Ideal Agent Reviews (2024): Pros, Cons, and Ratings

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By Ashley Simon Updated February 9, 2024

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Ideal Agent is an online platform that matches home sellers with dedicated, full-service real estate agents who charge reduced commissions. You fill out a form with some information about your home sale or purchase, and Ideal Agent provides you with a custom proposal from a qualified local agent.

Ideal Agent is known for good customer service, with the majority of reviewers praising their agents for responsiveness and effectiveness at selling homes quickly.

When we compared Ideal Agent to similar services, we found it scored well for service quality and customer satisfaction. However, competitors like Clever Real Estate offer better savings by negotiating lower listing fees with their agent network.

We recommend comparing Ideal Agent to a few alternatives to decide if the 2% listing fee and $3,000 minimum provide enough savings for your needs. Read on to determine if Ideal Agent is the right fit for you.

Our Ideal Agent rating

⭐️ Ideal Agent: Overall score3.8
Service quality5.0
Savings1.5
Customer experience4.5
Agent quality4.0
Ratings based on 1–5 scale, with 5 being the best. Learn more about our methodology.
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Ideal Agent is known for matching sellers with dedicated, attentive agents who provide full service support. Customer reviews tend to be positive, with reviewers praising their agent's communication and effectiveness at selling their home.

Is Ideal Agent right for you?

Ideal Agent is a good option if you want an agent who will be responsive and guide you through the full process. The 2% listing fee also provides minor savings compared to the industry average.

On the downside, Ideal Agent charges more than other discount brokers and has occasional negative reviews around high-pressure sales tactics.

Where Ideal Agent really comes up short is savings for sellers. We found that competitors like Clever Real Estate offer the same full service and support but charge lower 1.5% listing fees on average. So you could potentially save thousands more with Clever compared to Ideal Agent.

⚡ Looking for top agents near you? Answer these five simple questions to get matched with agents in your area who work for just a 1.5% listing fee. Compare agents from the top discount companies and major brands like Keller Williams and RE/MAX.

Ideal Agent vs. alternatives

When you're looking for a real estate agent, it's useful to compare multiple brokerages to find the best fit. Here are our top alternatives to Ideal Agent.

Company Clever Rating Availability
Best overall
4.8
Our rating
Nationwide
Find Agents
On listwithclever.com
3.1
Our rating
Nationwide
Learn More
4.5
Our rating
26 states (select markets)
Learn More
3.8
AL, AR, CA, CO, FL, GA, IA, KY, LA, MS, MO, NC, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, WA
Find Agents
Best overall

Clever Real Estate

Find Agents
On listwithclever.com
4.8
Our rating

Listing Fee

1.5%

Customer Rating

5/5 (3,180 reviews)

Availability

Nationwide

Editor's Take

Overview

Locations

Clever Real Estate is the best option for most sellers looking for an agent. The company matches you with multiple full-service agents from local brokerages, including top brands like Keller Williams and RE/MAX. It offers a low 1.5% listing fee no matter which agent you choose.

Pros

  • Get matched with top-producing local agents in minutes.
  • Guaranteed 1.5% listing fee (half the usual rate).
  • Free agent matching service with no obligation to commit to any realtor.
  • Large agent network offers great selection compared to similar services.

Cons

  • No guarantee you’ll get matched with a specific agent or brokerage.
  • Add-ons like professional home staging and drone photography may cost extra.

Clever Real Estate offers a lower commission without sacrificing quality. Through its free service, you can find top-rated agents in your area and sell for just a 1.5% listing fee (much lower than the average realtor commission rate).

How it works: You take a short online quiz (five questions) to help Clever understand your situation and preferences. Then Clever matches you with vetted agents in your market who are a good fit. If you don’t like the agents Clever recommends, you can request more matches until you find the right fit — or simply walk away.

Why it’s great: You can use Clever to compare top-producing local realtors from major brands like Compass, Century 21, and Coldwell Banker. Each realtor in Clever’s network has agreed to offer lower commission rates, which lets you focus on choosing the best agent instead of worrying about the price. You get the same savings no matter what.

Clever is available nationwide.

Good for comparing options

UpNest

Learn More
On listwithclever.com
3.1
Our rating

Listing Fee

Varies

Customer Rating

4.6/5 (6,934 reviews)

Availability

Nationwide

Editor's take

Overview

Locations

UpNest lets you choose from multiple vetted agents, so there’s a good chance you’ll find a realtor that fits your needs. But it falls short on savings and customer service.

Pros

  • Agents are vetted and are usually top performers.
  • You get to choose from multiple agents.
  • The online dashboard is easy to use.

Cons

  • Realtor fees are only slightly lower than traditional rates.
  • Customer service is difficult to reach.
  • The quality of customer service is spotty.

What it is: UpNest is an online platform that matches home sellers and buyers with local real estate agents from different brokerages.

How it works: When you sign up for UpNest, you’ll get proposals from multiple vetted agents, usually within a day. Each proposal includes the agent's fees and services. Agents are required to offer full service but set their own listing fee. You can request more agent matches or walk away anytime.

