We ranked 15 discount real estate brokers in Illinois. Read on for the full list of companies, or use our free matching tool to compare top discount realtors near you.
What is a discount real estate broker? (more)
- Illinois discount real estate brokers offer a similar range of services and support as conventional realtors for a lower price.
- The average home seller pays 5.49% total in commission fees. 2.5% goes to the listing agent and 2.86% goes to the buyer's agent.
- Discount realtors typically deliver savings by charging lower listing fees (e.g., 1.5%) at closing.
- No matter who you sell with, expect to cover a 2-2.5% buyer's agent fee (though this longstanding convention may be on its way out).
How to choose a discount realtor (more)
- Stick with companies that offer in-person representation and "full service" (including an on-site comparative market analysis and professional photography). Avoid brands that only provide "remote" or "virtual" broker support.
- We recommend brands with success-based fees (you only pay at closing) and transparent pricing models. Watch out for upfront, nonrefundable fees and high minimum fees.
- Don't just rely on the advertised commission rate. Calculate your actual estimated commission fee based on your estimated home value. This is especially important for companies with flat fee models or high minimum fees to avoid paying more than advertised.
- Customer ratings are generally more important than small differences in pricing models. Look for companies with high average ratings based on large numbers of reviews.
- Be sure to interview the specific agent you'll be working with and evaluate them based on the same criteria you'd use to choose a conventional realtor.
Should I sell with a discount realtor? (more)
- Consider a discount real estate broker if saving on real estate commission fees is a top priority but you still want a real estate agent to guide and support you through the process.
- Discount realtors sometimes handle more customers at once to offset their lower rates. Some sellers say this can lead to less hands-on, personalized service compared to a conventional realtor. (Try Clever: list with top local realtors, save up to 50% on listing fees.)
- We recommend sellers with more complicated properties or circumstances stick with conventional realtors with experience that fits their needs.
- That being said, discount brokerage service models and customer experiences vary widely, which is why throughly interviewing and vetting any agent is so important.
Discount real estate broker alternatives (more)
- Clever Real Estate gets you special discounted rates from top, conventional realtors representing major brokerages like RE/MAX, Century 21, and Compass. Take our simple quiz to get personalized agent recommendations and save up to 50% on listing fees.
- You can try to negotiate a lower commission rate with a conventional realtor yourself, but this can be difficult to do (only about 22% of sellers who try to negotiate are successful). Negotiating is easier if you have a pricier home, are selling in a particularly hot market, or already have a buyer lined up.
- If you're selling your house by owner and just want a marketing boost, a flat fee MLS service may be a better fit. Basic flat fee MLS plans get your listing on the local MLS for around $150. Premium plans include more services, like pro photography, but can cost well over $1,000.
- If you want to sell your house fast or are listing a home in poor condition, consider a cash home buyer company. Cash home buyers will purchase almost any home in any condition. You typically don't have to pay realtor commissions and many will actually cover your closing costs. And because they pay cash, they can usually close in a matter of days.
Top discount real estate brokers in Illinois
- Answer 5 simple questions about your sale
- Get matched with 2-3 top local agents in minutes
- Compare options, choose the best fit, save up to 50% on fees
Explore all discount real estate brokerages in Illinois
Our Rating
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Company info
Things to know: 2,853 transactions in Illinois in past 18 months | 379 reviews and 4.9 average rating in past 6 months | Available in 39 Illinois markets | Active in Illinois since 2007
Potential concerns: None found
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Things to know: 10 reviews and 4.9 average rating in past 6 months | Locally operated in Chicago | Active since 2014 | Most competitive rates
Potential concerns: None found
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Things to know: 470 transactions in Illinois in past 18 months | 6 reviews and 5.0 average rating in past 6 months | Available in 37 Illinois markets | Active in Illinois since 2011
Potential concerns: None found
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Things to know: 87 reviews and 4.3 average rating in past 6 months | Available statewide in Illinois | Active in Illinois since 2021 | Most competitive rates
Potential concerns: Charges a $599 upfront fee
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Things to know: Locally operated in Chicago | Active since 2015 | Most competitive rates
Potential concerns: Charges a $295 upfront fee
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Things to know: 7 reviews and 4.4 average rating in past 6 months | Locally operated in Chicago | Active in Illinois since 2014 | Most competitive rates
Potential concerns: Charges a $395 upfront fee
