Redy Redefines Agent Selection in Real Estate Transactions

Written by:

Steve Marcinuk

Date:

19 May 2025

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The traditional method of finding a real estate agent has long been plagued by information asymmetry and misalignment of incentives. Redy is changing this dynamic by creating a marketplace where agents compete for listings based on their experience, marketing plans, and an upfront cash payment they’re willing to make to secure the business.

“Most people’s net worth is tied up in their home, and we’re just like, ‘Yeah, take a flyer on your cousin’s best friend’s dog walker who just got their license. It’ll be fine,'” jokes Noelle Tassey, President and CEO of Redy, a platform that connects sellers with real estate agents through a new marketplace model.

The Broken Agent Selection Process

According to Tassey, approximately 65% of Americans hire an agent through word of mouth, a process that often leads to mismatches between seller needs and agent capabilities.

“If I’m a seller, I have nowhere to actually evaluate what agents are in my area, what experience they have, and what commercial terms they’re offering,” Tassey explains. “Every site out there, regardless of what they claim to do for sellers, ultimately charges agents money, creating incentives to route sellers to specific agents who pay the most.”

This misalignment creates a frustrating experience for sellers who find themselves locked into exclusive listing agreements with agents who may not be motivated to actively market their property. The founding story of Redy illustrates this pain point perfectly: founder Matt Proman watched his home languish on the market while neighboring properties sold quickly for above asking price, all because his agent “threw it up on the MLS and then went on vacation.”

Creating Alignment Through Transparency

Redy’s model fundamentally changes the traditional agent selection process. When a seller comes to the platform, their property information is anonymized and pushed out to Redy’s network of vetted agents. Interested agents then submit proposals outlining their marketing plans, commission rates, and an upfront cash payment they’re willing to make to secure the listing.

“That upfront cash payment is what truly differentiates us,” Tassey notes. “People often ask, ‘Don’t agents hate that?’ But they don’t realize how much money and time agents spend on marketing just to get leads. Many agents spend $10,000 a month on Zillow Premier, and then dedicate countless hours calling people in their CRM.”

By contrast, Redy offers agents vetted sellers and a direct path to securing listings without the uncertainty of traditional lead generation. For sellers, it creates immediate alignment with their agent, who now has skin in the game from day one.

The results speak for themselves: properties sold through Redy sell for 12% over comparable listings and in approximately half the time, just 36 days on average.

“It’s purely efficiency driven by getting a good agent,” Tassey emphasizes. “A good agent will more than pay for themselves every time.”

A Natural Selection Mechanism for Quality Agents

One of the most compelling aspects of Redy’s model is how it naturally filters for agent quality. While the company rigorously vets everyone on their platform, Tassey notes that the upfront payment requirement creates a powerful self-selection mechanism.

“Only good agents are willing to put their money on the line for a listing,” she explains. “It’s a really great selection mechanism.”

This approach addresses a fundamental problem in real estate: the wide variance in agent quality and the difficulty consumers face in identifying skilled professionals. By creating a marketplace where agents compete based on their value proposition rather than their marketing budget, Redy helps ensure sellers connect with agents who have the confidence and capability to deliver results.

Navigating Industry Changes

Redy’s launch coincides with significant industry shifts, particularly the NAR settlement that has altered buyer agent compensation structures. While these changes weren’t anticipated when the company was founded, they’ve created favorable conditions for Redy’s model.

“The NAR settlement is a very nice tailwind for us,” Tassey acknowledges. “I think anything that makes the market fairer is going to be better for good agents and obviously better for consumers too.”

One notable trend Tassey has observed is the increasing number of agents shifting from buyer representation to seller representation, a move that aligns perfectly with Redy’s focus on listing agreements.

“It’s made it a lot harder to be a buyer’s agent,” she notes. “More and more, agents want to be in control of building and growing their business. There’s more demand for buyer’s agents to move to the seller’s side.”

This shift has created interesting dynamics on the platform, with many agents bringing their existing buyer networks to seller listings, potentially contributing to the faster transaction times Redy is seeing.

Market Intelligence and Future Directions

Perhaps most intriguing is Redy’s accumulation of pre-market data that could transform how buyers and sellers make decisions. Because sellers engage with the platform before selecting an agent, Redy gains unique visibility into upcoming inventory that hasn’t yet hit the market.

“We know where people are thinking about selling before anyone else, because we know who’s going to hire an agent,” Tassey explains. “We’re seeing substantial activity there, and that’s important data for buyers, sellers, and agents, understanding what those forward-looking trends look like.”

The company plans to launch a pocket listing feature and make some of this predictive data public by the end of the year, which could provide valuable market intelligence at a time when inventory constraints are driving many buying decisions.

“I have friends who are buying their first house in a very hot neighborhood with limited inventory,” Tassey shares. “My friend was considering putting an offer on a house that wasn’t perfect because they weren’t sure if the market would loosen up. I checked our trends and saw many people in that area coming to the platform saying they’re looking to sell in two to four months. So I told them not to put an offer on a house they don’t like.”

This kind of forward-looking data could be invaluable in a market where buyers often operate with a scarcity mindset, unable to see beyond current listings.

Investor Appeal

Beyond individual homeowners, Redy has found strong traction with real estate investors, who now comprise approximately one-third of their customer base. These investors, ranging from institutional players to smaller “mom and pop” operators, are drawn to the platform’s efficiency and ROI focus.

“Obviously, they’re looking for ROI,” Tassey notes. “The fact that an aligned agent is going to sell your house faster for more money, you got their attention with that.”

The platform has been particularly valuable for investors operating outside their core markets or at different price points than they typically target. Tassey explains that the right agent can vary dramatically based on price point, even within the same market.

“If you’re selling a $2 million house in Atlanta, the right agent for that is something really different from a $4 million house in Atlanta,” she points out. “Helping people very quickly pivot into the right agent for them without having to call 20 people. It’s been really cool to see how resonant that’s been with investors.”

The Future of Agent-Client Relationships

As the real estate industry continues to evolve, Redy’s approach suggests a future where transparency, alignment, and data-driven decisions become the norm rather than the exception. By creating a marketplace that rewards agent quality and creates clear incentives, the platform addresses longstanding inefficiencies in how sellers and agents connect.

For agents, the value proposition is compelling: less time spent on lead generation and more time focused on selling properties. For sellers, it’s about gaining confidence that their agent is truly invested in achieving the best possible outcome.

“Do you want an agent who understands that they can just buy listings and so they’ll spend more time on selling your house?” Tassey asks. “Or do you want an agent who’s spending all their time going door to door or cold calling? You want that energy to be directed at selling your house, not necessarily them having to focus on being hand to mouth on landing their next listing.”