Real estate agent fees are how most agents are paid for the homes they sell. These commissions can vary from state to state and among brokerages. But who pays the commission in real estate—the buyer or the seller?
Who Pays the Commission of the Real Estate Agent?
If you’re buying a home, you’re probably off the hook for paying the commission of the real estate agents. The home seller usually picks up this payment. Typically, the seller pays the fee at the settlement table, where the cost is subtracted from the home sale proceeds.
Typically, the seller pays the agent fee to the listing broker, who, in turn, shares part of it with the agent who brings a buyer to the table, explains Adam Reliantra, a real estate agent.
Setting the Listing Price
When the sellers set a listing price for the home, they usually take the agent’s commission into account; it’s the cost of doing business.
How Much Is the Commission for a Realtor®?
The real estate agent commission is a percentage of the sale price. The specific amount depends on how much your home sells for, but it’s commonly 6%.
For example, if the house sells for $500,000, the real estate agent’s commission of 6% would be $30,000.
The commission is split between the buyer’s and seller’s agents. It’s a separate contract between the brokers and not something the buyer gets to negotiate as part of the offer (hold your negotiating for the closing costs).
Dual Agency: When One Agent Represents Two Parties
Dual agents, also known as transaction brokers, represent the interests of both the buyer and the seller. Certain states—Chicago, Florida, Colorado, and Kansas — have made dual agencies illegal in real estate transactions to eliminate any question that the agent was neutral in representing the seller and the buyer outright.
In states that allow dual agency, agents must inform clients that they will represent both the buyer and seller. This ensures full transparency in the transaction.
[Have questions or need advice? Chat with Tammy Jackson, Managing Broker at KM Realty Group LLC.]
What Do Closing Costs Cover?
Regarding real estate commissions [a blogpost by FastExpert], a dual agent gets to keep everything because they do more work representing both sides.
Closing costs are the miscellaneous fees separate from the real estate agent fees that must be paid at closing. They cover things such as the following:
- Loan processing
- Title company fees
- Surveyor costs (if needed)
- Recording of the real estate deed
- Insurance
- Any taxes or homeowners association fees, which may need to be prorated if they’re already paid
Real estate closing costs vary with each home sale/purchase and can range widely from 2% to 7% of the home’s purchase price. According to Leah Layman, a real estate agent, closing costs typically amount to about 3.5% of the sale price of a house.
Your agent will provide you with a buyer’s sheet that lays out the closing costs, and by federal law, you must receive a “good-faith” estimate of your closing costs from any lender you use in your real estate purchase.
Negotiating Closing Costs
Your negotiating skills (or your realtor’s) come into play regarding who pays the closing costs. There is no cut-and-dried rule about who pays the closing costs—the seller or the buyer—but buyers usually cover the brunt of the costs (3% to 4% of the home’s price) compared with sellers (1% to 3%).
“Most closing costs are negotiable,” Reliantra says. “Do not let the Realtors or vendors convince you otherwise.”
You can negotiate attorney fees, commission rates, recording fees, and messenger fees in real estate transactions. Buyers and sellers often have the flexibility to discuss and adjust these costs with their agents or legal representatives.
Sometimes, the buyer will write into the contract that the seller will pay the buyer’s closing costs up to a certain percentage or amount.
“That’s why you need a good real estate agent to negotiate a contract for you,” Layman says.
If closing costs are too high and sellers won’t offer enough assistance, buyers can ask to have the closing costs included in the mortgage.
Whether you’re buying or selling, focus not just on the listing price. Additional fees beyond the price of the house can quickly add up, and you want to avoid any surprises later in the process.
Would you like to explore real estate agent fees more? Contact the real estate team at KM Realty Group LLC in Chicago, Illinois.
