Sales Commission
Definition of "Sales commission"
Broadly speaking, a commission is a remuneration a person receives after acting on someone else’s behalf.
In the real estate world, you’ll usually hear the term “sales commission”, which is the remuneration a real estate broker and/or agent earns in regards for his/her service representing the home seller (or the home buyer) in a house buying/selling transaction.
Well… most of the times, at least.
Sorry if you’re looking for easy answers; the real estate market is complex - that’s why an agent expertise is something you should not turn your back to.
Sometimes agents do earn money regardless of a house being sold: Buyer’s agents, for instance, might earn a real estate sales commission even if the prospective home buyer doesn’t end up buying a house. Think about it: the buyer’s agent drove the client around showing houses on the weekend, shared his/her educated knowledge regarding the real estate market… that comes at a cost and it wouldn’t be right if the agent gets nothing out of it should the client decide it’s not the right time to buy a house.
And there are some times when the agent gets no real estate commission at all! Yup; even if the house is sold! If an agent entered an Open Listing or an Exclusive Agency Listing but did not manage to bring the final offer to the table, then the real estate commission will go to the agent who brought it or to the homeowner.
The standard real estate sales commission is 5% to 6% of the final sales price and the listing agent splits it evenly with the buyer’s agent.
Real Estate Tips:
Check our Glossary Terms for more real estate lingo!
And find an agent to help you with the complex task of buying or selling a house!
Popular Real Estate Terms
Opening in the wall of a structure to let in air and light. ...
material placed on the outside surface of a structure such as aluminum or vinyl siding on a house. It is cost-efficient because it eliminates the need for repeated painting. Siding provides ...
Latin term meaning something in exchange for something else. For example, a person rushes through an order for another in return for having first choice in selecting a parcel of ...
The definition of debt coverage ratio (DCR) or debt-service coverage ratio (DSCR) is on the pages of all finance coursebooks. It reveals the ability of an individual - but most ...
Certificates that pass-through principal and interest payments to investors. ...
Upon satisfaction of a mortgage or other debt payments, the deed releases property, or a portion of it, form the incumbrance. Often it is used in circumstances where a deed of trust is ...
Also called earnest money. Money deposited with an individual for security for the performance of some contract. This is intended to show his/her willingness to follow through with the ...
Con can mean the downside of any relevant aspects that need to be weighed and evaluated before any decision is made. For example, there are pros and cons to living near an airport and one ...
Grades have various definitions related to real estate and surveying land. Let’s have a look at the most common meanings of grades you’ll encounter in everyday life! Grades ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.