9 startups helping homebuyers and sellers save money on traditional real estate agents

Some homebuyers and sellers are opting for less traditional methods of real estate transactions. Grace Cary/Getty Images Homebuyers and sellers are exploring alternatives to traditional real estate agent commissions. Some new startups aim to save buyers and sellers money by eliminating or reducing agent fees. Some companies are using AI-powered platforms to eliminate the role of a traditional agent entirely. It's been a full two years since the National Association of Realtors settled multiple class-action lawsuits related to commission fees in real estate transactions. Homebuyers and sellers rejoiced knowing that a commission fee — which was normally 6% split between the buying and listing agent — was no longer baked into their bottom line. Anecdotally, both parties have saved thousands of dollars , but so far, not much has changed. Data from Redfin shows that buyer's agent commissions fell from 2.43% to 2.36% from Q1 2024 to Q3 2024.