The concept of pay-at-closing real estate leads is pretty simple.
Several providers on the market offer this type of arrangement.
Once you close a transaction, you pay the provider a referral fee between 25% and 50% of your commission.
Some providers offer exclusive leads, while others don’t.
Providers can be quite picky and don’t accept any real estate professional as a client for that.
How picky they are depends on the exclusivity and quality of leads they offer.
They can also attach some conditions to the use of the lead.
For example, they might also want you to pay referral fees more than once. This is the case if the lead they referred becomes a repeat customer.
So, you often don’t “own” the lead you get.
Real estate leads you pay when you close are practically real estate referrals.
What is the difference from the usual referrals? It’s one company that does it more systematically.
I have already covered real estate referrals in my articles.
- “How to Crush It With Real Estate Referrals for More Profits“
- “How to Do Cross Marketing in Real Estate”
Now, let’s get into the real estate pay at closing companies.
1) Opcity Real Estate Leads, Now Realtor.com
Opcity is now part of realtor.com. It offers “ReadyConnect Concierge” and “ReadyConnect Lead Accelerator.”
The Concierge service pre-screens sellers and buyers over the phone.
For that, it considers factors like price, intent, and location. Then it matches them with suitable agents.
“Lead Accelerator” is almost identical to “ReadyConnect Concierge”. It also provides pay-at-closing leads. But, these services are available only at the brokerage level.
Realtor.com does not disclose fees.
So as an agent, you better consult with your broker for fee details. The referral agreement is broker-level.
Fees seem to vary depending on different factors, as stated on Realtor’s website:
“These fees are determined at the broker level and vary based on a variety of factors, including promotional referrals we may be testing in a given market.”
“Fees for referrals are determined at the broker level and vary based on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, our investment in technology and manpower to purchase, pre-screen, and match our online leads.”
Opcity Agent Feedback Analysis
| Positive Reviews | % Positive | Negative Reviews | % Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| - Users closed deals using Opcity. - Helpful for new agents. - Viewed as an extra tool for real estate. | 50% | - Concerns about lead quality. - Big commission shares. - Some leads unqualified or want unavailable properties. - Advice to not rely solely on Opcity, use other strategies too. | 50% |
| - Success with deals up to $10.8 million. - Lead quality improves with experience. | 50% | - Low-quality leads. - High 35% referral fee. - Leads often for cheaper properties. | 50% |
| - Small group found value in the provider. | 7% | - Misleading leads. - Bad customer service. - High fees. - Unqualified leads. | 93% |
| - Good app features. - Effective lead alerts. - Efficient lead management. | 40% | - Slow app. - Missed lead opportunities. - Notification issues. - Frequent app crashes. | 60% |
2) Zillow Flex
Zillow Flex is a real estate lead service where agents pay a referral fee of 20 to 35% upon closing.
The percentage varies by transaction price and state.
It’s currently available in select markets, like:
- Pueblo, CO
- Fort Collins, CO
- Norwich, CT
- New Haven, CT
- Phoenix, AZ
- Atlanta, GA
It’s open to Zillow Premier Agents and brokers, with others able to join an interest list.
Agents must update Zillow on progress towards closing.
Lead allocation depends on the agent’s closing rate. And with higher rates, they receive more leads.
Participation is by invitation only.
Non-compliance with a 30% answer rate and a 60% appointment rate over three months can result in removal from the program.
You can learn more about Zillow Flex here.