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Things to know: Available in 6 Illinois markets | Most competitive rates
Potential concerns: No new verified customer reviews in last 6 months
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Things to know: Available statewide in Illinois | Active since 2021 | Most competitive rates
Potential concerns: Charges a $3,504 upfront fee | No new verified customer reviews in last 6 months
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Things to know: 50 transactions in Illinois in past 18 months | Available in 29 Illinois markets | Active in Illinois since 2011 | No verified pricing details
Potential concerns: None found
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Things to know: Available statewide in Illinois | Active since 2020 | Most competitive rates
Potential concerns: Charges a $500 upfront fee | No new verified customer reviews in last 6 months
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Things to know: Available in 33 Illinois markets | Most competitive rates
Potential concerns: Charges a $795 upfront fee | No new verified customer reviews in last 6 months
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Things to know: Available statewide in Illinois | Most competitive rates
Potential concerns: Charges a $39 upfront fee | No new verified customer reviews in last 6 months
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Things to know: 9 reviews and 4.3 average rating in past 6 months | Available statewide in Illinois | Active since 2019 | No verified pricing details
Potential concerns: None found
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Things to know: Locally operated in Peoria | Active since 2018 | Limited savings
Potential concerns: Fee structure may offer limited savings
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Things to know: Available statewide in Illinois | Active since 2022 | No verified pricing details
Potential concerns: No new verified customer reviews in last 6 months
Find Illinois discount real estate brokers near you
- Answer 5 simple questions about your sale
- Get matched with 2-3 top local agents in minutes
- Compare options, choose the best fit, save up to 50% on fees
Related articles and resources
Why trust us
Data sources
Our team evaluated 15 discount real estate brokerages serving Illinois. We analyzed over 9,220,642 data points tied to customer reviews, transaction history, pricing details, and more to determine the best Illinois discount real estate brokers.
Methodology
Using public business directories, our team identified companies and agents serving Illinois calling themselves discount real estate brokers or discount realtors. We ranked each company based on the following criteria:
Pricing: Does the company's pricing model offer significant potential savings?
- We estimate the listing fee and total commission rate for each brand across four price points.
- We use this universal "savings index" to compare non-apples-to-apples pricing models (percentage-based fees, flat fees, tiered pricing, etc.).
- We also penalize companies for upfront, nonrefundable fees and other hidden costs.
Service model: Does the company provide full service and support?
- We look to verify if each discount real estate brokerage offers full, in-person representation.
- We're currently working on assessing the scope and quality of individual services discount brokers offer and will be adding this data to our rankings soon.
Customer rating: Does the company deliver good customer experiences and outcomes?
- We continually gather and analyze customer reviews from as many public review sites as possible.
- We look to assess each brand's average customer rating; total review count; % of local reviews; total years of review activity; number of reviews and ratings in the past 6 months; and more.
Sales performance: Does the company have a solid track record of successful sales?
- We continually gather company sales and transaction information from as many public data sources as possible.
- We look to assess the total number of sales closed; total years of sales activity; how many sales the company has closed in the past 6 months; % of local transactions; and more.
Glossary of terms on this page
- ValueScore: Measures a discount broker’s overall value based on its fee structure and price point, services, and customer reviews.
- Upfront fee: Nonrefundable fee you pay out of pocket at the time you hire the discount real estate brokerage.
- Listing fee: Amount company charges upon successful sale. Expect to also cover the buyer’s agent commission. (Note: A * indicates listing fee is an estimate because the company advertises a total commission rate only.)
- Minimum fee: Minimum listing fee company charges no matter the home’s value.
- Estimated total fee: Total commission rate we estimate you’ll pay at closing based on the company’s advertised fee structure and/or average buyer’s agent commission rates.
- Active since: Indicates how long the company has been active based on the date of the first customer review we have in our database.
✍️ Editor’s note: Limited or missing data doesn't disqualify a company from our list, but it does lower the company’s ranking. We base our rankings on objective measurements, and we can only measure what we can see. We regularly try to find missing data to update our rankings accordingly.
Editorial policy
Credible, primary sources power our pages. When you hire a service through a link on this page, we may earn a small commission. But this doesn't influence our advice or ranking methodology. Learn more about Clever here.