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Houzeo is a nationwide flat fee MLS service for home sellers who want to avoid paying a traditional 3% listing agent commission. Its three plans — Silver, Gold, and Platinum — give you MLS exposure and range from basic DIY listings to virtual full-service support with licensed brokers.
Pricing includes both an upfront fee starting at $249 and a percentage of the sale price (0.5–1.25%) at closing. On a $500,000 home sale, Houzeo's Silver plan would save you $12,251 compared to a 3% commission.
The online platform is intuitive and educational, guiding you step by step with tips, videos, and tools like showing schedulers and offer management. This makes it a good option if you're tech-savvy and comfortable managing the sale process yourself.
If you’re ready to list your home and want a flexible, user-friendly platform, Houzeo can help you get started quickly. Sign up for Houzeo, easily manage your listing, and save thousands on realtor fees.
Houzeo flat fee MLS plans and pricing
| Silver: $249 + 0.5% | Gold: $299 + 1% | Platinum: $349 + 1.25% |
|---|---|---|
| Everything in Silver, plus:
| Everything in Gold, plus:
|
| Best for DIY sellers | Best for most sellers | Best for first-time sellers |
🥈 Silver plan: $249 upfront + 0.5% of the home sale price at closing
The Silver plan provides a basic 6-month MLS listing syndicated to major real estate sites like Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, and Redfin, with up to 24 photos and unlimited listing updates.
Listings are created using Houzeo’s intuitive IntelliList platform, which guides you through each step and provides helpful tips — a key advantage over other flat fee MLS services. You can schedule unlimited open houses and manage showings using the included scheduler, but all hosting is DIY.
This plan is best for DIY sellers who just want more visibility from the multiple listing service (MLS) than they could get by listing for free on FSBO sites like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and Zillow.
The main downsides are cost and no call forwarding on two of the plans. Comparable services, like Beycome’s Basic plan, offer an MLS listing with an unlimited term and max photos for just $99, while Houzeo’s Silver plan could cost $2,249 on a $400,000 home sale. Houzeo's Silver and Gold plans also lack call forwarding, meaning leads go to your broker first, which could result in missed buyer inquiries.
🥇 Gold plan: $299 upfont + 1% at closing
The Gold plan builds on Silver by allowing the maximum number of MLS photos, although your listing is still only for 6 months. Its biggest advantage is licensed broker support — helping with pricing, contracts, and forms — crucial for avoiding mistakes that could lower your sale price or create legal issues.
This plan also includes Houzeo’s advanced tools, like the Offers Platform for managing offers and counteroffers, plus the mobile app for comprehensive listing and showing management.
The main drawbacks are cost and missing call forwarding. While the upfront fee is only $50 more than Silver, the closing fee doubles to 1%, meaning a $400,000 home would cost $2,050 more. If your home doesn’t sell within 6 months, you could pay thousands without results.
🏆 Platinum plan: $349 upfront + 1.25% at closing
The Platinum plan extends your MLS listing to 12 months and syndicates it across multiple MLSs, increasing visibility to buyers in more locations.
This plan is ideal for first-time sellers, offering a virtual full-service experience with licensed broker support. It includes everything in Gold, plus help with offer negotiations, inspection and repair negotiations, appraisal review, closing document review, call forwarding, a personal concierge, and a rush service for listing drafts within 12 hours.
The price approaches that of a full-service, low-commission agent. These agents have listing fees as low as 1.5% and give you hands-on, in-person support. This streamlined approach saves you a significant amount of money without having to sell FSBO. On a $400,000 home sale, a 1.5% commission would cost you $6,000, while Houzeo's Gold plan would cost $5,349.
💰 Houzeo hidden fees
All plans have a minimum commission of $999.
All plans also include a percentage of the sale price at closing. This charge can increase your listing fee by thousands of dollars.
Exact fees depend on your state.
Additionally, Houzeo collects the upfront flat fee before you sign a contract. If you decide to cancel, even if it's before signing the contract, you'll have to pay a $75 cancellation fee and won't get the full amount refunded.
