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
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Same as term resale proceeds: Net amount received when property is sold. It equals the selling price less outstanding mortgage balance less all costs incurred in connection with the sale. ...
An individual's option to fairly utilize another's property. An example is privileges under an easement. For example, a person receives permission to use a lake on the private property of ...
The term “de jure” comes from the Latin “by law” or “by right” and is commonly used to describe something that exists according to the law or by right. ...
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A lien on property such as for the nonpayment of real estate taxes or mechanic's lien for repairs to the home without the consent of the owner, created by operation of law. ...
One who has committed a tort. A tort is a civil wrong that occurs as a result of a breach of legal duty owed to someone, e.g., negligence. A tort does not arise from a breach of contract. ...
Designing a home with a Spanish cultural flavor. ...
Legal obligation to pay for a benefit received as if a contract has actually occurred. This may arise in a few cases so that an equitable situation occurs. An example is when a homeowner ...
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