The 1% Listing Fee That Changed Real Estate
One flat fee. Full service. No middlemen taking a cut for doing nothing.
Since 2015, 1 Percent Lists has helped thousands of home sellers keep more of their equity
— without giving up the marketing, negotiation, and support a great agent provides.
It Started With a Bad Commission
Every national brand has an origin story. Ours starts with two
newlyweds, a 6% commission, and an agent who threatened to “do less marketing” if paid
less.
When the dust settled, we made less than 1% on the entire sale —
and we hated seeing middlemen soak up commission for doing nothing.
In 2011, Grant and Kelly Clayton got their real estate licenses to fix a system they’d
just been burned by. They quickly learned it was broken from the inside too — referral
fees and broker splits ate most of every commission before they ever saw a fair cut.
The fix was simple: charge less, list more. They dropped their fee, and volume — not
margin — became the business. In late 2015, they made it official: a flat 1% listing fee
for full service, professional photography included. Not a discount brokerage. An
efficient one.
By 2020, other brokers wanted in. 1 Percent Lists launched its franchise model with the
same philosophy — real value, low overhead, a simple 5% royalty with no hidden fees.
a 6% commission.
country.
How the 1% Model Works
Traditional agents charge 5–6% because that’s what’s always been
charged — not because it costs that much to sell a home well. Same pricing strategy,
photography, marketing, and negotiation. A fair, flat fee instead of a padded
percentage.
kept by the seller — same full-service listing, honestly priced.
It isn’t a stripped-down “for sale by owner with a sign” product. It’s the same full
service — pricing strategy, professional photography, marketing, negotiation, and
support through closing — priced for what it actually costs to do well, not padded for a
brokerage’s margin.
A Nationwide Network
1 Percent Lists is a national real
estate brokerage franchise, with locally owned, independently operated offices carrying
the same 1% model into their own markets.
Sellers get a national brand’s marketing muscle with a local agent who knows their
street. Franchise owners get a turnkey model, low startup costs, and a philosophy built
from actually selling homes — not just selling franchises.
Fastest-Growing Real Estate Brokerage in America
Recognized network-wide
Fastest-Growing Veteran-Owned Company in America
Co-founder Kelly Clayton, U.S. Navy veteran
Built by People Who’ve Sold Houses
Not just franchises.
Licensed Realtor since 2011. Built the original 1% model after
getting burned by a traditional commission — then spent a decade proving it works at
scale.
Licensed Realtor since 2011 and a U.S. Navy veteran. Built and
still runs the systems that let franchise owners scale the same way the original
office did.
Brand-Level Questions
Seller-specific questions on pricing, process, and timelines
stay on each local franchise’s own site — these are the ones that belong at the brand
level.
How long has 1 Percent Lists been around?
Grant and Kelly Clayton founded the company in 2015 after several years of
testing lower commission models. The franchise model launched in 2020.
How is 1 Percent Lists profitable at 1%?
Volume, not margin. A technology-first, low-overhead model lets
full-service listings run efficiently at a fair, flat fee instead of a padded
percentage.
Where does 1 Percent Lists operate?
Nationwide, through independently owned and operated franchise locations,
with new markets opening regularly.
Is 1 Percent Lists a discount brokerage?
No — it’s a full-service brokerage priced efficiently. Every listing gets
the same pricing strategy, professional photography, marketing, and negotiation support
as a traditional full-commission listing.
Find Your 1%, or Bring It to Your Market
Find your local 1 Percent Lists and start saving on your next sale, or explore franchise
ownership and bring the model to a market of your own.
Have a question instead? Contact our sellers team or our franchise team.