Houzeo offers these optional add-ons:
- Yard sign: $49. A unique perk is that you get your money back if you send Houzeo a selfie that includes you, the yard sign, and the house.
- Rush service: $99. This is included in the Platinum plan and can be added to the Silver and Gold plans. Houzeo will assign a draft or activate your listing within 12 business hours.
- Coming soon marketing: $199. This is included in the Platinum plan and can be added to the Silver and Gold plans. Your home will be listed on the MLS before it's actually available for purchase, which can generate more buyer interest. This service isn't available in all markets.
- Listing on additional MLSs: $199. This is included in the Platinum plan and can be added to the Silver and Gold plans. Houzeo will list your home on more than one MLS. This service isn't available in all markets.
Carefully review the terms of Houzeo's plans. While the Silver, Gold, and Platinum packages advertise "unlimited free changes," this benefit has restrictions. Key listing elements such as price, description, and status are subject to a cap of 10 changes across all plans.
Who does Houzeo work best for?
Houzeo is for home sellers who want to avoid paying a 3% commission to a listing agent and are willing to manage the sale themselves. However, not everyone is equipped to successfully sell a home on their own.
Houzeo may be a good fit if:
- You have experience with and expertise in selling homes
- You're comfortable handling most of the sales process yourself
- You're tech-savvy
- You're just looking for MLS access and a few other basic services
- You don’t mind Houzeo’s higher closing fees since its platform is exceptionally easy to use
Houzeo is likely not the right fit if:
- You don't have in-depth knowledge of the home sale process
- You don't have a lot of time to dedicate to the sale
- You want hands-on, in-person support
- You want traditional services like help getting your home ready to sell and coordinating open houses
Need more support at a great price? Clever Real Estate gets you a low 1.5% listing fee with top-rated, full-service agents from trusted brokerages like Century 21 and Keller Williams. You'll receive affordable, comprehensive support from an expert dedicated to maximizing your sale price. Just answer a few quick questions, and we’ll match you with a top-rated agent near you.
Houzeo pros and cons
Pros
- Commission savings. Houzeo helps you avoid paying a traditional 3% listing agent commission, which can translate to thousands in savings at closing.
- MLS exposure. All plans include MLS access. Your property is listed on your local MLS and syndicated to major real estate websites like Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com, maximizing buyer visibility.
- User-friendly platform. The platform walks sellers through each step of the listing process with clear guidance, helpful tips, and video tutorials that make selling by owner less intimidating.
- Highly rated by thousands of customers. Houzeo has nearly 5,000 verified third-party reviews—far more than most competitors — and maintains average ratings just below 5 stars on both Trustpilot and Google.
- Flexible service levels. Houzeo offers plans that range from basic DIY listings to virtual full service, so you can choose the level of help you want and pay only for the support you need.
Cons
- Risk of selling for less. Homes sold without an agent sell for $55,000 less on average than homes sold with an agent.[1] Without hands-on, expert help with pricing, marketing, and negotiating, it's harder to maximize your sale price.
- Limited support. The Silver plan includes only a basic MLS listing with no broker assistance, and even the top-tier plan provides virtual rather than in-person support, unlike a traditional full-service agent.
- Listing handled by a third-party broker. Because Houzeo isn’t a licensed brokerage, it relies on partner agents to post and manage MLS listings, and their responsiveness can vary.
- Higher cost than some competitors. All plans cost a percentage of the sale price at closing (with a $999 minimum), while some other flat fee MLS companies offer comparable services for a simple flat rate or smaller closing fee.
- Capped listing terms. Unlike some competitors, Houzeo doesn't offer unlimited listing terms. Instead, listings last 6 or 12 months. If your home doesn’t sell within that window, you’ll still owe Houzeo’s fees — which differs from a traditional agent who only gets paid at closing.
- Call forwarding not included in lower-tier plans. The Silver and Gold plans don’t include call forwarding, meaning buyer inquiries go to your listing broker first. If the broker doesn’t forward leads quickly, you could miss out on potential buyers.
