PROmetro Realty

What PROmetro Realty does

PROmetro Realty is a privately held, founder-owned flat-fee real estate brokerage headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa, serving residential buyers, sellers, and landlords across 32+ Central Iowa communities. Founded in 2008 by David Charlson, the company differentiates from traditional percentage-based brokerages by charging a flat fee for listing services, with plans starting at $3,495 (Starter), a mid-tier PRO plan, and a Premier marketing package. The company also offers buyer representation programs with closing-cost credits up to $6,000, a Smart Rental Plan for landlords, and educational tools such as an Iowa Property Tax Proration Calculator and a Home Valuation tool.\n\nThe technology stack is standard for the category: an AgentFire-built website, MLS listing distribution to Zillow, Realtor.com, Trulia, Homes.com, and Meta, and Home Junction for listing data. No proprietary technology, AI capabilities, or API integrations are disclosed. Lead generation mixes organic content marketing (blog, area guides, calculators), social media (Facebook, Instagram, X), and Zillow reviews/referrals. The go-to-market is sales-led, with founder David Charlson personally handling transactions alongside a small team; properties are listed on MLS and distributed to major real estate portals for buyer exposure.\n\nThe business model combines one-time flat-fee listing revenue with buyer representation services structured as subscription-style engagements. The company has no external funding, no parent company, and no disclosed parent/subsidiary structure. Ownership and operational control are concentrated with the founder, and the company operates as a single-location regional brokerage with no stated geographic expansion plans beyond the Central Iowa market.

Name

PROmetro Realty

Legal name

PROmetro Realty

Website

https://prometrorealty.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PROmetro Realty is a privately held, founder-owned flat-fee real estate brokerage in West Des Moines, Iowa, serving residential buyers, sellers, and landlords across 32+ Central Iowa communities with tiered flat-fee listing plans starting at $3,495.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Real Estate Brokerage

NAICS

Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (53121), Real Estate Property Managers (53131)

SIC

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYFSAEAJAA

Residential Real Estate Brokerage (Buy/Sell)

Financial & Insurance/Financial Advisory, Brokerage & Intermediation/Real Estate Advisory & Brokerage

SECONDARYBPAJAAAJ

Buyer Representation Services

Business & Public Services/Real Estate Services (Brokerage, Property Management)/Residential Real Estate Brokerage

Keywords

• Flat-fee real estate
• Residential brokerage
• Seller listing plans
• Buyer representation
• Property listing services

Headquarters

HQ city

West Des Moines

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Flat-fee listing services: PROmetro Realty generates revenue through flat-fee listing plans (Starter, PRO, Premier) rather than traditional percentage-based commissions. The company also earns revenue through buyer representation services, with closing-cost credits offered as incentives.
2. Buyer representation services: The company provides buyer representation through various programs (Home Search, Work Together, Buy & Sell, Single Property) with closing-cost credits to reduce client out-of-pocket costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

PROmetro Realty is a Central Iowa flat-fee residential real estate brokerage that provides tiered seller listing plans (Starter from $3,495, PRO, Premier) and buyer representation programs offering closing-cost credits up to $6,000. The company also operates a Smart Rental Plan for Iowa landlords handling tenant screening, rent collection, and property showings. All listings are distributed through the Iowa Realtors MLS to major consumer portals.

