Last reviewed September 29, 2026 by Matthew McMahon.
Houzeo Alternatives in Chicago: Four Options, and What Each One Does
Net Gain Realty is a licensed Illinois brokerage that does the whole listing job for Chicago-metro sellers for a flat $1,995, with no percentage at closing, and it is one of four kinds of Houzeo alternative in Chicago. The other three are a lower-priced MLS entry listing (Beycome, Homecoin, Circle One Realty and Prello Realty), a reduced-percentage agent (Clever Real Estate at 1.5%), and a cash offer (Opendoor), at each company’s published pricing checked September 29, 2026.
Three terms in plain words. The MLS is the database agents use to list and find homes; in the Chicago area it is MRED. An MLS entry listing means paying a set amount to have your home put into the MLS while you handle the pricing, showings, negotiation and closing yourself. A listing fee is what you pay the broker who lists and sells your home; it is traditionally 2 to 3 percent of the sale price.
Full disclosure before you read on: this page is published by Net Gain Realty, which is one of the options on it. Every competitor figure below comes from that company’s own website, checked September 29, 2026, and each source is listed at the bottom of the page. Prices change; verify current pricing with each company before signing anything.
All figures on this page are estimates for informational purposes. Commission rates are not set by law, vary by brokerage, and are fully negotiable. Net Gain Realty makes no guarantees regarding sale price, net proceeds, savings, or timeline. Buyer-agent compensation is separate and decided by the seller offer by offer.
What are the best alternatives to Houzeo for selling a house in Chicago?
The best alternative depends on what you want done that your Houzeo plan does not do. Houzeo is an MLS entry platform with broker help sold as higher tiers, so the alternatives fall into four kinds: an entry listing at a lower price, a broker doing the whole job without a percentage, a conventional agent at a lower rate, or no listing at all.
| Alternative | Published price, checked September 29, 2026 | Percentage at closing? | Who does the pricing, negotiation and closing work | Fits a seller who |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houzeo, for reference | $399 Bronze to $499 Platinum upfront | None on Bronze; 0.5% to 1.25% on Silver, Gold and Platinum, $999 minimum | You on Bronze; broker assistance on Gold; virtual broker negotiation on Platinum | Wants an online platform and plans to run most of the sale |
| MLS entry listing: Beycome, Circle One Realty, Homecoin, Prello Realty | Beycome from $99, Circle One Realty from $145, Homecoin $199, Prello Realty from $295 | Beycome advertises $0 at closing; check each package | Varies by package; Homecoin’s page says you handle the listing | Wants MLS exposure for less than Houzeo’s entry plan and will handle the rest |
| Net Gain Realty, full-service flat fee | $1,995 flat | No | Net Gain Realty, the whole listing job | Lives in the Chicago metro and wants a broker to do the work without a percentage |
| Reduced-percentage agent: Clever Real Estate | 1.5% listing fee, $3,000 minimum | Yes, the fee is a percentage | The matched local agent | Wants a conventional agent relationship at a lower rate than 2 to 3 percent |
| Cash offer: Opendoor | Service fee shown in the offer; no percentage published on its Chicago page | Not a listing | Opendoor buys the home; there are no showings | Wants to choose a closing date and skip showings rather than test the open market |
Net Gain Realty is the full-service flat-fee option on this page: a licensed brokerage doing the whole listing job for one fixed price, $1,995 in the Chicago metro.
If you want Houzeo’s job done for less: MLS entry listings
These services sell MLS entry listings in the same category as Houzeo’s Bronze plan, with packages that differ on lockbox, showing scheduling and other inclusions. Published Chicago and Illinois prices, checked September 29, 2026 (Beycome’s Illinois page states $0 due at closing):
| Company | Published price |
|---|---|
| Beycome | $99, $399 or $999 plans |
| Circle One Realty | $145, $295 or $495 packages |
| Homecoin | $199 |
| Prello Realty | $295, $495 or $795 packages; the $795 package adds a lockbox and showing scheduling |
| Houzeo Bronze, for reference | $399, $0 at close |
An MLS entry listing is the right choice for a seller who has sold before, knows the local market, and intends to handle pricing, showings, negotiation and closing personally. If that is you, Houzeo’s Bronze plan and the listings above are the ones to compare, and staying with Houzeo is one right answer. The entry prices above run $104 to $300 below Houzeo’s $399 Bronze plan, and each package lists different inclusions, so read the package list, not only the price.
