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HomeLight

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HomeLight

Overall Rating

4.7

712 Customer Reviews

Summary

HomeLight is a service that uses a data-based approach to find the best real estate agents for both home buyers and sellers.

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HomeLight Review: Details, How It Works, Pros and Cons

By Zina Kumok

Updated on: Mar 9, 2020

Trying to sell or buy a home without the help of a real estate agent is like trying to climb Mt. Everest without the help of a Sherpa. Sure, you can try – and you might even succeed – but there's a stronger chance you’ll end up getting lost along the way.

Unless you have previous experience in the real estate industry, it’s just easier to let an agent guide you through the process. They can handle the paperwork, make sure you’re on track to meet important deadlines, facilitate the communication between yourself and the buyer or seller, walk you through the closing process and much more.

But how do you find the right agent? Traditional wisdom says to ask around your social circle for a quality recommendation, but some companies are trying to simplify that process. By compiling a database of available agents, these services play matchmaker between buyers, sellers, and real estate professionals.

Homelight is one such service, pairing buyers and sellers with agents since 2012. Here’s a rundown of how it works, how Homelight can help and whether or not the service is worth trying out.

What Is HomeLight?

HomeLight is a San Francisco-based startup that uses a data-based approach to find the best real estate agents for both home buyers and sellers.

HomeLight connects consumers to real estate agents the way Zillow connects consumers to homes. Prospective buyers and sellers go on the site, enter their information and are matched with agents who best fit their needs.

The site claims that the overall list of agents is unbiased and based on an algorithm. In other words, agents can’t pay money to show up in a search.

However, if you receive an email from HomeLight with a list of two or three agents, those agents have likely agreed to pay HomeLight a 25% referral fee.

HomeLight provides a lot of data about their agents, which is great for anyone who wants to take a scientific approach to the homebuying process. For instance, home sellers can view how much over asking the seller got and how long the houses were on the market before they sold.

Other stats include how many transactions they’ve facilitated in previous years, which specific homes they bought or sold and the average transaction value. You can also read reviews from past customers.

There’s no fee to use HomeLight for buyers or sellers. The company makes money by charging a 25% referral fee from real estate agents, which is fairly standard for real estate brokers.

HomeLight includes independent agents, local firms and agents from national companies like Coldwell Banker, Century 21, Sotheby’s, Keller Williams, Berkshire Hathaway Home Services and Re/Max.

They also include agents who are members of the National Association of Realtors, a trade association obligated to uphold a certain ethical code.

It’s still a good idea to vet any agents yourself by searching on Facebook, Google, and Yelp. One of the real estate agents selected for me had all five-star reviews on HomeLight, but a 4.7 rating on Google. This isn’t a huge difference, but it still shows a slight discrepancy between HomeLight and more objective third-party sites.

How the Home Buying and Selling Process Works

The process is similar whether you’re buying or selling a home. If you’re buying a house, input the zip code or city you’re interested in. HomeLight lets you choose between the following property types:

  • Single-family
  • Condominium
  • Townhouse
  • Mobile home
  • Commercial
  • Vacant lot

After that, you’ll pick the price range that best fits your budget. This ranges from $140,000 or less to $665,000 or more. Finally, you’ll decide how quickly you want to buy, starting from ASAP to more than a year out.

To sell a house, enter the home’s address and answer some questions, like what you think the home is worth and how quickly you want to sell.

For both home buyers and sellers, you have to enter your email address and phone number to get a list of agents.

HomeLight’s Simple Sale service connects sellers to cash buyers. This eliminates the need for staging, showing or any of the other tedious chores that typically come with selling a home. This process is much faster, and sellers can choose their own closing date. The Simple Sale option works best for those who need to sell quickly and have already moved away from the area.

The price range for Simple Sale is much lower because it excludes buyers who will need a mortgage to buy the property. Again, this is only viable if you need to move immediately.

