Low-Commission Realtors: Are They Worth It? – Bankrate.com

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Table of contents
When selling your home, it’s only natural to want to maximize the profit you walk away with. And one way to do that is by minimizing the fees and expenses associated with the sale process — including the commission paid to the agent who lists your property. You may even be considering using a discount or low-commission Realtor who will represent your property for a lower fee than other agents in your area charge.
Before taking this step however, it’s important to consider why low-fee Realtors charge less — and how this decision may impact your overall selling experience.
Traditional wisdom holds that the typical real estate agent’s commission is somewhere between 2.5 and 3 percent of the home’s sale price for each agent involved in the transaction. That means a total of up to 6 percent on the transaction.
However, the total commission associated with a home sale has been on a downward trend in recent years. As of September 2024, the average total commission in the U.S. is 5.32 percent, according to a study conducted by Clever — breaking down to an average of 2.74 percent for the listing agent (representing the seller) and 2.58 percent for the buyer’s agent.
These fees can vary widely from state to state, and also vary from sale to sale and agent to agent. In many instances, clients can negotiate the commission rate they will pay. Even so, these fees will still take a fairly large bite out of your sale proceeds: On a $300,000 sale, the average 2.74 percent listing-agent fee works out to $8,220.
Low-commission Realtors’ fees may be considerably less than what you’d be able to negotiate with a traditional agent — as low as 1 percent, in some cases. Companies offering these types of discounted commissions include Clever, which charges a 1.5 percent “listing fee,” and Redfin, which charges 1.5 percent when you sell a home with them and lowers that to just 1 percent when you both buy and sell with them.
Using a flat-fee agent is another option to save money when selling your home. Flat-fee real estate agents and brokers charge a fixed rate for their services that’s established upfront, rather than a commission that’s linked to the final sale price of your home. When using a flat-fee agreement, the amount your ultimately home sells for does not impact the fee in any way.
Using a low-commission Realtor to sell your home can potentially save you thousands of dollars. To continue the example of a $300,000 home, where the average 2.74 percent listing-agent fee comes to $8,220, consider a 1.5 percent fee, which comes to just $4,500 — a savings of more than $3,700.
Remember, however, that even if you use a low-fee agent to represent you, you may still be responsible for paying the buyer’s agent’s commission. The details of who pays for what will be negotiated in each individual deal.
While you will pay less when working with a discount agent, there are also some drawbacks to consider:
Looking for other ways to save money when you sell? Here are a few options.
When searching for a real estate agent, it’s always a good idea to do your research thoroughly. This should include interviewing multiple candidates. Ask each one about their commission, as well as their knowledge of your community and their level of experience — both in general and with houses similar to yours. It can also be a good idea to ask friends and family for referrals to agents that they have had a good experience working with.




We use primary sources to support our work. Bankrate’s authors, reporters and editors are subject-matter experts who thoroughly fact-check editorial content to ensure the information you’re reading is accurate, timely and relevant.
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Bankrate.com is an independent, advertising-supported publisher and comparison service. We are compensated in exchange for placement of sponsored products and services, or by you clicking on certain links posted on our site. Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories, except where prohibited by law for our mortgage, home equity and other home lending products. Other factors, such as our own proprietary website rules and whether a product is offered in your area or at your self-selected credit score range, can also impact how and where products appear on this site. While we strive to provide a wide range of offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service.
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