United Real Estate is a Texas-based franchise under the United Real Estate Group. It operates in 34 states with more than 22,000 agents and 170 offices.
The company offers comprehensive services for both buyers and sellers. Sellers get MLS listings, broad online exposure, and a customized marketing plan for their property, while buyers receive support finding homes within their budget and negotiating the best price.
You'll likely pay your United Real Estate agent the standard commission rate of 2.5–3%. However, some other brokerages offer a lower commission rate of 1.5% while providing the same service. On a $500,000 home, this could save you $7,500.
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.
What is United Real Estate?
United Real Estate is a national real estate franchise that uses a 100%-commission agent compensation model. Its parent, United Real Estate Group, was founded in 2011 by Dan Duffy (who appeared on Season 7 of CBS's Undercover Boss) and is headquartered in Dallas, TX.
Instead of taking a percentage split from each agent's commission, United charges agents a flat transaction fee per closing — agents keep the rest. That model lets United scale fast, and the company now ranks as one of the largest residential brokerages in the U.S. by transaction volume.
Each United office is independently owned and operated, which means agent quality, training quality, and customer experience vary by location. The brand sets the platform; the franchisee runs the office.
United Real Estate overview
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🧭 How it works: Agents provide traditional full service to home buyers and sellers
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💵 Commission rate: Standard 2.5–3% of the home sale price per agent
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⭐ Customer rating: Varies by office (most are highly rated)
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📍 Locations: 34 states
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✅ Benefits: Local expertise, highly rated agents
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⚠️ Downsides: No discounted commission fees
Services
| Listing agent services | Full service |
| Buyer's agent services | Full service |
United Real Estate agents offer full service throughout your home sale or purchase.
If you're a seller, you'll get:
- A comparative market analysis (CMA) to help price your home
- A listing on the multiple listing service (MLS) and company websites
- A marketing plan tailored to your home and needs
- Virtual tours with a customized URL
- Social media promotion
- Open houses
- A yard sign
As a buyer, your agent will:
- Find a home that matches your criteria
- Schedule viewings
- Prepare and send offers
- Negotiate with sellers
- Guide you through closing
How United's 100%-commission model affects you as a consumer
The way an agent gets paid shapes how they work — and United's 100%-commission model has real, visible effects on the consumer side. Some are good, some are honestly mixed.
- More experienced agents stay longer. Because agents keep more of each commission, top producers tend to stick with United rather than rotate every few years. If you land a seasoned local United agent, you're often getting someone who's deeply tied into one market.
- Newer agents may get less training. Compared to a Coldwell Banker or Century 21 office that invests heavily in onboarding, United's model leans on the franchisee to provide training. Quality varies office-by-office. New agents may sink or swim faster than at a traditional shop.
- Marketing is agent-funded. Because the brand doesn't take a cut of each commission, individual agents pay for their own marketing — postcards, photography, paid social. Top agents invest aggressively; quieter agents may not. Ask what your specific agent budgets for marketing your listing.
- Brokerage oversight is lighter. Splits-based brokerages have a financial incentive to supervise their agents' transactions. Flat-fee shops have less. United franchises typically have a managing broker who'll review your contract, but it's worth confirming who's reviewing your paperwork and how.
None of these are red flags, but they could be reasons to ask more questions at your agent interview.
Commission rate
| Listing agent fee | 2.5–3% |
| Buyer's agent fee | 2.5–3% |
Agents at traditional brokerages like United Real Estate typically charge a commission rate of 2.5–3%. Nationwide, the average listing fee is 2.88%, and the average buyer's agent fee is 2.82%.
Home sellers used to set the buyer's agent fee and offer it upfront in MLS listings, but that’s no longer the case. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) lost a major antitrust lawsuit, so buyers now negotiate commission fees directly with their agents. Many sellers still cover the buyer’s agent fee through a seller concession at closing.
Listing agent commissions are also negotiable. However, if the market isn’t in your favor, you may be hard-pressed to find an agent at a traditional brokerage willing to work for less than the standard fee.
