6 Best Real Estate Companies in Maryland (2024 Updates)

Houzeo is a high-tech platform with easy listing, fast changes, and online showings and offers.

You can choose from 4 Flat Fee MLS packages:

• Bronze Package – $399+$350 at Close: This package offers a Houzeo listing only for 6 months with 24 photos.
• Silver Package – $399+0.5% at Close: This offers maximum photo upload and provides you with seller disclosures.
• Gold Package—$429+0.5 % at Close: This is Houzeo’s signature MLS package and includes all the technology Houzeo is known for, such as Houzeo Showings, Houzeo Offers, and DigiTransact.
• Platinum Package – $449+1% at Close: It includes the assistance of a licensed broker to help you with negotiations, seller disclosures, and closing.

👉 Our Take: We recommend the GOLD plan. You’ll have access to Houzeo tech, making managing showings and offer negotiations easy! Before you list, confirm all prices on your particular state’s pricing page.

» Houzeo Reviews: Find out why 10,000+ Americans love Houzeo.

Houzeo is America’s #1 Flat Fee MLS service because of 5 reasons:

1. Max Exposure: Houzeo’s listing packages get your home on Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, Redfin, and 100s of other real estate websites.
2. 5-star Customer Service: Houzeo has a fully staffed customer service desk available 6 days a week. Chats and emails are open 7 days a week.
3. 100% Online: Houzeo is a high-tech platform with easy listing, fast changes, online showings, and online offers. Its powerful house search app makes your home visible to potential buyers on the go.
4. No Hidden Fees: All fees are disclosed upfront, so there are no Houzeo hidden fees. You get to bypass the traditional listing agent commission.
5. Free Home Value Estimator: Now, you can get a free home value estimate within 30 seconds. It helps you set a listing price.

There are no dealbreakers with Houzeo.

» Is Houzeo Legit?  Houzeo addresses all Houzeo complaints from home sellers.

Houzeo is rated 4.9 out of 5 stars by thousands of home sellers on Google & Trustpilot.

» Houzeo Reviews: Houzeo is rated “Excellent“ by 10,020+ home sellers.

Helmed by Chris Carr, Simple Choice Realty provides services to home sellers and buyers in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware.

Simple Choice Realty offers 2 packages:

• MLS Package – $399: It includes a listing period of 6 months with 25+ photos. The package also includes a yard sign, and required disclosures. Your listing gets syndicated to Realtor.com, Zillow & Trulia, and other real estate websites.
• Contract Review Plan – $749: This is a full-service plan where an agent will assist you throughout your home selling process.

👉 Our Take: Simple Choice offers a single MLS package that covers all the basic requirements of a home seller. You can customize the package as per your needs for an additional charge.

» Chris Carr Simple Choice Realty: Chris Carr and Simple Choice Realty have 5 out of 5 stars from Houzeo home sellers.

Listing with Simple Choice Realty has certain advantages.

• Market Exposure: Your home gets listed on popular websites like Realtor.com, Zillow, and Trulia.
• Free Listing Changes: You can make changes to your listing without paying any additional fees.
• State Disclosures: Simple Choice Realty provides all required listing disclosures.
• Buyer Lead Forwarding: All buyer leads are directly forwarded to you with no agent involvement.
• Add Open House to MLS Listing: You can add 2 open house ads on the MLS for no extra cost.

In our research, we found no red flags with Simple Choice Realty. Chris Carr has a stellar reputation within the broker community.

Simple Choice Realty however has a significant number of upgrades that can add up to your overall spending. If you’re opting for their MLS plan we suggest you budget for these.

» Simple Choice Realty Reviews: Check out what Houzeo home sellers have to say about working with Simple Choice Realty.

Simple Choice Realty has 5 out of 5 stars from 40+ reviews on Zillow.

Redfin does not disclose its pricing on its website. Sellers will have to pay common closing costs.

• It offers 0.5% buyer’s rebate. To avail this, you’ll have to buy and sell with them.

👉 Our Take: Redfin offers 1 rebate option but with a strict clause. While, other real estate companies are willing to offer a higher rebate.

» Redfin Reviews: The reality of the buyer’s rebate.

Here are some advantages of choosing Redfin:

• Advanced Technology: With 3D walkthroughs and 40+ filters to narrow down your search, the Redfin app makes it easy to find the right home from anywhere.
• Paired With Local Agents: Local agents know their market better. This can help you secure a good deal.
• Home Tour: You can see updated listings every 5 minutes on their website. You can also schedule a home tour for the same day.
• Nationwide Coverage: Redfin covers 80+ markets in the US.

Here are some limitations we found with Redfin.

