Two years after the National Association of Realtors (NAR) settled multiple class-action lawsuits over commission fees, NAR settlement commission alternatives are proliferating, yet the data suggest the traditional fee structure has proved remarkably resilient. A February 2026 survey of 533 real estate agents by Clever Real Estate found that total commissions on a real estate transaction are averaging 5.7%, barely below the former informal standard of 6%.
The settlement itself was substantial. According to 360training, the NAR agreed to pay $418 million over approximately four years as part of the agreement, which also required that buyer agent compensation no longer be embedded as a non-negotiable condition of MLS listings. Yet the market’s response has been muted. Redfin data show that buyer’s agent commissions fell from 2.43% to 2.36% between Q1 2024 and Q3 2024, only to tick back up to 2.43% by Q2 2025.
The stakes are large. The Brookings Institution has estimated that American consumers pay around $100 billion in real estate commissions each year, a figure that underlines why any structural shift in how agents are compensated carries enormous economic weight.
One structural shift already in effect: under rules applying in 2026, sellers will no longer advertise a buyer agent’s fee on the MLS, pushing that negotiation directly between the parties involved and, in theory, creating greater transparency, according to 1 Percent Lists. Whether that transparency translates into meaningfully lower fees remains an open question, which is precisely the gap that a new wave of startups is trying to fill.
NAR Settlement Commission Alternatives: Nine Platforms Reshaping the Market
The platforms taking aim at traditional agent fees vary considerably in their models. Some remove agents entirely; others restructure how agents are paid; a few simply create competitive pressure on commissions.
Beycome, founded by Nico Jodin in 2020, positions itself as a one-stop shop for buyers and sellers who prefer to bypass agents. Jodin told Business Insider that Beycome has helped close on over 18,000 homes, saving users $212 million in commissions and fees. Buyers using the platform can expect Beycome to act as broker, collecting the seller’s commission but crediting the buyer after retaining 1%. That credit can be applied to closing costs or used to buy down a mortgage rate.
Clever Real Estate, founded in St Louis in 2017, takes a different approach: it works with full-service agents but caps its commission at a flat 1.5%, partnering with brokerages including Keller Williams, RE/MAX and Century 21. Cofounder Luke Babich told STLPR that price pressure is inevitable. “It’s a matter of time before there’s price pressure, and they have to start bringing these rates down,” he said. Clever Real Estate said it has worked with over 251,000 clients, facilitating more than $16.8 billion in real estate transactions, with the average customer saving about $7,000.
Galleon removes brokers and agents entirely, operating as an off-market, for-sale-by-owner residential marketplace. CEO and founder Amanda Orson told Business Insider the company believes in “a free and open consumer-led marketplace.” Galleon said the model can save sellers $30,000 or more on a typical transaction. Listings are free to create; upgraded packages at $299 and $899 add professional photography, offer management tools, e-signing and legal support.
Homa, launched in May 2025 by former Zillow senior product director Arman Javaherian and cofounder Federico Campeotto, is an AI-powered homebuying platform currently operating in Florida with plans to expand to California and Texas. Homa Pro charges buyers a flat fee of $1,995 in transactions where a selling agent is involved; if no agents are involved at all, Homa charges nothing. The platform’s AI can analyse disclosures, inspection reports and offer prices. Vicki Lynn used Homa to buy a home in Florida without an agent, paying the flat fee and saving about $7,000.
Listwise keeps agents in the picture but reverses the dynamic: sellers declare how much commission they are willing to pay, then agents bid for the listing. The winning agent pays Listwise a referral fee if the home sells.
Off-Markt, created by Alison Bernstein, who is based in New York City, uses an Instagram-style interface to let homeowners attract prospective buyers year-round without formally listing. Real estate agents can create profiles on the app for $50 a month to offer services to users who want additional help.
Redy, cofounded by Josh Altman, who is featured on “Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles,” turns the agent-selection process into a competitive bidding process. Agents offer cash bonuses and lower commissions to win listings. Kenneth Bloom, who used Redy to sell two homes in Michigan, told Business Insider he received a $1,200 bonus on the first and $1,040 on the second, estimating he saved nearly $10,000 in broker commissions across both transactions.
Ridley is the project of tech entrepreneur Mike Chambers, who documented his own for-sale-by-owner experience selling a Boulder, Colorado home via an Instagram account that drew nearly 18,000 followers. Ridley, set to launch by the end of May, offers a suite of AI agents to help homeowners list without a broker. Sellers pay a one-time fee of $999, or $1,999 to add access to an on-call lawyer.
Turbohome restructures agent compensation rather than eliminating it, paying agents a salary instead of commission. Buyers pay a flat fee of between $5,000 and $10,000, and the commission is credited back. Cofounder and CEO Ben Bear told Business Insider that the model appeals to agents who value stability over commission pressure. Turbohome launched in 2024, had raised $3.85 million as of March, and currently operates in California, Texas and Washington.
Whether NAR Settlement Commission Pressure Will Compound Remains to Be Seen
The persistence of near-6% commissions two years after the NAR settlement has not discouraged these platforms. If anything, the MLS rule change now in effect, requiring direct negotiation on buyer agent fees rather than seller-advertised rates, may create the conditions that the settlement alone did not. With $100 billion in annual commissions on the table, the economic incentive for disruption is not going away, and the nine platforms above are each betting that a meaningful slice of buyers and sellers will decide the traditional model is no longer worth its price.