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

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. However, by Q2 2025, they ticked back up to 2.43%.

A February 2026 survey of 533 real estate agents by Clever Real Estate found that the total commission on a real estate transaction is about 5.7% — not too far from the former standard of 6%.

Still, there are people who have found success without using a traditional real estate agent. Vicki Lynn used Homa, an AI-powered buying platform, to buy a home in Florida without an agent. Lynn was turned off by the high fees and slow response times, so she opted to have AI write a contract for her.

In the post-NAR world, the landscape hasn't changed dramatically, but a handful of startups want to give buyers and sellers a few different options.

Below are nine startups that are trying to save home sellers money by shaking up the role and pay of the traditional real estate agent.

Beycome aims to be a one-stop shop for homebuyers and sellers who prefer not to use real estate agents.

Founder Nico Jodin started Beycome in 2020 after having a rough experience buying a home in Miami. He wanted his company to focus on the people at the center of the transactions.

"We didn't develop our technology for real estate agents," Jodin told Business Insider. "We didn't develop our technology for brokers. It's for you."

Beycome has helped close on over 18,000 homes and has saved users $212 million in commissions and fees, according to Jodin. Buyers using Beycome can expect the company to act as a broker during transactions. While they will collect the commission fee from the seller, they credit the buyer after taking 1%.

"You can use this credit to cover your closing costs, or you can use this money to buy interest points on your mortgage to reduce the cost of your mortgage," Jodin said. "It is really money that we credit to you, and you do what's better for you."