One Retiree's Decision to Skip the Traditional Real Estate Agent — and Save $16,000
When Lorraine Schwarz decided to sell her two-bedroom condo in Westminster, Colorado in October 2025, she did something that still makes many homeowners nervous: she skipped the traditional real estate agent entirely. Instead, the 70-year-old retiree turned to Ridley, an AI-powered online platform designed to guide sellers through the home-selling process without paying the steep commissions that come with hiring a conventional agent. The result? She pocketed roughly $16,000 that would have otherwise gone straight to a realtor.
Her story is part of a growing national conversation about whether the traditional 5–6% real estate commission model still makes sense for sellers — and whether technology has finally matured enough to fill the gap.
A Lifetime of Real Estate Experience That Made Her Confident to Go It Alone
Schwarz is not a first-time seller stumbling through the process. Over the course of her adult life, she bought and sold a co-op in Park Slope, Brooklyn, then two houses in Westchester, New York. After that came a home in Madison, Wisconsin, which she renovated and sold. She then moved to Colorado, where she built a house before eventually settling into the Westminster condo she just sold. That's a lot of real estate transactions — and a lot of commission checks written to agents along the way.
"Through all that, I hated paying real estate commissions," she said plainly.
With each transaction, Schwarz grew more comfortable reading market comparables, understanding how pricing works, and navigating the administrative steps involved in closing a sale. By the time she was ready to sell her condo, she felt fully capable of managing the work herself — she just needed the right tools to support her.
What Is Ridley — and How Does an AI-Powered Real Estate Platform Work?
Ridley is an AI-powered online platform built to help homeowners sell their properties without engaging a traditional listing agent. Rather than paying a percentage-based commission upon closing, sellers use the platform's guided process to handle the key tasks involved in a home sale: pricing research, listing creation, marketing, offer management, and closing coordination.
Platforms like Ridley represent a new generation of real estate technology that goes beyond the basic "for sale by owner" (FSBO) listings of the past. Where older FSBO models left sellers largely on their own to figure things out, AI-powered tools provide intelligent guidance, automated documentation assistance, and data-driven pricing recommendations that were once only accessible through a licensed agent.
For sellers like Schwarz — those with real estate experience and the confidence to take an active role — this kind of platform can deliver genuine, measurable financial value.
How Much Can You Really Save by Not Using a Traditional Agent?
To understand why $16,000 in savings is realistic, consider how real estate commissions are typically structured. In a conventional home sale, the seller pays a combined commission — historically around 5–6% of the sale price — which is then split between the buyer's agent and the listing agent. On a home that sells for $400,000, that can mean $20,000 to $24,000 in commissions coming directly out of the seller's proceeds.
By using a flat-fee or low-commission platform instead of a traditional listing agent, sellers can eliminate or significantly reduce the listing-side commission. In Schwarz's case, the savings added up to approximately $16,000 — money she kept entirely because she chose a non-traditional route.
The 2024 National Association of Realtors (NAR) settlement also changed how buyer's agent commissions are disclosed and negotiated, giving sellers even more leverage and transparency in how they structure compensation. This regulatory shift has opened the door further for sellers who want to explore alternatives to the traditional model.
Is Selling Your Home Without a Traditional Agent Right for You?
Schwarz's success doesn't mean every homeowner should immediately fire their real estate agent. The approach works best under specific circumstances, and it's worth honestly evaluating whether those apply to your situation before making a decision.
- You have prior real estate experience. Understanding how to read market comparables, price a property competitively, and evaluate offers is critical. If you've bought and sold homes before, you have a significant advantage.
- You're comfortable with the administrative process. Selling a home involves disclosures, contracts, inspections, and closing paperwork. AI platforms can guide you, but you need to be willing to stay organized and engaged throughout.
- Your market conditions are favorable. In a seller's market with strong demand and limited inventory, homes tend to sell more quickly even without a traditional agent's network. A slower or more complex market may require additional marketing muscle.
- You have time to dedicate to the process. Responding to buyer inquiries, scheduling showings, and managing negotiations takes real time. Retirees or those with flexible schedules may find this easier to manage than full-time workers.
- Your property is relatively straightforward. A well-maintained condo or single-family home in a known neighborhood is easier to sell independently than a rural property, a fixer-upper, or a home with title complications.
The Broader Shift Toward AI-Powered Real Estate Tools
Schwarz's experience reflects a wider trend reshaping the real estate industry. Homeowners are increasingly questioning whether paying a 2.5–3% listing commission is justified when technology can automate many of the tasks that agents have traditionally charged for. AI tools can now generate competitive market analyses, draft listing descriptions, recommend pricing strategies based on local data, and walk sellers through legal disclosure requirements — all for a fraction of what a conventional agent charges.
This doesn't spell the end of real estate agents altogether. Many sellers — particularly those dealing with complex properties, contentious negotiations, or unfamiliar markets — still benefit greatly from professional representation. But for experienced, informed, and motivated sellers, platforms like Ridley are making it genuinely practical to take control of the process.
The Bottom Line: Technology Is Changing What Home Selling Costs
Lorraine Schwarz's decision to use an AI-powered platform over a traditional agent was rooted in decades of personal real estate experience and a clear-eyed understanding of what she was capable of handling on her own. Her $16,000 in savings wasn't luck — it was the result of a calculated choice backed by the right technology at the right time.
As AI-powered real estate platforms continue to improve and the regulatory landscape continues to evolve, more homeowners are likely to follow her lead. If you're preparing to sell your home, it's worth taking a hard look at all your options — because the commission model that dominated real estate for decades is no longer the only path forward.