Who Pays The Real Estate Agent?
Now that you’ve learned how much does a real estate agent make, you’re wondering who pays the real estate agent?
Get ready for a non-answer. Or a super-answer. It’s a half-full/half-empty situation.
The thing is that both the home buyer and the home seller pay the real estate agents involved with the sale of a property but if you want to get too technical and literal, it’s the home seller.
Confusing? Ok, let’s go step by step of a sale and after we’ll comment and set things straight:
If Home Buyer Sam and his agent Steve close the deal with Seller Diane and her agent Roxanne, Home Buyer Sam pays up Home Seller Diane, who is obligated to give Agent Roxanne her real estate commission of 6%, that will be, then, split 50-50 with Agent Steve.
So, as you can see, the 6% commission is included in the payment done by the buyer and passed on by the seller. It’s a matter of point of view if you want to look at it as one specific party paying for that commission. And, of course, many greedy people see it this way: home buyers complain they could have spent less for the property if it wasn’t for the real estate commission and home sellers complain they could keep more of the money in their pockets if it wasn’t for the real estate commission.
But the truth is that they are both wrong. What is positively correct is the exact opposite: going about a house sale by way of a For Sale By Owner with no real estate agent involved will make you lose money. Whether you are the seller – by pricing it below (or even worse: above!) its true market value potential – or if you are the buyer – by not knowing how to detect and negotiate through the pitfalls of real estate and failing to avoid problems with paperwork and home inspection that will come to haunt you later and cost you lots of money.
Contact one of our local real estate agents right now so you don’t have to worry who pays for the real estate agent. Actually, you know what? We’re adding another answer to the question of who pays for the real estate agent! It’s not the seller or the buyer or the combination of the two… if you think about it, the agent actually pays for himself through the great work and return over your investment in hiring him! Do it!
Popular Real Estate Questions
Popular Real Estate Glossary Terms
Construction method where reinforced concrete is used with concrete block and mortar to form an extremely strong building. Reinforced concrete construction is often used in conjunction ...
Conveyed by an executor. If the testator to a will does not expressly give the executor authority to convey the property, the probate court must authorize it. ...
Rating used by lenders and creditors to determine if a credit applicant should be granted credit. It depends on many factors such the applicant's job history, earnings, net worth, etc. Some ...
Last installment payment, substantially greater than the previous installment payments. The unpaid balance of a long-term loan is paid off in a lump sum at the end of the loan term. ...
Transactions taking place between individuals who are alive rather than when one of the parties is either dead (e.g., estate) or is contemplating death. For example, a deed may transfer ...
Classification of one's ownership rights in land. One way either buy the land and own all rights to it or lease it where one's rights are described in and limited by the lease agreement. ...
Permission to do something that differs from the basic zoning requirement. An example is a homeowner receiving special authorization to build a two-family house in a single family zoned ...
Market Analysis in the Real Estate Market is basically research done concerning specific properties in relation to the overall current climate of the real estate industry. A good ...
Doing business as, or DBA, means an official moniker for your enterprise or company. Regularly, a DBA is a state certificate serving as a registration name and issued under a ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.