HomeLight Loans

HomeLight also provides home loans for new purchases in the following states:

  • Arizona
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Florida
  • Oregon
  • Pennsylvania
  • Texas
  • Washington

You can enter your email address to be notified when HomeLight loans are available in your area.

HomeLight says they have a 21-day closing guarantee and claim to have never missed a closing date. They also don’t charge any lending fees and can complete the underwriting process within 24 hours. They’re supposedly working on offering refinance loans in the future.

Currently, HomeLight’s rates are very competitive with the national market. A $250,000 home in Denver, Colorado with 5% down would have a 3.625% interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate loan. The APR was 3.936%, which includes all final fees.

Rates from NerdWallet for the same amount and length ranged from 4.147% APR to 4.922% APR. The average rate for a 30-year loan was 3.84%.

Looking at HomeLight for a mortgage can be a good start, but you should still contact other banks and lenders to get their rates. You never know who can offer the best interest rate or lowest closing fees. For example, HomeLight doesn’t seem to offer 15-year loans, so if that’s what you’re interested in, you should look at another lender.

Home Estimates

Like Zillow and Trulia, HomeLight provides a free estimate of your home’s current value. They ask for the address, when it was built, its current condition and more. Unlike Zillow or Trulia, you have to give out your email address and phone number to get a result.

When I input the information about my house, HomeLight said my home is worth between $192,028 to $237,734. Zillow approximates the home’s worth at $196,770, while Trulia gives a quote of $196,064. Our home was recently appraised for $180,000, which is how much we bought it for in 2018.

The range from HomeLight seems incredibly high, especially since few homes in our neighborhood have sold for more than $200,000.

Positives

Using HomeLight can speed up the process of researching and picking an agent. This is especially useful if you’re moving to a new city quickly and don’t have time to scour different forums and lists to find an agent.

HomeLight is also a reputable service. They have an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau with more than 600 reviews.

The company also has a social mission aspect. They donate between $500 to $800 every time someone buys a home through HomeLight. The money goes to an organization that helps mothers in India fix or build a home for their family.

Negatives

Some of the complaints about Homelight on the BBB website are from customers who say they were flooded with phone calls. This is similar to other services that take your number and distribute it to third parties. So far this is the only major downside I’ve found.

HomeLight compiles a list of most agents in your area, but it’s not clear how comprehensive that list is. Also, you may only be matched with real estate agents who have agreed to split a commission with HomeLight. In this sense, it’s not a complete listing of all qualified local agents.

The Bottom Line

It can be extremely annoying to be pestered with calls, and Homelight is definitely guilty of this. Since testing out the service, I’ve received daily phone calls, emails and text messages both from HomeLight and their recommended agents. Most people are already inundated with robocalls and other forms of spam these days, so any extra solicitation is likely unwelcome.

However, I’ve heard from other people that this is how most real estate agents act, following up relentlessly until they get your business. That professional tenacity is pretty annoying when you’re trying to decide which agent to choose, but it will be a blessing once you’ve made your choice.

HomeLight can be helpful if you’re new to the area, don’t know any real estate agents and don’t have the time or desire to find them yourself. Any agent you find through Homelight is likely to be competent, so it’s probably a safe enough bet for just about anyone.

If you have friends and family with strong recommendations, you might be better off taking their advice. This is especially true if they live in the area you’re moving to or away from, as many agents tend to specialize in a select number of neighborhoods.

Customer Reviews

4.7 Stars out of 712 Reviews
5 Star:90% 4 Star:3% 3 Star:0% 2 Star:0% 1 Star:5%
94% Recommend This Company
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Posted on Mar 7, 2023

HomeLight saved the day

By Caven O., Nevada, Verified Reviewer

I would recommend HomeLight to anyone who wanted to do a buy/sell transaction. They made it easy by hooking us up with a top-selling real estate agent in our area.

