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
Insurance coverage provided for an individual having a lease at a favorable rate, one which is less than the market value of the property. The insurance indemnifies the tenant for business ...
Window normally mounted on hinges in a window casing. It swings outward to open. ...
Correcting depreciation by making improvements at less cost than the value added. For example, the management of an aging strip shopping center makes a decision to refurbish the windows and ...
(1) Bottom of something used as support. (2) Most essential element. (3) Type of interest rate used when computing compound interest equal to: (1 + I). (4) Justification of an argument or ...
Some states make the legal assumption, based on title theory, that the mortgagee is a partial owner of the real estate securing the mortgage and remains as is until the debt is fully paid. ...
Provision at the end of a document, such as a will, wherein the witnesses sign that the instrument has been executed before them. This may be useful involving transfers of real estate. ...
Something that is inferred, but not explicitly stated. The inference may be deducted from the relevant information. ...
Factors affecting the useability and value of property. Important land features would include whether the land was flat or hilly, cleared or uncleared, high or low elevation, dry or swampy, ...
Expecting or looking forward to something happening. ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.