Dave Ramsey ELP Reviews

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By Michael Warford Updated April 10, 2023

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Read Dave Ramsey ELP realtor reviews | Is Dave Ramsey ELP realtor worth it? | Top alternatives | Dave Ramsey ELP realtor for agents

✍️ Editor's take: Dave Ramsey ELP can help you find an agent fast, but you may be disappointed by the results and lack of savings.

What is Dave Ramsey ELP realtor?

The Dave Ramsey Endorsed Local Provider (ELP) realtor program, also called RamseyTrusted ELP realtor, is a free agent matching service. The service helps you find real estate agents who claim to follow Dave Ramsey’s philosophy.

After you fill out an online form, the company instantly matches you with multiple realtors. You can then interview those agents to see if they’re a good fit for you. If not, you can walk away.

Customer service representatives may try to sell you additional services in these areas:

  • Health savings
  • ID theft protection
  • Insurance
  • Investments
  • Mortgages
  • Taxes
  • Wills and power of attorney

Our advice on using Dave Ramsey ELP

Before using Dave Ramsey ELP realtor, you should compare the service to what competitors offer. The ELP program is free and can quickly match you with a real estate agent. But it's usually not the best choice if you're looking for a top agent or reduced realtor commission.

While some of its agents are good, the overall agent quality is inconsistent. And if you're a Ramsey fan, there's no guarantee you'll work with an agent who shares Ramsey's philosophy.

You also won't get any discounts for using an ELP agent, which is especially disappointing because Ramsey is a financial guru. Instead, you'll pay the standard listing fee of 2.5–3%. Other services, like Clever Real Estate, offer the same or even better service — but at a much lower rate.

With Clever, you can compare multiple top agents from reputable brokerages like Keller Williams and RE/MAX. You can interview as many local agents as you'd like, with no obligation to sign. If you decide to move forward, you'll pay a low 1.5% listing fee, potentially saving you thousands of dollars.

👋 Get a better agent AND built-in savings

Why pay more in commission fees for less service? Unlike Dave Ramsey's ELP program, Clever offers built-in savings — and matches you with top local realtors to ensure you get the best possible support and outcome.

With Clever:

✅ You'll only pay 1.5% to list your home.

✅ You'll work with a full-service realtor from a top broker.

✅ It's free, with zero obligation — you can walk away at any time.

Saving on realtor fees doesn't have to mean sacrificing service. Find a top local agent today!

How does Dave Ramsey ELP realtor work?

  1. You sign up on the Dave Ramsey website by entering some basic information about your home purchase or sale.
  2. You immediately get matched with 2–3 real estate agents via email and your customer dashboard.
  3. A customer service representative sends an introductory email and may call you.
  4. You can review your agent matches in your dashboard. The dashboard provides some basic background info, including each agent's familiarity with the "Ramsey Plan."
  5. The agents will likely email and call you. You can also contact them yourself.
  6. After interviewing the real estate agents, you can choose to work with one of them or walk away.

How much does Dave Ramsey ELP cost?

Dave Ramsey ELP realtor is free for buyers and sellers, like all agent matching services. But the seller is still responsible for paying standard commission fees. These fees usually total 5–6% of the sale price. A 2.5–3% listing fee goes to the seller's agent, and a 2.5–3% fee goes to the buyer's agent.

💰 Want to save on realtor fees? Find agents near you, pay a low 1.5% listing fee.

How does Dave Ramsey ELP make money?

Dave Ramsey ELP didn't give us a straight answer on how it makes money. Our researchers found the answer through actual partner agents on forums and through our industry contacts.

Dave Ramsey ELP takes a share of each agent’s commission whenever the agent closes a deal with a client. This is called a referral fee, and it's standard practice among agent matching services.

The company also charges realtors additional fees on top of the referral fee. To our knowledge, no other agent matching service does this.

Dave Ramsey ELP also makes money by upselling customers on other services, like a home loan through Churchill Mortgage, financial professionals, and home insurance providers.

While upselling is a common business practice, don’t assume these additional services are best for you just because they’ve been endorsed by the Ramsey team. Always compare different services, like mortgage offers, to ensure you get the best rate and terms.

Pros and cons of Dave Ramsey ELP

Pros

  • You get agent matches quickly.
  • You can see how many Dave Ramsey books each agent has read.

Cons

  • Your agent match might not live near you or be familiar with your local market.
  • You can't see your agents' customer ratings, recent sales, or service areas.
  • Customer service is hard to reach.
  • There aren't any built-in savings.
  • You might get an agent who doesn’t share Ramsey's values or philosophy.

