Comparing TurboHome and eXp Realty for homebuyers
eXp Realty closes more home sales than any other brokerage in the United States, and it has more licensed agents in Texas than any other brokerage. It runs as a cloud-based brokerage, and its agents work as independent contractors. TurboHome is a much smaller brokerage built around one idea: you keep most of the buyer-agent commission. Both give you a licensed agent. They differ on who that agent works for and on what happens to the commission.
Quick answer
In California and Texas, TurboHome usually returns far more money. At 2.5% buyer-agent compensation, that is about $15,000 on a $1 million home. eXp Realty does not publish a buyer rebate, so any credit depends on the individual agent you hire.
eXp can make sense if you already know and trust a specific eXp agent in your area, since the service you get there depends mostly on that agent.
At a glance
- Who you work withTurboHomeAn employed TurboHome agent in California and Texas. A vetted partner Realtor in other states.eXpAn eXp agent who works as an independent contractor and runs their own business on eXp's platform.
- Money back as a buyerTurboHomeFlat fee, with eligible compensation above it credited to you in CA and TX. 0.5% back with partner agents.eXpNo published buyer rebate. Any credit is negotiated with the individual agent.
- Lender requiredTurboHomeNone. Use any lender or pay cash.eXpNone today. An affiliated mortgage company, Revenos Mortgage, is planned for early 2027.
- Off-market accessTurboHomeMLS listings plus private tours with the listing side's permission.eXpeXp Exclusives, an app where eXp agents share off-market and pre-market listings with each other and their clients.
- Where it worksTurboHomeNationwide, with in-house agents in California and Texas.eXpAll 50 states, with about 8,600 agents in California and 6,900 in Texas.
How eXp Realty works for homebuyers
eXp Realty was No. 1 among US brokerages by transaction sides in 2025, with 343,091 sides, according to RealTrends. The Real Estate Almanac ranks it third by US sales volume, at $155.6 billion with about 63,400 US agents. Worldwide, eXp had 83,060 agents and brokers at the end of 2025.
eXp describes itself as a cloud-based brokerage that serves homebuyers and sellers through a network of independent agents in all 50 states. Agents earn commission splits plus revenue share and equity opportunities, which is a big part of why agents join. In June 2026 its parent company renamed itself AGNT, Inc. and now also owns the NextHome franchise.
Because eXp agents run their own businesses, your experience depends mostly on the agent or team you choose. In California, about 8,600 licensed salespeople work under eXp, and about 6,900 in Texas, the most of any brokerage there, based on September 2026 state license data. eXp does not publish a buyer rebate or a standard buyer fee. What your agent earns is set in your written buyer agreement.
How TurboHome works for homebuyers
TurboHome is a full-service brokerage built on a simple trade: you get a licensed local agent, and you keep most of the buyer-agent commission. In California and Texas, you work with an employed TurboHome agent, not a freelancer or a referral. TurboHome charges a published flat fee based on the home price and credits eligible compensation above that fee to you at closing as cash back.
Outside California and Texas, TurboHome matches you with a partner Realtor who returns 0.5% of the purchase price at closing where state law allows it. Either way, your cash back does not depend on which lender you use, and it works if you pay cash.
What it's like to buy with eXp Realty vs. TurboHome
Day to day, a few differences matter most.
The agent relationship
At eXp you pick an agent or team, and the service reflects that agent's own business, tools, and schedule. With tens of thousands of agents, experience levels vary, so interview a few and ask how many buyers they closed with in your area last year.
TurboHome buyers in California and Texas work with one employed agent from first tour through closing. Private tours are included at no extra cost, with the listing side's permission, and escrow and closing support are part of the same service.
eXp Exclusives and off-market homes
In 2023 eXp launched eXp Exclusives, an app built with Zenlist where eXp agents can share off-market and pre-market listings with other eXp agents and their clients. At launch, eXp said it still sees the MLS as the best way to market most homes.
If off-market homes in one neighborhood matter most to you, ask any agent how they will find homes before they hit the market. Most homes still sell through the MLS, where every TurboHome buyer can see them.
Financial incentives
eXp does not publish a buyer rebate or a lender credit for buyers. In October 2026 eXp and Newrez announced Revenos Mortgage, a joint venture to serve eXp agents and their clients, planned to launch in early 2027. eXp has not published any buyer pricing or credits for it.
TurboHome's cash back and rebates are available no matter who finances your purchase, or whether you pay cash. TurboHome also offers Cash Advantage, which lets you make offers with the speed and certainty of cash even if you are financing.
Where TurboHome and eXp Realty are available
Where TurboHome serves homebuyers
TurboHome has employed agents in California and Texas and works with partner Realtors in every other state. Rebates are restricted in eight states.
