When Roger Vergara decided to sell his two-family investment property in New Haven, Connecticut, he knew it could use some updating. The property had been built in 1950 and was dated, with decor from the 1980s. Vergara’s real estate agent told him the home would sell faster and for more money with some cosmetic work and minor renovations.
That agent, David Lemel, with Coldwell Banker Realty in North Haven, Connecticut, also told Vergara about RealVitalize, a program offered by the brokerage that allows sellers to improve their homes — at no upfront cost — to help boost the ultimate sales price. There are no hidden fees or interest, and sellers don’t have to pay the money back until their property sells.
“I was kind of hesitant because it sounded too good to be true,” says Vergara, a police officer in Stamford, Connecticut. “But I was in a market where buyers wanted turnkey homes, so if someone could buy a house that was already in good condition, it would be an easy deal.”
Vergara tapped RealVitalize, using $40,000 for interior and exterior painting, updating the kitchens in both units, installing new appliances, cleaning the basement and repairing the rear deck. Although Lemel says the property would have sold in the low $300,000s in its original condition, once the renovations were complete, the house was listed for $400,000 in June 2024. After receiving 17 offers, the house went under contract in three days, and Vergara closed on it less than two months later for $450,000.
“Buyers don’t want to buy a house that needs to be fixed up,” says Lemel. “They’re spending top dollar on a house, and the last thing they want to do is to spend more money to fix it up. That’s why a buyer will spend significantly more money on a home that has been redone.”
[READ: 10 Kitchen Trends to Watch in 2025]
What Is a Brokerage Concierge Service?
As a way to compete for buyers and sellers, many real estate agents offer additional value, or white glove service, to their clients by providing services such as referrals to inspectors, attorneys or stagers, helping to coordinate moves and even overseeing remodeling projects to get the property in show-ready condition.
Some large brokerage firms take it a step further by actually fronting funds to eligible sellers that enable them to improve the home so that it competes better and sells for the highest price possible. RealVitalize is one example of such a brokerage concierge program.
How Much Does It Cost?
RealVitalize can be used for many types of home improvements, from carpentry to landscaping, painting, staging, kitchen and bath upgrades, plumbing and electric upgrades and new appliances. Contractors who perform the work must be listed on the home-maintenance website Angi. The cost of the projects is deducted from the home’s sales proceeds, with no interest, markups or other fees due. If the house does not sell, the seller is required to pay the funds back within 12 months after completion of the first job.
Coldwell Banker isn’t the only brokerage to offer such a program. Compass offers a similar program, called Compass Concierge, that pays for the cost of home-improvement services, with zero due until closing. Ian Katz, an associate broker with Compass in New York City, considers himself as a “huge fan” of the program. He said it not only increases the price a property will sell for, but it can help sell a property that otherwise, due to its condition, would be challenging to sell at all.
“In New York City, we are in a market where properties that need a lot of work can be unappealing to a buyer or require such a discount that the seller isn’t enthusiastic about selling at the price,” he says. Katz recently used the Compass Concierge program for a property in Brooklyn Heights that was dated, with a 20-year-old kitchen and bathrooms, and by updating light fixtures, paint colors and staging the property, he created a bidding war on a property that, despite its prewar charm, might have been tough to sell.
The Compass Concierge program does have a fee. In most markets, sellers pay a flat fee of $500 or $750, depending on location; in others, there is an interest charge of 5.99% in lieu of the fee. The maximum amount a seller can tap is $25,000 in most of the country, or $50,000 in California.
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Pros of Concierge Services
For sellers who are short on cash, or have their wealth tied up in home equity, brokerage concierge programs are a way to fund home improvements that can help their home sell for more. This benefits not only the seller but the brokerage firm as well. After all, the higher the sales price, the greater the commission.
And, with real estate agents reporting that buyers prefer turnkey homes that are move-in ready, concierge programs that enable a seller to update a home upfront may also help it sell faster.
Cons of Concierge Services
Despite the benefits of brokerage concierge programs, Katz warns that sellers need to do their due diligence. “The strategy of using the program is only as good as the individual doing the marketing on the property,” he says. “The money spent needs to have a return on investment by going toward a project that truly improves a property’s marketability. Otherwise, if you spend $25,000, and you only get an additional $2,000 out of the sale, it was not money well spent.”
That’s why Katz recommends using an experienced agent who is familiar with the local market and what it takes to sell a home there.
Another downside: If a house needs substantial work, a brokerage concierge program may not provide enough funding to get every project completed. Plus, under Coldwell Banker’s RealVitalize program, sellers are limited to using contractors listed on Angi, so if you have a favorite painter, roofer or plumber who isn’t on Angi, you cannot use them.
[Read: What Happens to the Money You Make When You Sell Your House?]
All in a Day’s Work for Agents
Of course, numerous real estate agents regularly provide less formal concierge services to their clients as part of their representation. Many agents who work in the luxury space go out of their way to service their clients’ needs, but others do so at lower price points as well.
Debby Belt, a senior associate at Hammond Residential Real Estate in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, walks through new listings with her seller clients, advising them on what they need to do to get their house ready to sell, whether it’s painting, staging, improving lighting or updating bathrooms. She also manages any upgrades the sellers decide to do. Her services are an added value that she provides for her commission, and her clients pay for the construction costs out of pocket.
“A big part of selling a home is getting it sale-ready,” she says. “I also have resources such as declutterers, movers, packers and junk removal. I provide resources for whatever my clients may need.”
Belt says that many of her clients expect this type of white-glove service, but she provides it whether they expect it or not. “I use a holistic approach to getting a home ready for sale, so it’s like a concierge service that I manage,” she says. “I do this for all of my clients because preparation is so important in terms of a successful sale.”
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Spruce Up Now, Pay Later: Brokerage Concierge Programs Front the Cost of Upgrading Your Home originally appeared on usnews.com
