Houzeo Reviews: Can This Flat-Fee MLS Service Save You Money?
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- 12 min read
- Richard Haddad Executive EditorCloseRichard Haddad Executive Editor
Richard Haddad is the executive editor of HomeLight.com. He works with an experienced content team that oversees the company’s blog featuring in-depth articles about the home buying and selling process, homeownership news, home care and design tips, and related real estate trends. Previously, he served as an editor and content producer for World Company, Gannett, and Western News & Info, where he also served as news director and director of internet operations.
If you’re looking to sell your home without paying a full listing agent commission, a flat-fee MLS service like Houzeo may be on your radar. But you first want to understand how it all works, read Houzeo reviews, and compare your options.
These platforms help you get your home listed on the MLS — where most buyers and agents search — for a one-time fee, rather than a traditional 2.5%–3% listing commission. But are there additional fees? Is Houzeo the right choice for your situation?
In this post, we’ll explain how Houzeo works, how much it might cost, what customers are saying about the service, and help you decide if you will save money using a flat-fee MLS company.
What is Houzeo?
Houzeo is a nationwide flat-fee MLS listing service that allows homeowners to sell without hiring a traditional listing agent. For a one-time upfront fee, Houzeo will list your property on the multiple listing service (MLS), giving it visibility on platforms like Zillow, Realtor.com, and Redfin.
The company is known for its user-friendly dashboard, which allows you to manage showings, counteroffers, buyer documents, and disclosures in one place.
Houzeo positions itself as a tech-first alternative to traditional real estate models. With the basic package, you’ll handle most of the sale yourself — including pricing, showings, negotiations, and closing coordination — but the platform offers optional upgrades if you want extra help.
Houzeo also offers other tools for buying or selling a home, but for the purpose of this post, we’ll focus on its popular MLS listing services.
What locations does Houzeo serve?
Houzeo operates in all 50 U.S. states and Washington, D.C., making it one of the most widely available flat-fee MLS services. The company has limited coverage in Wyoming and South Dakota, and some automation limitations in North Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, and West Virginia.
Houzeo’s automated system will show you which packages are available in your area and what’s included at each pricing tier. It will also explain local MLS rules and any variances as you set up your listing.
How does Houzeo work for home sellers?
To get started with Houzeo, you’ll choose a listing package based on your state and needs. Houzeo offers three main options that allow you to scale up support if you need guidance at any step.
Houzeo’s Silver basic package is $199 plus a 0.5% fee of the home’s selling price at closing and includes:
- Your listing on the MLS for six months with up to 24 photos
- Syndication to major real estate sites like Zillow, Trulia, Realtor, and Redfin
- Unlimited listing changes and open house announcements
- Online showing management services
Houzeo’s gold middle package is $249 plus 1% of the home’s selling price at closing. It includes everything in the Silver package and these extras:
- Maximum photos allowed by the local MLS
- Professional broker assistance with pricing, contract reviews, and forms
- Negotiation and counter-offer assistance and offer comparisons
- Help with disclosures
Houzeo’s Platinum top package is $299 plus 1.25% of the home’s selling price at closing. It includes everything in the Silver and Gold packages, along with these extras:
- Your listing on the MLS for 12 months with maximum exposure
- Personal concierge and call forwarding services
- Virtual full-service assistance from a licensed broker
- Appraisal and closing document review
- Rush services if needed (draft in 12 hours)
You can also purchase add-ons for each package, such as a yard sign for $49.
Once you’ve selected a plan, you’ll fill out property details, upload photos, sign the required paperwork, and complete local disclosure forms — all online through Houzeo’s dashboard.
Houzeo reviews
Houzeo earns generally favorable reviews from home sellers who want to save on agent fees while keeping some structure and tech support in the process. On Google and Trustpilot, users praise the interface for being intuitive and helpful, particularly the ability to post their listing on the MLS, manage showings, and compare offers digitally.
- Google: 4.9-star rating out of 5 stars
- Trustpilot: 4.8-star rating
- Better Business Bureau: (offline at time of publication)
As with any company, not all feedback is positive. Some users report confusion around the pricing tiers or wish more human support options existed. Others expressed concern over Houzeo’s response times or cautioned that your success can depend heavily on your comfort with managing the process solo.
While Houzeo has a strong presence on Trustpilot and Google, it does not have customer review profiles on other well-known sites like Zillow and Yelp. However, the company hosts positive reviews on its website at houzeo.com/reviews.
