Frequently Asked Questions

No. NestMatcher is a technology platform, not a real estate broker or agent. We do not hold a real estate license in any state. We do not represent buyers or sellers, negotiate on anyone's behalf, give real estate advice, or act as a fiduciary for any party. NestMatcher connects people based on their own submitted criteria and delivers match results by email. Everything from that point forward is between the buyer and seller directly.

Those platforms operate public listing databases where anyone can browse homes. NestMatcher does not. Your property and buying criteria are never publicly visible. Our system privately matches seller and buyer criteria behind the scenes and delivers results by email only. No browsing, no public exposure, no agents. Beyond the private matching model, NestMatcher also includes optional community proximity fields for Orthodox Jewish families, a license-verified professional directory of attorneys, inspectors, and title companies in NY, NJ, and FL, and a free Education Hub with 15 simple guides covering every step of a direct sale. It's a fundamentally different model, built to actually get a direct transaction across the finish line.

NestMatcher currently serves New York, New Jersey, and Florida. We are building toward national availability. If you're outside these states, check back, we're expanding.

NestMatcher is an independently owned and operated technology company. It is not affiliated with any real estate brokerage, MLS, or real estate industry association.

Yes. NestMatcher is built around the For Sale By Owner model, which means sellers and buyers transact directly without a listing agent or buyer's agent. NestMatcher specifically provides the connection layer that traditional FSBO has always lacked: a private, criteria-based matching system that finds qualified buyers for sellers without requiring a public listing. Sellers pay a flat $100 fee. Buyers pay nothing.

The $100 flat fee covers your listing in the NestMatcher matching system for as long as your home is actively for sale. Your criteria are matched against every active buyer profile immediately upon payment and continuously as new buyers join. There are no recurring fees, no renewal fees, and no commission of any kind. The $100 is the only payment NestMatcher ever asks of sellers. The $100 fee is a technology platform fee, not a commission. NestMatcher earns nothing from the sale of your home.

The $100 listing fee is non-refundable once your listing has been activated in the matching system. If you have a question about a payment please contact us at hello@nestmatcher.com.

No. You can post your criteria at any stage, even if your home won't be available for several months. Your listing includes a timeline field where you can indicate when you expect to be ready. Buyers will see this as part of your criteria summary.

Yes. Your listing is fully editable from your dashboard at any time. You can update your asking price, add or remove features, change your timeline, or update any other criteria. We recommend keeping your listing current so your matches are as accurate as possible.

Your listing stays active indefinitely, there is no expiration date. Every 90 days we'll send you a brief email asking you to confirm your listing is still active. One click keeps it live. If we don't hear back within 14 days your listing will be paused automatically. You can reactivate a paused listing at any time from your dashboard at no charge. When your home sells, simply mark it as sold from your dashboard.

No. NestMatcher does not have a public listing database. Your address is never publicly visible. When you submit your criteria you have the option to list your exact address or simply your general area: city, neighborhood, or zip code. Your full address is only included in match emails sent to buyers whose criteria align with yours, and only after both parties complete identity verification.

It depends on your agreement with your agent. If you have signed an exclusive right-to-sell agreement, that agreement may prohibit you from selling through other channels including NestMatcher. If you have signed an open listing agreement or an exclusive agency agreement, you may have more flexibility. We strongly recommend reviewing your agreement and consulting a real estate attorney before proceeding. Our Education Hub has a full explanation of the different types of agent agreements.

No. NestMatcher does not list properties on any MLS. If you want MLS exposure you would need to engage a separate flat-fee MLS service in addition to NestMatcher. Many sellers use both.

In New York, selling without a listing agent means handling the sale yourself while relying on a real estate attorney for the legal steps. Your attorney drafts the purchase contract, reviews title, and handles closing. NestMatcher connects you with qualified buyers who are actively looking for a home like yours, privately and without MLS exposure. The result is that you keep the listing agent commission, typically 2.5 to 3 percent of the sale price, while still getting professional legal support. Our Professional Directory lists license-verified real estate attorneys throughout New York.

In New Jersey, selling without a listing agent is common. The standard transaction includes a 3-business-day attorney review period after the purchase contract is signed, during which both parties' attorneys can propose changes or cancel without penalty. NestMatcher connects sellers with verified buyers directly, without public listing. Your attorney handles the contract and closing. The commission you save, typically 2.5 to 3 percent of the sale price going to a listing agent, stays with you. Our Professional Directory lists license-verified real estate attorneys throughout New Jersey.

