I felt compelled to write a review after my very positive buy + sale experience with RealDirect.com. This is the first time I have ever written a review - anywhere - so I hope it is helpful to those reading. First, a bit about myself and personal experience. I was mainly just tooling around, looking to both buy a new apartment and sell my existing place but not overly serious about the entire affair. I read about RealDirect in the New York Times and thought - what the heck - my downside is limited (on the buy side) so let's give them a shot as I'm looking for a new place... I don't need that much hand-holding! Second, their web site describes all of the functionality and advantages of the "direct" model so I won't bother rehashing or discussing all of those merits - you can and should read all the FAQs and information for yourself. Many people say that this may or may not be "right" for you, or people in different circumstances... but I kinda disagree. If you like saving money - and I mean a lot of money - you would be foolish not to at least *try* RealDirect and their service. I don't understand how people can pay away 6% of probably the largest transaction of their lives and not at least attempt to reduce that cost. I'm giving RealDirect the highest 5-star rating because they actually deliver on the direct model. You can talk about the savings to death, but if a firm fails to execute, those savings are just theoretical and will never materialize. On my buy experience, it was really easy using all the various web tools (Streeteasy, NYTimes, individual broker sites, buyfolio, etc.) to compile a list of apartments that fit my search criteria. Doug was very helpful setting up aggregation services, contacting other (sometimes difficult) brokers to set up appointments, explaining pros/cons of various apartments/brokers/listings/etc. and helping me organize my open house blitz. Within a month, I found a very appealing apartment and was already in contract. Whoops! That meant I needed to sell my place too, so I thought again, why not continue? With a twinge of fear, I prepared my place for listing and signed up to sell my place on RealDirect. Here's where things went very smoothly... Doug was very helpful taking all the experiences from my buy side (look at this place, they did this well, this is wrong with this listing, you're better off doing this, do this in your listing text, etc.) and folding them in to create the most effective apartment listing possible. I used the "a la carte" service, took photos, went through the clean, excellent web interface to type in my info, and had my info up within a few hours. Quickly it replicated to all the other outlets (NYTimes, Streeteasy, RealDirect, REBNY, etc.) and I was up and running. I had one open house, four private showings, and the apartment sold five days after I listed. Now I know I'm making this sound very easy... it was a lot of hard work and I had to list at the right offering price. All I'm saying is that RealDirect technology was very easy to use, very effective, and Doug was super transparent and helpful along the entire journey. You get a tremendous amount of real estate experience, good technology and access to all the listing sites, effective and helpful recommendations and suggestions... Doug's interests are always aligned with yours. You can't ask for much more than that. I echo the other reviews on this site. Yes, RealDirect's web site and software platform is slick, connected, and easy to use. That's very important. But Doug and his team take that software functionality much farther through transparent, honest service. Five stars from me, it's a no brainer. And I hope to use this company again if or when I make another move in the area! read more

We were new to NYC, but not new to home purchasing. We quickly discovered that the NYC market was unlike any other in the country. We researched thoroughly the options available to us for realtor/brokers. After interviewing several brokers, we chose to use Real Direct for our co-op purchase. This was the best decision we could have made. From the offer to the closing, Doug and his team were always available. After closing, we needed to do a kitchen renovation. We contacted Doug for contractor suggestions. He put us in touch with a referral company (Sweeten) that was top notch. We were able to complete our reno, on time and on budget. After such a great experience, there was no doubt that we would use Real Direct again, for our co-op sale. We used the monthly plan along with 3% commission for agent. We were under contract within 21 days. Again, superior service (thanks for recommending the professional photos used for the MLS ) and follow-up by Doug and his team. They were always just a text or email away. We highly recommend. read more

RealDirect has been my partner of choice for four separate apartment sales. In each instance, they provided me with the platform, data, support and listing exposure to get my properties sold while saving me over $100K in total commissions. RealDirect's listing platform is efficient, intuitive and easy to use. They made sure my listings were distributed to all the places where potential buyers would be searching (ROLEX, Streeteasy, NYTimes, etc.) and unlike any other service, their system allowed buyers to schedule property showings online. They also provided me with real-time stats about how many people were viewing my listings and valuable recommendations to help me sell. As incredible as RealDirect's technology is, their company is also really about the people. Their team was there to help when I needed it, and provided valuable feedback throughout the process. I would work with RealDirect again and can enthusiastically recommend them to anyone looking for a smart, efficient and cost-effective way to buy or sell a home in NYC. read more

I have worked with RealDirect to sell and buy homes in New York City. On the buy side, their deal structure provided a competitive advantage because I knew I would be getting a percentage of the sale price as a rebate at closing. On the sell side, I sold my apartment in less than 30 days by showing it myself using the "owner-managed plan." The cost savings were huge. Instead of paying 6% of the sales price to brokers, I paid 2.5% to the buyer's broker and a flat fee of $395 to Real Direct for one month. They were tremendously helpful with the sale - vetting potential buyers with me, helping with final negotiations, etc. Beyond the numbers, RealDirect's owner/founder Doug, and its agents, are consummate professionals. They are knowledgeable, responsive, ethical, and will be there for you as much, or as little, as you wish. I can't recommend them highly enough. read more

I used RealDirect to sell my condo in Brooklyn. For me, as a former real estate agent, I knew I wanted to have full control of the listing, showing and negotiation process for my home, and I certainly wanted to avoid paying 6% or anything close to it in broker fees. I also work in the industry and didn't want to have to choose a specific agent to list with. RealDirect served my needs. And for the price of a one month listing on one of the main lead gen sites where you need to be, I was able to get listed everywhere including the rebny mls, and because I was listed with RealDirect and no longer an unrepresented FSBO, it prevented listing agents from pitching me all the time. Recommended highly for people who want to own the selling process. read more

