Douglas Elliman Real Estate is a luxury brokerage. It was founded more than 110 years ago and has over 6,600 agents working in 115 offices across the nation.
The company specializes in luxury markets and properties, promising bespoke service and personalized attention from its realtors. Douglas Elliman agents are generally well regarded, although reviews indicate that performance can vary by office.
One downside is that you’ll likely pay the standard realtor commission rate of 2.5–3%. Other companies can connect you with luxury realtors who offer a lower commission rate, like 1.5%. On a $2 million home sale, you’d save $30,000 in listing fees with a 1.5% rate versus 3%.
Need a luxury agent? Clever Real Estate can match you with top local agents specializing in luxury sales at half the price of other brokerages. Find top-rated agents who can sell your luxury home for just a 1.5% listing fee.
Douglas Elliman overview
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What it is: Traditional real estate brokerage specializing in luxury properties
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Fees: Standard 2.5–3% of the home sale price per agent
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Customer rating: 4.3/5 across 2,220 reviews
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Locations: CA, CO, CT, FL, MA, MD, NJ, NV, NY, TX, VA, and Washington, D.C.
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Benefits: Well-established brokerage, professional agents
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Downsides: No discount on agent fees
Services
| Listing agent services | Full service |
| Buyer's agent services | Full service |
Top Douglas Elliman agents deliver full service to both sellers and buyers.
For a seller, a listing agent will:
- Perform a comparative market analysis (CMA) to price your home
- Stage and photograph your home to prepare your listing
- List your home on the multiple listing service (MLS)
- Market the property to potential buyers and their agents
- Schedule and host open houses and walk-throughs
- Advise you on what repairs to make
- Gather offers and review them with you
- Negotiate the sale price and terms
A buyer’s agent will:
- Help you find homes that meet your needs and budget
- Gather and complete the required paperwork
- Draft and submit offers on your behalf
- Negotiate the purchase price and terms
- Coordinate the closing process
Douglas Elliman Real Estate also provides free resources, such as home value estimators and CMA generators for sellers. Buyers can take advantage of neighborhood guides, which break down hot markets. You’ll learn which neighborhoods have the most sales and get info about popular restaurants, annual festivals, and things to do.
Additionally, the company offers relocation services to help you prepare for your move.[1]
Commission rate
| Listing agent fee | 2.5–3% |
| Buyer's agent fee | 2.5–3% |
Agents from traditional brokerages like Douglas Elliman Real Estate typically charge standard commission rates — 2.5–3% of the final sale price. Nationwide, the average listing fee is 2.82%, and the average buyer’s agent fee is 2.75%.
Previously, sellers would set the commission rate for buyer’s agents and advertise it in their MLS listings. But this changed following a settlement with the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Now, if you’re a buyer, you’ll negotiate the buyer's agent fee directly with your realtor. However, sellers often still cover the buyer’s agent commission, now through a concession at closing instead of offering it upfront.
You can always try to negotiate the commission rate directly with your agent. But it can be hard to get much leeway with agents from traditional brokerages.
Want a guaranteed lower commission rate? A company like Clever Real Estate may be a better fit. Clever has pre-negotiated 1.5% listing fees with top agents from brokerages like Keller Williams and RE/MAX, so you get full service for thousands less. Get matched with the top low-commission agents near you.
Agents
| Quality indicators |
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| # of agents | 6,600+ |
| Locations | 115 offices across 11 states and Washington, D.C. |
Customer reviews frequently praise Douglas Elliman agents for their professionalism and expertise. The brokerage invests in the quality of its agents through a training program for continuing professional development.
Douglas Elliman Real Estate also has a substantial agent force, with more than 6,600 realtors working across 115 offices. That coverage should make it easier for you to find an agent with the local experience you need.
You can connect with Douglas Elliman top agents by entering their name, office address, or your state on the company’s website. You can also complete an online form to have an agent contact you directly.
As with every brokerage, agent quality varies. It's important to base your decision on individual agent qualifications, rather than the brand they represent.
To find the right real estate agent, interview at least 2–3. Look for local market knowledge, experience with transactions similar to yours, clear communication, and positive customer reviews.
Douglas Elliman reviews from customers
| Yelp | 3.6/5 (463 reviews) |
| RateMyAgent | 5/5 (600 reviews) |
| 4.2/5 (1,157 reviews) | |
| Weighted average | 4.3/5 (2,220 reviews |
Reviews for Douglas Elliman Real Estate are primarily positive. The company has an average rating of 4.3/5 across 2,220 online reviews. However, customer sentiment varies widely by office, so it’s important to check reviews for your local branch.
Positive Douglas Elliman reviews highlight agents’ professionalism and knowledge. They say agents communicate well and have excellent attention to detail, making the buying and selling process smooth and efficient.
Negative reviews indicate that some agents are unprofessional and even rude. Others have found the communication and customer service at their local offices to be lacking.
Here are some of the most common themes among Douglas Elliman reviews.
✅ Knowledgeable and professional agents
Satisfied Douglas Elliman customers were impressed by the professionalism of their agents, adding that they knew their local markets well.
Michelle Fernandez went above and beyond to help me with my home. She was knowledgeable, responsive, and genuinely cared about making things easier for me. Highly recommend her!
