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recent court decision has given home sellers more flexibility in how they pay their real estate agents, potentially saving them thousands of dollars. The National Association of Realtors settled multiple class-action lawsuits over claims that its practices unfairly drove up commissions for both homebuyers and sellers. As a result, NAR created new rules allowing sellers to choose from various payment options, rather than the traditional 5% or 6% commission.

    Some startups are capitalizing on this change by offering alternative ways for home sellers to list their properties without using traditional real estate agents. For example, Galleon is an off-market, for-sale-by-owner residential marketplace that allows homeowners to name their prices and attract buyers directly. Listwise, on the other hand, connects sellers with qualified listing agents who bid for the opportunity to sell the home.

    Other startups, such as Off-Markt and Redy, aim to make the process of buying and selling homes more transparent and efficient. Off-Markt allows homeowners to showcase their properties through an Instagram-like interface, while Redy encourages competition among agents by offering incentives like cash bonuses and competitive commission prices.

    Ridley is a new app that will offer homeowners a suite of AI agents who can help with the sales process, from writing listing descriptions to booking photographers. Turbohome is a real-estate brokerage that pays its agents a salary rather than a commission-based compensation, giving buyers the option to pay a flat fee instead.

    These startups promise to save home sellers money compared to the traditional commission structure and offer more flexibility in how they navigate the real estate market.