Real Estate Commission CalculatorA realtor commission calculator for sellers, agents and buyers: what you pay, who pays it, and what the agent keeps
Use this free realtor commission calculator to work out the agent fees on any sale price in seconds, then go further: split it between the listing and buyer’s agents, see your net proceeds, compare discount and flat-fee options, or calculate an agent’s take-home pay after the brokerage split.
By Manzoor Ahmad · 13+ years of web development & SEO experienceUpdated October 20, 2026 with 2026 commission data
Enter the sale
Results update as you type.
Listing agent (your agent)
Buyer’s agent (paid by you)
Where the money from your sale goes
The full sale price, then a closer look at how the commission is shared out. Brokerage splits use a typical 70/30 agent split for illustration.
Compare your options
What the same sale would cost under other common commission setups.
Price you need to walk away with
Enter the cash you want after commission, selling costs and your loan payoff.
| Sale price | Commission | You net |
|---|
From commission check to your pocket
Each step that comes out of the gross commission on this deal.
Deals you’d need this year
How many sales like this one reach your income goal, and how that changes at other prices.
| Sale price | Gross commission | You keep (pre-tax) | Deals for goal |
|---|
Your cash to close, with the agent fee
How the buyer’s agent fee sits next to your down payment and other closing costs.
| Seller pays | Seller covers | You pay the agent | Total cash to close |
|---|
How much is real estate commission in 2026?
Across the US, sellers and buyers paid an average total commission of 5.70% in 2026: about 2.88% to the listing agent and 2.82% to the buyer’s agent, according to Clever Real Estate’s survey of 533 agents. On September 2026’s median existing-home price of $417,500, that comes to roughly $23,800. Rates ranged from about 4.9% to 6.0% depending on the market, and every rate is negotiable.
To calculate real estate commission by hand, multiply the sale price by the commission rate. The realtor commission calculator above does the same math, and also handles tiered rates, flat fees, VAT/GST and the split between agents. A 6% commission on a $400,000 home is $400,000 × 0.06 = $24,000. That total is normally split between the two brokerages, and each brokerage then splits its share with the individual agent. So the agent who listed your home often keeps far less than the headline figure suggests.
Realtor commission on common home prices
A quick realtor commission chart: total fees paid to both agents at the rates people search for most. The 5.70% column is the 2026 US average. For any other price or rate, use the realtor commission calculator above.
| Home price | 5% | 5.5% | 5.7% (avg) | 6% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $250,000 | $12,500 | $13,750 | $14,250 | $15,000 |
| $300,000 | $15,000 | $16,500 | $17,100 | $18,000 |
| $350,000 | $17,500 | $19,250 | $19,950 | $21,000 |
| $400,000 | $20,000 | $22,000 | $22,800 | $24,000 |
| $417,500 (median) | $20,875 | $22,963 | $23,798 | $25,050 |
| $500,000 | $25,000 | $27,500 | $28,500 | $30,000 |
| $600,000 | $30,000 | $33,000 | $34,200 | $36,000 |
| $750,000 | $37,500 | $41,250 | $42,750 | $45,000 |
| $1,000,000 | $50,000 | $55,000 | $57,000 | $60,000 |
How to use this realtor commission calculator
Realtor, real estate agent and broker fees are all calculated the same way, so the same tool works whatever your agent calls themselves.
Sellers: choose your market, enter the expected sale price, then set the listing agent’s rate and what (if anything) you’ll offer the buyer’s agent. The realtor commission calculator shows the total fee as a closing cheque, the amount going to each side, your net proceeds after other selling costs and your loan payoff, and how much you’d save with a 5%, discount or flat-fee arrangement. Enter the cash you want to walk away with to find the sale price you need.
Agents: switch to I’m an agent to turn a commission into take-home pay. Add your brokerage split, any annual cap, franchise royalty, transaction fee, referral or team split and a tax set-aside, then set an income goal to see how many closings you need this year.
Buyers: switch to I’m buying, enter the fee from your buyer agreement and what you plan to ask the seller to cover. You’ll see exactly what the realtor fee adds to your cash to close at different seller contributions.
Who pays the realtor commission now?
For decades the seller paid both agents out of the sale proceeds. That is still the most common outcome, but it is no longer automatic, and buyers now sign up for a specific fee before they start touring homes.
- March 2024The NAR settlement is announced
The National Association of Realtors settles the commission lawsuits and agrees to change how buyer’s agents are paid.
- August 17, 2024New rules take effect
Offers of buyer-agent compensation can no longer be posted on the MLS, and buyers working with an agent must sign a written agreement that states the agent’s fee before touring a home.
