Is anyone still paying a full 6% real estate commission? A few sellers are, but most aren’t, and the rate you’ll actually pay depends far more on your price point and local market than on any national “standard.”

The national average commission is now 5.7%, split between the listing agent (2.88%) and the buyer’s agent (2.82%), according to Clever Real Estate’s 2026 survey of 533 agents. On a $500,000 sale, the gap between 6% and that 5.70% average is $1,500. Push the rate down to 4% and you keep $10,000.[1]

Actual rates vary widely depending on where you live, your home’s price, and local market conditions. In most cases, sellers still cover both their listing agent’s fee and the buyer’s agent commission — especially in today’s cooler housing market, where sellers generally have less leverage over buyers.

Want your exact number in 30 seconds? Compare top local agents who offer full service for a prenegotiated 1.5% listing fee through Clever Real Estate, no negotiating required. Fill out a short quiz to get matched today!

What is a 6% real estate commission?

A 6% realtor commission simply means the seller pays 6% of their home's sale price in the transaction. That covers both agents' fees (the seller's and the buyer's).

This commission rate is set in the listing agreement, before the home hits the market, and is then deducted from the seller's proceeds at closing and paid out to the realtor's brokerages.

On a $500,000 home sale, a 6% commission comes to $30,000 total, or $15,000 each to the realtors. However, 6% is not a fixed rule; rather, it is more of a convention. Today, the total realtor commission averages slightly less than that, at 5.7%, according to a survey of realtors polled by Clever Real Estate.[1]

How much is a 6% commission in your home sale?

Every figure above is the total commission on a $500,000 sale, covering both the listing agent's and the buyer's agent's fees. The two sides usually split it close to evenly, around 3% each. Your own number scales with your sale price and the rate you agree to, but the pattern holds: a lower rate keeps more money in your pocket at closing.

The national average is 5.70%, so most sellers already pay less than a full 6%.[2]

You can go lower. Negotiate to 4%, or list with a 1.5% agent, and the savings grow fast: on a $500,000 home, a 1.5% listing fee costs $7,500 on your side versus $15,000 at 3%. Run your own numbers with our free real estate commission calculator.

How to pay less than 6% right now

Sellers have several options to pay less than 6% total commission.

Work with a low commission agent

Working with an experienced, low-commission realtor can be the easiest and most reliable way to save on fees while still getting high-quality service. The best low-commission realtors and discount brokerages offer discounted listing fees while still providing full services and one-on-one support from a top local agent.

You can find a quality low-commission agent through free matching services, like Clever Real Estate and Ideal Agent. These services provide multiple local agent options, so you can interview and select the agent who best suits you.

Additionally, the companies will have pre-negotiated a lower commission rate for you. For instance, Clever has pre-negotiated a low 1.5% listing fee with agents, while Ideal Agent has pre-negotiated a 2% rate.

This means that on a $400,000 home sale, you’d only pay the listing agent $6,000 with Clever’s 1.5% pre-negotiated rate, versus $12,000 to a listing agent charging 3% (half of the 6% commission rate).

Negotiate realtor fees

You can always try to negotiate a lower realtor commission directly with agents instead of using a matching service. But this is really hard to do. Success rates are generally pretty low—according to industry statistics, only 22% of home sellers discuss commissions and successfully negotiate a lower rate with their agents.[3]

When negotiating realtor commission, you can improve your odds by emphasizing your home’s strengths. Agents may be more flexible if your property is move-in ready, located in a desirable area, or likely to sell quickly. Shopping around can also uncover agents willing to work for less.

Market conditions matter, too, as Shane Parker, a realtor based in Grosse Pointe Park, MI, explains.

Why it's so hard

Most sellers struggle to negotiate lower rates — not because it's impossible, but because the process is uncomfortable and often unclear.

Also, many homeowners don’t know what a fair rate looks like, and they worry that pushing for a discount could lead to reduced effort or lower-quality service. Great marketing, follow-up, and negotiation don’t come cheap.

Because of these challenges, more sellers are turning to low-commission realtors, who remove the awkward negotiations by offering pre-negotiated listing fees with top-rated local agents (without sacrificing service quality).

Sell without a realtor

Selling your home yourself, or "for-sale-by-owner" (FSBO), can help you avoid paying a listing agent’s commission (though you'll still likely need to pay the buyer's agent).

While saving on commission fees is one reason people sell FSBO, this approach also gives you complete control over the whole real estate transaction process. For experienced sellers, this can be a bonus.

However, less experienced sellers may find selling FSBO more time-consuming than anticipated. Additionally, many FSBO sellers underestimate how much they have to juggle and how difficult the legal paperwork and contract negotiations can be. That's likely why just 5% of all sellers go the FSBO route.
[4]

FSBO sellers also take on liability risks if contracts, disclosures, or timelines aren’t handled correctly.

Finally, homes sold by owners typically fetch significantly less than those sold with an agent — $360,000 compared to $425,000 for agent-assisted sales.[4] For many sellers, this means they miss out on higher proceeds, even after accounting for agent fees.

