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recent survey by Clever Real Estate found that despite a lawsuit affecting real estate commissions, most home sellers still prefer working with a real estate agent. The settlement between the National Association of Realtors and plaintiffs resulted in NAR paying $418 million over four years and amending its rules to ban commissions from Multiple Listing Services and require signed buyer's broker agreements.

    According to the survey, 73% of recent home sellers believe using an agent is the best way to sell a property. Many think agents can get them more money than selling on their own, with 40% believing it's also the fastest way to sell. In contrast, 38% of respondents considered selling to a cash buyer company the worst option.

    Researcher Nick Pisano noted that those who didn't use an agent often regretted it afterwards. He found that four in ten recent sellers who didn't use an agent believed their home would have sold for more if they had used one, while three-quarters of sellers who did use an agent felt the services were worth it.

    In Illinois, there was a 2% increase in statewide home sales in October compared to the same time last year. Additionally, homes stayed on the market 8% longer than in October 2023, with the median sale price increasing by over 7% to $290,000.