Real estate commission = sale price x commission rate. On a $500,000 home at 6%, total commission is $30,000. Split evenly, each side gets $15,000, and an agent on a 70/30 brokerage split takes home $10,500 before expenses and taxes. Rates are negotiable; enter yours below. Works as a realtor commission calculator for either side of the deal, and the fees section shows which real estate agent fees come out before the money reaches you.
Updated 2026. Researched guidance, not legal, tax or financial advice.
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Total commission at common rates, plus what one agent nets from a 2.75 percent side on a 70/30 split. Every figure is simple math you can reproduce with the calculator above.
| Sale price | 5% total | 5.5% total | 6% total | 2.75% side | Agent net at 70% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $300,000 | $15,000 | $16,500 | $18,000 | $8,250 | $5,775 |
| $400,000 | $20,000 | $22,000 | $24,000 | $11,000 | $7,700 |
| $500,000 | $25,000 | $27,500 | $30,000 | $13,750 | $9,625 |
| $750,000 | $37,500 | $41,250 | $45,000 | $20,625 | $14,438 |
Working out what a seller walks away with? Use the closing cost estimator, and compare competing offers with the offer comparison tool.
Multiply the sale price by the total commission rate, then divide it between the listing and buyer sides as agreed. Your share is your side times your brokerage split. Example: $400,000 x 5.5% = $22,000 total; a 2.75% side is $11,000; on a 70/30 split the agent keeps $7,700 before referral fees, desk fees and taxes.
There is no standard rate: every commission is negotiable, and that was reinforced by the 2024 National Association of Realtors settlement. Total commissions have commonly landed somewhere around 5 to 6 percent of the sale price, split between the listing and buyer sides, but rates vary by market, price point and brokerage model.
A referral fee is a percentage of the receiving agent’s side of the commission, commonly 25 to 35 percent and set in a written referral agreement between brokerages. Example: a $12,000 buyer-side commission with a 25 percent referral fee sends $3,000 to the referring brokerage. It is paid broker to broker, never directly to an unlicensed person.
Since the 2024 settlement, offers of buyer-agent compensation can no longer be advertised on the MLS, and buyers must sign a written agreement with their agent before touring homes. The buyer’s agent can still be paid by the seller, the listing brokerage or the buyer, as negotiated in the purchase contract and the buyer agreement.
Sources: National Association of Realtors settlement terms (2024), state real estate license law on referral fees and broker-to-broker payment, and your own brokerage agreement. Researched guidance, not legal or tax advice.