Trelora is a legit discount brokerage with a real value proposition, particularly for sellers of higher-priced homes in its coverage markets. Trelora charges 1% to list your home, or about a third of what most agents cost. On a $500,000 sale, that's roughly $10,000 back in your pocket compared with a traditional 3% listing fee.
The catch is the service model. Trelora uses a team of specialists rather than a single dedicated agent, which works well for straightforward sales but can feel chaotic if complications arise. If you're in one of its 20 markets and your sale is relatively clean, it's worth a serious look.
Trelora at a glance
| How it works | Team-based brokerage; specialists handle each stage of your sale |
| Seller listing fee | 1% of sale price (confirm minimum fee with local office) |
| Buyer fee | Varies |
| Customer rating | ~4.7 out of 5 (1,200+ reviews across Google, Zillow, Facebook, Yelp) |
| Markets | 20 states |
| Best for | Sellers of higher-priced homes who prioritize savings over hands-on service |
| Not ideal for | Complex transactions; buyers or sellers who need a single dedicated agent |
Trelora overview
Trelora is a discount real estate brokerage founded in Denver in 2011. It operates in 20 states across the country.[1] In 2022, Trelora acquired Houwzer, another discount brokerage.[2] Confirm availability directly with Trelora before listing, as coverage can change.
The core pitch: pay 1% to sell your home instead of the traditional 2.5–3%, and keep more at closing. Trelora says clients save an average of $12,000 compared with traditional agents. For a $600,000 home, that math is hard to ignore.
The trade-off is a high-volume, team-based model. Trelora says its agents handle roughly 20 times the industry average in transactions. That scale works well for clean, fast sales in active markets. It can feel less supportive if your situation is complicated.
How Trelora works
Trelora doesn’t assign a single agent from start to finish. Specialists handle each phase: pricing, marketing and showings, negotiations, and closing. The company calls this "team-based specialization."[3] The upside: each person does one job all day and tends to be good at it. The downside: no single person holds the full context of your sale.
That gap shows up most when something goes wrong. If your appraisal comes in low or a buyer backs out during inspection, you may need to explain your situation from scratch to a new team member.
"My assistant sold with a discount agent and told me how horrible it was," says Jessica Wade, a realtor with eXp Realty in Gainesville, GA. "They had a low appraisal and didn't know how to navigate it. Can you negotiate? Can you appeal? That's a whole other layer, and there was nobody walking them through it."
The risk isn't hypothetical. Ledeana Strand, a real estate agent with Homes by Strand in Port Orchard, WA, recently took over a listing from a discount broker charging 1%. The home had sat on the market for 87 days without selling.
"The discount broker did not counsel the sellers," Strand says. "She didn't do any market analysis to show them what comparable homes sold for. She didn't tell them where they should position on the market. So the house just sat there. It became stale, it became stigmatized."
Strand prepped the home properly with professional staging, cleaning, and landscaping, and got a full cash offer on the first showing. Meanwhile, the sellers had already paid three extra months of mortgage on a vacant home while it sat unsold. That carrying cost likely erased whatever they saved on the listing fee.
To be fair, Trelora's model is more hands-on than a bare-bones flat fee listing. You do get a team actively managing your sale, not just an MLS entry. But if your transaction hits a bump, ask upfront how Trelora handles escalations in your market, who your main point of contact would be, and how quickly you can expect a response outside business hours.
Fees and potential savings
| Component | Amount |
| Trelora listing fee | 1% of sale price |
| Buyer’s agent fee (recommended) | 2–3% (you set this; Trelora recommends it) |
| Total estimated commission | ~3–4% vs. 5–6% traditional |
Trelora charges sellers a 1% listing fee, paid at closing. No upfront cost.
Keep in mind: you'll still need to cover the buyer's agent commission, which typically runs 2.5–3%. So your total commission cost with Trelora is usually around 3.5–4%, which is still well below the traditional 5–6%.
It's also worth asking what's included in that 1%. Not all discount brokerages bundle the same services.
"Things like marketing, professional photos, a lockbox, and signage...none of that may be included," Wade says. "All that's included is that it gets put in the MLS." If you end up paying out of pocket for staging, photography, or other prep work, your effective savings shrink.
What changed with the NAR settlement
In March 2024, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reached a landmark $418 million settlement that changed how buyer’s agent commissions work. Effective August 17, 2024, sellers are no longer required to advertise buyer’s agent compensation on the MLS, and buyers must now sign written agreements with their agents outlining fees before touring homes.[4]
Many sellers still offer concessions to help cover buyer’s agent costs because it can strengthen their listing. But these are now negotiated separately.
Ask your Trelora agent how they're advising clients in your specific market, as norms are still evolving post-settlement.
Estimated savings vs. traditional 3% listing fee
| Home price | Trelora fee (1%) | Savings vs. 3% listing fee |
| $250,000 | $2,500* | $5,000 |
| $400,000 | $4,000 | $8,000 |
| $500,000 | $5,000 | $10,000 |
| $750,000 | $7,500 | $15,000 |
*Trelora may charge a minimum fee. Confirm with your local office.
Trelora's 1% listing fee applies to the home's final sale price. So the more your home is worth, the bigger your savings. On a $500,000 home, that's $10,000 back in your pocket vs. the typical 3% listing fee.
