National Association of Exclusive Buyers Agents

What National Association of Exclusive Buyers Agents does

NAEBA (National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents) is a U.S. nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 1995 and headquartered in Mesa, Arizona, with nationwide reach. It represents real estate agents and brokerages that exclusively represent home buyers and never accept listings or represent sellers, positioning itself against the dual-agency model common in traditional real estate firms. Its core product is the NAEBA Referral Service, a website-driven matching system (built on QuickBase) that connects individual home buyers with vetted member exclusive buyer agents in their local market, supported by a Find an Agent portal, the "Listen Up Home Buyers" podcast, a library of buyer-education guides, a member portal (EBA Login), and a published Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.

The business model combines two revenue streams: recurring membership dues from exclusive buyer agents and brokerages who join the organization, and affiliate referral fees collected on closed real estate transactions routed through the website. NAEBA does not publicly disclose pricing for either stream. The customer base is bifurcated: on the demand side, individual home buyers (first-time, repeat, and investors) across the United States; on the supply side, independently operated SMB and mid-market buyer-only brokerages. Notable members include Buyers Brokers Only (Boston, 2,000+ clients over 20+ years), Globella Buyers Realty (San Diego), Homebuyer Representation Inc. (Salt Lake City), Buyers Resource Realty Services (Columbus), and Lux House Hunters (Long Island).

NAEBA is governed by a board and member-elected leadership; current President Benjamin Clark succeeded Lora Cusumano, who in turn succeeded earlier presidents Rich Rosa, Mike Crowley, and Dawn Rae. The organization has 1-10 employees, no parent company, no disclosed investors, and is funded entirely through membership dues and referral fees. Following the August 2024 NAR settlement, NAEBA has publicly positioned itself as the consumer-protection alternative to traditional representation, and celebrated its 30th anniversary in May 2026 with a "30 Years of Buyer-First Representation" campaign.

Name

National Association of Exclusive Buyers Agents

Legal name

NAEBA Referral Service Inc.

Website

https://naeba.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NAEBA is a 30-year-old U.S. nonprofit trade association that vets and certifies real estate agents who exclusively represent home buyers, running a nationwide website-based referral service that matches consumers with member exclusive buyer agents and funding operations through membership dues and closed-transaction referral fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Real Estate Professional Association

NAICS

Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (5312)

SIC

Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Eminent Domain / Condemnation & Litigation Support Valuation (BPAJAKAJ)

Keywords

• Exclusive buyer agency
• Real estate referral service
• Professional trade association
• Buyer agent representation
• Nonprofit real estate organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Referral Service Fees: NAEBA operates a referral service that matches home buyers with exclusive buyer agents. When a consumer submits a request through the website, NAEBA shares their information to facilitate matching with real estate professionals. The organization collects referral fees on closed transactions, similar to other real estate referral services.
2. Membership Dues: NAEBA charges membership dues to exclusive buyer agents and brokerages who join the organization. Members receive access to NAEBA's referral network, marketing materials, professional development, and the right to use the NAEBA branding and credentials.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NAEBA is a nonprofit professional association that maintains a referral service connecting home buyers with Exclusive Buyer Agents — real estate professionals who pledge to represent only buyers and never sellers. The organization sets a code of ethics, offers membership to qualifying agents, and provides consumer education resources such as the NAEBA Buyer's Guide and an industry podcast.

