The Question That Started It All
I recently completed a study using Marketview broker data that revealed something interesting: “discount agents” like us at 1 Percent Lists sell homes faster and for a higher price-to-original-list ratio than our more expensive competitors. This discovery led me to a bigger question: Do top producers outperform the average real estate agent across the board?
So, I compared the top 10% of all agents and the top 10% of all brokerages in the Greater New Orleans market. You might assume you’ll get better results with a top producer, but will you see better financial outcomes? Let’s see what the data says…
Their ability to effectively compel and pitch to clients things that are actually beyond their control determines whether they are a top producer or not. They achieve their status based on their skill at influencing clients, not on delivering superior financial outcomes.
What Really Matters to Homeowners
When selling a home, two quantifiable metrics matter most to homeowners:
- Days on Market (DOM): How long it takes to sell your home after listing
- Sold Price to Original List Price Ratio: How close to your initial asking price you ultimately get
Top producers highlight these metrics when explaining why they deserve premium compensation compared to other agents. They claim their expertise leads to faster sales and better prices.
The Top Producer Myth
While agents can offer varying levels of customer service, they have limited control over how quickly a home sells or how much money it commands. As long as an agent answers their phone and communicates effectively with other agents (sadly, not always a given), the market—not the agent—largely determines sales speed and final price.
What truly separates “top producers” from others often isn’t their ability to influence market outcomes but rather their skill at persuading clients to control factors they cannot. Their success stems more from effective pitching than superior results.
The Internet Rules All
According to the National Association of Realtors study “Real Estate in the Digital Age,” approximately 99% of homebuyers shop online. Only about 1% find homes through open houses, broker tours, or print advertising. This reality significantly limits what any individual agent can do to influence outcomes.
The Data Speaks: My Research Methodology
Using Marketview broker data from 2024 (a paid platform that converts MLS data into analyzable spreadsheets), I:
- Pulled statistics for the top 50 individual agents in our market
- Compiled the same statistics for the top 10 brokerages in the same market
- Removed outliers that would skew results (one agent selling only new construction, for example)
- Analyzed the average DOM and sold-to-original-list price ratio for both groups
The Results: Virtually Identical Performance
Top 50 Individual Producers:
- Average days on the market: 60.04 days
- Average sold price to original list price: 93.5%
Top 10 Brokerages:
- Average days on the market: 62.3 days
- Average sold price to original list price: 92.8%
The difference? The average brokerage sells homes two days slower than top producers while negotiating just 0.7% more off the original list price—$1,925 on an average home. The chart below visually illustrates how top producers, top brokerages, and 1 Percent Lists compare across the key metrics that truly matter to home sellers. As you’ll see, the data speaks for itself:
Where 1 Percent Lists Stands
Now first a shameless plug, the 1 Percent Lists home office actually beat both the top producer average and the top brokerage average with average days on the market of 56 days and an average list price to sold price ratio of 94.2%. That means compared to a 3% commission with the average home we profited our sellers $1,925 more due to selling for a higher price to list and saving them another $5,500 by charging less for a net gain of $7,425, all while selling homes 2 days faster. So if you want the quickest sale and net the most money, hire the discounters.
This is particularly significant because critics often claim “discount brokerages” like ours don’t do enough marketing to sell homes quickly and at top dollar. The data shows otherwise: 1 Percent Lists outperforms the other brokerages and the other top producers by a comfortable margin.
Two of our agents made the top 50 of all producers, and they also both handily beat the average top producer, with Stacia Lamulle selling homes in 46 days for 95.8% of the original list price and Ashley Callahan selling homes in 52 days for 93.5% compared to the original list price.
Another critical point is that while the industry may revere agents and give awards based on production or gross commissions earned, the general public should value agents differently. Think about it: when choosing a financial advisor, you ask about their track record and compare it to the market average or other advisors. You examine their fees to determine if what they’re charging is worth it. If they can’t outperform the broader stock market consistently yet want to charge premium fees, you’d likely look elsewhere.
Why wouldn’t you apply the same standard to real estate agents? When interviewing agents who emphasize their marketing abilities, ask how they perform compared to market averages for days on the market and the original list price to sold price ratio. If they’re unwilling to share those numbers—or, more likely, don’t even know them—make your choice accordingly.
What This Means for Consumers
The internet has revolutionized how we shop for everything, including real estate. Major web portals like Zillow have largely replaced individual agent marketing efforts. Remember during COVID when homes sold in minutes despite the inability to hold open houses or broker tours? That wasn’t agent magic—it was market conditions.
The truth is:
We cannot control the market.
We cannot control when you get an offer.
But an agent promising these undeliverables commands a higher fee.
What You’re Really Paying For
People often say you get what you pay for as a derogatory remark towards companies like ours charging our clients less money. Apparently, you get a faster sold property while saving money on commissions and better final sales price than what you listed it for. Many will argue that it is fair that agents dealing with higher volume might not provide as much of a white glove customer service experience, but you, as a consumer, can decide if that juice is worth the squeeze of a higher commission.
The Bottom Line
Here is what you will get, and here is what you will pay for when it comes to hiring a top producing agent or big name brokerage: Virtually identical results to their peers but inferior to our “discount” real estate brokerage. You may or may not get better responsiveness and customer service. You aren’t going to get any better results reliably.
At 1 Percent Lists, we believe in transparent, data-driven real estate services that put more money in your pocket while delivering superior results. Now you truly know what you are actually paying for, are you actually getting what you pay for? That depends on what you value most: a faster sale with savings or the “premium” experience.