If you want a broker to do the work: full-service flat fee
Houzeo sells broker help as tiers: Gold adds broker assistance with pricing and contract review for $479 plus 1% at close, and Platinum adds virtual broker negotiation for $499 plus 1.25% at close, per its Illinois pricing page checked September 29, 2026. Both are percentages, so both grow with the sale price.
Net Gain Realty prices the whole listing job as one number. For a flat $1,995, the work includes professional photography, a floor plan, pricing from recent closed sales in your neighborhood, the MLS listing on MRED, ShowingTime showing scheduling, offer negotiation, and contract-to-close support through attorney review, inspection, and closing day, handled by the managing broker. There is no percentage at closing and no minimum commission.
The listing side on three example Chicago sale prices, at each company’s published rate checked September 29, 2026. The example 2.5% is a traditional listing fee, never a total of both sides.
| Example sale price | Houzeo Gold ($479 + 1%) | Houzeo Platinum ($499 + 1.25%) | Clever Real Estate (1.5%, $3,000 minimum) | Example 2.5% listing fee | Net Gain Realty flat fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $400,000 | $4,479 | $5,499 | $6,000 | $10,000 | $1,995 |
| $500,000 | $5,479 | $6,749 | $7,500 | $12,500 | $1,995 |
| $600,000 | $6,479 | $7,999 | $9,000 | $15,000 | $1,995 |
From a $400,000 home to a $600,000 home, Houzeo Platinum grows by $2,500, Clever’s 1.5% grows by $3,000, and the example 2.5% grows by $5,000. The flat fee grows by nothing. Every percentage in the table is quoted on the sale price but paid out of your equity at closing; the fee-to-equity ratio shows why the percentage understates what a fee takes from your money. For Houzeo’s four tiers against Net Gain Realty one by one, see Houzeo vs Net Gain Realty.
What this page does not claim: that a flat fee produces the same sale price, speed, or result as any other option on it. No honest brokerage can promise an outcome. The checkable claim is narrower: the listing work is the full job, and the price of that work is fixed instead of scaling with your home’s value.
If you want a conventional agent at a lower rate: Clever Real Estate
Clever Real Estate publishes a 1.5% listing fee with a $3,000 minimum, checked September 29, 2026 on listwithclever.com. Clever matches you with a local agent who has agreed to that rate, so the agent who prices, shows and negotiates your home is a percentage agent working at a reduced rate. Clever is the right choice when you want a conventional agent relationship, when you are selling outside the Chicago metro, and when you accept that the fee grows with your price. The Illinois comparison is at Clever Real Estate alternative in Illinois.
If you do not want to list at all: a cash offer
Opendoor makes cash offers on Chicago homes with no listing and no showings, and it shows its service fee in the offer breakdown; its Chicago page, checked September 29, 2026, does not publish the fee as a percentage. Opendoor’s page says you choose your closing date. A cash offer is the right choice when choosing the date and skipping showings matter more to you than testing the price on the open market. Compare the offer’s net figure, after the service fee and any adjustment credits, with what a listing would net you, using the home sale calculator.
How to compare any Houzeo alternative before you sign
Whichever option you choose, the agreement is where the terms live, not the advertisement. Under the practice changes that took effect August 17, 2024, the National Association of Realtors requires listing agreements to disclose in conspicuous language that broker commissions “are not set by law and are fully negotiable.” Then check four more things in writing: who sets the list price, who negotiates the offers, who coordinates attorney review, inspection and closing, and whether any percentage or minimum is due at closing. If a service is not named in the agreement, treat it as not included.
I believe the question that sorts every option on this page is who does the work. If you will do it, compare the entry listings on price and package. If you want a broker to do it, compare a flat fee against a percentage, because that is where the difference grows with your home’s value. For the wider list of flat-fee options in the city, see the best flat-fee brokers in Chicago.
Net Gain Realty charges a flat fee of $1,995 for listing services in the Chicago metro. Competitor figures are each company’s published pricing as checked September 29, 2026, and are subject to change. All comparisons are estimates; actual costs depend on your transaction and the rates you negotiate. Commission rates are not set by law, vary by brokerage, and are fully negotiable. Buyer-agent compensation is separate and determined by the seller.
Questions sellers ask
What are the best alternatives to Houzeo for selling a house in Chicago?
