We Are Proud To Be Celebrating 15+ Years Serving The Raleigh Areas

Since 2008, Smart Choice Realty has helped thousands of North Carolina families buy and sell homes with confidence, for less. Offering exceptional services without the high percentage-based fees of the traditional firm, we’re proud of our position as one of the Triangle’s top flat-fee real estate companies. With 15+ years of service under our belts, we continue to save homeowners thousands in listing commissions while delivering the same expert-level support you’d expect from any full-service brokerage.

Our Story

For decades, percentage-based listing commissions were the norm in the real estate market—often totaling 5–6% of a home’s sale price. In the competitive Raleigh-Durham market, these percentage fees could easily cost the average seller tens of thousands of dollars. Smart Choice Realty set out to change that.

Since our founding in 2008, we’ve had a clear mission: to make the real estate process better and more affordable for everyday homeowners. Led by a team of local experts, we set out to challenge outdated commission structures and deliver better value to sellers across the Triangle. What began as a small, local brokerage has grown into one of Raleigh’s most trusted flat fee real estate agencies.

To date, we’ve helped clients save over $4.1 million in listing commissions, proving that you don’t have to sacrifice service to save money. And we have no intentions of slowing down. Choose Smart Choice, and you’ll be able to save money to protect your equity, put toward your new home or simply save for a rainy day. It’s our way of helping make real estate more about you and less about your realtor.

15+ Years of Helping Families Find Their Dream Home and Save Them Money

Real estate should be personal, transparent and cost-effective. That’s why we offer a flat listing fee of $2,000 when you buy and sell with us, or $4,500 if you’re only selling. There’s no costly percentage to calculate, no wondering how much you’ll owe us.

Plus, you aren’t sacrificing services just to save money. From expert pricing guidance to professional photography, MLS exposure and skilled negotiations, you’ll get it all with us, but you’ll get it for less. It’s part of the reason we’ve successfully closed $114 million in sales over the last five years alone (that’s an average of $22.8 million annually).

$4500

Average Savings

Median Days On Market

List Price Received

700

Homes Sold

Service Areas Where We’re Making A difference

We proudly serve home buyers and sellers throughout North Carolina’s Research Triangle, including:

Raleigh
North Raleigh
Cary
Apex
Durham
Garner
Wake Forest

What Our Clients Are Saying

Here’s what our satisfied clients are saying about saving money with Smart Choice Realty.

Excellent

Smart Choice Realty

Based on 167 reviews

See all reviews

Cap Mellon

I listed my house with Smart Choice Realty and 8 days later I had a contract. Samara, Kenny and Angie are awesome people to work with, the process is thoroughly explained, they kept me well informed throughout and the best part is I saved thousands by using Smart Choice Realty to sell my home. Thanks guys, you are the best!!

jake fisher

I will recommend Smart Choice Realty to any and everybody! Not only did I save almost $9000!! My house was listed and under contract in under 36 hrs! I was truly blown away of how quick And easy it was. Samara/Kenny/Angie are truly the A-Team!! Selling a house can be stressful, and they were beyond helpful and a pleasure to work with every step of the way. If you’re looking to Sell or buy I wouldn’t recommend anyone other than Smart Choice Realty!

Response from the owner:Thanks Jake! We truly wish you well in your next chapter :-)

Kerri Bridges

Truly the best company to help you buy or sell your home. We have used them twice and are highly satisfied. Great and quick communication!

Response from the owner:We appreciate your continued trust in our team Kerri!

Martha Haley

We highly recommend Smart Choice Realty! They are very knowledgeable and responsive. Our house sold fast and they were there to help us every step of the way. Best yet, we saved big on commissions with their flat rate fee.

Response from the owner:Martha, it was our pleasure working with you & John! Thanks so much for trusting us with the sale of your home!

bigdaddy gator

Smart Choice Realty did a fantastic job for us when we listed our Raleigh townhouse. Samara (Sam) listened to us and gave excellent advice. With her help we got a very good offer which we accepted. By contrast, the selling agent was a bumbling fool.
List with Smart Choice and you will:
1. Save thousands of dollars ($16,000 in our case)
2. Get sound advice about selling your home.
3. Have excellent communication from the folks at Smart Choice.
We would recommend Smart Choice to any seller.

Response from the owner:Bob, you & Shannon were awesome to work with! Thanks so much for trusting our process and for the great review!

