1 Percent Listing Agent - Sell Your National City Home for 1%
Full-Service Real Estate. Big Savings.
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Our 1% listing service helps National City homeowners get top-dollar for their homes while keeping thousands more in their pocket
A 1% listing agent in National City charges 1% of the sale price to list and sell your home. At National City's median sale price of about $735,000, that is roughly $7,350 - compared with about $18,375 at a 2.5% listing-side commission or $22,050 at 3%. The seller keeps the difference, roughly $11,025 to $14,700. The service is full service: professional photography, drone and video, floor plan, MLS and portal syndication, open houses, negotiation and escrow management.
All real estate commissions are negotiable and are not set by law.
Why National City Homeowners Choose Us
National City offers affordability, convenient location, and a growing real estate market. We provide local expertise and modern marketing solutions to help homeowners maximize their property’s value.
Coastal Lifestyle
Top-Rated Schools
Beaches & Outdoor Fun
Safe & Welcoming
Strong Property Values
Easy Access to San Diego
Discount Agent, Discount Realtor, Flat Fee, 1% Listing Agent - What’s the Difference?
National City sellers search for this service under several different names, and they do not all mean the same thing. Knowing which one you are actually shopping for is worth real money.
| What it’s called | What it actually means | What it means in National City |
|---|---|---|
| 1% listing agent | The listing-side commission is 1% of the final sale price. | Full service. About $7,350 at the National City median, with no cap - the fee scales with the home, from a downtown condo to a Paradise Valley view home. |
| Discount realtor / discount agent | General term for any agent charging below the traditional 2.5%–3% listing side. | Varies widely. Some models skip the permit and appraisal preparation that FHA and VA sales here depend on. |
| Flat fee listing | A fixed dollar amount regardless of sale price. | A fixed fee can beat 1% on a larger home and lose on a condo. Read what it excludes. |
| Flat fee MLS / entry-only | A few hundred dollars to place the home in the MLS. Nothing else. | You handle photos, showings, disclosures, negotiation and escrow yourself. |
| Low commission realtor | Marketing term with no fixed definition. | Get the number and the written service list before comparing. |
What Justin offers is the first row: a 1% listing fee with nothing subtracted from the service. The economics work because he operates as a solo practitioner with low overhead rather than funding a large team out of your equity.
List for 1% and Keep More of Your Equity
Traditional real estate commissions can take a big bite out of your proceeds. With our 1% listing service, you get everything you need to sell successfully-without the high cost.
What You Keep at Real National City Prices
Calculated in plain numbers at real National City price points - the listing-side commission only. Compensation offered to a buyer’s agent, if any, is negotiated separately.
| National City sale price | Listing fee at 1% | Listing side at 2.5% | Listing side at 3% | You keep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $450,000condo / townhome | $4,500 | $11,250 | $13,500 | $6,750 – $9,000 |
| $735,000National City median | $7,350 | $18,375 | $22,050 | $11,025 – $14,700 |
| $850,000single-family, El Toyon or Las Palmas | $8,500 | $21,250 | $25,500 | $12,750 – $17,000 |
| $1,000,000duplex or a lot with an ADU | $10,000 | $25,000 | $30,000 | $15,000 – $20,000 |
| $1,200,000larger east-side home with views | $12,000 | $30,000 | $36,000 | $18,000 – $24,000 |
Figures show the listing-side commission only. All commissions are negotiable and are not set by law. Savings are illustrations at the stated sale prices and are not a guarantee of results.
What’s Included in the 1% Listing Fee
The question that matters with any discount realtor is not the number - it is what got removed to reach it. Here is the full list, with nothing held back for a higher tier.
About National City Real Estate
National City is the second-oldest incorporated city in San Diego County, incorporated in 1887 on land the Kimball brothers bought as Rancho de la Nación in 1868. It covers ZIP code 91950 between San Diego and Chula Vista, with Naval Base San Diego on its waterfront, the Sweetwater River along its southern edge, and I-5, I-805 and State Route 54 all running through it. Few places in the county sit this close to downtown, the bases and the border at this price.