Real Direct offers a great web enabled service that helps you buy or sell your apartment using either the traditional brokerage model or for a more self-service approach, reducing the cost paid to brokers (they actually rebate back part of the cost back to you when you are a purchaser from a seller that is represented by a broker). I opted for the self-service package and had a great experience both as a buyer and a seller of an apartment. Doug and his team were extremely knowledgeable and helped me through the purchase and sale process, even when I used the self-service package (I did not retain their full service brokerage model). I highly recommend Real Direct to anyone in NYC looking to purchase or sell an apartment. read more

RealDirect was the perfect solution for me. I saved $60,000+ in broker fees by using this terrific, innovative solution. I'm the kind of seller who is comfortable with showing my own apartment, but needed a bit of assistance with knowing exactly how to approach price negotiation. That's where Doug Perlson came in. He is extremely knowledgeable in all aspects of real estate sales... he assisted me with recommendations for the listing price, photographers, floor plan layout and advised me at every step along the way, but also made me feel comfortable with following my own intuition. I would highly recommend him and RealDirect. Everything went smoothly with my apartment sale, and his positive demeanor was the key to it all. read more

Real Direct offers a great way to buy and sell homes or people who are willing to do some leg work on their own, and want to save money. We staged our home ourselves, Real Direct helped us with photography and listed it for us, and we manned the open houses, spoke to interested people etc. When we needed guidance on negotiations, co-op board approval, and other nitty gritty stuff, they were super responsive and right there with us. Working with Real Direct saved us a ton of money, and we also used them to buy a home a few months later, again, doing some leg work ourselves, in order to save a big chunk of change. I highly recommend Doug and his team. read more

Doug and his team was extremely professional. Despite the fact that I only used their flat-monthly-fee-for-self-listing service, they provided so much more service than I had expected. They helped me price the apartment for sale. It was clear to me from the beginning that he does his homework and is very knowledgeable about the Manhattan real estate market. His pricing strategy was spot on. Our apartment received several bids within two weeks and was eventually sold above asking. He helped guide me through the negotiation process, especially in handling the "best and final" bidding process. I would recommend him to anyone. read more

I had a very positive experience and enjoyed big savings by selling my downtown Manhattan two-bedroom apartment using the services of RealDirect. I used their owner managed program and paid a monthly fee in return for getting tremendous online exposure for my listing. Doug, Carol and Aimee also provided valuable support and sound advice on an as-needed basis during the process of showing the apartment and negotiating with buyers and buyers' brokers. As far as I can tell RealDirect offers a unique service. I would not hesitate to use them again or to recommend them to others. read more

I utilized the full brokerage services of RealDirect (and Doug Perlson) to sell my co-op in 2014, and, under challenging circumstances, found them to be honest, diligent, and effective, resulting in multiple bids, including above the asking price. While most sellers will likely use RealDirect as a listing agent only, to save on brokerage commissions, anyone seeking full brokerage services should not hesitate to use RealDirect, which is comprised of professional, hard-working, good people. A rarity these days. read more

I listed my penthouse with RealDirect in 2012 in order to get on the MLS listings in NY city. It was FSBO, a for sale by owner and RealDirect enabled me to reach a much broader audience. I was in contact with Kumar Laidley, as well as Doug Perlson, the CEO. They always replied right away and I was very pleased to have full ask offers in the first week and a signed contract in just two weeks and then closed in three months, after ok'd by the co-op board. Would highly recommend to the do-it-youselfer! read more

Doug and his team (Aimee and Kumar at that time) were fantastic with the whole process of selling my condo, from answering my many questions, to dealing with my eccentric building manager, sleazy board president, and crazy seller's broker (seriously, think the phrase used was "what a cast of characters on this deal!") They were patient and quick to respond and of course I wasn't their only client. I would work with Doug and RealDirect again! read more

I used real direct to help me sell my Co-Op in Chelsea, which just closed. I had a very good experience. Their software platform is excellent, but their customer service was the key for me. I felt like I was getting honest, knowledgeable, and unbiased advice. Doug and the crew at real direct gave me the tools to sell my own apartment. I saved a lot on commissions and I sold the place for a very good price. read more

My wife and I used RealDirect to sell our apartment in Union Square, and we could not have been happier with the results. Doug and his team were responsive to every question we had, and they helped us navigate the sale from start to finish. They even met with our buyer to review his board package (as he did not have an agent), going above and beyond the call of duty. I highly recommend RealDirect. read more

From the moment we met, it was clear that Doug had a great feel for the area and my apartment value. As a remote seller, it was important for me to have a trusting relationship with his team, and they were very communicative and responsive to my questions. I was kept informed every step of the way, and the process could not be smoother. Cannot recommend Doug and his RealDirect team enough! read more

Great company. Helped us sell our co-op apartment and buy another one: you do the legwork and save yourself a ton of money. Doug is really filling a gap in the market; people who are willing to put in some extra effort should be able to spend less on broker fees. He and his team were professional, prompt, responsive and thorough. Would definitely recommend. read more

Worked with RealDirect in October of 2014 and sold my 1 bedroom unit in union square in 2 weekends! The professionalism of RealDirect was superb and I would suggest everyone use them. Don't buy into the BS of realtors in NYC saying you need to us them for an absorbent fee! I showed the unit on my own and it was worth the 3 hours it took me to save 30k! read more

my husband and i were selling a co-op studio in bk heights and got a lot of interest on our own, but not quite enough traffic to seal the deal. we got contacted by doug and agreed to list our place on their site. our agent always called or emailed back right away and worked us through our deal, which happened the second month of listing with real direct. read more