Clever matches you with a discounted traditional agent for a 1.5% fee. VroomBrick is a technology platform with a flat 1% fee and independent professionals. Here's the difference.
Both Clever and VroomBrick help you pay less than a traditional 3% commission, but they get you there in different ways. Clever is a referral service that matches you with a traditional agent at a reduced 1.5% fee. VroomBrick is a technology platform that charges a flat 1% fee and connects you with independent licensed professionals. The choice comes down to whether you want a traditional full-service agent at a discount, or an unbundled platform at a lower flat rate.
| Clever Real Estate | VroomBrick | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Agent-matching referral service | Technology platform (not a brokerage or agent) |
| Who you work with | A traditional full-service agent from a partner brokerage | Independent licensed closing attorney and showing agents |
| Seller pricing | 1.5% listing commission, $3,000 minimum | Flat 1% technology fee |
| How it makes money | A referral cut of the agent's commission | The technology fee |
| Model | A traditional agent at a reduced rate | Unbundled independent professionals |
| Coordination | Your matched agent coordinates the sale | A Relocation Concierge manages your deadlines and milestones |
| Choice of professionals | Work with your matched agent and their vendors | Choose your own attorney, lender, and title |
| Markets | Nationwide | VA, MD, NC |
Clever is a nationwide service that matches sellers and buyers with agents from partner brokerages like Keller Williams and RE/MAX. You tell Clever about your home, it introduces you to a local agent who has agreed to a discounted rate, and you pick the match you like.
The listing fee is 1.5% with a $3,000 minimum. Clever is free for you to use; it earns a referral fee from the agent's commission when a sale closes. In practice you still get a traditional full-service agent, just at a lower rate than the usual 3%. (Figures are Clever's own; confirm current terms on their site.)
VroomBrick is a real estate technology platform, not a brokerage, an agent, or a referral service. Instead of matching you with a discounted agent, it charges a flat 1% technology fee and connects you directly with the independent licensed professionals a transaction requires:
A Relocation Concierge keeps the transaction on track, managing deadlines and milestones as your single point of contact, and a step-by-step dashboard tracks every step from listing to closing. Because these professionals are independent, you keep the freedom to choose who you work with.
1. A discounted agent versus an unbundled platform. With Clever, you still have one traditional full-service agent handling your sale, at 1.5%. With VroomBrick, that role is unbundled: an independent closing attorney handles the contract and settlement, and showing agents handle access, for a 1% technology fee. If having a single dedicated agent matters to you, Clever keeps that model. If you would rather pay a lower flat fee and work with independent professionals, VroomBrick unbundles it.
2. A referral service versus the platform itself. Clever is a middleman: it matches you with an agent and takes a cut of that agent's commission. VroomBrick is not matching you with a third-party agent for a referral fee; it is the platform you use, and it does not represent buyers or sellers or negotiate contracts. The independent attorney does that.
On a $500,000 home, a traditional 3% seller's agent commission is $15,000. Clever's 1.5% listing fee is about $7,500. VroomBrick's 1% technology fee is $5,000. On lower-priced homes, Clever's $3,000 minimum can raise its effective rate above 1.5%. Commissions are not set by law and are fully negotiable, so compare current, specific quotes for your home.
No. Clever is an agent-matching referral service that connects you with agents from other brokerages. VroomBrick is a technology platform, not a brokerage or agent.
Clever's rate is pre-negotiated with its partner agents. All commissions are negotiable in general, and VroomBrick's flat 1% technology fee is set rather than negotiated per agent.
VroomBrick's flat 1% is lower than Clever's 1.5% listing fee, and the gap widens on lower-priced homes where Clever's $3,000 minimum applies. Compare specific, current quotes for your situation.
See the flat 1% technology fee in real dollars with the savings calculator, then weigh it against a Clever quote. You can also see how selling works or read how the 1% technology fee actually works.
About VroomBrick: VroomBrick is a real estate technology platform, not a licensed real estate brokerage. VroomBrick does not provide brokerage services, represent buyers or sellers, or hold real estate licenses. The 1% technology fee covers platform access; closing attorneys, showing agents, and lender partners are independent licensed professionals. Commissions are not set by law and are fully negotiable. Comparisons reflect publicly available information about Clever Real Estate as of the publish date; confirm current terms directly with each provider. Savings examples are illustrative; actual savings vary by transaction.
About the Author
MBA · Army Veteran
Head of Partnerships at VroomBrick. Writes about how homeowners can keep more of their equity, what the post-NAR-settlement market actually looks like, and how to navigate buying or selling without paying a 3% commission.
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