Published
-
Written by
-
Edited by Jessica Johansen
Written by Franklin Schneider
Edited by Jessica Johansen
Sold.com reviews | How it works | Cost | Alternatives | FAQ
Sold.com is a service that connects prospective buyers and sellers with local agents.
However, Sold.com offers no built-in savings, doesn’t seem to vet its agents, and allows agents to pay to appear in search results. Because of these business practices, customers should approach Sold.com with caution.
Should you use Sold.com?
Pros
- You can connect with local agents quickly.
- Customer service is responsive.
- The network has many good agents.
Cons
- The company lacks transparency.
- There are some poor-quality agents in the Sold.com network.
Sold.com could work if you simply want to find agents in your area and if saving money isn’t a high priority for you. The company can quickly connect you with multiple agents in your area, and you can evaluate those agents based on their recent transactions and overall experience.
However, if you want to save money on your home sale, you might want to use a discount brokerage like Clever Real Estate or Ideal Agent. These companies negotiate a lower commission rate for you, whereas you’ll pay full commission if you use Sold.com’s recommended agents.
We recommend comparing multiple options before you choose an agent.
» Compare top local agents who charge half the typical commission.
How does Sold.com work?
- Sign up on Sold.com’s website. You’ll fill out a form that asks you about your timeline, priorities, selling experience, property type and condition, and contact information.
- Receive agent matches. Once you input all your information, Sold.com sends you a Seller/Buyer Report with five agent matches. You can see each agent’s number of recent transactions and overall experience. Some agents may have a “Recommended” banner. These agents likely paid extra to appear at the top of your zip code’s results.
- Talk to a concierge. Sold.com connects you with a concierge who quickly follows up to schedule appointments with agents. In our experience, Sold.com concierges can be pushy, repeatedly calling and texting.
- Sign a listing agreement. If you decide to work with one of the agents you speak to, you’ll sign a listing agreement. Your Sold.com concierge may check in with you throughout the process.
How much does Sold.com cost?
Sold.com is free for home buyers and sellers, like all agent matching services.
However, if you sell with a Sold.com agent, you’ll still have to pay the average realtor commission. The commission is typically 5–6% of the home sale price. Half usually goes to your listing agent, and half to the buyer’s agent.
Other agent matching services like Ideal Agent and Clever Real Estate offer built-in savings through pre-negotiated commission discounts, and have much more stringent agent vetting processes in place.
Top Sold.com alternatives in 2024
These alternatives are free, no-obligation services that connect you with top local agents. Not only will you get better value in terms of agent quality and concierge assistance, but you can also save thousands on your transaction.
Unlike Sold.com, Clever and Ideal Agent guarantee commission discounts. The average Clever seller saves $7,000 on their home sale.
UpNest is a popular agent matching service that offers a “real estate agent marketplace” where local realtors submit proposals to compete for your business. This competition could lead to lower rates, but that’s not guaranteed.
| Company | Our Rating | Listing Fee | Availability | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Best overall
Clever Real Estate |
3,700+ reviews
|
1.5%
Min. $3,000
|
Nationwide
|
Find Agents |
Ideal Agent |
7,000+ reviews
|
2%
Min. $3,000
|
Nationwide
|
Learn More |
UpNest |
8,000+ reviews
|
Varies by agent
Avg. 2.2%
|
Nationwide
|
Learn More |
Listing Fee
Customer Rating
Our take
Company details
Reviews
Clever Real Estate is the best option for most sellers looking to save on realtor commissions. Its 1.5% listing fee is among the lowest of any full-service, nationwide brand. You save thousands on commission while working with a top local realtor from a well-known brokerage, like RE/MAX and Keller Williams. Clever has more agents (19,000+) in more markets than most other low-commission options, plus the highest customer rating among brands we evaluated.
Read the full Clever Real Estate review.
Pros
- 1.5% listing fee is half the typical rate.
- Agents have strong sales records and great customer reviews.
- Free agent-finding platform with no obligation to sign with a realtor.
Cons
- Add-ons like drone photography and staging may cost extra.
- May not get matched with a specific realtor if they’re not in Clever’s network.
