Cost comparison
What you'll actually pay — including when we're the expensive option.
Most lead platforms charge a flat monthly fee whether or not anything closes. We charge a small monthly fee and take a 20–25% referral fee on the gross commission when one of our leads closes. Neither model is universally cheaper. Below is the arithmetic, the break-even point, and the honest answer about who should pick which.
Run your own numbers
- Selah, first year
- $8,550 – $10,350
- $150 setup + $100/mo + the referral fee on 3 closings
- Flat subscription, first year
- $3,600
- $300/mo × 12, whether anything closes or not — and you keep the whole commission
At these numbers the subscription is cheaper. Closing 3 deals at $12,000 means our referral fee outweighs a $300/mo platform. If that's genuinely your year, a flat subscription is the better financial choice and we'd rather you knew that now.
The formula
Selah, year one = $150 setup + ($100 × 12 months) + (20–25% × commission × closings)
Subscription, year one = (monthly fee × 12) + any setup fee
Break-even closings = (subscription year − $1,350) ÷ (25% × commission)
At a $12,000 average commission and a $300/month subscription, the break-even lands at roughly one closing a year: below that we cost less, above it the subscription does. The higher your commission or your closing volume, the sooner a flat fee wins on price alone.
Three worked examples
All three assume a $12,000 average commission and a $300/month subscription compared against Selah at $150 setup plus $100/month.
| Your year | Selah | Subscription | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Closes 1 Selah lead in the year | $3,750 – $4,350 | $3,600 | Subscription |
| Closes 3 Selah leads in the year | $8,550 – $10,350 | $3,600 | Subscription |
| Closes 6 Selah leads in the year | $15,750 – $19,350 | $3,600 | Subscription |
Read the last row honestly: an agent closing six of our leads a year pays us considerably more than a flat subscription would have cost. What they got for it was six closings they wouldn't otherwise have had, plus the website, the marketing and the portal — but on price alone, the subscription wins that year.
What these numbers assume
- The referral fee applies only to leads Selah provides, only when they close, within 24 months of delivery. Your own sphere, past clients and self-generated business are never touched.
- "Commission" means the gross commission paid to your side of the transaction, before your brokerage's own split. Your take-home is lower, and your split is between you and your broker.
- Subscription platforms vary widely and many add setup fees, CRM fees, or an ad budget on top of the monthly figure — the comparison above uses the monthly fee only, which flatters the subscription.
- Nothing here predicts how many leads will close. Conversion depends on your market, your follow-up and your skill, and we don't guarantee any number of closings.
- These figures are illustrative arithmetic, not a quote or a projection of earnings.
Want the same honesty applied to the platforms themselves? See how we compare to Zillow, Ylopo, Agent Image and AgentFire — including where each of them is the better buy.