In-Depth Comparison
Written by Horacio Marquez
Cloud brokerages are quickly becoming the norm in the real estate industry! With the lower fees, better technology, and additional streams of income into our businesses, it’s no wonder why they are becoming so popular. As of today, the biggest cloud brokerages are eXp Realty, REAL Broker, LPT, and NEWEST to the market - EPIQUE Realty!
In this article, I am going to be doing a side-by-side-by-side comparison of all the costs and fees associated with each of these cloud brokerages and running through several different production scenarios to give you an idea of which brokerage is the most expensive vs the most affordable depending on your production level
- $249 one sign-up fee 85/15 split with $12,000 annual cap.
- $30 BEOP feeon every transaction (This covers E&O Insurance
- $750 annual fee(Taken $250, $250 & $250 out of your first three transactions of the year
- After you cap, you keep 100% of your commission minus a$285 transaction fee
- After you hit Elite Agent, the transaction fee drops to$129
- At REAL you also have the option to get Chime (Now Lofty) for$40 a month
- Receive up to $24,000 in free stock in the company for earning their Elite Agent Award.
- 80/20 split with a $16,000 year cap
- $149one-time start-up fee
- $250 transaction feeafter you cap
- A transaction fee is reduced to $75 after you hit Elite Agent
- $85 a monthcloud brokerage fee
- $25 transaction review feeper transaction
- $40 risk management feewhich caps at $500/yr
- Earn up to $16,000 in free stock in the company by hitting their Icon Agent Award
- 80/20 split with$15,000 cap
- $195 transaction feeon every transaction
- $500 annual feetaken out of the first deal every year
- Earn 1,400 shares of their stock for hitting their “Gold Badge”
- Can Earn 3,150 shares of stock for hitting “Black Badge”
Note: LPT Realty offers two different paths for real estate agents with different fees and benefits. They have their discount “Business Builder” plan which is actually $500 per transaction with a $5,000 cap but this plan does not give agents access to Revenue Share. However, their qualifing “Rev Share Partner” plan is very similar to REAL Broker and eXp Realty at 80/20 split with a $15,000 cap. In addition LPT is not listed on any stock exchange. Currently, to hit their Gold Badge you need to sell 15 homes a year and 35 homes a year to get their Black Badge award. The number will adjust over time as they want their Gold Badge award to go to the top 10% of the company and their Black Badge award to go to the top 1% of the company. LPT Operates in all 50 states, is profitable, has $0 debt, and won multiple awards in the recent year.
- 85/15 split with a $15,000 year cap.
- $149one-time start-up fee.
- 1% transaction feeup to $500.
- $149 a month cloud brokerage fee.
Note: Cap declines by $1,000 per year up to 5 years with Cap lowering to $10,000 after 5 years. Monthly is reduced by 33% when paid annually. Transaction fee reduces to $250 max after capping. Once you an Agent reached $10 million in Gross Sales or 20 transactions, Power Award is achieved - releaseing $15,000 in compamy stock, double Rev Share and a 33% reduced monthly fee.
Difference in Fees & Stock Awards
When choosing a brokerage, understanding the financial details is key. Here’s how Epique Realty outshines eXp Realty, REAL Broker, and LPT Realty:
Epique Realty:
Charges an $149 monthly or $997 annually for 50+ Benefits including typical out of pocket expenses for Agents at most brokerages.
$15,000 Cap: Once capped, agents keep 100% of their commission, with $1,000 Cap reduction per year, down to $10,000 at year 5.
Power Award provides double pay on RevShare and double discount on stock options when $10 million in sales or 20 transactions are met.
Agent-Centric Support: Comprehensive training, mentorship, and state-of-the-art technology to grow your business.
eXp Realty:
Charges an $85/month technology fee + $10/month for Agent site through KV Core.
$16,000 cap with transaction fees after capping.
Icon Agent Award provides stock rewards but requires 27 transactions annually to qualify.
Revenue Share Program: Extends Epique's with 5 tiers but includes complex qualification requirements and caps on residuals.
REAL Broker:
No monthly fees but a $12,000 cap.
Transaction fees apply after capping.
Elite Agent Award offers up to $24,000 in stock but requires 28 transactions annually.
No Monthly Fees: A positive, but overall benefits lag behind Epique’s offerings.
LPT Realty:
Simplest structure with a $15,000 cap.
Charges both a 20% split and transaction fees.
Black Badge Award requires 35 transactions annually, without comparable revenue share benefits.
Revenue Share Program: Only offers a single-tier system, significantly limiting earning potential.
Why Choose Epique? Epique Realty combines a competitive $15,000 cap with a fee-free structure after capping and massive benefits package. Epiques Revenue Share Program and transparent policies ensure agents maximize their earnings while focusing on growth._
REAL vs eXp Realty vs LPT Realty vs EPIQUE Realty Conclusion
When comparing the cost and fees of REAL Broker Vs eXp Realty vs LPT Realty vs Epique Realty it is important not to just look at the vanity numbers like their caps or transaction fees. You need to factor in all fees, stock awards, and caps for your specific production scenario.
To get a better understanding of the additional value EPIQUE Broker provides to its agents, check out these other articles here.
For me personally, when choosing what cloud brokerage to join, I decided to join EPIQUE Realty. Not just because I would save tens of thousands of dollars a year but because of the culture, the community, the technology, and the core values of the company which aligned with my own.
If you would like to learn more about EPIQUE Realty, let's jump on a 1-on-1 video call to talk about your business and see if EPIQUE is a good fit for you personally. Below is my calendar, just select a date and time that works for!
Horacio Marquez is a Real Estate Agent with EPIQUE Realty, Entrepreneur, Investor, and blogger. He is the founder of Real HONCHO, member of The Real Estate Revolution and The Robinson Group Powered by Epique Realty.
