John L. Scott Real Estate is a well-known traditional real estate brokerage along the West Coast and in Idaho. It's currently ranked as the 7th largest independent brokerage in the U.S. by sales volume and transactions.
The company is tech-forward, with AI-assisted home search and a mobile app for customers. Agent reviews are mostly positive, and the brokerage provides coaching, courses, market insight, and marketing tools to help agents deliver high-quality service.
However, you’ll likely pay the standard commission rate of 2.5–3%. On a $500,000 home sale, you'd owe your agent $15,000 at a 3% rate. Other companies can connect you with realtors who offer the same services for half that cost.
If you want to save money when you sell, Clever Real Estate can help. Clever's top local agents come from established brokerages and provide the same full-service support you’d expect from traditional realtors. The difference is that with a listing fee of just 1.5%, sellers save an average of $7,000. Find top-rated agents who can sell your home for half the traditional commission rate.
John L. Scott Real Estate overview
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How it works: An agent provides traditional full service to help you buy or sell a home
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Fees: Standard 2.5–3% of the home sale price per agent
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Customer rating: 4.8/5 across 1,217 reviews
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Locations: California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington
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Benefits: Well-established company, tech-savvy
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Downsides: No discount on agent fees
Services
| Listing agent services | Full service |
| Buyer's agent services | Full service |
John L. Scott Real Estate agents are traditional realtors who provide full-service support.
If you’re selling a home, you can expect a comprehensive range of services, usually including:
- A comparative market analysis (CMA) to help price your home
- Property listing on the multiple listing service (MLS) and major real estate websites
- Professional photography
- Home staging assistance
- Home showings and open houses
- Negotiating with potential buyers
- Assistance with closing paperwork
If you’re buying a home, John L. Scott agents will typically provide the following services:
- Identifying properties that fit your needs and budget
- Scheduling and attending property showings
- Notifying you when new properties matching your criteria become available
- Assisting you with making a competitive offer
- Negotiating purchase agreements and contingencies
- Assisting with home inspections
- Coordinating with lenders, attorneys, and other real estate professionals
- Assisting with closing, including with title and paperwork
In addition to its traditional real estate services, John L. Scott provides services for renters, commercial properties, and relocation.[1] It also partners with Priority Home Lending to help buyers get pre-approved for a mortgage.[2]
Commission rate
| Listing agent fee | 2.5–3% |
| Buyer's agent fee | 2.5–3% |
At a traditional brokerage like John L. Scott Real Estate, agents typically charge the standard commission rate of 2.5–3% of the final sale price. Nationally, the average listing fee is 2.82%, and the average buyer’s agent fee is 2.75%.
Sellers previously set the commission rate for buyer’s agents, advertised it in their MLS listings, and covered the fee at closing. But following a settlement with the National Association of Realtors (NAR), buyers now negotiate the commission directly with their agent and include it in their contract. Sellers are still covering the buyer’s agent commission, only now it's offered via a concession instead of upfront.
When working with a traditional agent, you’re technically always free to negotiate the realtor commission. However, in practice, getting a significant discount is challenging. Agents from traditional brokerages often have little leeway or incentive to lower their rates.
If you want to pay less while still getting full service, consider an alternative like Clever Real Estate. With Clever, you’ll still work with a top-rated local agent, but with a pre-negotiated listing fee of 1.5% instead of 3%. You’ll get the same comprehensive support, and keep thousands more in your pocket.
John L. Scott agents
| Quality indicators |
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| # of agents | 3,000+[3] |
| Locations | 100+ offices across CA, ID, OR, and WA[3] |
Generally, John L. Scott Real Estate maintains a high standard of agent quality.
It has a decent ratio of agents to offices, so you’ll likely find someone with local expertise. Local knowledge is important because it allows agents to accurately price homes, identify desirable neighborhoods, anticipate market trends, and negotiate effectively on your behalf.
John L. Scott Real Estate also invests in the professional development and success of its agents. The company offers coaching and mentorship programs, market insights, tech and marketing tools, and support staff.[3] This benefits you by ensuring agents are well-prepared, knowledgeable about the latest market conditions, and equipped to handle the buying or selling process efficiently.
The company has thousands of customer reviews, and agents are mostly rated highly, with many reviews mentioning agents by name. Clients frequently praise their professionalism, local insight, and support.
To find a real estate agent, you can search by agent or office on John L. Scott's website.
Before you sign with one of its realtors, interview a couple of others to ensure you find the right fit. Look beyond the firm’s reputation and consider agents’ local expertise and relevant experience. Also, check customer reviews to get a better idea of what it’s like to work with each realtor.
John L. Scott Real Estate reviews from customers
John L. Scott Real Estate reviews are generally positive, with an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5 across more than 1,200 reviews.
Ratings vary by office. If you’re considering working with a John L. Scott agent, it’s best to review ratings for the specific office and agent, and to interview multiple agents to find the right fit.
Most reviews highlight the professionalism, communication, and deep market knowledge of individual agents. A few isolated complaints mention ethical or communication issues.