Houzeo reviews from customers
| Trustpilot | 4.8/5 (3,281 reviews) |
| 4.9/5 (1,701 reviews) | |
| Weighted average | 4.8/5 (4,982 reviews) |
Houzeo reviews are mostly positive, with a 4.8 out of 5 rating across nearly 5,000 third-party reviews. The company has also collected more than 11,000 customer reviews on its own website. This is a much higher review count and rating than many other flat fee MLS companies.
Most of these reviews commend the company for its efficient and helpful customer service, user-friendly seller platform, and streamlined listing process.
Houzeo complaints are relatively few, but there are clear themes throughout the 100+ negative reviews. They're often from people who didn't realize the company charges a percentage at closing and tried to get a refund.
Here's a closer look at some of the top themes:
Positive Houzeo reviews
✅ Helpful customer service
Customers frequently praised Houzeo’s responsive and knowledgeable support team for guiding them smoothly through the listing process.
Amazing customer service! Asher, was amazing and understood my situation. He guided me to successfully complete and manage two listing. Highly knowledgeable and helpful.
They absolutely try their best and are genuinely dedicated to helping you. They’ve been fantastic about following through and making sure things get done. It has worked out very well for me overall. Even when things got complicated, they helped me get through it.
The representatives were polite, knowledgeable, and genuinely helpful, always taking the time to walk us through every step of the process. ... Their team is responsive and supportive, calls were returned promptly, and guidance was clear and patient. Great for DIY sellers who want control with reliable backup.
✅ User-friendly platform
Users consistently highlighted Houzeo’s intuitive, easy-to-navigate platform that simplifies the MLS listing process.
An easy-to-use website and platform.
Very easy app to use and great team follow-up.
I've tried many other flat rate MLS listing services and Houzeo is by far the best, very user-friendly/intuitive providing a quick and easy experience.
✅ Savings on listing fees
Many users appreciated how Houzeo helped them save on listing fees. They mention that it's a good option for those who know the selling process and are willing to put in the effort to list FSBO.
Houzeo was just what we were looking for when selling our home. We saved a lot of money by doing most if not all of the work that it took to sell our house. It was not easy but worth it in the end. ... Just be prepared to do the work if you want to save some money (about 2.5% for us). We paid the buyers agent 3.0% and Houzeo .5%.
Made it easy to sell my home and saved a lot on commissions!
Great way to list the property if your looking to save a little in commission and you know a little about real estate and don’t require agent help.
Houzeo complaints
⚠️ Unexpected fees and problems with refunds
Houzeo advertises FSBO listings as “$249 only*,”[2] but closing fees are listed further down in small print, which has led some customers to be surprised by the additional percentage at closing. Many reviewers also reported difficulty getting refunds, with some noting that Houzeo kept $75 instead of refunding the whole amount after they changed their minds.
Was under the impression this was a flat fee service but no it is not! You have to pay at least a half percent to an agent that does absolutely nothing other than make mistakes delaying your listing.
I just wanted a flat fee MLS but they hide that plan and when I got the invoice for the Silver they wanted half a percent. I cancelled immediately but my account didn’t qualify for a refund for some reason.
Buyer beware! I signed up not realizing there was a 1% commission. I had to pay for the service before seeing the legal documents. As soon as I saw the 1% commission, I tried to cancel. They agreed that I deserved a refund, but said their policy did not allow them to refund the full amount.
⚠️ Issues with third-party brokers
Houzeo isn’t a licensed broker and relies on external agents to manage MLS listings. Some users reported delays in updates, missed lead forwarding, and inconsistent or slow responses from these third-party brokers.
The assigned realtor was 100% disengaged, did not forward emails and/or texts that came to him as prescribed with the Houzeo agreement. His demeanor throughout the process was confrontational and he made it clear that he did not want to be involved. While I understand that a home owner selling FSBO is not ideal to a realtor, you did agree to the arrangement and should not purposely engage in sabotaging owner/client communication
They also only have one broker covering the entire state of Texas, which means you’re stuck with someone who takes forever to get things done. It took 24 to 48 hours just to make changes to my MLS listing, and the same long wait applied to getting approval for open houses. When you're trying to sell a house, every day counts, and their slow response time was incredibly frustrating.