Yes. Buyers pay nothing to create an account, submit buying criteria, or receive match emails. There are no buyer fees at any point on NestMatcher. NestMatcher will never charge buyers at any stage, including after a match is received or after identity verification is completed.

Our algorithm compares seller listing criteria against buyer profile criteria across three core requirements: location overlap, price range, and property type. When all three align, a match is generated and both parties receive an email. Additional criteria: bedroom count, features, timeline, financing preference, and community proximity contribute to the match strength score shown in every match email. Bedrooms are weighted heavily in the scoring but are not an absolute requirement. A home with slightly fewer bedrooms than specified but sufficient overall space can still be a genuine match worth surfacing. The algorithm is intentionally flexible. A partial match is still a match worth knowing about.

Yes. Your buyer profile is fully editable from your dashboard at any time. If your budget, target location, or requirements change, update your profile and the system will rematch you against current listings.

No. You can submit buying criteria at any stage of your home search, including before you have mortgage pre-approval. However we strongly recommend getting pre-approved before contacting any seller match, as sellers will almost always ask about your financing status. Our Education Hub has a full guide on how mortgage pre-approval works.

That depends on whether you've signed a buyer's agent agreement. If you have signed an exclusive buyer's agent agreement you may be obligated to work through your agent. If you have not signed such an agreement you are generally free to search independently. Our Education Hub explains buyer's agent agreements in detail.

Yes. NestMatcher connects buyers directly with sellers who are selling their homes without a listing agent, in New York, New Jersey, and Florida. You submit your buying criteria and our algorithm matches you with sellers whose properties align with what you are looking for. You receive match details by email. In New York and New Jersey, the purchase process includes standard attorney review, which we strongly encourage for all buyers.

The legal and financial steps are largely the same. You still get a mortgage if applicable, have the home inspected, go through attorney review in NJ and typically NY, complete a title search, and close with a title company. The key difference is that there is no buyer's agent involved. You negotiate directly with the seller. The purchase contract is prepared by your real estate attorney or reviewed by one if the seller provides it. NestMatcher's Education Hub walks through every step of a direct purchase in detail.

Our algorithm compares seller listing criteria against buyer profile criteria across three core requirements: location overlap, price range, and property type. When all three align, a match is generated and both parties receive an email. Additional criteria: bedroom count, features, timeline, financing preference, and community proximity contribute to the match strength score shown in every match email. Bedrooms are weighted heavily in the scoring but are not an absolute requirement. A home with slightly fewer bedrooms than specified but sufficient overall space can still be a genuine match worth surfacing. The algorithm is intentionally flexible. A partial match is still a match worth knowing about.

Sellers receive an email summarizing the buyer's criteria: their target location, budget, property type requirements, desired features, timeline, and any community preferences. Buyers receive an email summarizing the seller's property: general location, asking price, property type, bedrooms, features, condition, and timeline. Every match email includes a match strength indicator (Strong Match or Partial Match) and instructions for completing identity verification to unlock contact details.

The number of matches depends on how many active profiles on the other side align with your criteria, and on how specific or flexible your criteria are. There is no cap on matches. A seller with a well-priced home in a popular area may receive many matches. A buyer with very specific requirements in a niche market may receive fewer. We recommend keeping your criteria as accurate as possible to ensure the matches you receive are genuinely relevant.

You can pause your listing or buyer profile at any time from your dashboard, which will stop new match emails. You can reactivate at any time. We do not currently offer a way to remain active in the matching system while opting out of match emails, as email delivery is the core mechanism through which the platform delivers value to both sides. If you no longer wish to receive matches, pausing or deactivating your listing or profile from your dashboard is the right step. You can reactivate at any time.

Sellers receive their first round of matches immediately after their listing is activated in the system. After that, the algorithm runs continuously, matching new buyers as they join. Buyers whose criteria align with active listings at the time they submit will receive their first match emails shortly after their profile is created. The system also runs daily rematching to surface new combinations as criteria change on both sides.

NestMatcher requires identity verification before contact details are shared because real estate transactions involve significant financial decisions and in-person meetings between strangers. Verification supports accountability, it confirms that an identity-confirmed user is behind every account. It meaningfully raises the barrier to fraud and bad-faith behavior compared to anonymous platforms. Verification supports accountability but does not guarantee identity, conduct, or safety. This honest limitation is explained in full in our Safety Policy, which we encourage every user to read before their first in-person meeting.