Here are examples illustrating common positive and negative themes:
✅ Exceptional agent support and local expertise
Many reviewers praised their John L. Scott agents for being knowledgeable, proactive, and deeply familiar with their local markets. Clients consistently said they felt supported and informed through every step of the process — whether buying, selling, or managing a long-distance move.
Sarah was amazing at helping us find our home in Eagle Point, Oregon. We were living in another state and Sarah sent us listings for over a year and kept in touch with us all along the way ... . From showing homes all over Southern Oregon ... , to negotiating our purchase, setting up inspections and bids for some minor repairs, she was with us every step of the way.
Colin was professional, detail-oriented, and truly attentive to my needs. He was always quick to respond to any questions I had and made the entire process smooth and stress-free. ... He made me feel comfortable and confident every step of the way. His knowledge and attention to detail gave me great peace of mind, and I always felt he had my best interests at heart.
Dyan, Brittany and team were absolutely stellar every step of the way and were able to sell our $1M+ within their CMA and estimated timeframe. I've never worked with a team that was so responsive (nights, weeekends, texts, calls and email). Their expereince in marketing a unique property and diligence in ensuring the transaction was completed smoothly was A+. They were always willing to go the extra mile, asssiting with an estate sale and coordinating service providers. Their integrity, folllow-through and understanding of the Southern Oregon market is unparalled.
✅ Smooth, stress-free transactions
Customers frequently mentioned that their agents made the home-buying or selling process easier and less stressful—especially for first-time buyers or out-of-state sellers. Reviewers appreciated quick communication, problem-solving skills, and an overall sense of care.
Selling a home from out of state can be incredibly stressful, but Sarah made the entire process smooth and manageable from start to finish. She was not only incredibly communicative—keeping us in the loop every step of the way—but also endlessly encouraging, which made a huge difference during what could have been a very overwhelming time.
We just bought our first home, Meghan has been absolutely amazing through the whole entire process. We are moving from California to Oregon. My husband and I are both very young, we were VERY nervous going into this because we had almost zero knowledge of how everything would work. Meghan worked through every step with us and made the whole process as easy as it could have been!
Teresa was on our side every step of the way and we couldn't make it without her. Her professionalism and caring approach helped us minimize the stress generated by the overwhelming process of selling a house. Her advices led to a best outcome: our house was on the market for only four days! Each question we had a prompt answer. Each concern was immediately addressed.
✅ Strong communication and responsiveness
Many reviewers emphasized how responsive their John L. Scott agents were — returning calls promptly, keeping clients updated, and communicating clearly with all parties involved.
Michelle Westford was an absolute joy to work with. She always responded and answered any questions immediately. She and her husband treated us more like family. Always so warm and responsive.
Team DandD are by far THE BEST that I’ve ever worked with. ... They are professional, kind, courteous, and above all have this profession dialed! They give you straightforward honest feedback and guidance while balancing getting you what you want. ... They communicate effectively and keep you informed. I honestly can’t think of anything for them to improve upon.
⚠️ A few ethical or communication concerns
A relatively small number of customers reported negative experiences, primarily involving poor communication or concerns about agent professionalism.
Realtors should be obligated to visit the property. Client interests should be ahead of the agent's. Bert needs supervision from a broker. Ethics too. Anger management would be advised. Scary when mad. Get him a moral compass too. He forgot my interests.
Michelle Welch will not return calls or texts. With all the options for realtors for realtors in the valley, you'd think that someone would put just a little effort into communication.
We worked with Silvia Garcia ... . She seemed like she had our interest as a priority. We later discovered that she just wanted to close quickly and manipulated the buyers into not upholding their side of the deal. She was lying to both parties, and sharing personal information to the other parties.
Credibility: Is John L. Scott Real Estate legit?
| Founding | 1931 by John L. Scott |
| Track record |
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| News |
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John L. Scott Real Estate is a legitimate brokerage headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, and is licensed in all four states in which it operates. Founded in 1931 by John L. Scott, the company now has a third-generation leader, J. Lennox Scott, who serves as the CEO and Chairman.[9]
According to RealTrends, John L. Scott Real Estate ranks as the 7th-largest independent private brokerage in the U.S., with $8.41 billion in sales and 12,360 transaction sides in 2024. The company has built a strong brand presence in the western U.S. and regularly appears in industry news.
It also runs the John L. Scott Foundation, which has raised over $20 million toward children's healthcare.[10]
Bottom line: Is John L. Scott Real Estate right for you?
John L. Scott Real Estate could be right for you if you’re looking for a traditional, full-service agent. Most customer reviews suggest you’ll receive quality services and work with a supportive, knowledgeable realtor.
While the brokerage has a good reputation, it has thousands of agents, and their quality can vary. It's wise to compare several realtors before signing a contract to ensure you find the one that best meets your needs.
If you want to get full service and save on realtor fees, consider interviewing agents from a low-commission brokerage, too.
Companies like Clever Real Estate work with top agents from name-brand brokerages like Keller Williams and RE/MAX. These agents deliver traditional services for less — a 1.5% listing fee instead of the standard 3%. Sellers save an average of $7,000 without compromising on 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
