SEARCH WITH PRIDE
How matching works, and how we are paid.
Last updated October 10, 2026
The short version
- You describe your move, we show you two or three agents who fit, and you choose who to meet. Nothing is sent to anyone until you ask us to introduce you.
- Shortlists come from agents who take part in matching, ranked on service area and the kinds of moves each agent handles.
- Never on who you are. We do not ask about, store or match on any protected characteristic, and we do not steer anyone toward or away from a neighborhood.
- Featured advertising is labeled and never touches a shortlist. If an introduction leads to a closed sale, Search With Pride may receive a referral fee from the agent’s brokerage. It is never paid by you.
01 The three steps
- Tell us about your move. Where you are headed, what kind of move it is, and anything that matters to you, in your own words. No account, no form, nothing to sign up for.
- Meet your matches. We show you two or three agents with their photo, their specialties, the areas they serve, and a short line on why each one came back.
- Choose one agent and request an introduction. Only then do we ask for your name and how you would like to be reached. With your OK we share that with the one agent you picked, and no one else. Not the right fit? Come back and choose another.
Prefer to do your own research? The full directory is always open. Browse by state, read every profile, and contact agents directly. Nothing about matching changes what you can see there.
02 Who can appear on a shortlist
An agent is eligible for a shortlist only when all three of these are true:
- Their real estate license has been checked with the state that issued it, and their signed Search With Pride Pledge is current.
- They have chosen to take part in matching. This is each agent’s own choice; agents who opt out stay in the directory and are easy to find by browsing.
- They are taking new clients right now.
That is why a shortlist does not draw on every agent in the directory. It draws on the agents who have asked to be matched and whose standing is current.
03 How eligible agents are ranked
Among eligible agents, the order comes from fit with the move you described:
- Service area. The area you are moving to, against the areas the agent serves.
- Kind of move. What you described (a first home, a sale, a relocation, and so on), against the kinds of moves the agent specializes in.
That is the whole list. Years in the business, sales volume and reviews play no part, and neither does anything an agent pays us. Each shortlist tells you which of these brought each agent back; if two agents fit equally well, the order between them is not a ranking of quality, it is simply an order.
04 What we never use
It is never based on who you are. We do not ask about, infer, store or match on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, familial status or disability. We do not steer anyone toward or away from a neighborhood. If you volunteer something of that kind in your own words, it is passed to the agent you choose exactly as you wrote it and is never turned into a field, a filter or a ranking signal.
Featured advertising. Agents can pay for Featured placement. It is always labeled, it changes the order in browse results only, and it never puts an agent on a shortlist or moves one up it. Paying never changes which agents you are shown.
Referral compensation. Matching is separate from Featured. Agents who take part in matching agree, through their brokerage, that if an introduction we make leads to a closed sale, Search With Pride may receive a referral fee from that brokerage. The fee is paid brokerage to brokerage, never by you, and it does not change which agents you are shown or the order they appear in. Until Search With Pride operates as a licensed brokerage with those agreements in place, no referral fee is charged on any introduction.
Our full commitment is written out in the Search With Pride Pledge, which every agent signs, and in our privacy policy.
05 Questions people ask
Is Search With Pride free?
Yes. Searching, matching and requesting an introduction are free for buyers and sellers. We are paid by agents and their brokerages, never by you.
Do I have to use AI Match?
No. You can browse the full directory and contact agents directly. The shortlist is a shortcut, not a different set of rules.
What happens when I choose an agent?
If you use AI Match, you choose one agent and request an introduction. With your permission, we share your contact information with that agent so they can reach out. If you browse the directory instead, you can contact agents directly. We never send your inquiry to multiple agents without your permission.
What if the agent I chose is not the right fit?
Come back and choose another. Requesting an introduction does not tie you to anyone, and you can always browse the directory and reach out yourself.
How do agents join Search With Pride?
Every agent agrees to The Search With Pride Pledge when they join: dignity and respect, welcoming and professional service, and Fair Housing. Before their profile is published we check their real estate license with the state that issued it, and again at renewal. None of this is a claim about who an agent is.
Are the agents LGBTQ+, or are they allies?
Both. Each agent says in their own words whether they are joining as a member of the LGBTQ+ community or as an ally, and their profile shows it as self-described. We do not verify or label anyone’s identity, and the pledge applies to every agent.
What if there is no agent in my city yet?
We are adding agents every week, so some areas are still empty. Many agents serve a wide area, so check the state page too. If nothing fits, email info@searchwithpride.com and we will tell you when someone covers your area.
Can I use Search With Pride if I am selling rather than buying?
Yes. Agents list the kinds of moves they handle, including selling, and the shortlist reads that. Just say you are selling when you describe your move.
Equal Housing Opportunity.