Our mission: To help you buy or sell your home smarter — with expert guidance, pre-vetted agents, and commission rates that save you thousands.
Clever Real Estate helps you buy or sell your home with a top local agent at a fraction of the typical cost. Since 2017, we've helped more than 200,000 customers save over $220 million on realtor fees, without sacrificing service.
We're a nationwide real estate company that connects homeowners with top local realtors at a pre-negotiated 1.5% listing fee. No guesswork. No overpaying. Just experienced, full-service agents from brokerages you already know, backed by a dedicated concierge team that stays with you from first call to closing day.
Need to sell fast or skip the traditional listing process? Clever Offers connects you with vetted cash buyers, iBuyers, and quick-sale programs so you can compare multiple competing offers side by side — with no repairs, no showings, and no obligation. Since launch, Clever Offers has facilitated over $500 million in home sale transactions.
No surprises. No overpaying. Just a successful sale at a fair price. Simply share a few details about your home, and we'll match you with top local agents in your area at a pre-negotiated 1.5% listing fee.
Why Clever exists
Most sellers pay 5–6% of their home's sale price in agent commissions (often $15,000 to $30,000 or more), and many don't fully understand what they're paying for. The traditional real estate model hasn't changed in decades, even as technology has made nearly every other major transaction simpler and more transparent.
Clever was built to fix that. We negotiate directly with top-producing agents on your behalf, so you get full-service representation at just 1.5% listing commission. Same experienced agents. Same marketing, negotiations, and support. Thousands less out of your pocket at closing.
Our story
Co-founders Ben Mizes and Luke Babich grew up on the same street in St. Louis. After college, they started investing in real estate together and quickly saw the same problem from the inside: the process was opaque, overpriced, and stacked against consumers (even ones who knew the industry).
In 2017, they launched Clever Real Estate with a simple idea: pair homeowners with great agents at a fair price, with real human support behind every transaction.
What started as two people and a phone has grown into a platform that helps sell more than 10,000 homes each year, backed by a concierge team and a nationwide network of 18,000+ vetted agents. Millions of people use Clever's research, tools, and expert guidance annually to make smarter decisions about one of life's biggest financial moves.
From St. Louis startup to 200,000 customers nationwide
How Clever works
- 📋 Step 1: Sign up online or call us. Fill out a short form or call 1-833-225-3837. Our concierge team is available seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. EST.
- 📞 Step 2: Talk to our concierge team. Within five minutes, a real person calls you to learn about your situation, explain our 1.5% commission model, and answer your questions.
- 📩 Step 3: Get matched with top local agents. We'll connect you with one to three vetted agents from top brokerages in your area — typically within the same day — via group text or email.
- 🤝 Step 4: Choose your agent and get support throughout. Pick the agent who's the best fit. Our concierge team checks in throughout your transaction to make sure things stay on track.
- 💰 Step 5: Close and save. Sell with a full-service agent at 1.5% listing commission and keep more of your equity. Eligible buyers receive Clever Cash Back within 30 days of closing.
Why you should trust us
Our nationwide network of 18,000+ agents is carefully screened for performance, experience, and customer reviews. You're matched with agents from Keller Williams, RE/MAX, Compass, Coldwell Banker, and top local brokerages.
Clever sellers list with a full-service agent at just 1.5% commission. On a $400,000 home, that's roughly $6,000 in savings compared to the traditional 3% rate. No corners cut on marketing, negotiations, or support.
You're never on your own. Our concierge team is available seven days a week to answer questions, troubleshoot issues, and make sure your agent is delivering. If something's not working, we'll find you a new match.
This isn't a side project. Clever facilitates thousands of transactions every year, giving us the volume and relationships to negotiate rates that individual buyers and sellers can't get on their own.
Clever holds a 4.9-star rating across 4,000+ verified Trustpilot reviews — one of the highest scores of any real estate company in the country.
If you don't love your matched agent, request a new one or walk away. There's no contract with Clever, no upfront cost, and no commitment until you're ready.
The people behind Clever
Clever was named one of the best places to work by the St. Louis Business Journal in 2024. Our team of real estate professionals, licensed agents, and experienced editors has spent thousands of hours building the tools, research, and agent network that power the Clever platform. Here are just a few of the people leading the way.