Zillow Flex Agent Feedback Analysis
| Positive Reviews | % Positive | Negative Reviews | % Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| - Useful for jumpstarting real estate careers. - Provides good-quality leads. - Helps build a potential client database. - Importance of staying in touch for referrals. | 33% | - Poor lead quality. - High 35% referral fee. - Concerns over commission loss. - Advised not to rely solely on Zillow Flex. - Skepticism about Zillow's intentions. | 67% |
| - Dashboard for tracking sales and leads. - Decent quality leads for some. - Integration with CRM software. - Basic property information provided. - Direct client contact. | 15% | - High lead costs. - Inconsistent lead quality. - Non-exclusive leads. - Deceptive sales tactics. - Difficulty in canceling subscriptions. - Poor customer service and account issues. | 85% |
| - Success with Zillow Premier Agent. - Effective lead generation. - Useful for getting buyer leads. | 15% | - High cost relative to lead quality. - Majority of leads low-quality or unresponsive. - Competition for leads. - Better for established agents. - High expectations not met. - Recommendations for alternative lead sources. | 85% |
| - Good-quality leads initially. - Helpful for agents on the go. - Access to information. | 28.60% | - Deteriorating lead quality. - Issues with service cancellation and billing. - App functionality problems. - Inability to control call flow. - Lack of pre-screening for leads. | 71.40% |
3) HomeLight
HomeLight offers real estate leads to agents using a matching algorithm.
It analyzes 27 million transactions and thousands of reviews.
This algorithm considers metrics like:
- Transaction volume
- Days on the market
- Price points
- Property types
- Geographic expertise
- Success rate with HomeLight referrals
- The ratio of sales to listing prices
- Client reviews
- Response time to referrals.
Agents with better metrics receive more referrals.
Upon closing, agents pay a broker-to-broker referral fee of 16.5% (33% of half of the total gross commission).
This fee is applicable for up to three years from the referral date.
So it covers multiple transactions.
You can learn more about HomeLight here.
HomeLight Agent Feedback Analysis
I did my research from a real estate pro’s perspective. And I discovered an interesting phenomenon.
On the one hand, you find many mixed user reviews from sellers and buyers across various platforms, such as Better Business Bureau and Yelp.
However, the real estate professionals’ experience with the company is a black box.
Nevertheless, I found something to analyze in these two Reddit threats here and here.
| Positive Reviews | % Positive | Negative Reviews | % Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| - Favorable outcomes and good clients encountered. - 25% referral fee seen as worthwhile with good volume. | 25% | - Concerns about transparency of HomeLight's operations. - Dissatisfaction with 25% referral fee. - Lack of clear disclosure on paying for referrals. - Mediocre lead quality. | 65% |
4) AgentHarvest
AgentHarvest primarily focuses on listing referrals, with over 60% being single-family listings.
These referrals seek active collaboration with agents, rather than information gathering.
The referral fee is 25% of the total gross commission, payable at closing with no upfront charges.
AgentHarvest limits its network to three agents per geographic area.
It sends referrals to everyone simultaneously.
The company also offers residential lease referrals at a reduced fee of 15%.
Additional details about joining requirements and their service are available on their website.
AgentHarvest Agent Feedback Analysis
The situation looks pretty thin regarding reviews from real estate professionals who worked with AgentHarvest.
Not much feedback from sellers and buyers is publicly available.
5) Clever
For homes sold under $350,000, agents pay a flat $3,000 listing fee to Clever.
For homes above that price, the fee is 1.5%.
Agents don’t need to be brokers to join Clever’s referral program.
But they must meet criteria like other providers:
- Excellent past seller reviews
- Superior local market knowledge
- Full-time status with over five years of experience
- High technological skill
- Above-average negotiation skills.
Clever has a large network, boasting over 7,000 agents nationwide in its referral program.
You can learn more about them here.
Clever Agent Feedback Analysis
The feedback situation is similar to the last paid-at-closing company.
I tried looking for public sources from real estate professionals.
However, I didn’t find any feedback about their experience with leads from Clever.
Again, you can only find user reviews from sellers and buyers, leaning toward negative experiences.
6) UpNest
Over 30,000 real estate agents use UpNest. The company offers pre-screened, transaction-ready clients without upfront costs.
Also, it operates as a registered brokerage across all 50 U.S. states.
The platform generates both seller and buyer clients.
Also, it facilitates agent communication via an UpNest app.
Agents also have access to an UpNest advisor for:
- Profile enhancement
- Conversion rate improvement
- Client connections.
UpNest’s agent requirements are less stringent than those of Clever.
They include:
- A minimum of 3 years of active real estate experience
- A valid real estate license
- Strong communication skills with quick response times
- At least six transactions in the past year
- Local market expertise
- Online marketing knowledge
- Positive online reviews
- Tech savviness.