Keep in mind: you'll still need to cover the buyer's agent commission, which typically runs 2.5–3%. So your total commission cost with Trelora is usually around 3.5–4% — still well below the traditional 5–6%.
How Trelora compares
Trelora’s 1% fee matches SimpleShowing and undercuts Redfin and Clever on price. The key difference is service model: Unlike those options, Trelora doesn’t offer a dedicated point of contact throughout your transaction.
Trelora vs. Redfin
Trelora is cheaper than Redfin on listing fees (1% vs. Redfin’s 1.5%), and covers more markets than Redfin does. But Redfin has a robust consumer-facing platform for searching listings, scheduling tours, and tracking your sale. If you’re comfortable using technology to stay on top of your transaction, Redfin’s tools may offset some of the agent continuity you’d get with a traditional brokerage.
Trelora doesn’t have a comparable consumer platform. Its value lies mainly in its fee structure and team-based specialist model. If you’d use Redfin’s app heavily, that’s worth factoring in. If you just want to sell and save, Trelora’s lower fee and broader coverage may make more sense.
Customer reviews also tell a different story. Trelora averages 4.7 across more than 1,200 reviews. Redfin’s aggregate customer rating is significantly lower, with more complaints around agent responsiveness and inconsistent service quality at scale. For sellers who want a discount brokerage with a strong service track record, Trelora has the edge.
Trelora vs. Clever Real Estate
Clever Real Estate charges a 1.5% listing fee vs. Trelora’s 1%. On a $500,000 home, that’s a $2,500 difference in your pocket. If fee minimization is your primary goal, Trelora wins on price.
The service experience is meaningfully different, though. Clever matches you with a single, vetted full-service agent at a reduced commission. That agent handles your entire transaction (pricing, showings, negotiation, and closing), with one consistent point of contact. You get the economics of a discount brokerage with the feel of a traditional full-service relationship.
Trelora’s team model means you’ll work with multiple people at each stage. That works well when everything goes smoothly. When complications arise — a difficult inspection, a low appraisal, a buyer who goes cold — having one agent who knows your full situation matters.
The right choice depends on your priorities. If saving every dollar counts and your sale is likely to be straightforward, Trelora’s 1% is hard to beat. If you want a dedicated agent relationship and are willing to pay a small premium, Clever is worth considering.
Trelora agents
Trelora agents are salaried rather than commission-based. That model keeps the team stable but reduces the direct financial incentive a traditional agent has to maximize your sale price or deliver an exceptional client experience.
Agent quality varies by market. Positive reviews consistently call out specific agents by name, which suggests who you work with matters more than the brand itself. If you’re considering Trelora, ask to speak with the lead agent in your market before committing, and check how many transactions they’ve closed in the past year.
Customer reviews
| Platform | Rating | Reviews |
|---|---|---|
| Zillow | 4.9 | 529 |
| 4.72 | 639 | |
| Yelp | 4.3 | 136 |
| Weighted average | 4.7 | 1,304 |
Trelora holds an average rating of roughly 4.7 out of 5 across more than 1,200 reviews on Google, Zillow, and Yelp. That’s a strong aggregate score, though ratings vary noticeably by market.
Customers who had a clean, fast sale in an active market tend to rate Trelora highly. Those who ran into complications or needed more hand-holding tend to come away more frustrated.
Recent customer experiences
Here's what a few recent customers had to say. These are real reviews from verified customers on Zillow and Google.
Isabella helped me and my family find a home in N.C. I feel she genuinely cares you find something you want/need and will work with you as long as it takes. She was there from the east side of NC all the way to the west side until we finally settled on a location...I would definitely use Isabella's realtor services again and recommend her as well.
Alexis was wonderful!! She sold our house in Kansas City. I couldn't believe how smooth everything went with using a remote agent. She was very knowledgeable and quick to respond to any questions. I will be recommending her to everyone and would definitely use her again.
TRELORA is the smart way to buy and sell homes. Professional, affordable, and progressive. Thank goodness they are leading the evolution of real estate. Greg Hanson and Cassie Zoellner made a stressful process a piece of cake! They are amazing.
Bottom line: Is Trelora right for you?
Trelora is a credible option for sellers of higher-priced homes in its coverage markets who want to keep more equity at closing. The 1% listing fee is competitive, and the savings are real.
Trelora may be a good fit if you’re selling a desirable home in an active market, are comfortable working with a team rather than a single agent, and your situation is relatively straightforward.
You may want to look elsewhere if you prefer a single dedicated point of contact, are selling in a market with limited Trelora presence, need availability outside standard business hours, or are a buyer in a fast-moving situation.
The dollar savings are easy to calculate. The hidden costs are harder to see upfront. "You kind of have to weigh — do you want to save a few thousand dollars, or however much you'd save?" Wade says. "Is that worth the stress it might cause, or the cost of potentially not doing it correctly?"
Before committing, interview your local Trelora agent alongside at least two other options. The service model you're comfortable with matters as much as the fee.
Looking to save more? Clever Real Estate matches you with top-rated local agents from brokerages like Keller Williams and RE/MAX — and pre-negotiates a low 1.5% listing fee for you. You get full service, expert support, and thousands in savings. Get matched with an agent today.