Relocation and First-Time Buyers
Are real estate commissions negotiable?
By Steve Lockhart
The short answer
Yes. Commissions and the services they cover are negotiated between the seller and their agent, and the terms belong in your written listing agreement.
Full answer
Yes. Commissions and the services they cover are negotiated between the seller and their agent, and the terms belong in your written listing agreement. Ask for the full breakdown in writing, what each side of the transaction pays, and what the fee includes, then review it before you sign. Understanding the fee structure is part of making an informed decision.
Because commission is negotiated, the conversation should be about value as well as price: what services the fee buys, how the property is marketed, how the agent communicates, and what coordination happens through closing. The cheapest fee is not automatically the best value, and the highest fee does not guarantee the best result.
Ask every agent you interview for their fee structure in writing alongside their marketing plan, and compare the two together. Buyers should also understand that buyer representation is a service with its own agreement and terms, and how the buyer side of a transaction is compensated in today's market should be explained in plain language before any agreement is signed.
Go a little deeper
The Lockhart Method
The Lockhart Method
Your Home | My Strategy | Proven Results
My strategy: put the fee conversation in writing next to the strategy, so the seller understands exactly what the commission buys and what the plan is. Clarity on costs is part of a confident decision.
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