Dave Ramsey ELP realtor reviews from real customers

Unlike most other agent matching services, Dave Ramsey ELP has no ratings on any of the major review sites, which makes it impossible to give the service a star rating.

However, our team dug through online forums like Reddit to find reviews from real customers.

What customers like about Dave Ramsey ELP

The few positive reviews we found praise the quality of the real estate agents.

This customer, for example, loved the service they got from their agent:

I used an ELP as my realtor when purchasing a home, and she was quick, sincere and kind. She didn't mind answering the million questions I had about purchasing my first home. She was great.

This customer also thought the realtors were helpful with both the purchase and sale of their home:

I have used 2 of the agents. 1 to sell my home in SC and one to help me purchase a new one. They were both fantastic- great with follow up and really couldn't have had a better experience either time.

In our experience, agent quality through Dave Ramsey ELP realtor is hit-or-miss. You may get some top real estate agents.

But we were often matched with agents who had little experience in our area, or we were handed off to an agent who wasn’t familiar with Ramsey values.

You should interview multiple agents instead of choosing the first one Dave Ramsey ELP recommends. It's important to find a real estate agent who's right for you, not just someone who has Ramsey's endorsed local provider badge.

What customers don't like about Dave Ramsey ELP

Most negative reviews are about agents who didn’t live up to expectations.

This customer felt that their real estate agent didn’t put enough effort into their real estate transaction and was constantly trying to upsell them on other products:

I put an inquiry in on Dave's web site on a Saturday evening and had an email from an agent within a couple of hours. I met with her on the following Monday and put in the offer. I'll give her credit for speed in getting back to me and she did get me through the offer and purchase process. But she just seemed to be average. I think that she felt that since I brought her the house that she didn't really have to put forth 100 percent effort. She also seemed to have a lot of side deals going on with alarm companies, satellite resellers, DSL resellers, etc that she was trying to push on me. I finally had to tell her none of that please. I don't know if that sort of thing is common or not among real estate agents.

Other complaints are from customers who got matched with Dave Ramsey ELP agents, only to have those agents hand them off to a different team member.

This customer, for example, thought they were getting an aggressive and experienced realtor, but instead they ended up getting a real estate agent with minimal experience:

My wife and I used an ELP agent from ReMax. We were dumped off onto a novice agent and were told he had many years of experience. We found out this wasn’t true. We asked for an agent that was a pit bull who was experienced with negotiation and provided excellent customer service. We were definitely going to be purchasing a new home! Well, the agent we got stuck with knew nothing about the market. My wife was the one who found the deals. He was supposed to have a bunch of properties for us to look at when we came down and didn’t even prepare for this..., kept us waiting over an hour as he tried to contact the owners to see if we could view their property. Of the 16 places we asked to see, we only saw 2-3 that week! The realtor’s response?

Likewise, this person got matched with a Dave Ramsey ELP realtor, only to be given to that realtor’s associate, who seemed far less impressive:

I picked an ELP for our current selling/buying process. That agent ended up pawning us off on one of her underling agents. Never talked to the ELP very much after that. The agent we're actually working with is very personable, so we were okay with dealing with them...but when we got into the nitty gritty of the process, has proven to be a bit scatterbrained and requires too much prompting.

While many real estate agents work as part of teams, getting handed off to a team member is a problem if you’re looking for a real estate agent who follows Ramsey’s philosophy.

For customers looking for a realtor who shares their values, the Dave Ramsey ELP program can be a bit of a bait and switch. You think you’re getting an agent who is a big Ramsey believer, only to end up with an agent who may have never even heard of him.

Top Dave Ramsey ELP realtor alternatives

Company Clever Rating Listing Fee Customer Rating Availability
Best overall
4.8
Our rating
1.5%
5/5 (3,180 reviews)
Nationwide
Find Agents
On listwithclever.com
3.1
Our rating
Varies
4.6/5 (6,934 reviews)
Nationwide
Learn More
3
2.5–3% (market rates)
4.6/5 (1,178 reviews)
Nationwide
Learn More
Best overall

Clever Real Estate

Find Agents
On listwithclever.com
4.8
Our rating

Listing Fee

1.5%

Customer Rating

5/5 (3,180 reviews)

Editor's Take

Overview

Locations

Clever Real Estate is the best option for most sellers looking for an agent. The company matches you with multiple full-service agents from local brokerages, including top brands like Keller Williams and RE/MAX. It offers a low 1.5% listing fee no matter which agent you choose.