Customer reviews: 4.6/5 (6,934 total reviews)

UpNest is available nationwide.

Great savings, but some risks

Redfin

Learn More
On listwithclever.com
4.5
Our rating

Listing Fee

1.5%

Customer Rating

4.8/5 (156,106 reviews)

Availability

26 states (select markets)

Overview

Locations

Redfin is a discount real estate brokerage that offers a listing fee of 1.5% — about half of what realtors traditionally charge. If you buy and sell with Redfin, you can get a 0.5% rebate, bringing your listing fee down to 1%.

The company can offer these savings because of its team-based service model. Various members of the Redfin team handle different stages of the transaction, which allows agents to take on a high volume of clients. With this model, Redfin agents tend to provide less one-on-one service than traditional realtors.

Redfin is one of the largest brokers in the country, operating in 100 major cities across the US and Canada. But it has almost no coverage outside of large cities.

Read the full Redfin review.

Redfin is available in Washington D.C. and most major cities in the following states: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia.

Best for listing fee savings

1 Percent Lists

Find Agents
On listwithclever.com
3.8

Listing Fee

1% (min. fee varies)

Customer Rating

5/5 (385 reviews)

Availability

AL, AR, CA, CO, FL, GA, IA, KY, LA, MS, MO, NC, PA, SC, TN, TX, UT, WA

Editor's take

Locations

1 Percent Lists offers a solid combination of savings and full service. But it doesn't have strong agent vetting requirements. If you're located in one of its service areas, read customer reviews and check Zillow transaction data to ensure you don't end up with an inexperienced real estate agent.

Pros

  • The 1% listing fee is among the lowest in the industry.
  • You get full-service support, including professional photography, an MLS listing, and contract negotiation.
  • You can list on multiple MLSs for more exposure.

Cons

  • Agents aren't held to specific performance or review standards.
  • The company doesn't offer any discounts or benefits for buyers.
  • Company is young, so the location near you may not have a long review history.

1 Percent Lists has franchises in select markets in the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Washington.

Located somewhere else? See our nationwide discount real estate broker picks.

Full breakdown

Service quality

📊 Our rating: 5/5

  • Licensed real estate agent meets with you in-person
  • Guides you through entire process from CMA to closing

Ideal Agent meets with clients in person and assigns each seller a dedicated agent supported by a team. We confirmed via phone call that agents offer full service, including a comparative market analysis (CMA), pricing guidance, staging advice, professional photography, an MLS listing, for-sale sign, and lock box.

Agents will also attend your closing in person and help you navigate paperwork, negotiations, and inspections. If you want additional services like video footage, open house hosting, or coordinating cleaning or repairs, reach out to your agent directly since each agent handles their own marketing materials.

How does Ideal Agent work?

  1. You can request an agent by filling out an online form on IdealAgent.com. The form asks for details like the type of property you're selling, its estimated value, and your preferred selling timeline.
  2. You’ll receive a phone call from an Ideal Agent concierge. The concierge will discuss the benefits of working with the company and gather more information about your needs. They'll use this information to match you with a qualified agent from Ideal Agent's network.
  3. The concierge then connects you to your agent via email. Your agent will follow up with a personalized introduction and schedule a time to talk.
  4. If you decide to work with the agent, you'll sign a formal listing agreement and start the selling process. During this process, an Ideal Agent representative will check in via phone to see how things are going.
  5. If you’re unhappy with your match, you can request a new agent. But because of Ideal Agent's small network, your options may be limited. If you choose not to sign a listing agreement with your agent, you're free to walk away.

Savings

📊 Our rating: 1.5/5

  • 2% listing fee is not much lower than what you'd pay with a traditional agent
  • Reasonable minimum fee

Ideal Agent charges sellers a 2% listing fee, which is slightly lower than the industry average of 2.83%. However, it's higher than most discount brokers that charge 1–1.5%.

There is also a $3,000 minimum fee. This won't impact most sellers, but it does mean that if you sell a home for less than $150,000, you would pay $3,000 instead of 2% of the sale price.

As a seller with Ideal Agent, you'll still need to offer a buyer's agent commission. The exact amount varies by location, but the national average is 2.66% of the sale price.

Offering a competitive buyer's agent commission incentivizes other agents to show and sell your home to their clients. If you don't offer a commission, many buyers' agents may avoid bringing clients to see your property. This could limit the number of showings and offers you receive.

Ideal Agent doesn't offer any savings to buyers, such as cash back or a home buyer rebate.

» Learn more about average real estate commission rates by state

👋 Get a better agent AND bigger savings

Why pay more in commission fees for less service? Clever offers you bigger savings without sacrificing the service you expect from a traditional realtor.

With Clever:

 ✅ You'll only pay 1.5% to list your home

 ✅ You'll work with a full-service realtor from a top broker

 ✅ It's free, with zero obligation — you can walk away at any time

Saving on realtor fees doesn't have to mean sacrificing service. Find a top local agent today!