- Service that matches sellers and buyers with full-service real estate agents
- Sellers pay a pre-negotiated 1.5% listing fee (half the average rate) to their realtor after a successful home sale
- To join Clever’s network, real estate agents must be top performers in their local market, have 5+ years of experience, and demonstrate a track record of positive customer reviews
- Clever has a 5/5 rating across 3,700+ online reviews
- Accredited through the Better Business Bureau and holds an A+ rating
- Agents offer full service and support, including pricing advice, photography, MLS listing and description, negotiation support, etc.
- Eligible buyers receive $250 cash back
Clever has an average customer rating of 5/5 across 3,100+ reviews.
- Better Business Bureau: 5/5 (91 reviews, accredited, A+ rating)
- Google: 4.8/5 (303 reviews)
- Trustpilot: 5/5 (2,786 reviews)
Reviews repeatedly highlight commission savings and high-quality agents. Some complaints include confusion over the commission structure.
Listing Fee
Customer Rating
Our take
Company details
Reviews
Ideal Agent is a good choice if you’re looking for a top agent, but you won’t have multiple options. The company claims it works with only the top 1% of realtors by performance, based on sales volume in each agent’s market. But you get only one agent match. Not being able to compare multiple agents is a big risk to consider, as the agent might not be the right fit for your situation. Read the full Ideal Agent review.
Pros
- You get matched with a top-performing realtor
- Discounted 2% listing fee
Cons
- Small agent network; hard to compare options
- Limited coverage outside of big cities
- Savings aren’t competitive compared to other companies
- Platform that matches sellers and buyers with full-service real estate agents
- Company negotiates a 2% listing fee with its realtors, which is slightly less than market value (2.5-3%)
- Sellers determine whether they wish to offer a concession to pay for the buyer’ agent commission, usually 2.5-3% depending on the market
- Ideal Agent has a 5/5 rating across 7,000+ reviews
- Accredited through the Better Business Bureau with a A+ rating
- Agents are expected to offer full-service and support, including pricing advice, photography, negotiation support, etc.
- No guaranteed buyer savings
Ideal Agent has an average customer rating of 4.9/5 across 7,000+ reviews.
- Better Business Bureau: 5/5 (300+ reviews, accredited, A+ rating)
- Google: 4.8/5 (400+ reviews)
- Trustpilot: 4.9/5 (6,200+ reviews)
Customers are consistently happy with the qualified agents and helpful customer service. Some complaints mention agent matches that weren’t a good fit.
» READ: Our full Ideal Agent review
Listing Fee
Customer Rating
Our take
Company details
Reviews
UpNest is a legitimate agent matching service, but it’s not a great way to save money on realtor fees. It can be a good way to compare real estate agents in your area. But there’s no guarantee you’ll save on real estate commissions because UpNest doesn’t negotiate a lower fee with its agents. Read the full UpNest review.
Pros
- Agents compete for your business, which may result in a lower realtor fee
- Wide selection of experienced, tech-savvy agents
Cons
- Savings for sellers and buyers vary by agent
- Customers complain that it’s hard to get the promised Amazon gift card
- Service quality can vary between agents
- Platform that matches sellers and buyers with full-service real estate agents
- Sellers fill out an online questionnaire and receive agent matches in an online dashboard
- Agents can offer to work for a reduced listing fee, but most charge close to market value (2.5-3%)
- Sellers determine whether they want to offer a concession for the buyer’s agent commission, usually 2.5-3% depending on the market
- UpNest has a 4.7/5.0 rating across 8,000+ reviews
- Not accredited through the Better Business Bureau
- Services may vary by agent, but most offer the same general services as traditional real estate agents (pricing advice, photography, negotiation support, etc.)
- No guaranteed buyer savings
UpNest has an average customer rating of 4.7/5 across 7,000+ reviews.
- Better Business Bureau: 3.77/5 (26 reviews, not accredited, F rating)
- Google: 4.7/5 (300 reviews)
- ShopperApproved: 4.7/5 (7,680 reviews)
Reviews frequently highlight UpNest agents’ hard work and ability to sell homes quickly. However, some customers had agents who lacked experience and professionalism.
