Redfin becomes first major real estate portal to partner with Winnie to display childcare information on home listings. Aug 17, 2026, 08:00 ET Home searchers can now see nearby childcare options as they browse homes for sale on Redfin SEATTLE, Aug. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ - Redfin (redfin.com), the real estate brokerage powered by Rocket, today announced a partnership with Winnie (winnie.com) - the largest marketplace for childcare and early education in the U.S. - to bring local childcare information to every for-sale home listing on Redfin. Home searchers can now view daycare and preschool options closest to each listing, along with details on distance from the home, reviews, financial aid, staff certifications and other key data points to paint a full picture of what childcare looks like in an area. This information is now available on Redfin's desktop and mobile websites and will be available in the Redfin app in September. "When you're buying a home, you're also choosing a neighborhood that works for your family," said Ariel Dos Santos, Redfin Chief Product and Design Officer. "For parents and guardians, finding childcare is a big part of that decision. Bringing Winnie's childcare information directly to every listing on Redfin makes it easier to see what options are nearby while you're looking at homes, instead of having to search for that information separately." The partnership comes as new Redfin research finds that childcare and housing costs consume more than half of families' incomes (52%) in many parts of the U.S. In some of the country's largest metro areas, those two expenses leave families with almost nothing left over. In Los Angeles, the typical working family spends nearly 97% of its annual income on housing and childcare combined. New York (95%), San Francisco (94.2%), Anaheim (93.5%) and San Jose (83.1%) round out the five least affordable markets for working families with young kids. These findings are based on Redfin and Winnie data that compares the typical annual cost of housing and childcare for one child with median local household income across the nation. "Housing and childcare are two of the most important pieces families with young children have to solve, and both can vary dramatically from one city to the next," said Sara Mauskopf, Winnie Co-Founder and CEO. "By bringing Winnie's childcare data directly into Redfin, families can consider not just whether they love a home, but whether the area around it actually works for their family." Childcare information is the latest addition to Redfin's growing suite of data insights designed to help buyers evaluate not just a home, but the lifestyle that comes with it. Listings on Redfin now include: * Weather insights from The Weather Company, including ZIP code-level weather information on precipitation, snowfall, temperature, humidity and UV index. * Sunscore, a 0-100 rating that estimates how much natural sunlight a property receives throughout the year. * Climate risk data from First Street that shows a property's potential exposure to flood, fire, heat, wind and poor air quality. * Walk Score, Transit Score and Bike Score, helping buyers understand a home's walkability, access to public transit and bike-friendliness. Together, these features give homebuyers a more complete picture of what it's like to live in a neighborhood, helping them make more informed decisions about where to put down roots. About Redfin Redfin is a technology-driven real estate company with the country's most-visited real estate brokerage website. As part of Rocket Companies (NYSE: RKT), Redfin is creating an integrated homeownership platform from search to close to make the dream of homeownership more affordable and accessible for everyone. Redfin's clients can see homes first with on-demand tours, easily apply for a home loan with Rocket Mortgage, and save thousands in fees while working with a top local agent. You can find more information about Redfin and get the latest housing market data and research at https://www.redfin.com/news. For more information about Rocket Companies, visit https://www.rocketcompanies.com. About Winnie Winnie is the largest marketplace for childcare and early education in the United States. Millions of parents use Winnie to discover local daycares, preschools and other care options and compare information including tuition, licensing status, schedules, availability, photos and parent reviews. Childcare providers use Winnie to reach families, fill open spaces, build their waitlists and grow their businesses. Learn more at winnie.com. SOURCE Redfin

The lowest real estate commission in America: A managing broker breaks down every option. A managing broker with 315+ transactions compares every commission model - traditional, discount, MLS-only, and flat fee - with real closing data. Every home seller wants to know the same thing: who charges the lowest real estate commission? After 19 years as a managing broker and over 315 closed transactions, I can tell you the answer is not as simple as picking the cheapest percentage - because the cheapest option and the lowest cost option are often different things. The commission landscape right now. Traditional real estate commissions in the United States run between 5% and 6% of the sale price, split between the listing agent and buyer agent. On a $500,000 home, that is $25,000 to $30,000. The NAR settlement in 2024 changed how buyer agent commissions are disclosed and negotiated, but it did not eliminate them. Sellers still pay, and the percentages have barely budged at most brokerages. Flat Fee vs percentage: the real cost comparison. Here is what the major models actually charge: Traditional Brokerages (Keller Williams, Coldwell Banker, RE/MAX): 2.5%-3% listing side. On a $600,000 home: $15,000-$18,000. Discount Percentage Brokerages (Redfin, Clever): 1%-1.5% listing side. On a $600,000 home: $6,000-$9,000. But Redfin recently