Comparing TurboHome and Real Brokerage for homebuyers
The Real Brokerage, usually called Real, is one of the fastest-growing brokerages in the country. It started in Texas in 2014, runs on its own technology platform instead of a traditional office network, and in August 2026 combined with RE/MAX under a new parent, Real REMAX Group. 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 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. Real does not publish a buyer rebate, so any credit depends on the individual agent you hire.
Real can make sense if you already know and trust a specific Real agent, or you want one company to also handle your mortgage and title in the states where its affiliates operate.
At a glance
- Who you work withTurboHomeAn employed TurboHome agent in California and Texas. A vetted partner Realtor in other states.RealA Real agent who works on Real's reZEN platform, on their own or as part of a team.
- Money back as a buyerTurboHomeFlat fee, with eligible compensation above it credited to you in CA and TX. 0.5% back with partner agents.RealNo published buyer rebate. Any credit is negotiated with the individual agent.
- Lender requiredTurboHomeNone. Use any lender or pay cash.RealNone published. Real has an affiliated mortgage broker, One Real Mortgage.
- Title and escrowTurboHomeNo affiliated title company. Escrow and closing support are included in the service.RealAn affiliated title and escrow company, One Real Title, in 20 states including California and Texas.
- Where it worksTurboHomeNationwide, with in-house agents in California and Texas.RealAll 50 states and DC, with about 5,400 agents in California and 3,400 in Texas.
How Real Brokerage works for homebuyers
Real ranked No. 5 among US brokerages by both sales volume and transaction sides in 2025, according to RealTrends. The Real Estate Almanac puts its 2025 US sales volume at $65.2 billion across 131,047 sides, with about 29,100 US agents. By mid-2026 the company reported 35,348 agents, up 26% from a year earlier.
Real calls itself a real estate technology company. Its agents use reZEN, Real's own software for managing transactions and commissions, and an AI assistant called Leo CoPilot. Agents earn commissions plus revenue share and equity incentives, and they can work on their own or in teams without relying on a physical office. On August 24, 2026, Real completed its combination with RE/MAX Holdings, and both now sit under Real REMAX Group Inc.
Because Real agents run their own businesses, your experience depends mostly on the agent or team you choose. In California, about 5,400 licensed salespeople work under Real, and about 3,400 in Texas, based on September 2026 state license data. Real 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 Real Brokerage vs. TurboHome
Day to day, a few differences matter most.
The agent relationship
At Real you pick an agent or team, and the service reflects that agent's own business. Real's tools are built for agents, so what you see as a buyer is mostly your agent's own communication and follow-through. Interview a few agents 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.
Mortgage and title under one roof
Real runs two affiliated businesses buyers may be offered. One Real Mortgage is a licensed mortgage broker in 30 states and Washington, D.C., including California and Texas. One Real Title offers title and escrow services in 20 states, also including California and Texas. Real has not published a buyer discount or credit for using either one.
You can compare any affiliated lender or title company with outside quotes. TurboHome's cash back works no matter who finances your purchase, or whether you pay cash, and Cash Advantage lets you make offers with the speed and certainty of cash even if you are financing.
What the RE/MAX deal means for buyers
Real bought RE/MAX Holdings in a deal valued at about $880 million, and the combined company trades on Nasdaq as REAX. RE/MAX is a franchise brand, so a RE/MAX office and a Real agent can share a parent company while running as separate businesses.
For a buyer, the key questions stay the same. Which agent will you work with, how are they paid, and will any of that money come back to you? Ask for those answers in writing before you sign a buyer agreement.
Where TurboHome and Real Brokerage 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
Real operates in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., 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.
Real operates a licensed brokerage in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and six Canadian provinces. Texas is where it started in 2014, and it now has thousands of licensed agents in both Texas and California.
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 Real Brokerage
Buyer-agent compensation is set in your written buyer agreement and is often paid by the seller. Real does not publish a standard buyer fee or rebate, so unless your agent agrees otherwise, the commission your Real agent earns is not returned to you.
Some individual agents at any brokerage will negotiate a credit or a lower fee. If a Real 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)
- Californiastatewide (last saved)Median sale price$752,837Agent compensation at 2.5%$18,821TurboHome cash back (CA and TX)$8,821Real buyer rebateNone published
- Texasstatewide (last saved)Median sale price$329,054Agent compensation at 2.5%$8,226TurboHome cash back (CA and TX)$3,226Real buyer rebateNone published
- San FranciscoCA (last saved)Median sale price$1,579,248Agent compensation at 2.5%$39,481TurboHome cash back (CA and TX)$24,481Real buyer rebateNone published
- San JoseCA (last saved)Median sale price$1,349,357Agent compensation at 2.5%$33,734TurboHome cash back (CA and TX)$18,734Real buyer rebateNone published
- Los AngelesCA (last saved)Median sale price$1,032,508Agent compensation at 2.5%$25,813TurboHome cash back (CA and TX)$10,813Real buyer rebateNone published
- San DiegoCA (last saved)Median sale price$979,034Agent compensation at 2.5%$24,476TurboHome cash back (CA and TX)$14,476Real buyer rebateNone published
- SacramentoCA (last saved)Median sale price$508,258Agent compensation at 2.5%$12,706TurboHome cash back (CA and TX)$2,706Real buyer rebateNone published
- PlanoTX (last saved)Median sale price$499,762Agent compensation at 2.5%$12,494TurboHome cash back (CA and TX)$7,494Real buyer rebateNone published
Assumes 2.5% buyer-agent compensation. Real Brokerage 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%. Some figures are the last saved values because the live data was unavailable.
How much buyers get back
Estimated cash back at four home prices. TurboHome's cash back grows with the price. Real Brokerage publishes no buyer rebate.
- TurboHome cash back (CA and TX)
- TurboHome partner rebate (0.5%)
- Real published buyer rebate
| Home price | TurboHome cash back (CA and TX) | TurboHome partner rebate (0.5%) | Real 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. Real Brokerage publishes no standard buyer rebate, so its column shows none. Compensation, lender approval, and state law decide the actual amount.