» READ: Our full UpNest review
» Want more options to compare? See our list of the top low commission companies.
Sold.com reviews: Major benefits and drawbacks
| Site | Rating |
|---|---|
| Trustpilot | 4.5/5 (294 reviews) |
| Sitejabber | 2.1/5 (28 reviews) |
| Better Business Bureau | 1.6/5 (13 reviews) |
Sold.com reviews online are generally positive on Trustpilot and overwhelmingly negative on the Better Business Bureau and Sitejabber. It has an average customer rating of 4.1 out of 5.
Positive reviews mention responsive agents and high-quality customer service.
Many of the negative reviews are from agents who were dissatisfied with the leads they purchased from Sold.com. Negative reviews from sellers mention unvetted, low-quality agents.
✅ Agents can be high quality
Some customers connected with good agents, although this isn’t guaranteed. Sold.com allows any agent, regardless of expertise or experience level, into its network.
[My agent] was trustworthy and honest. He considered my needs and instructions in showing my home to prospective buyers. All of my questions via telephone and text message were promptly responded to.” — Linda, Trustpilot, April 2024
Gavin did a great job. He took initiative on everything that needed to be done for the sale of our house. He did a great job communicating with us. We really appreciate him.”
— Marcia, Trustpilot, April 2024
✅ Customer service can be good for sellers
Satisfied customers often reported that they received attentive customer support from Sold.com.
Have had some great introductions from this service. Great support from their staff.“
— Brad D., Sitejabber, July 2022
⛔️ Sold.com isn’t always transparent about how they operate
Sold.com seems to be pretty indiscriminate in who they give customer info to, considering that it sells faulty leads to agents and connects realtors with “for sale by owner” sellers. For example, this reviewer wanted to sell their home to a cash buyer, but their info was given to a conventional agent.
I went to site wanting to SELL my home, the ad stated we BUY homes so put my information in got a call I asked do you buy home? Was [told] yes. Set up a consultation realtor came out gave me comps, when I asked how much will you buy my home for was told they do not buy home they just wanted to list it for sale. Waste of time.”
— Mark. K., Sitejabber, September 2022
⛔️ Agents can be poor quality or undependable
Sold.com sometimes matched customers with inexperienced or inattentive agents.
I received a call from sold.com after I filled out a questionnaire for their services. I scheduled an appointment with [an agent] on Friday May 13 at 6:00 pm. This was to show the house to her … No one showed up or called.”
— Terri E., Better Business Bureau, May 2023
What is Sold.com?
Sold.com is a free service that claims to match sellers and buyers with the best real estate service that suits their needs — from traditional realtors to discount brokers to cash buyers.
Beyond quickly providing a list of local real estate agents and services, Sold.com offers little to no value for consumers. But it does have numerous drawbacks and risks, including:
- No quality control for its real estate services network
- Aggressive customer service reps
- Shady business practices
Other Sold.com services
Sold.com can connect customers with home services like:
- Mortgage lenders
- Homeowners insurance
- Solar panels
- Smart security
- Home warranties
- Moving services
Is Sold.com legit?
Yes, Sold.com is a licensed real estate brokerage in California. All agent matching services must be licensed in at least one state.
Sold.com has a B– rating from the Better Business Bureau. It’s not BBB accredited.
Executives from several major companies in the real estate industry (such as Auction.com, Fizber, LendingTree, and Realtor.com) founded Sold.com in 2018.
Though Sold.com is a licensed and legitimate company, we found some of its business practices alarming.
🚨 Sold.com makes misleading claims about agents paying for matches
The Sold.com website says, “We believe in putting our customers’ needs first. There’s no pay to play with Sold.com. Every recommendation is based on what is best for the homeowner.” But that’s not true.
Sold.com offers agents a “Guaranteed Display” service, which means they can purchase certain zip codes. When a customer searches for a realtor in that zip code, that agent will be one of their top agent matches.
Additionally, agents who pay for Guaranteed Display receive a “Featured Agent” badge on their profile, which makes them appear better qualified than the other agent matches.