Is Houzeo legit?
Yes, Houzeo is a legit company. It was founded in 2017.
Based in New York, Houzeo has become a trusted platform for FSBO sellers, listing over 15,000 homes and featuring about 1 million properties for sale. With 20,000 showings and 9,500 offers received, Houzeo's impact is clear. It has also saved sellers over $200 million in real estate fees.[3]
Customers generally report positive experiences and have given Houzeo high ratings on review platforms like Google and Trustpilot.
Houzeo alternatives
Houzeo vs. other flat fee MLS companies
These alternatives are worth considering, especially for DIY sellers. Houzeo’s Basic plan may not justify the higher closing fee when other companies offer similar services for just a few hundred dollars. That said, some sellers may prefer Houzeo for its user-friendly platform, virtual full-service options, and advanced tools like showing scheduling, offer management, and faster MLS syndication.
Homecoin is a cheaper option, charging $0–299 upfront plus local MLS fees. It’s a solid choice if you want a basic MLS listing without additional support. For sellers seeking licensed broker guidance, Houzeo’s Platinum plan is a better fit, offering virtual full-service support, whereas Homecoin provides only limited staff assistance.
Beycome also has cost-effective plans. Its Basic and Enhanced plans cost just $99 and $399, respectively, with no closing fees. The Basic plan includes unlimited listing changes and maximum photos, while Houzeo’s Silver plan is limited to a 6-month listing and 24 photos. The Enhanced plan adds marketing tools and professional photography, making it high value. Beycome's highest-tier plan provides nearly full service, but Houzeo's Platinum plan gives you the most comprehensive support.
Fizber is a decent option for DIY sellers, with a $295 basic plan that includes a 12-month listing and unlimited photos. It has two other plans that are cheaper, but they likely aren't worth considering, since they have a very limited photo allowance. Fizber doesn't offer much support, and it has mixed reviews on customer service. Houzeo has two plans with broker support, and reviews overwhelmingly praise its customer support.
Houzeo vs. low-commission agents
Flat fee MLS services like Houzeo work best for confident, hands-on sellers. But if you’re not comfortable handling everything yourself, a low-commission agent can be a smart way to still save on commission.
Low-commission agents (which you can find through services like Clever Real Estate) charge just 1.5% to list your home and offer full service, managing all parts of the sale for you.
You’ll pay more upfront than you would with Houzeo, but you'll have a lot less work on your shoulders, and you'll likely sell for a much higher price. Agents are experts at pricing, marketing, and negotiating, which can help you get top dollar for your home.
- FSBO listings sell for 13% less on average vs. agent-assisted sales
- Clever lets you list with top local realtors for just 1.5% at closing
- Get full in-person representation, showings, pro photos, and more
Houzeo reviews: FAQ
What is Houzeo?
Houzeo is a flat fee MLS service that lets home sellers list their property on the multiple listing service (MLS) without paying a traditional 3% listing agent commission.
How does Houzeo work?
Sellers choose a plan, create a listing using Houzeo’s user-friendly platform, and handle the rest of the sale themselves — unless they opt for a plan with broker support for tasks like setting a listing price and completing paperwork.
How much is the Houzeo flat fee?
Houzeo costs $249 plus 0.5% of the sale price for the Silver plan, $299 plus 1% for Gold, and $349 plus 1.25% for Platinum, with additional MLS fees in some states.
What are the common Houzeo reviews complaints?
Negative reviews often mention unexpected closing fees and occasional delays or responsiveness issues from third-party brokers managing listings.
How many Houzeo homes for sale are there?
Houzeo's website features over 1 million homes for sale.
Who owns Houzeo?
Amit Dhameja owns Houzeo. Dhameja is the company's founder and current CEO.