Verification is handled through Stripe Identity, the same verification technology used by major financial and marketplace platforms. You'll be asked to photograph a government-issued photo ID (driver's license or passport). The process takes approximately two minutes and is done entirely within the NestMatcher platform.

No. Identity verification confirms that a user has presented a valid government-issued ID. It does not constitute a background check, criminal record check, sex offender registry check, or credit check. Please review our Safety Policy for full guidance on staying safe when meeting any match in person.

Your identity document is processed by Stripe Identity, not stored by NestMatcher directly. Please review our Privacy Policy and the Stripe Identity Privacy Policy for full details on data handling and retention.

The primary safety measure is mandatory identity verification. Both parties must verify their government-issued ID before contact details are exchanged. Beyond verification, NestMatcher provides practical safety recommendations for in-person meetings, including always bringing a trusted person, meeting in daylight, conducting a phone or video call before meeting in person, and never transferring money outside of a formal closing process. See our full Safety Policy for detailed guidance. NestMatcher also prominently warns all users about real estate wire fraud, one of the most common financial crimes targeting home buyers and sellers. NestMatcher will never send wire transfer instructions by email or any other channel. Our Safety Policy covers the specific scam patterns that target FSBO sellers in detail.

If you are in immediate danger, call 911. If you experience threatening, fraudulent, or harmful behavior from another NestMatcher user, contact us at hello@nestmatcher.com immediately so we can deactivate the account and cooperate with any law enforcement investigation. Never feel obligated to proceed with any match that makes you uncomfortable. You can decline or ignore any match at any time.

NestMatcher's role ends when contact details are exchanged. All in-person meetings and interactions between users occur entirely at the users' own consent and discretion. NestMatcher bears no responsibility for any harm, loss, or negative outcome arising from interactions between users. Please review our Terms of Service and Safety Policy for the full details of our liability limitations.

NestMatcher strongly recommends that both buyers and sellers engage a real estate attorney, particularly in New York and New Jersey where attorney involvement is standard practice. In New York, attorneys are customarily involved from the contract stage. In New Jersey, there is a standard 3-day attorney review period after a purchase contract is signed. In Florida, a real estate attorney or title company typically handles the closing. A real estate attorney protects your interests in ways that NestMatcher does not and cannot.

Beyond a real estate attorney, common professionals in a home sale or purchase include: a home inspector (strongly recommended for buyers), a title company (required to conduct the title search and manage closing), a mortgage broker or lender (if the buyer needs financing), an appraiser (typically required by the buyer's lender), and a notary (for document signing at closing). Our Education Hub has a full guide regarding each of these professionals: what they do, when you need them, and what they typically cost.

No. Professionals listed in the Professional Directory are independent providers who have chosen to advertise on NestMatcher. NestMatcher does not endorse, vet, recommend, or guarantee any listed professional or the quality of their services. Users are encouraged to conduct their own research before engaging any service provider.

No. Nothing on NestMatcher constitutes legal advice. Our educational content is general information only. For advice specific to your transaction, your state's laws, or your individual situation, please consult a licensed real estate attorney. All articles, guides, and videos in the NestMatcher Education Hub are clearly marked as general informational content and include a disclaimer at the bottom of every page.

In New York and New Jersey, we strongly recommend it. In New York, attorneys are customarily involved from the contract stage and typically draft the purchase agreement. In New Jersey, there is a standard 3-business-day attorney review period after any purchase contract is signed, during which both parties' attorneys can propose changes or cancel without penalty. Going through a FSBO transaction without an attorney in these states is technically possible but carries significant legal risk. NestMatcher's Professional Directory lists license-verified real estate attorneys in both states.

A title company performs the title search to confirm the seller has clear ownership and no liens, issues title insurance to protect the buyer and lender, and coordinates the closing. This role is the same whether or not agents are involved. In Florida, title companies typically manage the full closing process. In New York and New Jersey, title companies handle the title search and insurance while attorneys manage the contract and closing. Title company involvement is required for virtually every real estate transaction regardless of how the buyer and seller connected.

Click "List My Home" or "Buy a Home" from any page. You'll be directed to account creation where you can sign up with your email or continue with Google. You'll confirm your state and agree to our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and identity verification consent. The whole process takes under two minutes.

Yes. After creating your account you can submit both a seller listing and a buyer profile. Both will be active simultaneously in the matching system.

You can request account deletion by emailing hello@nestmatcher.com. We will process your request within 30 days. Please review our Privacy Policy for details on how your data is handled upon deletion.

Contact us at hello@nestmatcher.com. We respond within one business day.