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Helpful Review? 1 Person Has Voted

Posted on Sep 11, 2021

HomeLight is a great company

By John O., Elkhart, IN, Verified Reviewer

Thanks to HomeLight I found a real estate agent that did everything he said he would, guided us through an unusual sale, and we received top dollar on the price of our home. We were more than pleased!

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Helpful Review? 1 Person Has Voted

Posted on Sep 10, 2021

HomeLight experience brightens my day!

By Jose S., Orlando, FL, Verified Reviewer

My HomeLight experience was pleasant and straightforward. They made my real estate transaction so simple. The ease of contact via the web portal and professional assistance via the phone made the process so much easier. With a background in real estate, I have seen what other title companies can do to complicate and make some transactions painful at times. HomeLight made my life so much easier. I highly recommend HomeLight to anyone needing to close on their home or property.

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Pros and Cons

Professionalism

Stress free

Seamless integration with all parties (realtor, surveyor, etc.)

No “cons” were specified in this review

Posted on Aug 31, 2021

Home buying, selling, and realtor resource

By Leslie R., Deptford, NJ, Verified Reviewer

I saw a commercial for HomeLight, as well as it being part of my employee benefits, so I decided to give them a try. HomeLight made it easy to find the top real estate agents in my area.

I selected three agents to interview from the recommendations and decided on one. The agent got to work quickly and I felt confident in his ability. The process from beginning to end was, quick, easy, and stress-free. My home went under contract just 3 days after listing and I could not be more pleased!

HomeLight also provided selling resources like staging ideas, photography, and stress relievers. Overall, excellent resources for first-timers and seasonal buyers.

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Pros and Cons

Quick turnaround time for realtor referrals

Friendly customer services representatives

Easy to use website and dashboard

Technical issues weren't resolved quickly

Posted on Aug 28, 2021

Was contacted by three of the top realtors in Tallahassee. Sold house for $10K above asking price.

By Christian F., Saint Cloud, FL, Verified Reviewer

I did an internet search on local realtors a couple of months before I planned to sell my house. One of the links I saw was for HomeLight which I really just planned to use to see who was available in my area and maybe do some internet research on. I ended up going through the process and the HomeLight website told me that three realtors were going to be contacting me.

To be honest that wasn’t what I originally wanted to use the website for. I was just doing research and planned to wait a month before contacting realtors. But I decided to just roll with it. I received my first phone call about 20 minutes afterwards. Then the other two not long after. I set up an appointment to meet the three realtors one on one the following week, I believe.

The interviews went well. The three realtors ended up being three of the top realtors in Tallahassee the past few years.

Two of the realtors offered to work together and split the work/commission. They handled pretty much everything, including cleanup/repairs. We were in rough agreement on the asking price and ended up selling for about $10k more and the buyer took care of most of the closing costs.

I moved out a few weeks before the house went on the market so the only responsibilities I had were to sign docs during closing. All in all, it was a great experience for me. I didn't have any issues and both the realtors were exceptional and professional.

I’d use HomeLight were I ever in need of a realtor again.

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Pros and Cons

Website easy to use

Quick turn around on realtor contact

Wording could be a bit more clear that HomeLight would be immediately connecting with realtors

Posted on Aug 24, 2021

HomeLight review

By Michael M., Delray Beach, FL, Verified Reviewer

We were satisfied with our use of HomeLight to close the recent sale of my mother’s home. The notaries they provided were very professional, cordial, and quite thorough.

We were not as satisfied with the performance of the realtor they recommended, but we cannot fault HomeLight for that. While the realtor got her home sold, they presented issues with communication and did not follow through with offers of assistance their original agent promised (we learned they terminated his employment a week after we listed with them).

Overall, our experience with HomeLight was positive and we were very satisfied with their services.