The reliable way to get a guaranteed discount is to use a matching service that pre-negotiates with full-service local agents.
| Scenario | Listing rate | Listing fee | Buyer-agent fee (3%) | Total commission |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Real Estate | 3% | $15,000 | $15,000 | $30,000 |
| United Real Estate | 2.5% | $12,500 | $12,500 | $25,000 |
| Clever | 1.5% | $7,500 | $15,000 | $22,500 |
Clever Real Estate has pre-negotiated a 1.5% listing fee with top agents and will match you with the best ones in your area. Agents provide the same service as those at brokerages like the United Real Estate company, but for thousands less. Quickly find experienced, low-commission agents near you.
Agent quality
| Quality indicators |
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| # of agents | 22,000+[2] |
| Locations | 170 offices across 34 states |
The company has excellent coverage, with 22,000 agents and 170 offices throughout major cities in 34 states. You'll likely find an agent with the local expertise you need.
United Real Estate solutions for agents include proprietary training and marketing tools to help them excel. Customer reviews indicate that agents are professional, knowledgeable, and supportive. You can find an agent with this brokerage through its office locator.
We recommend interviewing 2–3 realtors to find the right fit. Ask how long they’ve been working in your market, how many transactions they finish in a year, and if they have references from past clients. Make sure you choose an agent based on their individual qualifications rather than the brokerage they work with.
United Real Estate reviews from customers
| Varies by office (many are highly rated) |
Each United Real Estate location has its own Google ratings and reviews. Most of the offices are highly rated. The company also has various Better Business Bureau (BBB) profiles. If you're considering this brokerage, we recommend researching reviews for your local office and agents.
Positive United Real Estate reviews highlight agents' local knowledge, attentiveness, professionalism, and ability to find homes quickly. Negative reviews mention unprofessional or unresponsive agents.
Here are some examples of common themes.
✅ Local expertise
Many reviewers highlight how their agent’s local expertise helped them find their perfect home.
Pat worked with my family to buy our first home last year. We have 4 kids, crazy schedules, and a tight budget. But she was there to answer our calls whenever we needed her (which was a lot). With her help, we were able to find a home that was better than anything we'd seen on our own. I really don't know how this would have gone without her guidance and support. Thanks so much, Pat, for helping our family find our forever home!
Jayme was patient and kind and took all of our needs and wants for a new home into consideration. We ended up purchasing a home we would have totally overlooked if not for his insight, knowledge and expertise. We highly recommend him for your agent!
✅ Top negotiation skills
Other United Real Estate reviews praise agents' negotiation skills.
Cathy did an outstanding job helping us purchase our home. 10 out of 10 service! Her knowledge in the market is incredible, and her negotiation skills are impeccable. I highly recommend Cathy Schoeppler.
⚠️ Unprofessional conduct
Since each United Real Estate company brokerage is independently owned and operated, agent quality can vary from office to office. Some reviewers feel their agent acted poorly.
Listing agent ‘listed’ my home. Upon finding her asleep in my master bedroom during the listing photo shoot and learning she didn't even know how to list a home on the MLS, I removed our listing. I was then taken to small claims court for $2,500 by the agent (who the listing contract isn't even with; it is with United Real Estate Indy). I tried to work with Chris Scherrer, the broker…but when I offered to pay the cost of the listing photos and MLS listing fees, he stopped returning my calls.
Have been completely ignored after the realtor told me they would call me. I've tried calling back and texting to no avail. Waste of time after what seemed like an interested interaction.
How United Real Estate's local franchises vary
United Real Estate operates as a franchise system, which means the experience at one office can look very different from another. The brand sets the platform — Bullseye, branding standards, transaction support tools — but each franchise sets its own training, marketing budget, and culture.
Here's how United's larger sub-markets stack up, based on Google reviews and franchise size as of 2026.
| Sub-market | Footprint | Notable pattern |
|---|---|---|
| United Real Estate Triangle | Raleigh-Durham, NC | Strong agent tenure; reviews skew toward local expertise and negotiation |
| United Real Estate Specialists | Multiple metros | Smaller-team focus; positive reviews on responsiveness |
| United Real Estate Preferred | Kansas City area | Mid-size franchise; reviews mostly positive with consistent buyer-side service |
| United Real Estate Gallery | Mid-Atlantic | Boutique-style branding; reviews highlight personalized service |
| United Real Estate Indianapolis | Indianapolis metro | Mixed reviews — strong agents but some office-level service complaints |
Don't assume the brand name guarantees a consistent experience. Pull Google reviews for the specific United office you're considering, and ask the franchise broker how long their top agents have been with that office.