The median sale price in National City was approximately $735,513 over the three months ending August 2026, down about 0.4% year over year, with homes selling in a median of 13 days - down from 28 a year earlier - at 96.6% of list across roughly 30 sales. Those numbers look contradictory until you read them together: 38% of homes sold above asking, yet the typical home sold for 96.6% of list. That is a market that rewards accurate pricing quickly and discounts overpriced listings hard. At 30 sales a handful of transactions also moves the median, so treat it as a range rather than a point.
The housing stock is older and more varied than in most of the county: Victorian and Craftsman homes in Old Town and around Heritage Square, postwar single-family homes across the central and eastern neighborhoods, duplexes and small multi-unit properties, and condos near the trolley. Many lots have been added onto over the decades - garage conversions, rear units and room additions - and that is where permit history becomes a pricing issue rather than a paperwork one.
Buyers are mostly owner-occupants, many of them first-time buyers using FHA, VA or down-payment assistance programs, alongside military families assigned to Naval Base San Diego and investors looking at multi-unit and ADU potential. Many buyers and sellers here prefer to do business in Spanish, and a listing agent who can run the entire transaction in Spanish reaches more of the market and misses less in the negotiation.
The city keeps reinventing itself around its core. The Blue Line trolley stops at 8th Street and 24th Street, downtown has added food halls and new housing, Pepper Park and the National City Marina give the city its own piece of the bay, and Heritage Square's 1887 Brick Row still stands. National City was also recognized as the most walkable city in San Diego County in 2012 - a real selling point for the blocks near downtown.
Mile of Cars
Well-known automotive shopping destination.
Westfield Plaza Bonita
Major retail and entertainment center nearby.
Kimball Park
Popular community park with recreational facilities.
National City Marina
Waterfront area offering scenic bay views.
Popular Neighborhoods in National City
Old Town & Heritage Square
The historic core, with Victorian and Craftsman homes near Heritage Square and the 1887 Brick Row. Character is the draw and it commands a premium, but buyers of century-old homes inspect everything - foundations, wiring, plumbing and past alterations. A pre-listing inspection turns those questions into a plan instead of a price reduction.
Downtown & Kimball Park
The blocks around National City Boulevard, Kimball Park and the 8th Street trolley station: older homes, condos and townhomes, and newer mixed-use buildings. Walkability and transit are the product here, so the listing should state actual walk times to the trolley, the park and the food halls.
El Toyon
Established residential streets around El Toyon Park: mostly postwar single-family homes on standard lots, many of them expanded over the years. This is where permit history matters most - a permitted addition adds value, an unpermitted one can reduce it.
Las Palmas
Family-oriented streets around Las Palmas Park, with mid-century single-family homes and quick access to I-805 and State Route 54. A steady first-time-buyer market where FHA and VA offers are common and a clean appraisal is the key to closing on time.
Lincoln Acres
An unincorporated county island surrounded by National City, with postwar homes on hilly streets and a National City mailing address. Permits and zoning run through San Diego County rather than the city, which matters for additions, ADUs and any work a buyer is planning.
Paradise Valley & East National City
The hillier eastern side near Paradise Valley Hospital and Plaza Bonita: some of the city's larger lots and newer homes, with views toward the bay in places. The top of the National City price range, where the buyer is often trading up from elsewhere in the South Bay.
Three Things That Decide What a National City Home Sells For
Permit history decides what your additions are worth
Garage conversions, rear units and room additions are common in National City, and an appraiser generally will not count unpermitted square footage the way a buyer might. A permitted addition is value; an unpermitted one is a negotiation, and sometimes a lender condition. Pulling the permit history before listing lets you price what the appraisal will actually support and disclose accurately.
