OpenAgent Review 5 Reasons to Avoid OpenAgent
Note: This is an opinion piece regarding Open Agent services. The reader should do their own research and come to their own conclusions regard the services provided by OpenAgent.
Well Open Agent have got themselves more funding, and are pushing even harder into the real estate arena, so I think it’s about time that a professional like myself pushes back and gives these guys a bit of a reality check. Not everything is as it seems on their ads..
If you don’t know who OpenAgent are, have a quick read here to get the gist.

Open Agent Review 5 Reasons to Avoid Open Agent
Just one more thing to keep in mind. OpenAgent claims it “makes everything so easy” but the reality is, the only thing OpenAgent provides you with is a short list of agents.
Once you get this list, you will still need to:
- contact the agents
- interview the agents
- get appraisals on your home
- negotiate fees
- decide on an advertising budget
- make a decision on who to use
The fee OpenAgent charges seems like a lot to pay for what is basically a simple list.
I know which company I’d choose.
Summary : OpenAgent Review 5 Reasons to Avoid OpenAgent
If you do decide to use OpenAgent, then understand 2 things:
- If the agent recommended to you chooses to absorb OpenAgents 20% fee, then you know for sure that if you had approached the agent directly you could have saved yourself $5000 (based on the above example) by negotiating the commission. Obviously this agent needs the listings ans is happy to work for 20% less!
- If the agent chooses not to absorb the 20% OpenAgent fee and passes this on to you, well, you’ve just paid $5000 for a list. Oww
If I were to suggest a better use of OpenAgent’s services (and the list they provide) perhaps use this list as a guide to which agents in your area it might be wise to avoid.
“Open Agent collect a mix of verified / unverified agent reviews from the public, combine this with readily available sales data, to create a short list of the best agents in your area (but only from those agents that have agreed to deal with OpenAgent). For this service OA charge the agent 20% of their commission on successful sale, which, at the agents discretion, may or may not be passed on to the seller. PS please note OA do not guarantee these recommended agents are actually the best agents in your area”
Doesn’t really sell very well does it?
OpenAgent Review 5 Reasons to Avoid OpenAgent
Note: To OpenAgents credit, they now openly discuss the fees they charge agents for their services. When I wrote my first review about them, this was not the case, and it was almost impossible to verify just what they were actually charging.
Note to Real Estate Agents
Your face will automatically be shown by default on the Open Agent website.
If you don’t wish to be associated with OpenAgent, you need to actually contact them and tell them to remove your details. Even if you don’t accept referrals from them, you face will still appear in the list of agents for your area. This strategy by OpenAgent would appear to be attempt to legitimize their services by showing every Agents face, even those that refuse listings from them.
OpenAgent Review 5 Reasons to Avoid OpenAgent