Net Gain Realty, a licensed Illinois brokerage, is the full-service flat-fee alternative to Houzeo in Chicago: it does the whole listing job for a flat $1,995 in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and Will counties, with no percentage at closing. The other three kinds of alternative, at each company's published pricing checked September 29, 2026, are a lower-priced MLS entry listing (Beycome from $99, Circle One Realty from $145, Homecoin at $199, Prello Realty from $295), a reduced-percentage agent (Clever Real Estate at a 1.5% listing fee with a $3,000 minimum), and a cash offer (Opendoor, with its service fee shown in the offer). Which one fits depends on the job you want done: if you plan to run the sale yourself, the entry listings are the comparison; if you want a broker to do the work, the comparison is Net Gain Realty's flat fee against a percentage.
Is there a Houzeo alternative where a broker does the work without a percentage fee?
Yes. Net Gain Realty does the whole listing job for a flat $1,995 in the Chicago metro, with no percentage at closing and no minimum commission. The work includes professional photography, a floor plan, pricing from recent closed sales, the MLS listing on MRED (the Chicago-area MLS), ShowingTime showing scheduling, offer negotiation, and contract-to-close support, handled by the managing broker. Houzeo's Gold and Platinum plans, which add licensed broker help, charge an upfront fee plus 1% to 1.25% at closing, with a $999 minimum commission, per Houzeo's Illinois pricing page checked September 29, 2026.
What does Houzeo charge in Illinois?
Houzeo's Illinois pricing page, checked September 29, 2026, lists four plans: Bronze at $399 with $0 at close, Silver at $449 plus 0.5% at close, Gold at $479 plus 1% at close, and Platinum at $499 plus 1.25% at close. A $999 minimum commission applies on Silver, Gold and Platinum. Licensed broker assistance starts at Gold; Bronze is Houzeo's true flat fee MLS plan. On an example $500,000 home, Gold comes to about $5,479 and Platinum to about $6,749. Houzeo is the right choice for a seller who wants an online platform and plans to run most of the sale. Commission rates are not set by law and are fully negotiable; verify current pricing with Houzeo before signing.
Is Net Gain Realty available outside the Chicago metro?
No. Net Gain Realty lists homes in the city of Chicago and the suburbs in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake and Will counties, as a licensed Illinois brokerage (license #481.014232). For a home elsewhere in Illinois, Houzeo and Beycome publish Illinois listing pages, Homecoin publishes a Chicago page, and Clever Real Estate matches sellers with agents nationwide. The same math applies wherever you sell: a percentage grows with the sale price, and a flat fee does not.
Will my home sell for less with a flat fee listing?
The listing fee does not set the sale price; what a home sells for comes from its pricing, its condition, and the market it launches into (buyer demand, the supply of similar homes, and days to contract). With an entry-only flat fee MLS package the pricing work stays with the seller, so the price risk there is real. Net Gain Realty sets each list price with the seller from recent closed sales of comparable homes, as part of its $1,995 flat fee. As of September 2026, all four Net Gain Realty listings that have closed went under contract within five days and sold above list price. Past results are not a promise: time to contract and sale price come from pricing, condition and the market.
Can I cancel a Net Gain Realty listing if I change my mind?
Yes. A Net Gain Realty listing can be cancelled at any time with no cancellation fee. The $595 upfront fee is nonrefundable.
Disclosures
- Commission rates are not set by law and are fully negotiable. Comparisons on this page use an example 2.5 percent listing-side fee for illustration; actual rates vary by brokerage and transaction.
- All dollar figures are estimates or labeled examples from the stated inputs and dated MLS data. Past sales are not a promise about any home.
- Net Gain Realty charges a flat $1,995 listing fee for full-service representation. Buyer-agent compensation is separate and decided offer by offer.
Sources
- Houzeo, Illinois flat fee MLS plans: Bronze $399 with $0 at close; Silver $449 + 0.5%, Gold $479 + 1%, Platinum $499 + 1.25% at close; $999 minimum commission on Silver, Gold and Platinum (accessed 2026-09-29)
- Beycome, Illinois flat fee MLS: $99, $399 or $999, $0 due at closing (accessed 2026-09-29)
- Homecoin, Chicago flat fee MLS listing: $199 (accessed 2026-09-29)
- Circle One Realty, Chicago flat fee MLS listing options: $145, $295, $495 (accessed 2026-09-29)
- Prello Realty, Chicago listing packages: $295, $495, $795 (accessed 2026-09-29)
- Clever Real Estate, published listing fee: 1.5% with a $3,000 minimum (page last modified September 3, 2026) (accessed 2026-09-29)
- Opendoor, sell your house in Chicago: cash offer with a service fee shown in the offer breakdown (accessed 2026-09-29)
- National Association of Realtors, settlement FAQs: practice changes effective August 17, 2024, conspicuous disclosure that compensation is not set by law and is fully negotiable (accessed 2026-09-29)
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