The Commission of a Real Estate Agent

I have discussions about Real Estate Agents a lot. Everybody has an opinion about Real Estate Agents, and the consensus is usually that Real Estate Agents are bad, and the commissions they charge are outrageous.

The Real Estate commission is always negotiable, but most Brokerages hold the line at full commission pricing. There are desk fee Brokerages that allow agents to have more latitude in what they charge. The fact, however is that Brokerages bring stability to the Real Estate industry, and it is a multi billion dollar industry.

Let me start by saying that the Real Estate commission is the cost of doing business. No matter how much time you spend on the internet doing “research” it will never compare to the time an agent spends building a viable commission based Real Estate business model.

You need some one who has been in business, just on a commission basis, for three years. That person should have at least twenty to thirty successful Real Estate closings. Because you pay the same, in most cases, for full commission brokerage, you should probably ask people with more experience to help you.

This is where it gets tricky. Most high performance agents are picky about the clients they work with. If you go in with an attitude that these people should be nice to you because you pay them, and they work for you, you probably won’t get far. Most Top Producers also invest, and have an income stream. They are there to help you. They are in business for an extended period so they want you to be happy.

It’s good for you to be informed, but at some point it’s also good to trust another person to help you make the decisions.