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Who Pays the Commission

By
Real Estate Agent with Keller Williams

Does it cost the homebuyer more to be represented by a buyer's agent who serves their interests exclusively? No, because the listing agent splits the sales commission, which is customarily paid by the seller of the home, with the buyer's agent. The sales commission split is usually 50-50, but the listing agent and buyer's agent will sometimes make another agreement and split the commission unequally.

There is one very unusual circumstance in which the homebuyer might pay a commission to their buyer's agent. The real estate agent might show the buyer a local "for sale by owner" (FSBO) home which the client decides to purchase. In most cases, the FSBO seller who is presented with a qualified buyer is glad to pay the buyer's agent a reduced fee of about 3 percent, or half of a normal sales commission. But the FSBO seller could stubbornly refuse to pay the buyer's agent any commission whatsoever. In that case, the buyer's agent would legitimately expect the buyer to pay the sales commission, in fair exchange for the agent finding the FSBO home and negotiating a successful transaction.

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Joan Whitebook
BHG The Masiello Group - Nashua, NH
Consumer Focused Real Estate Services

I think that the commission comes from the pot of money in the transaction.  The buyer brings the funds and the seller brings the home -- then how the money is to apportioned is negotiated.  Both parties actually pay the commission.  However, the seller does not pay the commision.

May 13, 2007 01:12 PM
Tricia Jumonville
Bradfield Properties - Georgetown, TX
Texas REALTOR , Agent With Horse Sense

Some buyers are under the impression that if they have no representation, that they should get 3% off the selling price.  Um, no.  First, the commission is negotiated at the time of listing between the seller and the agent, and the buyer has no involvement in that contract and can't change it.  Second, whether or not the buyer has representation, there's the same amount of work involved in bringing the deal to closing, and SOMEBODY has to do it.  So if the buyer has no representation, they're in essence asking the listing agent to do the work (except for negotiation) for both sides, in order to get the deal closed, and asking them to drop their compensation into the bargain.  I'm pretty sure the average buyer who does this wouldn't be pleased with their boss asking them to do twice the work for half the pay on their job; why should they think it's just a matter of course to ask a listing agent to do this?

 

May 13, 2007 01:20 PM
Roger Stensland
Keller Williams Realty Puget Sound - Maple Valley, WA
Let's Move!
Officially, the seller pays the commission.  But, as we all know; no matter how anything is sliced and diced, the buyer pays for everything that is sold.  And, that is how it should be.  But, if no commissions were involved, I think that the prices would be just as high.  The sellers would just make more money and the buyers would have no representation in the process.
May 13, 2007 04:08 PM