FAQs

Questions? We’ve got answers.

Nope. Nada. Nothing: Whoovia doesn’t charge you to create a profile, connect with sellers, or negotiate using our tools. We also don’t take a piece of your agent commissions as a referral fee.
No. We are a platform for superb agents who want to provide significant additional value to their clients.
Whoovia is an invite-only platform for agents. Once an agent is invited to apply, we vet them to ensure they are truly a top performer across multiple criteria such as the number of homes they sell each year, their tenure in business, and what other agents and past clients say about their dedication to their craft. Over thousands of deals, we’ve seen that the value of a great fiduciary makes them a bargain. Conversely, the cost of working with a weak agent can be destructive.
Every agent on Whoovia applies to be part of our national network. We make our determination based on an agent’s tenure in the business, affiliations, reviews, standing in the agent community, and transaction volume. In our experience, it’s the top agents in each market who are capable of putting together off-market deals.
Just like any fiduciary - attorneys, financial advisors, doctors - this is between you and your agent. Since the majority of homes that are not listed have not advertised a willingness to pay a buyer agent commission, it’s typical that you will compensate them as your agent. Experienced agents are accustomed to finding a way to allow their clients to pay them. In an off-market situation, a client will often pay their agent as part of their closing costs at the time of settlement. They may also structure the deal to amortize the cost of the commission into their loan. Ask your agent what makes the most sense for your circumstances. Since they are introducing you to inventory you would have not had access to without them, their value is pretty clear.
Nobody likes to be solicited. Homeowners are solicited constantly: from mailers claiming to have buyers, to investors offering all-cash quick settlements, to unsolicited calls, texts and emails. Homeowners are just not falling for it.
We built Whoovia to allow sellers the freedom to search real buyers without being harassed. That’s why we’ve created a platform where sellers have the peace of mind of knowing they make the first move to initiate a conversation with a buyer.
Instead of solicitation, we help buyers in the game of attraction.
Absolutely not. Unlike other real estate platforms, we do not see you as a lead to be sold. The only way you will be contacted is if you reach out to a specific buyer and their agent.

Buyers

When a seller sells off-market, they are saving thousands of dollars in commissions. In many metropolitan areas, the savings can be close to $75,000 when you add what a seller spends just getting their home ready for a traditional online sale. Even compared to what they might get as a result of a bidding war, the off-market deal typically ends up putting more money in their pocket. Check out our calculator here to get a sense of the seller savings at your price range.
In addition to the monetary value of an off-market deal, sellers also enjoy not having to spend months worth of nights and weekends preparing their home. With Whoovia, most sellers can clean the house as though they are having guests over, and set up a private showing with you, saving time, and reducing stress.
We’ve also found that sellers enjoy being able to control the timing of their sale in a way that’s far more difficult when they are subject to a traditional MLS sale.
Our built-in DM feature allows you to manage conversations with homeowners, all in one place.
It’s all about measuring interest. Your agent will be able to share with you the number of views on your profile, how many owners save you to their favorites, and how many shares your profile has too. Your agent will also be able to monitor new buyers in the market, and how you are competitively positioned. Armed with data, you’ll be able to see the playing field, change strategy as needed, and make better decisions.
Sellers find your listing through a variety of channels. Sometimes owners see your listing on their neighborhood listserve or NextDoor™. Others receive an email or text from folks they know. Still, others will see your profile on Facebook, Insta or other social media platforms.
Every day, more and more homeowners learn about Whoovia and begin browsing buyer listings. The bigger the network of homeowners, the greater your chances of finding an amazing match!
There are several reasons why a great fiduciary agent is in your interest on Whoovia. But there are two reasons in particular that we’ve made it a requirement: safety and integrity.
Imagine a platform that allows anyone to set up a profile and claim that they are a buyer without any verification. By having licensed agents preview homes and accompany you on showings, owners have the assurance that buyers on Whoovia have true intentions. And let’s face it: unless you are Chuck Norris, walking up to a property by yourself to meet a total stranger isn’t the safest idea.
We believe that trust lays the groundwork for all great conversations.
Yes! Our mission is to ensure you have exposure to the entire market. We are designed specifically to help you capture the attention of owners before they hit the MLS. The MLS is also a great resource and you should use it too.
Someday, perhaps. At the moment, only buyers working with top agents can create a profile. This affords you a pretty incredible advantage in the market!
Nowhere. Whoovia is pioneering buyer listings and we’re thrilled to play some part in helping you connect to a great owner of your next home!

Sellers

The simplest way to understand your potential savings is to break down your potential costs into two categories:
1. Costs you will always have: You’ll always have the cost to transfer the property, pay off mortgages, ensure utilities are paid, and record the deed. When you list through an agent, you’ll also pay commissions, typically between 5 and 6%.
2. Cost you chose to have: In addition to commissions, the average homeowner spends around 1.5% of the value of their home preparing it to be traditionally listed. We also think it’s worth considering the time you will spend preparing your home. Most traditional sellers spend between one and six months decluttering, putting stuff in storage, and dealing with contractors.
A private, off-market sale allows you to save some or all of these costs.
Agents who are good at what they do will sometimes sell for higher than the price you list the property for. So let’s say they sell for 2.5% over the asking price on average. On a $1 million home, that’s $25,000. Not bad.
Let’s say you sell privately instead for $1 million, saving the 6% commission as well as the 1.5% preparation cost. Instead, you pay for a deep clean of your home before you let the buyers come through, and spend a weekend making the yard look nice, just like you might if you were going to host a party. Your savings will be around 7.5% or $75,000.
What could you do with another $50K and a few months' worth of nights and weekends?
Since buyers have to work with one of our local agent partners to create a profile, we ensure that every buyer on Whoovia is not only a real human but also a motivated, qualified buyer who won’t waste your time.
Having every buyer work with a licensed agent in your area also helps us ensure a level of security, particularly when showing your home.
Good buyers have a few things in common: They are ready, able, and willing to make a deal happen. In addition, Whoovia lets you measure how a buyer’s potential contract terms, timing, and financial capacity match your needs. In a traditional sale, you only see this level of detail when an offer is made.
That’s fine too. You can browse buyers, begin conversations with them, and use our platform just like everyone else.
None. You’re just initiating a conversation. You get to decide if the conversation leads to a sale.