Product overview

PROmetro Realty is a Central Iowa flat-fee real estate brokerage offering tiered pricing plans for both sellers and buyers. Seller services include three listing tiers: Starter (MLS listing with basic support from $3,495), PRO (adds 3D tours and open house hosting), and Premier (adds aerial photos, video, and appraisal). Buyer services include Home Search, Work Together (up to $2K credit), Buy & Sell (up to $4K credit), and Single Property (up to $6K credit). Additional offerings include a Smart Rental Plan for landlords, an Iowa Property Tax Proration Calculator, Home Valuation tool, Mortgage Calculator, and Property Search platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Seller Listing Plans Three tiered flat-fee listing packages for residential sellers in Central Iowa: Starter (MLS listing, home valuation, photos, forms, agent support), PRO (adds 3D Zillow tour, open house hosting, virtual staging, expanded online reach), and Premier (adds aerial photos, video, floor plans, appraisal, social media ads boost). Plans start from $3,495 and replace the traditional percentage-based commission model.
• Buyer Representation Programs Full-service buyer representation from property tours through closing, offered through four programs: Home Search (initial short-term representation, no credit), Work Together (ongoing representation with up to $2,000 closing-cost credit), Buy & Sell (coordinated dual transaction with up to $4,000 credit), and Single Property (representation for a specific identified home with up to $6,000 closing-cost credit).
• Smart Rental Plan Rental property management service for Iowa landlords covering professional listing creation, tenant screening, rent collection, and property showings, allowing owners to delegate day-to-day rental operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sellers saved $4,000-$7,000+ compared to traditional 6% commission agents
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Iowa Realtors MLScoreTechnology or IntegrationPROmetro Realty listings are distributed through the Iowa Realtors MLS system, providing exposure to the regional multiple listing service network.
• ZillowcoreTechnology or IntegrationListings appear on Zillow platform, reaching millions of home buyers and sellers through the Zillow network.
• Realtor.comcoreTechnology or IntegrationListings distributed to Realtor.com for broad consumer reach in the home search market.
• Meta/FacebookminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSocial media advertising and listing promotion through Meta platforms including Facebook and Instagram.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Redfin: Tech-enabled discount brokerage that pioneered lower-commission and flat-fee-adjacent listing models at national scale. Competes with PROmetro's flat-fee philosophy but with vastly greater technology investment, agent headcount, and geographic reach.
• Houwzer: Tech-forward flat-fee residential brokerage that combines salaried agent support with reduced-commission seller pricing. Overlaps PROmetro on the core value proposition of transparent, lower-cost brokerage services.
• Help-U-Sell Real Estate: Established flat-fee and set-fee brokerage franchise model with a 40+ year track record. Directly comparable to PROmetro's flat-fee pricing thesis and tiered service packaging for residential sellers.
• Unreal Estate (formerly USRealty.com): Flat-fee MLS listing service that competes with PROmetro's Starter/PRO/Premier tier structure on the seller side, particularly for DIY-motivated sellers who only need MLS exposure.
• 1 Percent Lists: Discount residential brokerage charging a fraction of traditional commission, often around 1% listing fee. Mirrors PROmetro's cost-saving messaging to sellers and competes for the same price-sensitive segment.

Emerging players

• eXp Realty: Cloud-based, agent-centric brokerage with a low-overhead commission structure that allows agents to retain more of each transaction. Operates in Iowa and attracts cost-sensitive agents and clients, putting indirect pricing pressure on PROmetro.

Broad incumbents

• RE/MAX: Global real estate franchise with substantial agent presence in the Des Moines metro. Competes with PROmetro for the same residential buyer/seller pool but operates under a traditional percentage-commission model with much broader geographic and brand reach.
• Iowa Realty: Long-standing Iowa-headquartered full-service brokerage (now part of HomeServices of America) with dominant share across the Des Moines metro and surrounding communities. The primary traditional incumbent against which PROmetro's flat-fee model competes locally.
• Coldwell Banker: National residential brokerage franchise with established Des Moines-area affiliates. Competes for the same buyer and seller pool as PROmetro but through a full-service, percentage-commission model and global brand recognition.

Others

• FlatFeeGroup: Aggregator of flat-fee MLS listing services across multiple U.S. markets. Relevant as an indirect alternative channel that Des Moines-area sellers might consider instead of PROmetro's listing packages.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PROmetroRealty
• Facebookfacebook.com/prometrorealty
• Instagraminstagram.com/davidcharlsonrealtor
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/prometro-realty

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

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 PROmetro Realty