FHA and VA buyers set the terms - prepare for the appraisal
A large share of buyers here finance with FHA or VA loans, and both carry minimum property requirements. In pre-1978 homes, peeling paint must be corrected; missing handrails, unstrapped water heaters and broken windows get flagged. Fixing these before listing costs little, widens the buyer pool and keeps the escrow on schedule.
Price for the first two weeks
Well-priced National City homes are selling in about two weeks, often above asking, while the average home still closes below its list price. The difference is the launch. A listing priced to the comparable sales draws the early, strongest offers; one priced to test the market sits, then sells at a discount.
Frequently Asked Questions
At the National City median sale price of roughly $735,000, a 1% listing fee is about $7,350. A traditional 2.5% listing-side commission is about $18,375, and 3% is about $22,050 - so you keep roughly $11,025 to $14,700. On a larger east-side home near $1.2 million, the gap between 1% and 3% reaches $24,000. All commissions are negotiable and are not set by law.
Approximately $735,513 in National City over the three months ending August 2026, down about 0.4% year over year, with a median 13 days on market and a 96.6% sale-to-list ratio across roughly 30 sales. About 38% of homes sold above asking. The market is flat on price but fast for well-priced homes, and at 30 sales a few transactions move the median noticeably.
They can. Appraisers generally do not count unpermitted square footage the same way as permitted space, and FHA or VA lenders may require repairs or documentation before closing. That does not make the home unsellable - it means the price and the disclosures need to reflect what the appraisal will support. Justin reviews the permit history before listing so the issue is priced in rather than discovered in escrow.
With Justin, yes. The 1% listing fee includes professional photography, drone and video media, an interactive floor plan, MLS listing with syndication to the major portals, a yard sign and lockbox, open houses and private showings, offer negotiation, inspection and appraisal negotiation, disclosure preparation and escrow management through closing.
Unreliable for older homes. Automated models cannot tell permitted from unpermitted square footage, a converted garage from a legal ADU, or an updated Craftsman from an original one. In National City those differences can move the value by tens of thousands of dollars, and the algorithm will not see any of them.
Usually, yes - FHA and VA buyers are a large share of the National City market, and excluding them shrinks your buyer pool. Both loan types have appraisal and minimum property requirements, so the home should be prepared for them: correct peeling paint in pre-1978 homes, fix safety items, and price where the appraisal will land. A prepared home makes these offers as reliable as conventional ones. See Justin's VA loan guide at 1percentsd.com/blog/va-loan-home-selling-buying-san-diego/.
No, because the two are separate decisions. The 1% is Justin's listing-side fee. What you offer a buyer's agent, if anything, is decided independently when your home goes on the market and gets set at whatever keeps you competitive in National City.
Yes. Justin offers an easy cancellation policy at any point before you enter escrow if you are not satisfied with the service.
Neither. There is no stated minimum sale price, no minimum fee and no cap. The listing fee is 1% of the sale price whether the property is a downtown condo or a Paradise Valley view home.
Beyond commission: escrow and title fees, the San Diego County documentary transfer tax, a natural hazard disclosure report, HOA document fees where applicable, prorated property taxes, a termite or pest report if required, negotiated repair credits, and your mortgage payoff. Permit research and any FHA or VA required repairs are worth budgeting for on older homes. Justin provides a written net sheet at several price points before you list.
Not legally. Lincoln Acres is an unincorporated area of San Diego County surrounded by National City, and homes there use a National City mailing address. Permits, zoning and code enforcement run through the county rather than the city, which matters for past additions and for any ADU or remodel a buyer is planning.
Yes. Justin Santolaya is bilingual and handles the entire transaction in English or Spanish - showings, disclosures, negotiation and escrow. Se habla español. The Spanish version of this page is at 1percentsd.com/es/community/national-city-1-percent-listing-agent/.
Yes. Justin offers a buyer rebate of up to 1% of the purchase price, applied toward closing costs or your down payment. See the buyer rebate program at 1percentsd.com/buyer-rebate-program/.
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