Pros

  • Get matched with top-producing local agents in minutes.
  • Guaranteed 1.5% listing fee (half the usual rate).
  • Free agent matching service with no obligation to commit to any realtor.
  • Large agent network offers great selection compared to similar services.

Cons

  • No guarantee you’ll get matched with a specific agent or brokerage.
  • Add-ons like professional home staging and drone photography may cost extra.

Clever Real Estate offers a lower commission without sacrificing quality. Through its free service, you can find top-rated agents in your area and sell for just a 1.5% listing fee (much lower than the average realtor commission rate).

How it works: You take a short online quiz (five questions) to help Clever understand your situation and preferences. Then Clever matches you with vetted agents in your market who are a good fit. If you don’t like the agents Clever recommends, you can request more matches until you find the right fit — or simply walk away.

Why it’s great: You can use Clever to compare top-producing local realtors from major brands like Compass, Century 21, and Coldwell Banker. Each realtor in Clever’s network has agreed to offer lower commission rates, which lets you focus on choosing the best agent instead of worrying about the price. You get the same savings no matter what.

Clever is available nationwide.

Good for comparing options

UpNest

Learn More
On listwithclever.com
3.1
Our rating

Listing Fee

Varies

Customer Rating

4.6/5 (6,934 reviews)

Editor's take

Overview

Locations

UpNest lets you choose from multiple vetted agents, so there’s a good chance you’ll find a realtor that fits your needs. But it falls short on savings and customer service.

Pros

  • Agents are vetted and are usually top performers.
  • You get to choose from multiple agents.
  • The online dashboard is easy to use.

Cons

  • Realtor fees are only slightly lower than traditional rates.
  • Customer service is difficult to reach.
  • The quality of customer service is spotty.

What it is: UpNest is an online platform that matches home sellers and buyers with local real estate agents from different brokerages.

How it works: When you sign up for UpNest, you’ll get proposals from multiple vetted agents, usually within a day. Each proposal includes the agent's fees and services. Agents are required to offer full service but set their own listing fee. You can request more agent matches or walk away anytime.

Customer reviews: 4.6/5 (6,934 total reviews)

UpNest is available nationwide.

Large agent network, but no savings

HomeLight

Learn More
On listwithclever.com
3

Listing Fee

2.5–3% (market rates)

Customer Rating

4.6/5 (1,178 reviews)

Editor's take

Overview

Locations

If you want to quickly find a local real estate agent, HomeLight is worth trying thanks to its large agent network. But if you’re concerned about agent quality or savings, there are better options.

Pros

  • You get a list of real estate agents in minutes.
  • The large agent network means there’s usually an agent available near you.
  • You can get matched with a cash buyer through HomeLight Simple Sale.

Cons

  • There's no guarantee you’ll get a top realtor.
  • There are no savings on realtor commission.
  • Offers through HomeLight Simple Sale are lower than market value.

HomeLight is an online platform that offers a range of real estate services, like home listings and a home value calculator. It’s best known for matching buyers and sellers with real estate agents.

To find an agent with HomeLight, you enter some basic info about your property on the company website. Then HomeLight sends you a list of agents to choose from, but unlike other services, it doesn't vet the agents for you.

The service is free to use. But it doesn't save you money on commission. You still have to pay traditional realtor commission, usually 5–6%.

HomeLight also offers Simple Sale, a service that matches sellers with cash buyers. This service is designed for homeowners who want a fast sale and don’t want to invest in repairs. However, the offers are lower than what you’d get selling on the open market.

HomeLight is available nationwide.

How does Dave Ramsey ELP realtor work for real estate agents?

What is an ELP? | Dave Ramsey ELP realtor referral fees | Sign-up requirements | Lead quality

Dave Ramsey’s ELP realtor program is a lead generation service for real estate agents.

However, it's more expensive for real estate agents to use than other agent matching services. The company charges up-front and monthly fees on top of standard referral fees.

And while the company claims its leads are more likely to convert than the competition’s, we found very little lead vetting.

What is an ELP realtor?

ELP stands for "endorsed local provider." It is a program run by financial guru Dave Ramsey designed to direct his followers to professionals, such as real estate agents, insurance providers, and tax advisors, who follow his philosophy.

Because Ramsey has a devoted following, the endorsed local provider badge can appeal to this niche market. As an ELP, you’re signaling to Ramsey fans that you share their values.

How much does it cost to be a Dave Ramsey ELP realtor?

Dave Ramsey ELP realtor fees
Referral fee 30%
Upfront fee $3,000
Monthly fee $350
Show more

The fees for Dave Ramsey ELP realtor are higher and more complex than other agent matching services. The service charges a referral fee of 30% for each deal you close with a Dave Ramsey ELP client.