Customer experience

📊 Our rating: 4.5/5

  • Mostly positive reviews
  • Quick responses to negative reviews

Ideal Agent has solid customer reviews overall: 4.6 out of 6,811 total reviews between Trustpilot, Google, and the Better Business Bureau. The most common positive reviews mention a good experience with their agents.

Positive themes: Many customers praise their agents for being responsive, attentive communicators. Most say their homes sold quickly and they would work with Ideal Agent again.

Negative themes: There are a couple negative reviews from customers feeling pressured into bad deals or losing money on their sales. However, Ideal Agent appears to be quite responsive to negative feedback, leaving comments that state their team will follow up with reviewers to resolve issues directly.

Agent quality

📊 Our rating: 4/5
  • High standards for agents
  • Brokerage appears to remove agents who receive ongoing customer complaints

Ideal Agent states that they work with top agents from brands like Keller Williams, RE/MAX, Coldwell Banker, EXP Realty, etc. In the past, the company has claimed to have high standards (especially in terms of sales) for the agents it works with, and says that they reject about 90% of agents who apply.

In addition, the brokerage seems to actively uphold agent performance standards. In response to a recent negative customer review, Ideal Agent wrote that they removed a particular agent due to several instances of negative feedback.[1]

If you use Ideal Agent, we advise looking up your potential agent online to confirm they have positive reviews, local transaction experience in the last 6-12 months, and a strong understanding of your market.

Ideal Agent history and news

Ideal Agent was founded in 2016.[2] In 2022, it cut about 20% of its staff, shifting it from a customer service organization to a sales-centric model.[3] In 2023, Ideal Agent was ranked #91 in Inc. Magazine's list of the 5,000 fastest-growing privately held US companies.[4]

Ideal Agent locations

Ideal Agent is headquartered in Tampa, Florida, but its agent-matching service is available to buyers and sellers nationwide.

Next steps: Should I use Ideal Agent?

Whether Ideal Agent is right for you depends on if you mesh well with the agent you get matched with. Since the service is free to use, there's no downside to signing up and seeing what agents you are paired with. 

However, we suggest first trying a service like Clever Real Estate that pre-negotiates a lower listing fee with its agent. If you find an agent you vibe with there, you could save thousands compared to a standard 2-2.5% commission. If you don't connect with any of those agents, you can always circle back and try your luck with Ideal Agent.

👋 Next Steps: Talk to an expert

If you're weighing your options for buying or selling a house, Clever can help!

Our fully licensed concierge team can answer your questions and provide objective advice on getting the best outcome with your sale or purchase.

When you enter your info below, we'll ask you a few questions about your situation via a short form. Then our concierge team will be in touch shortly to help.

This service is free, and there’s never any obligation to move forward with us.

Frequently asked questions

What are the alternatives to Ideal Agent?

Alternatives to Ideal Agent include Redfin, Clever, and UpNest. Like Ideal Agent, they will match you with a real estate agent, although some offer better listing fees than Ideal Agent does. Learn more about the best low commission real estate brokers.

What are the pros and cons of Ideal Agent?

Ideal Agent has positive customer reviews, and its agents offer full-service and support. It will also save you a bit of money, though typically not as much as the competition. Ideal Agent is also much smaller than the competition and has limited coverage outside of major cities. Learn more about the best 2% commission realtors.

Why do real estate agents work with companies like Ideal Agent?

An agent matching service like Ideal Agent sends agents new clients, which saves the agents time and money on marketing. Though the agents make less on each client, they can close more deals. This volume means the agents can make more money overall.

Who owns Ideal Agent?

Ideal Agent is owned by Steve Johnston, who founded the company in 2016. He was previously the founder of Home Discovery Real Estate Services, a discount real estate brokerage that operated prior to the Great Recession.

Related reading

Methodology

We evaluate each low commission real estate brokerage based on four core criteria and create a weighted score:

  • Service quality (30% of final score)
  • Savings (25% of final score)
  • Customer experience (20% of final score)
  • Agent quality (25% of final score)

Service quality

Essential services and support. We evaluate whether the brokerage requires its agents to offer basic services like a CMA, pricing and staging advice, professional photography, MLS listing, for-sale sign, lock box. We also consider whether agents provide hands-on support throughout the sale process (in-person home visits, guidance through due diligence, negotiation support).

Ease of use. We consider how easy it is to find an agent in your area, and we look at customer reviews to determine whether customers have issues with the platform or tools used by the brokerage.

Savings

Pricing model. We compare the company's pricing model (including listing fee, any minimum fees, and buyer's incentives) to its competitors to determine the overall value to customers.

Customer experience

Review analysis. We perform an in-depth analysis of all the available customer reviews to determine trends. We break down the reviews by customer type, sentiment, and filter out spam reviews to determine our rating.

Company responsiveness. Negative reviews are part of doing business; however, we take note of whether a company is actively involved in resolving customer complaints.

Agent quality

Vetting requirements. We compare the company's vetting requirements to its competitors. We also take into consideration the size of the agent network to determine whether customers will have multiple options to choose from.

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