UpNest charges a 30% referral fee on the agent’s total commission before broker split.
This is payable 18 months post-referral upon successful transaction closure.
You can learn more about UpNest here.
Upnest Agent Feedback Analysis
My research resulted in only one negligible thread on Reddit, where you can’t draw many conclusions regarding lead results for agents.
7) Agent Pronto
Agent Pronto is a provider that matches agents with referrals based on criteria such as:
- Service areas
- Production levels
- Specialties
- Client preferences
- Customer ratings
- Communication skills.
Agents receive notifications via email and text for new leads or referrals.
Then they receive the first name, city, estimated budget, and a link to accept the referral.
Upon acceptance, they give the agent full client contact information.
The referral fee ranges from 25–35% of the gross referred-side commission (source)
Agents are expected to regularly update their progress with clients. More information about Agent Pronto and its services can be found on their website.
Agent Pronto Agent Feedback Analysis
The same situation appears again with Agent Pronto.
I found only one Reddit thread with only one reply.
8) Agent FixUp
Agent FixUp stands out in the pay-at-closing lead provider market.
How so?
They refer only one agent from their network to each client.
This less competitive approach focuses on pre-screened leads matched to suitable agents.
The company operates in over 200 cities across the U.S. and requires agents to pay a 25% broker-to-broker referral fee upon closing.
Detailed information about the duration of the referral fee obligation isn’t provided.
The onboarding process for agents asks for their transaction count over the last 12 months and contact information.
However, when clients, like sellers, search for realtors through Agent FixUp, they can filter based on:
- Experience
- Pricing effectiveness
- Communication skills
- Speed of closing.
You can learn more about Agent Fixup here.
AgentFixUp Agent Feedback Analysis
There was no agent feedback available for Agent FixUp.
9) Rocket Homes Verified Partner Network
The Rocket Homes℠ Verified Partner Agent Network spans over 3,000 counties in all 50 states.
It features top-rated agents with strong broker connections, leading to above-average-quality referrals.
They offer clients unique advantages, like:
- Mortgage approval
- Confirmed full contact information
- Verified purchase timeframes
This is all without upfront fees, and we provide dedicated support from referral to closing.
Joining and staying in the network demands stringent criteria:
- Working with an eligible brokerage
- A minimum of 24 months of full-time experience
- At least eight closed transactions in the previous year
- Completing specific training
- Upholding a high client satisfaction rating.
Here, you can learn more about Rocket Homes.
Rocket Homes Agent Feedback Analysis
Mainly, customer feedback was available across various sources
From this thread on Reddit, I could analyze the following agent feedback.
| Positive Reviews | % Positive | Negative Reviews | % Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| - Successful closing experience with Rocket Mortgage. - Best rates and early clearance for clients. - Appreciation for Rocket Pro Insight service. | 25% | - Described experiences with Rocket Mortgage as a nightmare. - Difficulties and issues during the mortgage process. - Concerns about handling transactions effectively. - Preference for local lenders over Rocket Mortgage. | 75% |
10) Effective Agents
This platform connects sellers and buyers with top-performing agents in their local area.
It uses a data-driven approach to analyze agents’ performance.
This approach is based on the agents’ transaction history, customer reviews, and other relevant factors.
A large majority of agents get into their program only by invitation.
You increase your chances of an invitation when you are in the top 3%. This 3% refers to the transactions in your market.
Here, you can check out Effective Agents.
Effective Agents Agent Feedback Analysis
The only source with sufficient data for the feedback analysis I could find was Shopperapproved.
This is what I found.
| Positive Reviews | % Positive | Negative Reviews | % Negative |
|---|---|---|---|
| - Highly recommended by users. - Good leads and good company personnel. - Smooth operation. - Easy and responsive communication. - Positive working experience with the company. | 93.10% | - Leads are very cold. - Low conversion rate of leads from this source in recent months. | 6.90% |
11) Referral Cloud
Referral Cloud is a platform designed to connect real estate agents with high-quality referrals.
The latter are sourced from various partners, like real estate websites and lead generation companies.
It aims to assist agents in growing their businesses by providing a consistent flow of potential clients.