- TurboHome in-house agents
- TurboHome partner agents, 0.5% back
- Buyer rebates not allowed
eXp Realty operates in all 50 states, so it is not drawn here.
Both companies can connect you with an agent almost anywhere in the country. TurboHome's employed agents serve buyers in California and Texas. Everywhere else, you work with a TurboHome partner Realtor, who returns 0.5% at closing where state law allows.
eXp operates in all 50 US states and every Canadian province, plus 27 other countries. In California and Texas, where TurboHome's own agents work, eXp has thousands of licensed agents in each state.
In eight states, Alabama, Alaska, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oregon, and Tennessee, buyer commission rebates are banned or restricted, so no brokerage can pay you a rebate there. Iowa allows them under its licensing rules, and Louisiana's Attorney General said in a 2021 opinion that rebates are permitted. See our buyer rebate guide for the rules in each state.
Costs and fees with TurboHome and eXp Realty
Buyer-agent compensation is set in your written buyer agreement and is often paid by the seller. eXp does not publish a standard buyer fee or rebate, so unless your agent agrees otherwise, the commission your eXp agent earns is not returned to you.
Some individual agents at any brokerage will negotiate a credit or a lower fee. If an eXp agent offers one, get it in writing in your buyer agreement. In Texas, TREC rules say an agent needs their sponsoring broker's authorization to offer a rebate, and your lender may need to approve it.
TurboHome buyers in California and Texas pay a flat fee instead of a percentage: $5,000 at $500,000 and below, $10,000 through $1 million, $15,000 through $2 million, $20,000 through $3 million, $30,000 through $4 million, $40,000 through $5 million, and $50,000 from $5,000,001 upward. When the seller offers buyer-agent compensation, TurboHome keeps its flat fee and credits the rest to you at closing. The exact amount depends on the price, compensation offered, lender approval, closing instructions, and state law.
In other states, TurboHome partner agents return 0.5% of the purchase price where the money is available and state law allows it.
What buyers get back at today's median prices
Median sale prices load from TurboHome's market data each time this page is served. Click a city for its full housing market report.
- Median prices:
- 3 months ending September 30, 2026
- 30-year rate:
- 7.40% (week of October 15, 2026)
- CaliforniastatewideMedian sale price$752,837Agent compensation at 2.5%$18,821TurboHome cash back (CA and TX)$8,821eXp buyer rebateNone published
- TexasstatewideMedian sale price$329,054Agent compensation at 2.5%$8,226TurboHome cash back (CA and TX)$3,226eXp buyer rebateNone published
- San FranciscoCAMedian sale price$1,579,248Agent compensation at 2.5%$39,481TurboHome cash back (CA and TX)$24,481eXp buyer rebateNone published
- San JoseCAMedian sale price$1,349,357Agent compensation at 2.5%$33,734TurboHome cash back (CA and TX)$18,734eXp buyer rebateNone published
- Los AngelesCAMedian sale price$1,032,508Agent compensation at 2.5%$25,813TurboHome cash back (CA and TX)$10,813eXp buyer rebateNone published
- San DiegoCAMedian sale price$979,034Agent compensation at 2.5%$24,476TurboHome cash back (CA and TX)$14,476eXp buyer rebateNone published
- SacramentoCAMedian sale price$508,258Agent compensation at 2.5%$12,706TurboHome cash back (CA and TX)$2,706eXp buyer rebateNone published
- PlanoTXMedian sale price$499,762Agent compensation at 2.5%$12,494TurboHome cash back (CA and TX)$7,494eXp buyer rebateNone published
Assumes 2.5% buyer-agent compensation. eXp Realty publishes no standard buyer rebate, so its column shows none. Compensation, lender approval, and state law decide the actual amount. Outside California and Texas, TurboHome partner agents return 0.5%.
How much buyers get back
Estimated cash back at four home prices. TurboHome's cash back grows with the price. eXp Realty publishes no buyer rebate.
- TurboHome cash back (CA and TX)
- TurboHome partner rebate (0.5%)
- eXp published buyer rebate
| Home price | TurboHome cash back (CA and TX) | TurboHome partner rebate (0.5%) | eXp published buyer rebate |
|---|---|---|---|
| $500,000 | $7,500 | $2,500 | $0 |
| $800,000 | $10,000 | $4,000 | $0 |
| $1,000,000 | $15,000 | $5,000 | $0 |
| $1,500,000 | $22,500 | $7,500 | $0 |
Assumes 2.5% buyer-agent compensation. eXp Realty publishes no standard buyer rebate, so its column shows none. Compensation, lender approval, and state law decide the actual amount.