Bruce spent time with me to understand my requirements and the general sense of what I was looking for. He really listened and immediately thought of several options, one of which was not even on the market. Flash forward, I’m now the delighted owner of an apartment that I otherwise might never have known about. He’s well-connected, responsive, and respectful. He invested a lot of time to help guide me through the entire process, start to finish.
✅ Excellent communication and attention to detail
Reviewers stated that their Douglas Elliman agents communicated regularly and kept them informed throughout the entire process.
Obsessed with Morgan, Jenna, Lauren, and Becca! Fantastic team. Morgan goes above and beyond for her clients! Seriously answers every question and makes finding a home fit for you (easy). If I had to go through this process again, I would choose Morgan (and this team) in a second!!
Kylah Artz was a fantastic real estate agent to work with. She’s professional, detail-oriented, and always thorough in her process. Her diligence ensures we have a smooth path from start to finish. If you need help buying or selling, call and ask for Kylah. She’s awesome.
As a first-time homebuyer, I had a lot of questions — and Karly had all the answers. She explained everything clearly, made sure I felt confident at every step, and was always available when I needed her. I could tell she genuinely cared about helping me find the right home, not just any home.
✅ Smooth buying and selling processes
Customers also noted that the buying and selling processes were stress-free, thanks to their agents’ experience and guidance.
We recently purchased our third property with Meisha in Doral, and it was truly a very smooth process. She was there from beginning to end and was exceptional throughout the entire transaction. From negotiating to making sure every deadline was met. We have had the pleasure to work with her for all our properties and couldn’t be happier with each result. 100% recommend her for all transactions regarding sales, purchases, or leases in Miami.
I have had the pleasure of working with Rita Miszuk and Noelle Paige at the East Setauket location. They made the sale of my family’s house quite a bit less stressful and less painful. They followed up, were knowledgeable, and very friendly. Rita was very professional and did a great job in communicating everything going on all the way. Any time we had questions or we needed her, she was available.
⚠️ Poor communication and unprofessional behavior at some branches
Some branches have more negative reviews than others. Most unsatisfied customers complained about poor communication and unprofessional behavior from some agents.
Wow. I’m still struggling to believe how rude Allan Gerovitz was during my initial consult with him this morning on the phone. From the start of our conversation, he consistently interrupted me, was absolutely disinterested in who I was (I told him what my job is — I’m an English teacher — and he said, ‘I didn’t ask you what your job was’), and seemed most interested in where I had read positive reviews about him. I would strongly advise against reaching out to this man, who exhibited zero kindness or respect toward me today.
Incompetent staff working at the front desk on the West Side office. I asked very basic questions that they did not know the answers to, and did not care about people actually looking to move...even though that is their literal job to assist someone.
I would caution against selecting Lyndsi Armenio for your rental or purchasing needs. Regrettably, her services are characterized by a lack of organization, attention to detail, and follow-through, which may lead to a less-than-satisfactory real estate experience.
Credibility: Is Douglas Elliman Real Estate legit?
| Founding | 1911 by Douglas L. Elliman |
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| Lawsuits |
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| News |
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Douglas Elliman is a legitimate real estate brokerage focusing on luxury listings. It was founded in 1911 by Douglas L. Elliman and has grown to be the sixth-largest brokerage by sales volume.[4] The company is licensed in CA, CO, CT, FL, MA, MD, NJ, NV, NY, TX, VA, and Washington, D.C.
There is no single Douglas Elliman owner. The firm is a publicly traded company, with the largest stockholder being former CEO Howard M. Lorber. The current Douglas Elliman CEO is Michael S. Liebowitz.
The firm closed 21,779 transactions in 2024, totaling $36.39 billion in sales.[5] That’s a 5.8% increase in sales over 2023.
Douglas Elliman news coverage is substantial. The company was mentioned in 53 articles in September 2025 alone. It has also made headlines for legal issues. For example, in 2024, the firm agreed to pay up to $17.75 million in a settlement agreement for a class action lawsuit filed by sellers regarding real estate brokerage fees.[2]
Bottom line: Is Douglas Elliman right for you?
You can likely find a good full-service agent from Douglas Elliman — especially if you’re interested in buying or selling a luxury property. There’s no harm in interviewing agents from the brokerage to see if they’re a good fit. Just remember that you’ll probably pay the standard agent commission.
We recommend interviewing agents from a low-commission company, too.
Companies like Clever Real Estate can connect you with top agents who provide the same services as a traditional agent but at a lower price. You’d pay a lower listing fee of 1.5% instead of the traditional 3%. On a luxury property, you could save tens of thousands without giving up quality or expertise.
- 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
FAQ
Who owns Douglas Elliman?
Douglas Elliman is a publicly traded company, owned by institutional shareholders, firm insiders, and retail investors. Howard M. Lorber, the former CEO, is the largest shareholder.
Who is the CEO of Douglas Elliman Real Estate?
The current president and CEO of Douglas Elliman is Michael S. Liebowitz.
Who is Douglas Elliman?
Douglas L. Elliman founded Douglas Elliman Real Estate in New York City in 1911. He was an early advocate for luxury apartment ownership, guiding the move of the city’s wealthiest residents from private mansions into luxury apartment buildings. Elliman sold control of his firm in 1964 but stayed on as chairman until his death in 1972.
How many agents does Douglas Elliman have?
On its website, Douglas Elliman states that it has 6,600+ agents. In 2024, the company reported having 6,242 active licensed agents across 115 locations.
