Learn · Representation, rebuilt
Help should be a menu, not an all-or-nothing
Some people want to run their own deal. Some want a professional on every step. Most are somewhere in between — and until recently, the industry only sold the bundle.
The ground rules changed in 2024
Since a big industry settlement in August 2024, buyers sign a written agreement with their agent — fee included — before touring homes. Agent fees were always negotiable; now you actually see them. The result: help with your sale is becoming something you pick and price on purpose, not a cost hidden inside every deal.
Source: NAR, settlement facts and practice changes.
That's exactly how Deedio's agent directory works: each agent lists specific services with their own price on the card. Nothing bundled, nothing hidden.
A closing is a team — know the positions
“Do I need an agent?” is the wrong first question. The right one: who is doing each job on this deal? There are four jobs, no matter who fills them:
Real estate agent
Helps you price, market, negotiate, and keep the deal moving. Licensed by the state.
Do you need one? Optional — hire one for everything, or for just one piece.
Real estate attorney
Writes and reviews the contract — and the loan papers if the owner finances. In Tennessee, writing legal documents for someone else is a lawyer's job.
Do you need one? Yes, for a safe owner-direct deal — often a flat few hundred dollars.
Title company
Checks that the title is clean, holds the money, and runs closing day — deed, payoff, recording, and handing out the funds.
Do you need one? Yes. Both sides agree on one — decide early.
Lender
Loans the buyer the money and pays off the seller's old mortgage at closing. In owner-financed deals, the seller plays this part.
Do you need one? Yes — unless the deal is cash or owner-financed.
Deedio supports the whole spectrum — deliberately
Deedio isn't anti-agent. It just lets you pick your spot between I'll do it all myself and let the pros handle everything — and see what each stop costs:
- Full DIY — you run the deal; attorney + title company cover the legal rails.
- Paperwork only — a licensee prepares forms and disclosures; you drive.
- Coaching — advice behind the scenes while you negotiate directly.
- Contract to close — you found each other; a pro carries the transaction home.
- Full service — traditional representation, fee stated up front, always negotiable.
Every directory agent has a Tennessee license we check against state records, lists services at their own advertised price, and pays Deedio a flat fee — never a share of your deal. “Featured” placement is labeled as paid. What you hire them for is between you and them.
See the agents on DeedioThis page is general education, not legal advice, and describes typical practice — your transaction may differ. Deedio is a technology platform, not a brokerage, law firm, or title company; it does not represent buyers or sellers, and engagements with any professional are yours alone, made off-platform.