We Tested Ridley — Here’s What Happened When Our Co-Founder Sold His Home Without a Listing Agent
Home values have basically doubled since 2020 — which means traditional agent commissions have doubled too. A home that sold for $300,000 in 2019 might sell for $500,000 today. The listing agent's work? Largely the same. Their commission? Up $6,000.
At First Commerce Financial we are advocates for the consumer. When we find tools that genuinely save our clients money, we share them. Ridley is one of those tools — and we know firsthand because our own co-founder Ken Turkington just used it to sell his investment property in Tempe, Arizona. Here is exactly what happened.
Ken's Story — $480,000 Sale, 4 Days, $13,151 Saved
Ken Turkington has been in the mortgage business since 1996. He has seen more real estate transactions than most people will in a lifetime. He has worked alongside hundreds of Realtors across Michigan, Arizona, Florida, and Texas. He is not anti-agent — he works with great ones every day.
But when he found a new home he loved in the Phoenix metro and needed to move quickly on selling his Tempe investment property, he decided to try something different. He had seen Ridley on social media, liked what he saw, and with a motivated timeline — he pulled the trigger.
"The hardest part was deciding to get started. Once I found the new home I loved, that made the decision for me — I needed to move and I needed to move efficiently. What surprised me most was how easy it was to communicate directly with the buyers' agents to coordinate showings and work through the contract. I expected friction. There was none."
The Real Numbers — What Ken Actually Paid
Here is the complete cost breakdown so you can see exactly where the $13,151 savings came from:
Ken's Tempe Sale — Cost Comparison
To be clear — Ken still paid the buyer's agent commission of 3%. That is standard practice and the right thing to do to ensure buyer's agents will show the property. The savings came entirely from the listing side — replacing a $14,400 listing agent commission with a $999 flat fee and $250 in photos.
What Is Ridley — And How Does It Work?
Ridley is an AI-powered home selling platform that replaces the traditional listing agent with technology and on-demand professional support — for a flat fee instead of a percentage of your sale. It has been featured in Forbes, CBS News, Fast Company, and The New York Times, and its users report average savings of $43,639.
The platform handles everything a listing agent typically manages:
- Pricing analysis — AI analyzes comparable sales and recommends the right list price
- Listing creation — writes your listing description and syndicates to MLS, Zillow, Redfin, and 100+ sites
- Showing coordination — schedules showings, follows up with buyer's agents, manages your calendar
- Offer management — tracks every offer in real time and prepares documents
- Transaction coordination — guides you through contract to closing
Ken used the Essentials plan and leaned on the Ridley AI tools throughout — pricing, listing, and document coordination. The platform guided him through each step.
Ridley's Plans — What Each One Includes
- AI home valuation
- Free strategy consultation
- Private listing page
- Vendor marketplace
- Full Ridley AI tools
- MLS + Zillow + 100+ sites
- Document prep and review
- On-call concierge
- Professional yard sign
- Licensed agent included
- Everything in Essentials
- Dedicated agent strategy
- Full negotiation support
- Contract management
- Full closing coordination
The Agent Commission Math — Why Sellers Are Frustrated
In 2019 the median U.S. home price was approximately $258,000. A 3% listing commission was $7,740. In 2024 the median home price crossed $400,000. That same 3% listing commission is now $12,000. The agent's work — pricing, listing, coordinating showings, managing offers — is essentially the same. The commission is up more than 50%.
This is not an indictment of real estate agents — many are excellent and earn every dollar. But for sellers in straightforward markets with desirable properties, the math increasingly does not add up. Ken's Tempe sale — 4 days, 2 offers at asking — is exactly the scenario where a flat-fee platform makes sense.
The Three Objections — Answered by Ken's Experience
❓ Will buyer's agents actually show my home if I'm not using a listing agent?
Ken's experience: zero friction. Both offers came through buyer's agents who coordinated showings directly. As long as you offer a competitive buyer's agent commission — which Ken did at 3% — agents will show the property. The listing side arrangement is irrelevant to them.
❓ Can I really negotiate a contract without an agent in my corner?
Ken was surprised by how straightforward it was. He communicated directly with the buyers' agents, used Ridley's AI tools for document preparation, and had the platform's support throughout. For a motivated seller in a healthy market with a clean transaction, the process was manageable — and the Pro plan includes full negotiation support if you want it.
❓ What if it doesn't work and my home sits on the market?
This is the real risk — and it is worth being honest about. Ridley works best in active markets with desirable properties. Ken's Tempe home sold in 4 days at asking. A distressed property in a slow market with complex negotiation needs is a different situation — one where a full-service agent may be worth the commission. Know your market and know your property before deciding.
Who Should Consider Ridley
Ridley makes strong sense if:
- You are in an active market with good demand and limited inventory
- Your property is in good condition and priced correctly
- You are comfortable using technology and communicating directly with buyers' agents
- You have had frustrating experiences with listing agents in the past
- You are a move-up buyer who needs to sell efficiently to fund your next purchase
- You are an investor selling a property where maximizing net proceeds matters
A traditional listing agent may make more sense if:
- Your property has unusual characteristics that require expert positioning
- You are in a slow market where pricing and negotiation expertise is critical
- You prefer a fully hands-off selling experience
- Your transaction is complex — estate sale, divorce, distressed property
How This Connects to Your Home Purchase
At First Commerce Financial we work with a lot of move-up buyers — people selling one home to fund the purchase of the next. The more you net from your sale, the more you have for your down payment, the better your loan terms, and the stronger your overall financial position going into the next purchase.
Ken saved $13,151 on the sale of his Tempe property. That is $13,151 more equity going into his next purchase. On a wholesale mortgage from First Commerce Financial with no junk fees on the buy side — the savings stack up fast.
Use our Net Proceeds Calculator to see exactly what you will walk away with from your sale — then talk to us about what that means for your next purchase.
→Learn More About Ridley at getridley.com 💰Net Proceeds Calculator — How Much Will You Make Selling Your Home? ✅Get Pre-Approved for Your Next Purchase — Same Day, Zero Junk Fees 🔧All Free Tools and CalculatorsIs Ridley available in Michigan, Florida, Arizona, and Texas?
Check getridley.com for current availability in your state and market. Ken used it in Tempe, Arizona. If Ridley is not yet available in your area, similar flat-fee MLS services exist in most markets — the core concept of replacing a percentage commission with a flat fee is available nationwide through various platforms.
Do I still need a mortgage broker if I use Ridley to sell?
Ridley handles the selling side — your listing, showings, offers, and closing coordination. Your mortgage broker handles the buying side — your new loan, rate, and pre-approval. They are completely separate transactions. If you are selling one home and buying another, you need both. We handle the mortgage side with wholesale rates and zero junk fees — Ridley handles the sale.
Would Ken use Ridley again?
Absolutely yes — his words, not ours. For the right property in the right market, the math is compelling and the experience was smoother than expected. The direct communication with buyer's agents was the biggest surprise — he expected friction and found none.
Selling a Home and Buying Your Next One?
Use Ridley to maximize what you net on the sale — then bring that equity to First Commerce Financial for wholesale rates and zero junk fees on your next mortgage. We will get you pre-approved same day so you can move the moment your sale closes.
Get Pre-Approved — It Is Free
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