Product overview

NAEBA operates as a professional membership organization offering a unified platform of services centered on exclusive buyer representation. The core offering is the NAEBA Referral Service, which pairs home buyers with vetted exclusive buyer agents through a searchable Find an Agent portal. Supporting this core service are educational resources including the 'Listen Up Home Buyers' podcast, comprehensive buyer guides, and a member portal for EBAs. The organization differentiates through strict Standards of Practice, a Code of Ethics, and consumer testimonials—all designed to ensure 100% loyalty to buyers and eliminate dual agency conflicts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Exclusive Buyer Agent Referral Service Service that connects home buyers seeking buyer-side representation with NAEBA member Exclusive Buyer Agents in their local market. Buyers are matched with agents who have pledged to never represent sellers.
• NAEBA Membership Paid annual membership for licensed real estate agents and brokerages who exclusively represent home buyers; members agree to abide by NAEBA's code of ethics and pledge of fair dealing and are listed in the association's directory.
• NAEBA Code of Ethics and Pledge of Fair Dealing Ethical standards and member pledge that define the Exclusive Buyer Agent designation and underpin member credibility with consumers.
• NAEBA Annual Conference Annual conference event for NAEBA members, providing professional education, networking, and industry updates for Exclusive Buyer Agents.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,000+ clients served by member firm Buyers Brokers Only over 20+ years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• National Association of REALTORS: NAR is the largest U.S. real estate trade association, representing over 1.5 million members across residential and commercial real estate. While NAR is a much larger, broader incumbent that historically represented both buyers and sellers, it is the closest structural analog to NAEBA as a national professional membership organization shaping real estate practice standards — and the 2024 NAR settlement directly impacted NAEBA's positioning.
• Redfin: Redfin is a large, publicly traded technology-powered residential brokerage that employs its own agents to represent buyers (and sellers). It is comparable to NAEBA's broader market because it competes for home-buyer demand via a national digital platform and now offers written buyer agreements under the post-NAR-settlement framework.
• Zillow Group: Zillow operates the largest U.S. real estate search platform and a consumer-agent matching service (Zillow Premier Agent). It is comparable to NAEBA as a top-of-funnel consumer destination for home buyers and a source of agent referrals, though at vastly greater scale and via a for-profit, advertising-driven model.
• Compass: Compass is a large national residential brokerage that has invested heavily in technology and agent tools. Post-NAR settlement, Compass offers exclusive buyer-broker agreements at scale, making it a broad incumbent competitor to NAEBA's member brokerages for buyer-side representation.

Emerging players

• HomeLight: HomeLight is a venture-backed real estate platform that matches home buyers and sellers with top-performing agents nationwide and offers cash-close and other buyer-side services. It directly competes with NAEBA for inbound home-buyer demand, though HomeLight does not require exclusive buyer-only representation from matched agents.
• Prevu: Prevu is a tech-enabled buyer-only brokerage operating in multiple U.S. markets that rebates a portion of the buyer-agent commission back to the home buyer. It competes with NAEBA member brokerages for consumer mindshare in the 'exclusive buyer representation' category.
• Flyhomes: Flyhomes is a tech-driven real estate brokerage that offers buyer services including cash offers, guided tours, and a buy-before-you-sell program. It is comparable to NAEBA's member brokerages as a buyer-focused full-service alternative to traditional brokerages.
• UpNest: UpNest is an online marketplace that matches home buyers and sellers with competing real estate agents, similar in referral-matching concept to NAEBA's Find an Agent tool, though it is an open marketplace rather than a curated buyer-only network.

Direct peers

• Buyer's Broker Inc. / Buyers Brokers Only: Buyers Brokers Only is a Boston-based exclusive buyer brokerage co-founded by Rich Rosa, a former NAEBA president. While it is also a NAEBA member, it is a direct peer in the sense that it is a comparable exclusive-buyer-agent firm serving the same consumer segment and competing for the same category-defining brand association.

Others

• Realtor.com (Move, Inc.): Realtor.com is a major U.S. real estate listings portal operated by Move, Inc. (a News Corp subsidiary) that connects home buyers with listing agents and brokerages. It is comparable to NAEBA as a top-of-funnel consumer real estate resource and a source of agent referrals, though it represents a much broader agent universe rather than a buyer-only curated network.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/naeba
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@naebahq
• Facebookfacebook.com/buyersagents
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/national-association-of-exclusive-buyer-agents-naeba-
• Instagraminstagram.com/naeba_buyersagents

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about National Association of Exclusive Buyers Agents