Dave Ramsey, a popular financial advisor and host of radio and television programs, has established numerous affiliate companies offering various products and services – including real estate services – under his brand. One such program is called Dave Ramsey Endorsed Local Provider (ELP), which connects families looking to buy or sell homes with real estate agents familiar with his principles who charge a referral fee on successful transactions while following them, such as using snowball debt elimination as part of “Work the Plan.”
Dave Ramsey ELP program requires real estate agents of eXp real estate brokerage to pay both referral and monthly fees; these can run into hundreds or even thousands of dollars each month and make participation unaffordable for many agents; this has resulted in the number of agents participating falling off dramatically since Ramsey announced this initiative.
Even though Ramsey’s program has created considerable buzz, it is essential that you understand its details before determining whether it is the best solution for you. His program matches consumers with real estate agents who abide by his financial principles and boast proven success – similar to services such as UpNest or Clever Real Estate.
The Dave Ramsey ELP realtor program enjoys such high customer satisfaction due to the outstanding work of its agents. Most reviewers of their real estate agent remark on how quickly and competitively priced their house purchase or sale was completed; plus they appreciate that their agent followed Ramsey’s philosophy as well as was acquainted with his debt snowball plan.
Some customers, however, had different experiences. Some complained of being matched with an agent who didn’t meet their expectations or was unfavorable in his financial advice; others noted being unable to save any money on realtor commission due to ELP referral fees being too high.
Notable criticisms of the Dave Ramsey ELP program included its fee structure as well as its restricted selection of real estate agents and failure to properly vet leads. At times, customers were mismatched with agents claiming to be Ramsey Trusted Agents but later passing them off to another team member; while others found themselves paying too much for services rendered resulting in buyer regret. To avoid these difficulties, you should utilize another agent matchmaker with more extensive selection and more stringent screening criteria than Dave Ramsey ELP program does. Also check other real estate agent review websites as a comparison point; by doing your homework you may find an agent who meets both your needs while helping reduce commission expenses.