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
When a real estate company switches from one accounting method to another. ...
Inverted gable roof design where the two side slope upward from the center to the eaves with a valley in the middle. The roof resembles the wings of a butterfly, hence, the name. ...
Income derived from a collection of asset investments. Real property investments produce rental and lease payment income. Investments in mortgages and other long term debt instruments ...
Room with a bathtub, shower, toilet, and sink. Most homes have more than one bathroom increasing their value. ...
market in which there are comparatively few bids to buy or offers to sell real estate. The term relates to a single investment or to a particular investment market, such as the real estate ...
The right to deviate from the use of land prescribed by an existing zoning ordinance. ...
Legal action by an owner of property to oust or exclude an individual or business form using the property. ...
Generally speaking, indemnity defines a legal principle and an ensuing agreement to calculate the amount of compensation a party is entitled to resulting from a specific financial loss they ...
Mortgage where the lender pays a borrower a fixed monthly payment based on the value of the property. It allows the borrower to receive monthly receipts against the equity in his or her ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.