Let’s take a look at some real customer reviews.
Examples of positive Houzeo reviews:
“Great team to work with. Always available to help answer questions and guide you through the process. They are professional and perform follow-up calls to make sure you are taken care of.” (5-star Google review)
“The service rep at Houzeo was fantastic to work with. Very patient, knowledgeable, and pleasant. Helped iron out tasks to move forward the listing process.” (5-star Google review)
“This is an excellent online service that surprisingly offers very reasonable response times if you have a question. And you always seem to get someone who is polite and knowledgeable if there is a question or issue.” (5-star Google review)
“I am a senior, and so not great with everything being online. However, I found Houzeo great to work with. Their site is clear, and if you have any questions, they are quick to help you. Their chat line is also helpful. I would use them again.” (5-star Google review)
“Always there to answer any of my questions. Very helpful online support; they are very patient with you. It is a great service. Never had customer service support so efficient.” (5-star Google review)
“I’ve tried many other flat-rate MLS listing services, and Houzeo is by far the best, very user-friendly/intuitive, providing a quick and easy experience. Improvements are needed to make it possible to reactivate/relist properties that haven’t sold. (4-star Google review)
Examples of negative Houzeo reviews:
“I regret my decision to work with Houzeo.com. They’ve changed their model, and now they don’t offer a flat fee anymore. Instead, they charge a percentage of the final sale price, which means you could end up paying thousands more than you expected… and their slow response time was incredibly frustrating.” (1-star Google review)
“They state they have a flat rate fee, which is not accurate when you are taking 0.5-1% of the final sale price of the home…I wish they would actually offer a flat rate fee, even if it was a little higher. Although I think $250 is more than enough if you are managing your own listing.” (1-star Google review)
“These people were impossible to get ahold of all the time. I got one showing in six months. They were pitiful with communication. I went to another flat fee broker and got four showings, and the house sold in about 30 days.” (1-star Google review)
“I definitely don’t recommend this company in the long run. They were slow to send me emails from agents interested, or worse, I didn’t get the email leads at all. There are other companies that do it much better.” (1-star Google review)
“[The] agent I was connected to did no work and suggested Houzeo would provide a refund. My listing never went live, and they will not provide a refund.” (1-star Google review)
“For several weeks, our home failed to be advertised to the correct marketplace. We lost critical time in our effort to sell our home. It was extremely frustrating to discover that our home was listed on the wrong MLS.” (1-star Google review)
A note about reviews: All companies receive positive and negative reviews. Houzeo partners with MLS groups and agents throughout the country. Your experience can depend greatly on which local representative you work with.
Pros and cons of using Houzeo
Pros
- Nationwide coverage: Houzeo operates in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., making it one of the most widely available flat-fee MLS services.
- User-friendly dashboard: Sellers can manage showings, offers, and documents online in one place.
- MLS exposure: Your listing is posted to your local MLS and syndicated to major websites like Zillow, Realtor.com, and Redfin.
- Offer comparison tools: On Gold and Platinum packages, Houzeo includes built-in features for reviewing and countering offers, which some flat-fee services don’t provide.
- A la carte services: Sellers can add upgrades for agent support, pricing help, or contract review as needed.
Cons
- Not a true flat-fee service. Despite the flat-fee service description, Houzeo’s model includes a percentage-based fee (e.g., 0.5%–1.25%) at closing in addition to the upfront flat rate.
- DIY-heavy model: While you can purchase online and virtual assistance, you’re responsible for pricing, showings, negotiations, and paperwork.
- No in-person support: There is no agent physically assisting you or onsite throughout the process.
- Mixed customer service feedback: Some sellers report difficulty reaching support or resolving issues quickly.
- Buyer’s agent fees may still apply: You may still need to offer a commission to attract buyers represented by agents.
Alternatives to Houzeo
If you’re weighing your options, other flat-fee MLS services offer similar benefits to Houzeo — sometimes with different pricing, service structures, or support levels:
- Homecoin: Available in 22 states, Homecoin offers a basic $95 MLS listing with à la carte add-ons ($99–$299) for contract help, photography, and more. You can also hire an agent by the hour ($149) or for a flat fee of $2,999.
- Beycome: Operating in 13 states, Beycome offers true one-time flat-fee packages from $99 to $399, and an expanded service concierge option for $599 that requires 1% of the home sale at closing.