Agents can manage referrals, track progress, and communicate with clients through the platform. The company charges a 35% referral fee upon closing.
You can check out Referral Cloud here.
Referral Cloud Agent Feedback Analysis
There was no agent feedback available for Agent FixUp.
The 11 Pay-at-Closing Providers at a Glance (Including Fees)
| Provider | Referral Fee | Requirements to Join and/or Stay | Pros Based on Agent Reviews | Cons Based on Agent Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Realtor | n/a | n/a, agreement is done on broker level | Users have successfully closed deals, beneficial for new agents, emphasizes quick appointment-making,quality of leads tends to improve with experience, efficient lead alerts | Concerns about the quality of leads, high referral fees, risk of becoming too dependent on the platform, app performance on the Google Play Store is subpar. |
| Zillow Flex | 35% | 30% answer rate over the last 3 months. 60% appointment rate over the last 3 months, additional information here | Useful for jumpstarting real estate careers, comprehensive dashboard for sales, reviews, and leads, the app caters to agents on the go | Poor lead quality, financial concerns with Zillow's model, caution against over-relying on Zillow, competition for the same non-exclusive leads, deceptive sales approaches, difficulties with cancelation and billing problems, functionality problems in the app |
| Homelight | 12.5% | Transaction volume by year, the average number of days on the market, price point, property type, and geographic expertise, success rate with HomeLight referrals, the relation between the average sales price and the average listing price, reviews from past clients, response time to HomeLight referrals | Several users have had successful outcomes, the 25% referral fee is considered valuable by some | Concerns regarding transparency, dissatisfaction with the 25% referral fee, some users experienced unsolicited phone calls and text messages, mediocre lead quality |
| Agent Harvest | 15 - 25% | Proof of expertise (awards or rankings), pledge of customer-focused service (testimonials from 5 recent clients), additional information here | n/a | n/a |
| Clever | 1% of transaction value or $3,000 flat | Great reviews from past sellers, above-average local market knowledge, being over five years full-time agent, having a high technological affinity, being an above-average negotiator | n/a | n/a |
| Upnest | 30% | Real estate experience of a minimum of 3 years, real estate license in good standing, great communication skills and a fast response time, six transactions in the past 12 months, local market knowledge and expertise, knowledge about online marketing techniques and strategies, positive online reviews, being tech savvy | n/a | n/a |
| Agent Pronto | 25 - 35% | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Agent FixUp | 25% | The number of transactions over the last 12 months and likely also experience, getting you the best price, great communication, the ability to close fast. | n/a | n/a |
| Rocket Homes Verified Partner Network | n/a | Working for an eligible brokerage, 24 months of full-time experience, eight closed transactions in the past 12 months, undergoing Verified Partner Agent training, a high client satisfaction rating | Successful closing experience, ability to offer the best rates and expedite clearances for early closures, the Rocket Pro Insight service | Many users described their experience as a nightmare, challenges and difficulties during the mortgage process, concerns about the capability to proficiently handle transactions |
| Effective Agents | n/a | Almost only by invitation when you are in the top 3% regarding transactions in your market. | Highly recommended by many users, good leads, operations are characterized as smooth, commended for its effectiveness in matching agents with potential buyers and sellers | Leads are often very cold. users have not been converting many of these leads |
| Referral Cloud | 30% | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Are Pay-at-Closing Real Estate Leads for You?
Let’s first have a look at the following diagram.
This analysis is based on agent feedback about five of the eleven lead providers.
It reveals that only Effective Agents had predominantly positive feedback.
Also, it highlights a stark contrast between the concept of these services and their actual effectiveness.
This suggests cautious investment in such companies.
Are you an experienced real estate agent and consider pay-at-closing leads?
In that case, you want to monitor key performance indicators.
But you also want to opt for providers without excessive conditions or future-dated referral fees.
Do you already have a successful marketing strategy for generating quality leads?
You may not need these services.
Instead, you can focus on diversifying lead sources for better marketing ROI.
The below decision tree can help you determine whether pay-at-closing real estate leads are for you.
This article has been reviewed by our editorial team. It has been approved for publication in accordance with our editorial policy.
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