Compare Trulia and Open Listings

For Sellers

Not Applicable
0
No Rates
Trulia is an MLS Aggregator, it does not provide listing services to consumers.

For Sellers

Not Applicable
0
No Rates
Open Listings does not offer listing services to consumers.

For Buyers

Not Applicable
0
No Rates
Trulia is an MLS Aggregator, it does not provide buyer representation services to consumers.

For Buyers

Buyer’s Savings
50%
Commission Rebate
When Open Listings represents buyers, it contributes 50% of its total Buyer's Agent Commission (2.5%-3%) as a way to financially compete for buyer’s business. Home buyers do not pay any taxes on the amount, the refund amount is always tax-free.
Question: What is the difference between Trulia and Open Listings?
Answer: Trulia is a Multiple Listing Services (MLS) aggregator while Open Listings is a buyer’s real estate agent and a referral fee network
Compare Trulia and Open Listings for home buying and selling. HomeOpenly is an impartial and an open resource focused on trending real estate services, portals and start-ups.

First published: 17 February 2019
Last updated: 25 April 2021

Buying and Selling with Trulia

Trulia is an MLS Aggregator that allows buyers and sellers to list homes and find out what local homes are available for sale. Trulia aggregates home listing data from thousands of private MLS databases across the United States.

By making this otherwise unavailable information to consumers, the company creates a positive value-added experience with local results for a vast majority of available listings.

Trulia generates revenue with ads using Zillow Group's Premier Agent and Premier Broker programs.

Trulia Pricing

Trulia does not offer paid services to consumers directly, instead, portal generates revenue with ads and referral fees from real estate brokers as part of the Zillow Group.

Listing Services

  • This Service Does Not Represent Sellers

Buyer's Agent Services

  • This Service Does Not Represent Buyers

Trulia Editor's Review:

Trulia is a Zillow Group subsidiary with similar search results, data, and options available to consumers. Trulia is an Internet MLS aggregator, where brokers and consumers may post listings independently. Until recently Trulia was an Internet company, not a real estate broker.

In 2018 Trulia’s parent company Zillow Group began to operate a pilot program called Zillow Premier Broker.

This program operates as an actual real estate broker in order to collect hidden referral fees from any leads originated via Trulia. Anytime consumers use Trulia and provide this portal with private information, this information is then sold for referral fees to a select group of brokers willing to pay for it. This fee is backloaded and paid only if the consumer is persuaded by the real estate agent to enter into a representation agreement.

Trulia’s original revenue generator is called Premier Agent, this is an ads-based process where agents advertise their services and consumers contact an agent themselves.

Unlike Premier Broker leads pipeline, Premier Agent process is not “blind.” When consumers use Trulia, it is impossible to tell if private information is sold to Premier Brokers and what brokers get to see it. When using Trulia, consumers should be careful not to leave any private information such as email, name or a phone number.

Where does Trulia operate?

Trulia currently operates in select areas across United States.

Buying and Selling with Open Listings

WARNING: Unlawful Kickbacks, Broker-to-Broker Collusion, False Marketing, Wire Fraud, Price Fixing.

Open Listings is a broker-to-broker collusion scheme, where "partner agents" unlawfully agree to pay massive kickbacks to receive your information and engage in market allocation, consumer allocation, false advertising, unlawful kickbacks, wire fraud, and price-fixing practices in violation of, inter alia, 18 U.S.C. § 1346, 18 U.S.C. § 1343, 15 U.S.C. § 1, 15 U.S.C. § 45, 12 U.S.C. § 2607, 12 C.F.R. § 1024.14. As a consumer, you will always significantly overpay for Realtor commissions subject to hidden kickbacks and pay-to-play steering promoted in this scheme.

United States federal antitrust laws prohibit consumer allocation and blanket referral agreements between real estate companies.

Be smart; do not allow your information to be "sold as a lead" to a double-dealing Realtor in exchange for massive commission kickbacks paid from your future home sale, or your future home purchase.


A multi-state broker rebates buyer part of the commission it receives. In some cases, Open Listings acts as an Internet referral service where it sets rebates for independent real estate brokers that do not work for Open Listings directly.

Open Listings Pricing

Open Listings offers home buyers a 50% commission rebate. Open Listings also requires a $5,000 minimum commission. Minimum commission requirement negates refund for homes priced under 150,000 USD.

Listing Services

  • This Service Does Not Represent Sellers

Buyer's Agent Services

  • Find the Property
  • Accept and Deliver All Offers and Counteroffers
  • Recommend Other Professionals
  • Attend Inspection Services
  • Schedule Private Showings
  • Negotiate Needed Repairs
  • Closing Duties

Open Listings Editor's Review:

In some cases, Open Listings represents clients directly. However, Open Listings Referral Network (Partner Agents) is a referral process that connects buyers with third-party real estate agents in exchange for an undisclosed commission split or a referral fee.

A Partner Agent who is employed by, or works with their own brokerage gets referred by Open Listings at their own discretion, as a blind match. Open Listings keeps referral fee amount hidden and does not disclose the split amount it receives from real estate agents who operate under their own license – this practice is highly deceptive and is designed to deceive consumers into thinking that Open Listings is the brokerage they are actually working with.

By engaging with Open Listings consumers authorize them to share personal information and home search history with any Partner Agent, regardless if a consumer wants to work with an Open Listings agent directly.

When shopping for a Real Estate Agent, the price alone is not as important as being able to make an informed choice about representation. Open Listings Referral Network is a poor choice for Real Estate Agents and consumers due to lack of transparency.

Open Listings’ operations as a referral network result in an inefficiency known as reverse competition and possible price fixing. Such practice may result in a lower quality of service or higher commissions.

Once Open Listings refers a customer to a Partner Agent, that agent, not Open Listings, represents the customer from the initial meeting through closing. Open Listings dictates that Partner Agent rebates 50% of their commission in order to receive a referral, while Open Listings takes a commission cut after the transaction is complete.

In the United States, all independent brokerage fees are always negotiable and each real estate agent establishes its own policy for a fee structure, amount of commissions, and issuing rebates to consumers.

Price fixing is prohibited by antitrust legislation. To fix, control, recommend, suggest or maintain commission rates, rebates, and fees for other agents' services is an improper practice.

Open Listings does not represent home sellers, but the company was acquired in 2018 by a direct home cash buyer: Opendoor.

Opendoor does not represent home sellers either, it is a real estate investor who buys homes from consumers and resells them at a profit; this practice is known as house-flipping.

When working with Open Listings, consumers may be pressured to use Opendoor by their Open Listings real estate agent. There is absolutely no requirement for anyone using Open Listings when buying a home to sell their home to an Opendoor.

As buyer’s agent Open Listings’ job is to represent consumers when making a purchase of a new home, it should not advise consumers on their existing home listing, unless a separate listing agreement exists.

Real estate agents are required by law to place their client’s interest before their own. Consumers are encouraged to read our full review for Opendoor before using the house-flipping service.

Where does Open Listings operate?

Open Listings currently operates in select areas across California, Washington, Texas, and Illinois..