Bill Dougherty

When our neighbor used Smart Choice we saw how quickly her house received an offer and also noted that the realtor’s commission was a fixed amount. When we decided to sell, we contacted Smart Choice hoping for similar results. We were not disappointed. After five days we received an offer on our home. The whole experience was quite easy. The realtor stayed in contact with us throughout the process right up until Closing. We are now in our forever home and don’t plan on selling again; however, if we did, we would once again use Smart Choice Realty.

Response from the owner:We would definitely work with you and Betty again Bill, but so happy you're in your forever home to relax & enjoy life!

Andrew Mahoney

wow. so simple and fast. great communication from Kenny throughout the process.

Response from the owner:Thanks for working with us Andy, we appreciate your trust in our team!

Stan Wood

Samara and her team were unknown to us until we saw how we could possibly save a lot of money in reduced realtor commissions on her website. After calling them and meeting with her, we felt would be getting the same services as from a full fee realtor and we were right. Our sale was easy and quicker than I anticipated and we saved over $12,000. So unless you have thousands of extra dollars living around, why wouldn't you use a discount realtor as Smart Choice Realty. Think about it!

Response from the owner:Thank you Stan. It was our pleasure to work with you and Karen!

Erick and Jennifer Taylor

The wife and myself have nothing but great things to say about Sam and her team at Smart Choice. We worked with Smart Choice for nearly a year researching and finally deciding to sell our house and buying a new one. Sam gave us guidance on what we needed to do and with that being said, our house sold in less than a week. And then there is the awesome Kenny who was the absolute best each and every time we needed him. We can not thank the entire team enough.
Erick and Jennifer

Response from the owner:Erick & Jennifer, it was so much fun working with you both!

Anneliese Reeves

The Smart Choice team is top notch from start to finish. I can not say enough about the staff and their dedication to work above an beyond. Hands down I would recommend them to anyone needing to sell their home. We were out of state and they took care of everything and we never had to worry! Thank you Smart Choice!

Response from the owner:Thank you Anneliese, you were wonderful to work with!

Our Dedicated Experts Serving Raleigh for the Last 15+ Years

Whether you’re listing your current home or searching for the right fit in a new neighborhood, our flat-rate listing agents are here to help. Combining deep local knowledge with years of hands-on experience, we’re trusted by first-time buyers and seasoned investors for our practical guidance, sharp negotiation skills and commitment to success.

Samara Presley

Listing Specialist & Founder

Kenny Coates

Closing Specialist & Realtor

Angela Jones

Listing Coordinator & Realtor

Learn More About Smart Choice

Check Out Our Current Listings

Milestone Timeline

Our Birth

Smart Choice Realty is founded in Raleigh, NC, introducing a flat-fee model to offer more affordable real estate services.

Production doubles

With over 70 homes sold in the Triangle area, Smart Choice becomes a leading flat-fee firm in the region.

Four years later

Smart Choice has grown to a ten person team with specialists to help buyers and sellers every step of the way. Smart Choice is the premier flat fee, full service firm in the Triangle and has saved home sellers over $3 million in commissions.

Blue Ridge Road in Raleigh

The company relocates to a new office off Blue Ridge Road in Raleigh, enhancing its presence in the heart of the city.

Continued Success

Smart Choice Reaches 1,400+ homes sold, saving clients over $4.1 million in listing commissions.

Why Homeowners Choose Smart Choice Realty

1. Flat-Fee Pricing

There are no percentage-based commissions. You’ll pay $2,000 or $4,500 to sell your home with us. It’s that simple.

2. Local Expertise

We live here, we work here,and we have decades of experience in the Raleigh-Durham market. Our local expertise helps us make the best deals.

3. Full Service, Less Cost

We aren’t a barebones firm. You’ll get full MLS exposure, professional photos, expert guidance and a host of other services that will make selling a success.

Looking Ahead to Another 15 Years and Beyond

It’s been a fantastic 15 years serving the Raleigh real estate market, but we’re just getting started. As we look to the future, our goal remains the same: deliver expert real estate services at lower prices than the other guys. We know that real estate is constantly changing, so we’ll be ready to grow, change and adapt to provide the greatest value to our clients. That way, whether you’re selling today or in the future, you’ll always have the Triangle’s most affordable, most professional firm by your side.

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Ready to Save Thousands with Our Flat Fee Commission Model In Raleigh?

Say goodbye to high listing commissions. With Smart Choice Realty, you can work with an experienced, full-service team and still keep more of your home’s equity.

Next Steps…

What’s My Home Worth?Schedule Your FREE Listing Consultation