How Do Home Buyers' Agents Get Paid?

Real estate agents can't accept money directly from buyers

Three young people on a sidewalk in front of a house, with two of the three shaking hands, representing a headline that reads, "How Are Real Estate Commissions Paid?" and text that reads, "Seller pays the listing brokerage, listing brokerage pays the listing agent, listing brokerage pays the buyer's brokerage, buyer's brokerage pays the buyer's agent, seller effectively pays your buyer's agent to negotiate on your behalf."
Photo:

The Balance / Daniel Fishel

Closing a real estate deal can be a long and arduous process from the time a property is first listed for sale until everyone gathers at the settlement table to sign on the dotted lines. No one will go to that settlement table unless and until a buyer makes an offer on the property.

Some real estate agents specialize in bringing buyers to the table, showing them homes until they find one that's just right, then helping them to negotiate the numerous steps involved in the purchase. However, it's the seller, not the buyer, who typically pays this agent's commission.

Key Takeaways

  • Most real estate agents are compensated with a commission that's based on a percentage of the sales price.
  • The seller typically pays the commission for the buyer's and seller's agent out of the sales proceeds.
  • All commissions are paid to the seller's brokerage, which then pays its agent and the buyer's brokerage. The buyer's brokerage then pays its agent.
  • If you work with multiple buyer's agents, only one of them will be paid a commission—usually the one who helped you write the offer.

Agents Work for Brokers

Some buyers believe that an agent's brokerage pays them, and that is true to an extent, but the money doesn't come directly from the agent's company.

Real estate agents are prohibited from being paid commissions directly by consumers. All real estate commissions are therefore first paid to the seller's agent's broker—more commonly referred to as the listing agent—then the listing agent's broker pays the buyer's agent's brokerage. An agent's real estate license must be placed under a real estate broker's license. Most real estate agents are independent contractors who operate under their brokers' licenses.

A few real estate agents are paid salaries by their brokers, and they work as employees, but that is uncommon. Most agents work on a commission basis.

How and When Does the Money Change Hands?

Real estate commissions are paid like this:

  • The seller pays the listing brokerage.
  • The listing brokerage pays the listing agent.
  • The listing brokerage pays the buyer's brokerage.
  • The buyer's brokerage pays the buyer's agent.

The seller effectively pays your buyer's agent to negotiate on your behalf.

There are circumstances under which a buyer might pay a brokerage directly, such as when there's no commission offered because the property is for sale by owner. The commission is typically paid by the seller to the listing brokerage. The listing brokerage divides the commission in some fashion with the broker of the agent who brings an offer.

Compensation is typically made at closing when it's deducted from the seller's proceeds from the sale.

Buyers don't have any say in how much commission is paid by the seller, and they don't have to worry about personally compensating their agents. Of course, they're free to do so if they want to sweeten an offer made on the home by offering to pay a portion of the seller's commission, but again, the buyer cannot pay their agent directly.

Procuring Cause

When you ask a buyer's agent to show you property, you're implying that you'll eventually write an offer through that agent. "Procuring cause" is the complex process that determines which buyer's agent is entitled to the real estate commission when a buyer works with more than one agent.

Generally, it's the agent who actually writes the offer who gets paid. You might ask an agent to spend weekends driving you around, sharing knowledge and helping you to select a home. Then you switch to another agent who shows you the home of your dreams. This agent actually writes the offer for you when you decide this is the property you want to buy.

In this case, the first agent would most likely not receive any commission or compensation for her time and effort.

Some Buyer's Agents Ask for a Buyer Broker Contract

A buyer broker contract is an agreement between the buyer and the buyer's agent. There are three basic types of buyer broker agreements. The most popular is an exclusive agreement that binds that agent to you. You can't buy a property without owing a commission to that agent, even if the agent doesn't end up writing your offer.

Note

Agents who want to ensure that they have a legal and binding agreement that allows them to represent a buyer exclusively, and be paid for their efforts, will ask a buyer to sign an exclusive buyer broker agreement.

How Much Is the Buyer's Agent's Commission?

The commission is pre-determined by the seller and stated in the listing agreement. The terms and amounts are typically stated in MLS listings as well.

The industry average for buyer's agents is somewhere between 2.5% and 3% of the sales price, depending on local custom and the seller's wishes. But the exact amount the buyer's agent receives depends on how his broker compensates him. Most agents work on a commission split with their brokerage houses. The split can vary from 50% of the buyer's agent's commission all the way up to 100%—the agent might receive the entire commission. 

Then again, the brokerage might take 100%. Some discount brokers may pay their buyer's agents a salary, especially if the brokerage is giving some sort of a kickback to the buyer. And some agents like the reliability that a salary provides.

Dual Agency Concerns

"Dual agency" is a situation in which the same agent represents both buyer and seller. In this case, the agent would receive the entire commission—she would not be compelled to share it with the buyer's agent because she is the buyer's agent.

If you think this seems unfair, some states agree with you. Dual agency is illegal in Alaska, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Maryland, Oklahoma, Texas, and Vermont. Other states simply require that the agent disclose their status to both buyer and seller. Dual agents are also sometimes referred to as "transaction brokers."

What happens if my buyer's agent isn't able to find a house for me?

Unless you sign a contract saying otherwise (which may be illegal in some states), you do not have to pay a buyer's agent unless they close the deal for you.

Do I need a buyer's agent?

Yes, in most cases. When you are buying a property, a buyer's agent has a fiduciary duty to act in your best interests. Your agent represents you, and only you, from the beginning to the end of the home-buying process.

When does a buyer's agent get paid?

In today's digital economy, most buyer's agents see their payment come through in a matter of days.

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Sources
The Balance uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
  1. RubyHome. "How Do Realtors Get Paid? What Every Buyer and Seller Should Know."

  2. HomeLight. "Real Estate Agent Commissions 101: A Breakdown for First-Time Sellers."

  3. CRES Insurance. "Employees vs Independent Contractors — What Real Estate Brokers Need to Know."

  4. Real Estate Express. "How Do Real Estate Agents Get Paid?"

  5. Entry Only New England. "How Much Commission Do Buyer’s Agents Get Paid?"

  6. Realtor.com®. "Real Estate Agent Fees: Who Pays the Bill?"

  7. Realtor.com®. "What Is Procuring Cause? How It Helps Determine Commission for Real Estate Agents."

  8. Realtor.com®. "The 3 Types of Buyer-Broker Agreements."

  9. Redfin. "How Real Estate Commission Works."

  10. Century 21 New Millennium. "How Real Estate Commission Fees Work."

  11. National Association of REALTORS®. "Dual Agency Doesn’t Benefit Consumers."

  12. Realtor.com®. "What Is Dual Agency? Know When It's Right, and When to Beware."

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