While 30% is a standard fee for the industry, the company charges additional fees. These include a $3,000 signup fee and $350 monthly "coaching" fees — presumably to ensure you stay up to date with Ramsey’s methods and teachings.

As far as we know, Dave Ramsey ELP is the only agent matching service that charges these additional fees on top of referral fees. Added together, the cost of becoming a Dave Ramsey ELP realtor may be too high for many agents.

How to become a Dave Ramsey ELP realtor

Dave Ramsey ELP requires agents to have at least 3 years of experience with at least 20 sales closed in the past 12 months. Your area must also need agents, otherwise you may be waitlisted.

Additionally, Ramsey vets agents to ensure they understand the principles of "working the plan" — a.k.a. the debt snowball.

This means that when you sign up to be a Dave Ramsey ELP realtor, you have to answer a survey about your familiarity with Dave Ramsey, including the number of his books you’ve read, his podcasts you've listened to, and which "Baby Step" you're on. However, the company doesn’t seem to verify this information.

🚩 Dave Ramsey ELP doesn't include eXp Realty agents

In June 2021, Dave Ramsey ELP announced it would no longer work with agents from eXp Realty, the fourth-largest brokerage in the country.

According to Dave Ramsey ELP, this was because eXp’s "recruiting model takes away from the customer experience."[1] However, all brokerages recruit agents, so it seems odd to single out eXp Realty for this.

We don’t buy Ramsey’s excuse. Instead, Ramsey seems to have developed some grudge against eXp, with eXp agents caught in the crossfire.

The incident isn’t just bizarre — it points to a bigger risk of working with a company headed by such a controversial figure. While the ELP network may be a great source of leads for you, Ramsey’s volatility means you could face shifts in his company policy that could affect your bottom line.

Or you could get caught up in some bad press involving Ramsey — something that he has generated plenty of in the past, such as for pulling out a loaded gun at a company meeting[2] and allegedly holding a maskless employee party during the peak of COVID-19.[3]

How good are Dave Ramsey ELP realtor leads?

We’ve heard mixed things about the quality of leads from Dave Ramsey ELP. Some realtors find the leads convert at a higher rate because they're dedicated to Ramsey’s philosophy and more willing to work with real estate agents endorsed by him.

However, Dave Ramsey ELP realtor doesn’t actually vet leads. Customers just fill in an online form answering some basic questions about their real estate needs, and they're instantly matched with 2–3 real estate agents.

No human representative from Dave Ramsey ELP checks in with leads to learn how serious they are about buying or selling or how far along they are in their agent search.

This lack of human oversight may mean you’ll be sent leads who aren't ready to convert. As a result, your conversion rate with Dave Ramsey ELP realtors could be lower than what you'll get through other agent matching services that properly vet leads.

Clever, for example, phones all of its leads to find out what they are looking for in an agent and how ready they are to buy or sell. That way, Clever can make a more personalized match, which ultimately means that the lead is more likely to result in a closed deal for you.

That’s why the close rate for Clever leads is about 30%, much higher than just about every other agent matching service.

💰 Close more deals with Clever

Are you a top-rated agent? Clever Real Estate wants to partner with you!

Clever's partner agents typically have a 20% close rate (minimum!), with most closing around one-third of the leads we send their way.

Stop wasting time and money on dead-end leads. Apply to become a Clever partner agent today!

Join Clever

FAQ about Dave Ramsey ELP

Is Dave Ramsey ELP legitimate?

Yes, Dave Ramsey ELP Real Estate is legitimate. It's a licensed brokerage in Tennessee and was founded in 1992. The Better Business Bureau gives its parent company, Ramsey Solutions, an A– rating, although the BBB hasn’t accredited it.

Who is Dave Ramsey?

Dave Ramsey is a financial guru and real estate investor with a popular radio show. He offers financial advice on how to get out of debt. His main claim to fame is the debt snowball technique, which helps people gain momentum as they pay off their debts. Ramsey’s evangelical Christian beliefs are also a big part of his brand and services.

Dave Ramsey controversies and lawsuits

Dave Ramsey has attracted controversy for imposing his personal views on his employees through what he calls his company's “righteous living” policy. Some of his most notable controversies include:

Methodology

Clever and its mystery shoppers spent nearly 1,500 hours researching real estate agent matching services to deliver the best reviews in the industry. Our reviews are continuously updated to ensure you have the latest information to inform your decisions.

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