Among the many services that have popped up in this space over the past few years is a company called Clever Real Estate/ listwithclever.com.
Clever promotes itself as a flat fee real estate service. They advertise connecting home buyers and sellers with several local agents for a discounted real estate commission rate. They offer a flat 1% listing commission on homes over $350,000 and $3,000 if under that. The company also offers commission rebates to home buyers of $1,000 or up to 1% on homes over $500,000.
So, how smart is it to list with Clever?
How Does Clever Work?
Clever Real Estate’s website seems a little cloudy on exactly how their service works. They will match you with a real estate agent from one of the firms they work with.
Those agents will provide a discounted flat fee service, with payment due on closing. You pay $3,000 on homes up to $350,000, meaning you could still pay a 3% commission or higher if your home is sold for $100,000 or less.
What they seem to skim over is that this percentage does not appear to include the buyer’s agent commission.
No agent is going to show that home to clients unless a competitive commission is offered: usually between 2.5-3%, depending on the market. For lower-priced homes, especially those under $250,000, you’ll likely be paying close to 6% anyway.
Clever vs. Beycome
How does Clever Real Estate compare to Beycome’s service for home buyers and sellers?
When buying or selling your home with Beycome, you can save a significant amount of money by bypassing the traditional method of marketing your properties. With several options available to owners, the challenge lies in understanding what each website can do for you. Pay attention to the rates and the packaged services to find the platform that is compatible with your requirements, and don’t pay for services that you don’t need.
For instance, Beycome’s base package is $99 fee.
However, enhanced services can be added by sellers to help meet your marketing goals ( starting at $99). When owners reduce their transaction costs, they have more leeway to offer discounts on selling price or the rental rate, so cost savings trickle down to buyers and renters.
Buying and selling a home can be a complicated transaction, but Beycome’s revolutionary platform has simplified the process so that you can complete the sequence from house-hunting to closing negotiations on beycome.com.
Contact our team of real estate pros to get started on your real estate adventure right away.
Should You Use Clever?
How smart is using Clever? The company may be too new to really tell how much they are helping. They don’t yet seem to have the partnerships or connections to provide as many matches to the very best agents out there. That could change in the future.
It’s always exciting to find a way to save, especially on a big transaction like buying or selling a home. $3,000 for listing your home doesn’t sound bad, but sellers need to be very careful about the true costs of using Clever before they sign up. As always, it’s just smart to compare, interview multiple agents and get multiple offers to make sure you are both truly saving and are getting the full service you need before making a decision.
A Closer Look at ListWithClever: Not As “Free” As They Claim
Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (2 out of 5 stars)
ListWithClever initially caught my attention with their sleek design and user-friendly interface. It’s easy to see why one would be drawn to their platform, as they promise “Free Services” to customers. However, after spending some time on their website and digging deeper, I’ve come to realize that their revenue generation model leaves a lot to be desired.
First, let me address the positives. The website is visually appealing and easy to navigate. It’s clear that ListWithClever put in considerable effort to create a seamless user experience. The platform offers various tools and features that cater to the needs of potential clients. I can’t fault them for wanting to make a good first impression.
However, the major issue I have with ListWithClever is their claim of providing “Free Services.” Although the platform is technically free to use, they earn their revenue through commissions, which are not made explicitly clear to users. This lack of transparency regarding their business model can lead to confusion and distrust among clients who may feel misled.
If ListWithClever was open about their commission-based revenue generation from the beginning, customers would have a better understanding of how the platform operates. It’s essential for businesses to be upfront about their monetization strategies to maintain credibility and trust among their user base.
In conclusion, while ListWithClever offers a visually pleasing and user-friendly experience, I can’t help but be disappointed by their lack of transparency regarding their revenue generation. The platform’s claim of “Free Services” is misleading, as they ultimately make money through commissions. For these reasons, I can only give ListWithClever reviews a 2 out of 5 stars. A more transparent approach would go a long way in improving their overall image and, subsequently, their rating.
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