Length of Use: 3–6 months

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Pros and Cons

Response

Efficiency

Notaries

No “cons” were specified in this review

Posted on Aug 23, 2021

HomeLight - US News and World Report

By David B., Winter Park, FL, Verified Reviewer

When I was looking at buying a home and selling my townhouse, I researched top realtors in my area. I was happy to find in a US News and World Report a list of realtors compiled by HomeLight. I inquired further and HomeLight contacted me immediately and was able to have several realtors call me who met HomeLight's standards. I am very pleased with the realtor choices they sent me knowing that they meet the standards to end up in a US News and World Report article!

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Pros and Cons

List of standards realtors need to meet

Realtors called me

Variety of realtors to choose from

A little inundated with phone calls

Posted on Aug 19, 2021

Best resource to find the best real estate agents

By Jay J., Hayward, CA, Verified Reviewer

I recently used HomeLight to find the best real estate firm and agent to sell my elderly aunt's home. I was not from the area, living 2,000 miles away, I did not have a list of know good agents to call, nor did I have a lot of time to search. I stumbled upon HomeLight through a Google search and thought I would try them out as they had a lot of easy-to-use tools to make my agent search fast and painless. I knew exactly the type of firm and agent that would work best for my scenario but not who to call. They made my search easy, and put me in touch with three great firms to talk to. In 24 hours I interviewed three great firms, and selected the right agency and agent. The house, which was build in 1955 and never had been updated and needed a few repairs (which my agent handled as part of the listing), staged the house and was sold over list and closed in 10 days. Such a breath of fresh air to make a stressful situation easy and better than I would ever have imagined. I have bought and sold 17 homes in my lifetime thus far, and the HomeLight resources are the best shortcut to a happy ending I have seen!

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Pros and Cons

Great list of agencies and agents in their database and fantastic sort criteria to find the best ones for me!

Hard to believe they did not have a sign-up fee for their services, it was too good to believe.

They did not hound me after I signed up, just informative emails on how to get the most out of their services!

No “cons” were specified in this review

Posted on Aug 19, 2021

A bit pushy

By Jillian M., Citrus Heights, CA, Verified Reviewer

Honestly, if I hadn't found my agent through HomeLight, I would have found him through Zillow. He was a very good match for my needs of selling a house in Citrus Heights, California. I did like the fact that HomeLight had vetted all of the agents, as well.

In the beginning, I had a lot of issues because even though I had already connected with an agent, your service continued to suggest other agents and have them contact me. It was actually very annoying that so many people were contacting me.

The website was relatively easy to use. I don't like the fact that selling a house and buying a house seemed very, very separate on your website. I felt like I had to input all my information twice. I also felt like it was misrepresented as just an agent matching service when really you were pushing the option to sell my house to HomeLight directly.

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend

Pros and Cons

Vetted real estate agents

Contacted me too much

Posted on Aug 18, 2021

Excellent guidance for home buying and selling, as well as selecting the right realtor

By Stephanie F., Texas, Verified Reviewer

I was contacted by HomeLight when I was considering the sale of my home. They immediately referred two top-selling agents in my area. I chose one and the experience was very positive from initial contact to ultimate sale. The agent provided regular market analysis so I could determine the best time to sell. HomeLight continued to provide invaluable educational information about a full range of factors relating to the real estate process. I would highly recommend HomeLight and the HomeLight organization.

Length of Use: 3–6 months

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Pros and Cons

Knowledge of real estate market conditions

Ability to refer top selling agents in my market

Professionalism

No “cons” were specified in this review

Posted on Aug 16, 2021

HomeLight got it done!

By Stacy M., Charlotte, NC, Verified Reviewer

We were looking to sell our home, contacted HomeLight, and got it done fast! I called HomeLight and they matched me with several buyers to choose from. We chose a buyer and were very satisfied with the terms and we sold our house! I definitely recommend HomeLight to anyone looking to sell their home!

Length of Use: Less than 3 months

Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend

Pros and Cons

The quickness with which they matched us with a buyer

The ease of contact with the buyer

The short time frame everything took

No “cons” were specified in this review

Helpful Review? 1 Person Has Voted
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