Ben Mizes
Founder, Clever Real Estate
Ben co-founded Clever Real Estate in 2017 and built it into the nation's leading real estate education platform for buyers, sellers, and investors. Named one of the top 200 most influential people in real estate (2022), Ben is a licensed Missouri agent and active multifamily investor in St. Louis. His work has been featured in BiggerPockets, Inman, and other outlets.
Luke Babich
CEO, Clever Real Estate
Luke co-founded Clever with Ben in 2017 and leads the company as CEO. A licensed real estate agent in Missouri, he was named a 2023 HousingWire Vanguard Award winner, recognizing C-level leaders who have become experts in their field. Under Luke's leadership, Clever has helped over 200,000 customers save more than $220 million on realtor fees.
Drake Shadwell
Manager, Clever Offers
Drake leads Clever Offers with a data-driven approach to connecting sellers with institutional and investor buyers. With over three years in real estate and $15M in personal sales, he's built a reputation for innovation and client-focused service. Recognized by the Orlando Regional Realtor Association "Million Dollar Club" and HousingWire "Rising Stars in Real Estate" (2025).
Jake Cardenas
Product Manager, Partner Experience
Jake is a co-founder of Clever Real Estate, where he led the company's visual design and product experience for nearly a decade. He now drives the technology and tools behind Clever's lender partnerships. Based in Chicago, Jake brings a design-first mindset to building products that strengthen how Clever works with its partners and their loan officers.
Tony Chahal
President, Closings
Tony leads AI-enablement, national expansion, sales strategy, and operations for Clever's title and escrow division. A PropTech executive with nearly two decades of experience, he previously served as Head of Strategic Relationships at HomeLight, where he launched new verticals and drove over $500M in revenue. Tony has founded and exited real estate and technology ventures and has been featured in Inman News and on industry panels.
Tim Gaasch
VP of Partner Success
Tim is a real estate professional and investor who is passionate about helping partners succeed and delivering a great experience for clients at Clever. As an early member of team Clever, he has built deep expertise across the real estate and mortgage ecosystems, helping shape processes that drive performance and scale. Based in the St. Louis area, Tim is a husband and father of three who enjoys the outdoors and is an avid supporter of his hometown sports teams.
Tommy O'Shaughnessy
VP of Consumer Marketing
Tommy has been part of the Clever team for over five years. He created Clever's PR and Research department in 2018, building the data-driven studies that have been cited by The New York Times, CNBC, Business Insider, and Inman. Tommy holds a BA in Journalism, Magna Cum Laude, from the University of Missouri Columbia Journalism School.
Trent Seigfried
Head of Data
Trent leads Clever's data engineering team, combining a background in data science with 15 years of personal finance writing. He founded The Simple Dollar, an online publication that reached millions of monthly visitors from 2006 to 2021. His writing has appeared in Business Insider, Lifehacker, and other outlets. Trent holds a BS in Computer Science and a BS in Biology from Iowa State University.
» MEET THE TEAM: See all of Clever's writers and editors
Trusted research, cited by the best
Each year, millions of readers use Clever's library of 8,000+ data-driven articles to navigate their real estate decisions. Our guides, reviews, and research studies cover everything from commission rates and market trends to the best low commission realtors, discount brokers, and cash-buying companies in every U.S. state.
Major outlets regularly cite Clever's research, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Yahoo Finance, USA Today, NBC News, and Business Insider. Our reporters are frequently sought out for expert commentary on housing trends and policy. Some of our most popular studies include:
- Why are houses so expensive? Data shows just two affordable U.S. cities
- U.S. cities and states where it takes the longest to sell a home
- American Home Buyer Report
Explore Clever's latest research. For media inquiries or research partnerships, contact media@movewithclever.com.
Take the next step with Clever
Selling your home doesn't have to mean overpaying for an agent or settling for less. With Clever, you get full-service support from a top local realtor at a 1.5% listing fee, backed by a concierge team that's with you every step of the way.
Ready to find your agent? It's free (and fast) to get matched with an agent, and you're never locked in. Share a few details about your home and start comparing your options today.