMA)
• Professional photography
• Pricing advice
• Staging guidance
• MLS listing and description
• For-sale lawn sign and lock box
• Guidance during due diligence (inspections, appraisals, financing)
• Evaluating and negotiating offers
• Support throughout closing

For buyers, Prevu offers the Smart Buyer Rebate, which is issued after closing and can provide significant savings. The rebate amount is displayed for eligible properties but may be subject to conditions such as minimum commission rates and lender approval. Review these terms and discuss them with your agent to fully understand how much you could save.

While Prevu provides many of the same services as traditional brokerages, some reviews mention that agents can be more hands-off, particularly for buyers. If this concerns you, it’s best to clarify the level of support you can expect before signing any agreement.

Prevu news and updates

Prevu was founded in 2017 by entrepreneurs Chase Marsh and Thomas Kutzman. It is headquartered in New York City. Initially serving the Northeast, it expanded to California in 2021.¹

In October 2022, Prevu acquired the mortgage technology assets of Reali, a former real estate tech startup. In December 2024, Prevu raised $6 million in Series A financing, with investors including Citi, Winklevoss Capital, and RiverPark Ventures.²

Methodology

The Real Estate Witch team evaluated Prevu on various factors, including savings, customer service, online reviews, agent quality, and how it compares to the competition. Our mission is to empower you to decide whether Prevu is right for your next real estate transaction.

Our low commission real estate brokerage rankings are based on three key criteria:

• Cost and savings. We compared Prevu’s pricing model to top competitors and average prices across the U.S., including the average listing fee, minimum fees, and any buyer incentives offered.
• Customer service. We performed an in-depth analysis on Prevu’s customer reviews across review sites. We broke down the sentiment of reviews, looking at themes around agent responsiveness, expertise, and meeting customer expectations.
• Ease of use. We evaluated how efficient it is for customers to find, compare, and select an agent through Prevu, evaluating their agent network size, technical platforms, communication methods, and post-transaction support.

Related articles

How to Save Money on Realtor Fees: 10 Tips. Read on to learn how to save money on realtor fees — from negotiating a lower rate with your agent to working with a discount real estate brokerage that makes saving easy. 

How to Get a Home Buyer Rebate (And Save Thousands). Many discount real estate companies offer commission rebates for buyers. Learn everything you need to know about this process. 

What Companies Offer the Lowest Real Estate Commission Fees? Some companies charge more to help you sell your home than others. Find out which are the most affordable options.

How to Find a Real Estate Agent. The best way to find a real estate agent is through a trusted source. We break down how to find a realtor in your area.

Sources

1. Prweb, ‘Prevu Begins West Coast Expansion with Launch in Los Angeles’, Accessed May 7, 2024, https://www.prweb.com/releases/prevu_begins_west_coast_expansion_with_launch_in_los_angeles/prweb17700037.htm ↩︎
2. Housingwire, ‘Real estate tech firm Prevu raises $6 million in Series A’, Accessed May 7, 2024, https://www.housingwire.com/articles/real-estate-tech-firm-prevu-raises-6-million-in-series-a/ ↩︎