How Much Is Real Estate Commission?

Real estate agents get paid a commission on each home they sell or help their

clients buy. The amount of this commission varies from market to market. The

average realtor fee in the United States is 5.49%, which includes both the buyer’s

and seller’s agent fees.

The commission is typically split between the listing agent and the buyer’s agent,

with each of them taking a share based on their role in the transaction. A buyer’s

agent might get 2.5% to 3% of the sale price for helping to bring the seller and the

buyer together. The listing agent’s share is typically 5% of the sales price.

When a real estate agent sells a home, they receive a check for their commission

once the sale has closed. However, this check is rarely the agent’s to keep. The

majority of this commission goes to the brokerage they work with, and then the

brokerage typically gives a percentage of this to the individual agents that worked

on the transaction. For example, if a home sold for $500,000 and the commission

rate was 5%, the agent would receive a check for $25,000 once the sale was

complete. This would be split between the broker, the agent and the buyer’s agent.

This split can vary from brokerage to brokerage, with higher-producing agents

getting a better split than newer or less experienced agents. In addition, a large

portion of real estate commissions go to the brokerage’s administrative costs. For

these reasons, many brokers offer bigger splits to their experienced agents than

The total amount of the commission can be a bit confusing for homeowners and

homebuyers, especially as it isn’t usually stated in writing when a seller lists their

property with a particular agency. In addition, the way real estate commissions are

structured is different in each state.

One thing that might help clear up some confusion is to understand the difference

between a fixed real estate commission and a variable one. Fixed commissions are

negotiated and written into the listing agreement between a homeowner/seller and

their real estate agency. These types of commissions are often tied to specific

measurable sales performance goals or other benchmarks.

Variable real estate commissions, on the other hand, are negotiable. While most

agencies stick to a set commission percentage (in New York, this is generally 6%), it

can still be up for negotiation in the case of a high-priced luxury home or a difficultto-

sell property. In these cases, it makes sense for a brokerage to lower its

commission rates to attract more business and make the transaction more attractive

to sellers. This is why home buyers should always be prepared to haggle when it

comes time to negotiate a real estate agent commission.