Home / Real Estate Essentials

Sellers & buyers · Anywhere in Texas · Handled remotely

Real Estate Essentials

Sell your Texas home for a 1.49% + $595 listing fee.

You take the photos, write the listing description, and manage showing requests. I set the price from real comparable sales, get you on the MLS, and handle the contract and negotiation through closing, remotely, anywhere in Texas. On a $400,000 sale that's about $6,000 less in listing fees than my 3% + $595 full-service option. Buying instead? The same reduced fee works on that side too.

Calculate my savings Ask me about your home

What this saves you

A typical full-service listing runs 3% plus a transaction fee. Essentials is 1.49% plus $595. On most homes that's four to eight thousand dollars that stays with you.

Run your own number

Drag to your home's price. This compares Essentials against a 3% + $595 full-service listing fee.

$400,000
Full service
$12,595
Essentials
$6,555
Listing-fee savings
$6,040

This is my side of the commission only. You may still owe a buyer's agent fee, and every deal has closing costs. Those are separate, and I'll walk you through the whole picture on our call.

A few worked examples

Sale priceFull service (3% + $595)Essentials (1.49% + $595)Fee savings
$250,000$8,095$4,320$3,775
$350,000$11,095$5,810$5,285
$500,000$15,595$8,045$7,550
$750,000$23,095$11,770$11,325

One thing worth saying up front: if we were introduced through a referral, from another agent or through my broker, Orchard, this fee structure may not be available on that transaction. I'll tell you that on the first call.

The Split

You do the legwork. I do the part that can cost you money.

🏡 Selling

A reduced-fee listing where we split the work, and I carry the contract.

1.49% + $595 listing fee
This is a real MLS listing with a licensed agent on your contract and your negotiation, not a for-sale-by-owner sign in the yard. You keep more of your equity and I cover the parts where FSBO sellers most often lose money.

You handle

  • Photos, the sign, and the lockbox
  • Writing your listing description
  • Approving showing requests and having the house ready. Buyers' agents run their own showings through ShowingTime
  • Hosting any open house you choose to hold

I handle

  • A step-by-step guide so you know what happens next
  • Getting you on the MLS with ShowingTime set up
  • Pricing strategy from real comparable sales
  • Contract negotiation, deadline tracking, and coordination with title and the buyer's side through closing
Get a selling-cost comparison

🔑 Buying

You found the house. I make sure you pay the right price for it.

1.49% + $595 buyer's agent fee
We can ask the seller to cover this fee as part of your offer, and in most deals they do, the same way traditional buyer's agent fees get paid. If a seller offers to cover less than the full amount, what happens to the difference is part of the negotiation, and we'll talk it through before you're committed to anything.

You handle

  • Finding homes and going to see them
  • Open houses, listing-agent showings, builder model homes
  • Booking your own inspections (I'll give you my vendor list)
  • Scheduling access for the inspector and appraiser, and staying reachable for quick decisions

I handle

  • What the house is worth and what to offer
  • Writing and negotiating the contract
  • Reading the inspection and negotiating repairs or credits
  • Contract deadlines, amendments, and coordination with your lender and the title company through closing
Ask about the house you found

Why I'm The One To Do This

A cheaper fee shouldn't mean a weaker agent

You're paying me for judgment on the two or three moments in a transaction where thousands of dollars move. So it matters who's doing that part.

Certified Real Estate Negotiator designation

CREN: Certified Real Estate Negotiator

Negotiation is the core of what you're hiring me for here, and I hold a designation specifically in it.

Graduate REALTOR Institute designation

GRI: Graduate REALTOR® Institute

An in-depth designation covering contracts, law, and ethics. Most agents don't complete it.

55 closed transactions

About $20.9 million in volume and a 5.0 rating across 11 Google reviews.

"He exemplified the concept of under promising and over delivering… He successfully negotiated every concession. On two occasions, he and I would agree on a figure. When he'd return from talking to the buyer he'd have secured an even better deal."
— Cabal O'Dell, seller · Google review

Working Remotely

How remote support works

1

One Texas license, 254 counties

A Texas real estate license isn't city-specific. I can represent you in Amarillo, El Paso, Houston, or anywhere else in the state.

2

Everything signs electronically

Listing agreements, offers, counters, amendments, all of it is signed electronically. That's already how most Texas transactions run, whether your agent is local or not.

3

Mobile notaries come to you

Texas closings routinely use a mobile notary who meets you at your house or office. I'm a Texas notary myself, so I know how that piece works.

4

You're my eyes on the property

I'm not walking the house, so you tell me what you see with photos, video calls, and inspection reports, and I tell you what it means for the price and the contract.

Is This Right For You?

This isn't for everybody

I'd rather turn you away than take a fee for a service that doesn't fit.

Good fit if you...

  • Have bought or sold before and know roughly how it goes
  • Have the time to run showings, scheduling, or listing logistics yourself
  • Mainly want an expert on the contract, the price, and the negotiation
  • Would rather keep the difference than pay for service you won't use
  • Are outside Central Texas and can't get me there in person anyway

Probably not if you...

  • Want someone to find homes for you and drive you around to see them
  • Are buying or selling for the first time and would rather have guidance through every step
  • Don't have the bandwidth to manage your side day to day
  • Need a full marketing push: pro photos, staging, the works

If that right-hand column sounds like you, look at full service instead.

Questions

Common questions

Is this legal? Does it really save me money?

Yes to both. Commission has always been negotiable between an agent and a client. This is a different scope of service at a different price, written into the agreement up front.

What exactly will I pay?

1.49% of the sale price plus a $595 transaction fee, on either side of the deal. One exception: if we were introduced through a referral, from another agent or through Orchard, this fee structure may not be available on that transaction. I'll tell you before anything moves forward.

As a buyer, will this come out of my pocket?

We can ask the seller to cover your agent fee as part of your offer, and in most deals they cover some or all of it, the same way a traditional buyer's agent commission gets paid. If a seller covers less than the agreed fee, what you owe on the difference depends on your buyer agreement and what we negotiate. Either way, you'll know where you stand before you're locked into anything.

What if I get in over my head?

We adjust. If the deal needs more from me than this scope covers, I'll say so and we'll talk about what that looks like and what it costs before anything changes. I'm not going to disappear on you mid-transaction.

Can I use this for the cash offer or Move First programs?

No. Those need me on the ground, so they're Central Texas only and priced differently. If you're in Central Texas we can talk through all four options. If you're elsewhere in the state, Essentials is what I can offer.

Rather Talk It Through?

Grab a time that works for you

A free 15-minute call. We'll cover your situation, whether this is the right fit, and what it would cost. If it isn't a fit, I'll say so.

Get Started

Get a selling-cost comparison for your home

Tell me the property's city and how to reach you. I'll send a written comparison of what selling would cost with Essentials versus full service, and whether it makes sense for your house. Buying? Tell me about the house you've found instead.

Or reach out directly:

📧 davis.cook@orchard.com

📱 (512) 890-2642

📅 Book a call on my calendar

Licensed across Texas and set up to work remotely. No in-person meeting required.