Credibility: Is United Real Estate legit?
| Founding | 2011 by Dan Duffy[3][4] |
| Track record |
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| News |
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United Real Estate is a legitimate company. Its parent company, United Real Estate Group, was founded in 2011 by Dan Duffy, who later appeared on Season 7 of CBS’s Undercover Boss.[9]
The brokerage now operates across the country. Its parent company’s expansion makes it one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing real estate franchises.
In recent years, United merged with several other firms to make it easier for homeowners across the country to access its services. In 2024, it was also part of a class action lawsuit against several brokerages for artificially inflating commission fees.
Bottom line: Is United Real Estate right for you?
United Real Estate is a solid option if you're looking for a traditional, full-service realtor. It has good brand recognition and tens of thousands of agents, so you'll likely find an agent who has the right experience for your transaction.
If you're a seller, United offers traditional full-service representation at standard 2.5–3% commission. There's no built-in seller discount baked into its franchise model. The savings flow to agents, not to you. If your goal is to keep more equity, a 1.5% Clever match saves you about $7,500 on a $500K home without giving up service quality.
If you're a buyer, the experience is essentially the same as at any other full-service brokerage post-NAR settlement. Read your buyer-broker agreement carefully and ask which United franchise you're working with, because office quality varies.
If you're an agent, United's 100%-commission model is genuinely attractive once you're closing more than four to five deals a year. The honest trade-offs are lighter training, agent-funded marketing, and uneven brand recognition vs. RE/MAX or Coldwell Banker. Vet the specific franchise before you join.
When comparing realtors, consider low-commission agents that deliver comprehensive services for less.
For example, Clever Real Estate can connect you with top local realtors who provide the same services you’d expect from traditional agents. The only difference is that you'll get a low 1.5% listing fee — half the standard 3%. As a result, sellers save $7,000 on average without sacrificing quality.
- 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
Frequently asked questions
It depends on which side you're on. For agents, yes — if you're closing more than four to five deals a year, the 100%-commission math beats a traditional split. For sellers, United offers no built-in discount; you'll pay the standard 2.5–3% listing fee. If you want a lower commission with the same full service, a Clever 1.5% match saves you about $7,500 on a $500K home.
Instead of taking a percentage of each agent's commission, United charges agents a flat transaction fee per closing (typically $300–600), plus monthly platform and admin fees. The franchise corporate parent collects franchise fees from each independently owned office. The flat-fee structure lets United scale without lowering consumer-side commissions.
100%-commission brokerages let agents keep their full commission on every closing in exchange for a flat transaction fee plus monthly platform/admin fees, instead of the traditional 60–80% split. United, Realty ONE Group, and Realty Executives are the largest examples. The model favors mid-to-high producers and changes how brokerages train and support agents.
Dan Duffy founded United Real Estate Group in 2011 and serves as CEO. The company is privately held and headquartered in Dallas, TX. Each United Real Estate office is independently owned and operated by a local franchisee — not by Duffy or the parent corporation.
Yes. United Real Estate operates through 170+ independently owned franchise offices in 34 states. The corporate parent (United Real Estate Group) licenses the brand, provides the Bullseye marketing platform, and sets standards, but franchisees set training, marketing budgets, and culture at the office level.
United Real Estate's affiliated brands include United Country Real Estate (rural and land specialists), Leading Edge United, and 10+ other regional brands under the United Real Estate Group umbrella. United Real Estate also partners with mortgage and title providers in many markets through corporate referral agreements.
No. United Real Estate is the Dallas-based 100%-commission franchise with 22,000+ agents. United Realty is a separate, smaller brokerage based in New York with no corporate or operational tie to United Real Estate Group.
Methodology
We evaluated United Real Estate using customer and employee reviews from Google, BBB, Indeed, and Glassdoor (pulled between January and May 2026), the company's corporate website and franchise materials, and the February 2026 Clever agent commission survey for nationwide commission benchmarks.
Commission data was gathered from our February 2026 survey that included responses from 533 partner real estate agents across the United States. The survey asked agents to report typical commission rates for buyer and seller agents in their respective markets.
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