sellers and buyers who previously knew each other or were directly related; 87% of buyers chose to work with a real estate agent or Realtor®, on the buyer’s side. Real estate agents and Realtors®, unlike professionals in different categories who bill by hourly rates or at the end of the project, get paid through a transaction (commission) at the end of each sale. For example, if an agent has worked with a seller or a buyer for months, they don’t get paid for the time spent if there will be no transaction during that period. Agents receive a commission once the transaction goes through to settlement (closes) based on the selling price of the home. At that point, the commission is then earned. The commission itself is negotiated — in most cases, between the seller and the listing agent. Typically, a listing agent will charge a commission of 6% from the sale price, but some brokerages have commission discounts for the sellers with whom they work. Essentially, the listing agent and the buyer’s agent will split the commission. That can bring forth some issues. For example, sometimes the split might not be distributed evenly. A seller could have agreed to pay a commission of 5.5% that, if further divided, the buyer’s agent would receive 2.5% while the listing agent receives 3% of the commission. The listing agent and seller determine the offer of compensation to the buyer's agent. Even though some agents are associate brokers, or brokers in general, from positions requiring licensing and extra training, all commission payments are instructed to go through to the broker who’s managing the brokerage where the agent is working. From there, the split will vary according to the agreement that’s been made between the agent and their broker.
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