We, the undersigned real estate professionals, brokers, team leaders, and industry supporters across the United States, call for immediate reform of excessive lead referral fees charged to real estate agents.

Lead generation companies have become an important part of today's real estate landscape. However, referral fees that frequently range from 25% to 40% or more have created an unsustainable burden on the very professionals responsible for serving consumers and completing transactions.

Real estate agents are not employees of these lead platforms. We are independent business owners who bear the costs, risks, liability, and responsibilities associated with every transaction.

We Believe:
✅ No referral fee should exceed 15% of an agent's gross commission income

✅ Referral fee structures should be transparent and easy to understand

✅ Consumers should always have freedom of choice regarding lenders, title companies, and service providers

✅ Agents deserve fair compensation for the expertise and work required to successfully close transactions

✅ Lead providers should be fairly compensated, but not at a level that threatens agent sustainability

The Reality
Real estate professionals invest thousands of dollars annually in:

Licensing and continuing education
MLS and REALTOR® association dues
Errors & Omissions insurance
Marketing and advertising
Fuel, vehicle expenses, and travel
Technology and CRM systems
Transaction coordination
Brokerage fees and overhead
Client consultations and showings
Contract negotiations and transaction management
Yet after paying referral fees, brokerage splits, taxes, and business expenses, many agents retain only a fraction of the commission they earned.

Our Request
We call on all real estate lead providers to:

1. Implement a National 15% Referral Fee Cap
No referral fee should exceed 15% regardless of:

State
Market
Brokerage
Home price
Agent production level

2. Increase Fee Transparency
Provide clear disclosure regarding:

Fee calculations
Referral agreements
Program requirements
Lead assignment methods
3. Protect Independent Contractors
Recognize that agents assume the majority of transaction responsibilities and should retain a fair share of their earned commission.

4. Promote Fair Competition
Encourage a healthy marketplace where agents, consumers, and lead providers all benefit without one party bearing a disproportionate financial burden.

Why This Matters
The real estate industry depends on knowledgeable, ethical professionals who advocate for consumers every day.

When referral fees become excessive, agents have fewer resources to invest in education, marketing, client service, and business growth. Fair compensation ultimately benefits both agents and consumers.

We support innovation.

We support lead generation.

We support consumer choice.

But we also support fairness.

Join us in advocating for a nationwide 15% cap on real estate lead referral fees.