• Strict Rebate Criteria: Clients who sell and buy with Redfin within one year get a rebate of 0.5%.
• No Freedom in Agent Selection: You get an agent assigned automatically without having a choice in the matter.
• Agents Are Less Incentivized: Unlike traditional agents who work for commission, Redfin agents get a fixed salary. This can demotivate them from offering you additional services.
• Poor Customer Reviews: Customers have complained that agents are often unreachable and unprofessional.

Redfin has an average rating of  4.3 out of 5 stars from 60+ reviews on Google.

» Redfin Reviews: The Reality of the 1% Fees, Pros, Cons, and Alternatives!

Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC is an American full-service real estate brokerage.

• No Service Fee: As a buyer, you do not have to pay any fee to avail services of Coldwell Banker. 

👉 Our Take: Coldwell Banker is great for buyers because of its long-standing experience and wide property selection. It is especially helpful for those looking to invest in popular areas or unique properties.

Key features of Coldwell Banker include:

• Experts in Negotiations: Coldwell Banker’s agents are skilled and have considerable experience in negotiating the best deal for you.
• Lender Assistance: It helps you to find a lender for pre-qualification according to your affordability.
• Home Search: With MLS and other tools, agents find your ideal home based on your preferences and budget.
• Finance Assistance: It helps with down payments, mortgage prequalification, and getting your finances ready to buy a house.
• Strong Agent Network: Your agent can find many property options for you as they have good connections with other real estate agents.

Red flags of Coldwell Banker include:

• Less Flexibility in Negotiation: The company’s established policies might offer less flexibility in negotiating commission rates.
• Inconsistent Agent Quality: While many agents are experienced, the quality of service can vary depending on the specific agent assigned.
• Lapses in Transactions: Customer complaints include delays in transactions and unresponsive agents.

Coldwell Banker is rated 4.9 out of 5 stars from 200+ reviews on Trustpilot

eXp Realty is one of the top US real estate companies that provide a variety of services to buyers. Its agents use cutting-edge technology from the cloud-based platform and database system.

• No Service Fee: eXp Realty does not charge buyers a direct fee for using its services.

👉 Our Take: The real estate agents of eXp Realty are experienced professionals. We recommend going for this company if you want to work with a traditional real estate agent and are a first-time home buyer.

Here are some of the advantages of choosing eXp Realty:

• Local Expertise: eXp realty agents have expertise in local real estate market data. Their market insights will help you in your real estate transactions.
• Investment Advice: The agents guide you in your financial and investment decisions.
• Assistance with Negotiation: Whether it is about negotiating home offers, inspection amounts, repairs, or legal agreements, you will get a negotiator to do it on your behalf.

Here are a few drawbacks we found about eXp Realty:

• Limited Physical Offices: eXp Realty operates mostly online, which can be inconvenient for those who prefer face-to-face interactions.
• Less Personal Touch: The virtual model may offer less personalized service compared to traditional firms.
• Learning Curve: Adapting to its tech-driven platform might be difficult for some buyers.

eXp Realty has a rating of 2.9 out of 5 on Google Reviews.

Zillow is the most visited real estate website. Zillow provides an exceptional home buying, renting, and selling experience.

• Zillow Premier Agent: You can connect with an agent representing a particular property and get their commission rates on request. Typically, a buyer agent charges a 2%-3% commission on the sale price.

👉 Our Take: Zillow lets you list your property for free and is great for exposure, but your information is stored as a lead in their marketing funnel. Essentially, the bargain is your confidential data in exchange for Zillow’s “free” listing.

» Zillow Offers Reviews: Everything you need to know about Zillow

Key Features of Zillow:

• Your Listing is Updated in Real-Time: On Zillow, you do all the listing changes which reflect immediately, instead of waiting for a listing agent to do it for you.
• Free Listing: Zillow provides free For Sale By Owner listing. But, all FSBO listings on Zillow are hidden in the ‘Other Listings’ tab. This has lowered the success rate of free Zillow FSBO listings drastically.
• Zestimate: Zillow’s home value estimate is a tool for pricing your home. It incorporates data from the MLS, market trends, location, etc. to give you an accurate property value.

Zillow has some major drawbacks that home sellers should be aware of.

• Unsolicited Calls From Listing Agents: Your information will become an FSBO lead for Listing Agents. You will get numerous unsolicited calls from these agents asking you to list with them.
• Inaccurate Tool: Many users have faced inconveniences in selling their homes due to Zestimate’s inaccuracy.
• Poor Customer Reviews: A staggering number of customers have complained regarding their disappointing experience with Zillow.

Zillow has a rating of  1.1 out of 5 on Consumer Affairs.