acquired Rocket Close and is bundling mortgage services - read the fine print. MLS-Only Services (Houzeo, Homecoin): $199-$499 flat fee for MLS access only. No agent representation, no negotiations, no support at closing. You are on your own. Flat Fee Full Service (ShopProp): $4,995 flat fee for homes under $1M, including full agent representation, negotiations, and closing coordination. On a $600,000 home, that is $4,995 - less than half of what a discount percentage brokerage charges, with full managing broker service included. What $356,000 in savings looks like. Its largest single-transaction savings was on a Newport Beach property that sold for $14.5 million. The seller paid a $7,995 flat fee instead of a traditional percentage commission. The savings: $356,171. That is not a typo - over a third of a million dollars kept by the seller because they chose a flat fee model. At the other end: a buyer in Houston purchased a $335,000 home, paid a $1,995 flat buyer fee, and received $8,010 back at closing. A family in Leander, Texas bought a $750,000 home and saved $15,205. A buyer in Austin saved $15,000 on a $566,500 condo. These are documented closings - every one is verifiable on ShopProp's results page. The buyer side: commission rebates. Most people searching for the lowest commission focus on selling. But buyers overpay too. Traditional buyer agents charge 2.5%-3% of the purchase price, paid through the transaction. A flat fee buyer agent charges a fixed amount - ShopProp starts at $1,995 - and returns the rest as a cash rebate at closing. On a $700,000 home with a 2.5% buyer agent commission ($17,500), a ShopProp buyer pays $3,995 and receives $13,505 back. Most buyers do not know this option exists because traditional agents have no incentive to mention it. What to watch out for. Not every low-commission option delivers what it promises: * MLS-only traps: Listing your home for $299 sounds great until you need to negotiate a $20,000 repair request and have no agent in your corner. * Percentage minimums: Some discount brokerages advertise 1% but have minimum fees of $3,000-$5,000 - which on lower-priced homes means you are paying the same or more than a flat fee. * Service reductions: Redfin and similar discount brokerages achieve lower rates by routing you through teams and call centers. You may never speak to the same person twice. * Bundled products: Some brokerages are now requiring or incentivizing you to use their mortgage, title, or insurance products. The commission discount gets clawed back through higher rates elsewhere. How to actually get the lowest commission. The lowest real estate commission in America today is a flat fee that does not scale with your home price. Whether your home is worth $300,000 or $3,000,000, the work your agent does is fundamentally the same. The flat fee model reflects that reality. ShopProp's seller fees: Full Service from $4,995 (under $1M), $6,995 ($1M-$2M), $7,995 ($2M+). Essentials from $1,995. Buyer fees starting at $1,995.

Before you design your ADU, do this first. It's easy to get excited about a floor plan before you've confirmed anything about your actual lot. It's also the most common mistake Apex Homes see. Redfin recently published a guide on ADU planning and asked the Apex Homes team to weigh in, along with a handful of other builders and ADU experts. It got Apex Homes thinking about the questions homeowners should really be asking before they start designing - not after. Start with your city, not your design. As Redfin's guide points out, ADU rules aren't uniform. Setbacks, unit size limits, parking requirements, and owner-occupancy rules can vary from one city to the next - sometimes even block to block within the same city. What's allowed in Sunnyvale won't necessarily fly in Los Gatos or Mountain View. Before you commit to a layout, confirm what your specific address allows. Feasibility comes first - always. This is the point Apex Homes made directly in Redfin's piece: homeowners should always start with a feasibility study to understand what is actually possible on their lot, including zoning, setbacks, utility access, permitting requirements, and budget expectations. Skip this step and you risk falling for a design your lot can't actually support - then redesigning from scratch, or worse, finding out mid-permit that the plan doesn't work. Budget beyond the build. Redfin's guide also flags "soft costs" that can add tens of thousands of dollars before a single wall goes up. Homeowners should budget for: * Permits and impact fees * Utility connections (water, sewer, gas, electric) * Engineering and site surveys * Design and architectural fees * A contingency fund for surprises - especially on older lots or aging utility infrastructure This is part of why Apex Homes build solar, appliances, and full permit handling into its pricing upfront, rather than leaving these costs to surface mid-project. Decide how you'll use it before you design it. A rental unit, an in-law suite, and a home office all call for different layouts, privacy needs, and utility connections - another point Redfin's guide raises. Deciding the ADU's purpose early avoids expensive retrofits later, since accessibility features, private entrances, and sound insulation are far cheaper to plan for than to add after the fact. Pre-Engineered plans can help - with caveats. Redfin's guide notes that pre-approved plans can speed up the design phase, but "pre-approved" doesn't automatically mean permit-ready everywhere. Most cities still require site-specific reviews for utilities, foundation, and grading. That's why its pre-approved floor plans are matched to the specific cities Apex Homes build in, rather than a generic catalog. Find out what's possible on your lot. The fastest way to answer most of these questions is a real feasibility check. Its free ParcelZ tool shows you what's buildable on your address in minutes - before you spend time or money on a design.