- ISoldMyHouse.com: Offers two flat-fee listing plans but only in seven states. You can pay $299 for a package with fewer photos or $399 for a package with more photos.
- List With Freedom: Available in nearly all states with packages from $89 to $395. Each tier includes a compliance fee of 0.5%–0.25% at closing.
- Unreal Estate: Offers tiered MLS packages nationwide from $0 to $449 with a 0.5% compliance fee if you close your home sale.
- Listed Simply: Provides plans from $149 to $379. It also offers an MLS + paperwork plan for $149 upfront and a separate flat fee at closing. Only available in five states.
- FSBO.com: A popular FSBO marketplace with a $99.95 off-MLS listing package. The company also partners with licensed agents to provide nationwide flat-fee listings for $400.
- FlatFeeGroup.com: A national network of local brokers offering flat-fee MLS services. Plans and pricing vary by location.
You can also post a free for-sale-by-owner (FSBO) listing directly on Zillow, though it won’t be included in the MLS unless you use a third-party service. However, in order for Zillow users to see your free listing, they must manually apply a FSBO filter under listing type to see these homes.
In your research about how to sell a house by owner, you may decide you’d like to consult with a top real estate agent before you commit to a DIY sale. HomeLight data shows that the top 5% of agents sell homes for up to 10% more than average agents. You can find a top agent in your city with our free Agent Match platform.
How does HomeLight’s Agent Match tool work?
If you’re unsure about selling by owner or you just want to compare what a top agent might be able to get for your home, HomeLight’s Agent Match platform is a smart place to start.
This no-commitment platform analyzes millions of transactions and thousands of reviews to identify local agents with solid track records, including quick sales, accurate pricing, and high sale-to-list ratios.
To get started, simply answer a few questions about your home and selling objectives. You’ll get matched with top-rated agents who are best suited to your needs. For sellers who want more certainty, a smooth experience, and higher proceeds, Agent Match can give you peace of mind.
Why use a full-service top agent?
While flat-fee MLS services like Houzeo may appeal to some ambitious sellers, there are compelling reasons to partner with a full-service agent, especially if net proceeds are a high priority.
According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), FSBO homes sell for a median price of about $380,000, compared to the median selling price of agent-assisted homes, which is $435,000. You could end up missing out on $55,000 in proceeds in your effort to save $13,000 in agent commissions.
Seasoned agents handle everything from pricing and marketing to showings, negotiations, disclosures, and paperwork. They know how to attract qualified buyers even in a slow market. They’ll also help you manage inspection issues, buyer concession requests, or appraisal gaps.
Other products and tools offered by HomeLight
At HomeLight, our vision is a world where every real estate transaction is simple, certain, and satisfying. We offer a number of products, calculators, and services to make that happen.
Simple Sale: HomeLight’s Simple Sale platform provides no-obligation all-cash offers to buy your home for a quick, convenient sale. To receive an offer, answer a few questions about your home and moving timeline. You’ll receive an offer in 24 hours and can close in as few as 10 days. You’ll also see an estimate of what a top agent might be able to get for your home, giving you both options in one place.
HomeLight Buy Before You Sell: If you’re buying and selling at the same time, this modern Buy Before You Sell program is an innovative solution that streamlines the process by unlocking the equity from your current house. You can make a non-contingent offer on your new home and only make one move. Watch the short video below to see how it works.
More free resources to help plan your home sale
HomeLight offers free calculators and other tools to help you make informed decisions about your home sale.
- Find a Top Agent
- Home Value Estimator
- Agent Commissions Calculator
- Best Time to Sell Calculator
- Home Affordability Calculator
Will you save money with Houzeo? Weigh your options
In the right situation and with the right enterprising seller, Houzeo can help you save money on your home sale. With packages starting around $199, you could avoid paying thousands in agent commissions while still getting valuable MLS exposure.
But those savings come with trade-offs. Houzeo’s DIY model means you’ll handle pricing, showings, negotiations, and paperwork unless you pay for premium support. In addition, according to FSBO statistics, those up-front savings are often lost because of lower sale proceeds.
To make the best choice, compare Houzeo’s services with your comfort level, timeline, and financial goals. And if you want expert input before committing to a FSBO path, HomeLight’s Agent Match tool can connect you with top-performing agents in your area, giving you a clearer picture of all your selling options.
Editor’s note: The information in this post is current as of its publication date. However, real estate company processes, rates, and services can change based on market conditions, housing trends, changes in technology, and customer needs.
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