Texas Brokerage Comparison: Public Facts and What Agents Say

The short version

Use this page as a map. Every guide linked here follows the same template, so you can compare brokerages on the same points.

We do not rate any brokerage. The Bauer Group is also a brokerage, so we compete with the companies listed. Read with that in mind.

Education only, not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm licensing rules with TREC.

Start with the models

The model decides who sets fees, who trains you and who owns the client. Read these first.

• The six types of brokerages explained
• Cloud and revenue share brokerages
• Discount and low-fee brokerages
• National franchise brokerages
• Team-led brokerages
• Traditional, cloud and team models compared
• Which brokerage type fits a new agent?

Brokerage profiles

Each profile lists public facts, how the company describes its model, and questions to ask. The type shown is how the guide describes the company, not a ranking.

Side by side comparison

Our guide Fathom vs Real vs LPT puts three lower-fee models in one table, using only public facts.

How to read what you find

Reviews help you ask questions. They do not tell you whether a brokerage fits you. Read how to read brokerage reviews before you rely on any.

Questions that apply to every brokerage

Ask the same questions of each one. Get the answers in writing.

• Who is my sponsoring broker, and how do I reach them?
• What is every fee I would pay in my first year?
• What training is there in my first 90 days, and who gives it?
• How do leads reach agents, if at all, and at what cost?
• Who owns the client and the listing?
• What happens to my pending deals if I leave?
• How and when am I paid after closing?
• Can I talk to two or three agents who joined in the last year?

How to use this hub in four steps

Step one: write down your first-year needs, such as coaching, a lower cost, a nearby office or steady clients. Step two: read the model explainers and mark which models raise questions you care about. Step three: read the profiles for two or three brokerages. Step four: send each one the same questions and compare the written answers.

This takes a few evenings. It is slower than picking the brand you know, but it gives you facts you can check.

Words you will see in the guides

Brokerage guides use some terms that are easy to mix up. Here is what we mean by each.

• Split: how a commission is divided between the agent and the brokerage.
• Cap: a limit on what an agent pays the brokerage in a set period, if a plan has one.
• Revenue share: a program that pays agents based on the activity of other agents they bring in, if a company offers one.
• Franchise: a business model where local owners run offices under a national brand and set many of their own terms.
• Sponsoring broker: the licensed broker who sponsors a sales agent under Texas law.
• Desk fee: a regular charge for using a brokerage, where one applies.

How to compare two guides fairly

Open two profiles side by side. Check that you are looking at the same kind of fact in each: a published fee against a published fee, or a company description against a company description. Do not compare a number from one company against a feeling about another.

If one guide has a fact and the other has a gap, the gap does not mean the second company lacks it. It may mean we could not read the source. Ask the company for the missing item in writing.

Who should read the reviews, and who should not

Reviews can raise good questions, but they can also pull you toward a loud story. If you read reviews, read many, note the dates, and turn each strong claim into a question for the brokerage. If you would rather not read them, you can rely on the written terms alone. Both are fine, as long as you get the terms in writing.

What to bring to a conversation with a recruiter

Bring your list of needs, your chart of questions and a note of anything you read that you want to check. Ask the recruiter to answer in an email afterward. Notice whether the answers match what was said on the call. If something changes between the call and the email, ask why.

Take your time. A brokerage that is a good fit will still be a good fit after a week of careful reading.

What the guides do not cover

Some brokerages are not here yet. We only add a guide when we can read primary sources, such as SEC filings or the company's own pages. Where a company site was not readable, we skipped it instead of guessing. Where we could not read review pages, each guide says review data was limited.

Terms change. Every guide shows the date we checked it. Check the company directly before you decide.

Check the sponsoring broker role

In Texas, a sales agent must be sponsored by a broker, whatever the model. See what a sponsoring broker is and how to choose a brokerage in Texas.

How we wrote this

This hub adds no new facts. It links to guides that cite SEC filings, company pages and TREC pages checked October 14 and 15, 2026. We left out any fact we could not read from a primary source.

If you see an error, write to agents@joinbauergroup.com. We apply corrections within 2 business days.

Comparing options?

Ask any brokerage the same questions. Our guides on choosing a brokerage in Texas and working on a team or solo can help you set up your list.