How 6% commission rates actually work

The total commission is set in the listing agreement before the home is marketed. For example, a seller might agree to pay a total commission of 6% of the sale price. At closing, the total commission is deducted from the seller’s proceeds and distributed to the brokerages involved.

However, under the National Association of Realtors (NAR) settlement, which took effect on August 17, 2024, sellers are no longer required to offer compensation to the buyer’s agent in MLS listings. Instead, buyers are generally expected to negotiate and pay their own agent’s fee.[5]

That said, commissions are still negotiable. Buyers can request that the seller cover part or all of their agent’s commission as part of the purchase agreement, much like a seller credit toward closing costs. Whether the seller agrees depends on the deal’s specifics and local market conditions.

In practice, many sellers still cover the buyer’s agent fee to stay competitive. As broker Shane Parker notes: “Homes that don’t offer buyer agent compensation may sit longer or attract lower offers, particularly in markets where compensation is still commonly seller-paid.”

Why do realtors get paid 6%?

Sellers have always been able to negotiate commission rates. But a 6% commission rate became standard to ensure both the seller’s agent and buyer’s agent were compensated, since the commission is split.

A 6% commission can benefit sellers by ensuring they get the best deal for their home. For instance, paying 6% can help sellers secure the services of an experienced local agent who:

• Understands the local market conditions
• Assists with preparing the home for sale so it can get top dollar
• Provides high-quality marketing strategies to generate interest in the property, possibly helping you sell fast and for more money
• May provide more extensive services, like home staging or 3D photography, as part of the service instead of something you have to add on

But while 6% has been the industry standard, many sellers now pay less. Because the NAR settlement has encouraged more competition, experts say the average commission rate may drop further.

How much does a realtor actually make on a sale?

Less than the commission suggests. The 3% you see on a $500,000 sale ($15,000) is the gross commission for that side of the deal, not the agent’s take-home pay.

Here’s where that $15,000 actually goes. First, the agent splits it with their brokerage. Splits vary widely, but say your agent is on a 70/30 split: the brokerage takes 30% ($4,500) and the agent keeps $10,500. Then the agent pays their own costs out of that share, including MLS dues, photography and marketing, signage, transaction fees, and self-employment tax. It’s all pre-income-tax, too.

So a listing agent on that $500,000 sale might net closer to $8,000 before taxes, not the full $15,000, and often less once you account for the months of work and the deals that fall through. That’s the context behind why agents defend their rates, and why the fee is still worth negotiating.

Pros and cons of 6% realtors

Is 6% Real Estate Commission Still a Thing?

Working with a traditional full-service agent offers hands-on support, strong marketing, and expert negotiation, which can lead to a smoother sale and better price. However, this comes at a higher cost and may include services that aren’t necessary for every seller.

Also consider that you may be able to get the same full-service experience for less by working with a low commission agent.

6% commission realtors: The bottom line

You don’t have to pay a 6% commission anymore. While 6% is still common, data shows average commissions are closer to 5.7% — and many sellers are finding full-service agents for just 1.5–2% through matching services like Clever Real Estate. That can mean thousands in savings, without sacrificing marketing, negotiation, or support.

If you want the simplest path to a lower rate, compare pre-negotiated agents through a free matching service before you sign a listing agreement. If you’re confident negotiating and your home will sell itself, ask your agent directly. And if you’re experienced and have time, FSBO can work, as long as you go in knowing homes sold without an agent tend to sell for less.

Why you should trust us

At Anytime Estimate, our goal is to help home sellers make confident, money-smart decisions, and that starts with getting the numbers right. This article was written by our editorial team and reviewed by Steve Nicastro, a former licensed real estate agent who closed more than $6 million in transactions in Charleston, South Carolina, and has bought and sold 30-plus homes as an agent, investor, and homeowner. Before joining Clever, Steve spent six-plus years as a personal finance writer, with work published in USA Today, the Associated Press, U.S. News & World Report, and The New York Times.

We ground every commission figure in primary data rather than industry estimates. The rates in this guide come from Clever Real Estate's 2026 survey of 533 active agents, and our reporting on the commission rules draws directly from the National Association of Realtors, including its guidance on the 2024 settlement, its 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, and its 2025 Generational Trends Report. We also interviewed Shane Parker, a broker at S&P Realty with 10 years of experience, for a practitioner's perspective on how commissions are actually negotiated today.

We update this article as commission rates and rules change, and we have no incentive to inflate what agents charge. Our only aim is to show you what a home sale really costs and how to keep more of your proceeds.

Disclosure: Anytime Estimate is owned by Clever Real Estate, and we may earn a referral fee when you use Clever's free agent-matching service. This never changes our editorial recommendations or the data we report. We recommend Clever because its pre-negotiated 1.5% listing fee genuinely saves sellers money, and we point out other options, including negotiating directly and selling FSBO, throughout this guide.

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