This practice misleads buyers and sellers into thinking they matched with good agents who are best equipped to help with their sale.
🚨 Concierges can be rude and pushy
Our mystery shoppers encountered unpleasant Sold.com customer service concierges.
We also discovered that Sold.com concierges are compensated based on the number of appointments they schedule between customers and agents. As a result, Sold.com concierges could be overly aggressive in their efforts to schedule appointments.
The concierges don’t seem to coordinate their efforts. At one point, one of our shoppers had three Sold.com concierges calling and texting to schedule an appointment, essentially fighting over the customer.
The concierges didn’t listen to the requests or concerns of our shoppers. They just plowed through in an attempt to schedule unwanted appointments.
🚨 Agent quality is questionable
Sold.com says it hand-picks only high-performing agents to join its network. We did some digging, and this doesn’t seem to be the case.
The company doesn’t share any criteria agents must meet to join its network. It doesn’t seem to vet agents before they join, either.
Typically, agent matching services require a minimum amount of experience and sales performance to ensure agents are qualified to help their customers.
FAQ about Sold.com
How much does Sold.com cost?
Sold.com is free for home buyers and sellers. However, you'll still have to pay full agent commissions, which are typically 5–6% of the home sale price.
Who owns Sold.com?
Executives from major real estate companies including Auction.com, Fizber, LendingTree, and Realtor.com founded Sold.com in 2018.
How much is the Sold.com referral fee?
Sold.com takes 35% of an agent’s commission on any transaction resulting from a lead through Sold.com, though agents who pay for the “Guaranteed Display” premium service don’t have to pay a referral fee on sales in their purchased zip codes. Referral fees are standard practice among agent matching services.
How does Sold.com make money?
Sold.com collects a percentage of the commission agents earn on deals they close with customers who were referred to them through Sold.com. This is called a referral fee, and it’s how all agent matching services make money.
Sold.com offers agents a “Guaranteed Display” service, which it charges for. Realtors can pay to purchase select zip codes, and will appear as an agent match for any customer searching for a realtor within these zip codes (and they’ll get a “Featured” or “Recommended” badge on their profile).
The company connects some buyers and sellers with businesses that specialize in alternative real estate approaches, such as discount brokerages or cash investors. Sold.com presumably makes a referral fee when deals with these partners close.
Additionally, Sold.com works with companies that offer related home services, such as mortgage lenders, homeowners insurance providers, and solar power installers. The company likely makes money by referring customers to these partners, as well.
Always evaluate any service provider and comparison shop before signing on the dotted line. If you decide to use Sold.com to find a realtor, don’t assume its mortgage partner will also meet your needs. Do your due diligence and research at least 2–3 options to find the best fit for you.
Why do agents work with services like Sold.com?
Joining the Sold.com agent network and paying a referral fee to the company can be more cost-effective and lower risk than other methods of marketing and advertising.
Real estate agents need a steady influx of new customers to sustain their business. And they typically spend a lot of time and money on marketing to attract these new customers.
This takes time away from working on deals, which is how they make money. Plus, there’s no guarantee that resources invested will generate returns, since not all deals close.
Theoretically, Sold.com delivers agents a stream of new prospective customers at no upfront cost, which helps agents grow their business. And more customers means agents can pay the referral fee and still turn a profit.
Agent matching services lower the risk for the agent since they only have to pay Sold.com for deals that actually close. They also save the agent time, which allows them to close more deals.
Methodology
We strive to deliver objective reviews. The Real Estate Witch Team spent 1,400+ hours over a six-week period testing and researching agent matching services. Our goal is to help you find an agent who can get you the best possible value when you buy or sell your home.
Related links
20 Ways to Save Money When Buying a Home: Your home is one of the most expensive purchases you’ll ever make, but that doesn’t mean you can’t save money when buying one.
How Does a 3% Real Estate Commission Work? Need help understanding realtor commissions? This article will explain it all.
The 8 Most Important Repairs to Make Before Selling Your Home: If you’re getting ready to sell your home, make sure you read this first!
Leave a Reply