- 2025Buyer-agent pay barely moves
Redfin found the average buyer’s agent commission was 2.42% in Q3 2025, up slightly from 2.36% a year earlier. Most sellers still chose to contribute.
- 2026Totals hit a five-year high
Clever’s 2026 agent survey puts the average total at 5.70%, up from 5.44% in 2025 and 5.32% in 2024.
In practice today, the seller pays the listing agent, and the buyer’s agent is paid in one of three ways: the seller covers it as part of the deal, the buyer pays it directly at closing, or it’s split between them. That is why this calculator lets sellers set the buyer-agent contribution to a percentage, a fixed amount or nothing, and why the buyer mode shows exactly what lands on your closing statement.
A seller who declines to pay the buyer’s agent saves money on paper, but may get fewer and lower offers from buyers who can’t add that fee on top of their down payment.
How to calculate real estate commission three ways
Most US deals use a flat percentage, but tiered and fixed-fee structures are common elsewhere and with discount brokerages.
Commission = price × rate$417,500 × 5.70% = $23,798. Each side: listing 2.88% = $12,024; buyer 2.82% = $11,774.
= first tier × rate 1 + rest × rate 2A $600,000 sale at 7% on the first $100,000 and 2.5% on the rest: $7,000 + $12,500 = $19,500, an effective 3.25%, plus 5% GST.
= fixed fee + buyer sideA $5,000 flat listing fee plus 2.5% to the buyer’s agent on $417,500 = $15,438, saving about $8,400 against the average.
Add any tax charged on the commission last. UK estate agents add 20% VAT, Ontario agents add 13% HST, and many Australian agents quote “plus GST” (10%). US commissions are not normally taxed.
How much does a real estate agent actually make per sale?
Far less than the commission line on your closing statement. Here is the listing side of a median-priced sale at the 2026 average rate, using common brokerage terms.
The agent also pays their own marketing, MLS and association dues, licensing, insurance and car costs, and often works for months on deals that never close. Splits vary widely: newer agents may keep 50–70%, top producers at cap-based brokerages may keep 90–100% after hitting an annual cap, and franchise brands often take a royalty of around 6% on top.
Switch to I’m an agent above to model your own split, cap, referral fees and team arrangement, and to see how many deals a year your income goal takes.
Commission in Canada, the UK and Australia
Commission customs differ a lot from country to country. Use the market selector in the calculator to load these structures.
| Market | Typical structure | Tax on fee | Who usually pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada · British Columbia | 7% on first $100,000 + 2.5% on the rest (total); provincial averages near 3.6% | 5% GST | Seller, shared between brokerages |
| Canada · Ontario | Traditionally 5%; a September 2026 survey averaged 4.3% | 13% HST | Seller, shared between brokerages |
| United Kingdom | About 1.2–1.8% inc. VAT for sole agency; 3–3.6% for multi-agency; online agents charge fixed fees | 20% VAT | Seller only; buyers rarely use an agent |
| Australia | Median around 2.65%, from about 2% in Canberra to 3.25% in Tasmania | 10% GST if quoted “plus GST” | Seller only |
Six legitimate ways to pay less commission
Every point is negotiable. Cutting the listing side from 2.88% to 2.5% on a $417,500 home saves about $1,600, especially when your home is likely to sell quickly.
You don’t have to offer the old 3%. Offering 2% instead of 2.82% saves about $3,400, though too little can thin your pool of buyers.
Agree on a lower rate for a quick sale or a higher rate only above a target price, which rewards the agent for getting you more money.
A $5,000 flat listing fee instead of 2.88% saves about $7,000 on a median home, but check exactly which services are included.
Agents often discount when they earn both commissions. Get the discount in writing in both agreements.
Look for the term length, cancellation terms, “protection period” clauses and admin fees, which can quietly add hundreds of dollars.
Related property calculators
Commission is usually the biggest selling cost, but it isn’t the only number that decides what you walk away with.
Find every tool for buying, selling and investing in our property and real estate calculators hub.
Real estate commission questions
How much is a 6% commission on a $400,000 house?
$24,000. Multiply $400,000 by 0.06. If it’s split evenly, each brokerage receives $12,000 before paying its agent.
What is the average realtor commission in 2026?
About 5.70% in total, according to Clever Real Estate’s 2026 survey of 533 agents: 2.88% for listing agents and 2.82% for buyer’s agents. That’s up from 5.44% in 2025.
Who pays the real estate agent commission?
The seller pays the listing agent from the sale proceeds. Since August 2024, the buyer’s agent fee is set in a written buyer agreement and may be paid by the seller, by the buyer, or shared, depending on what’s negotiated in the offer.
Is realtor commission negotiable?
Yes. No law or association sets commission rates in the US, and rates vary from market to market. Agents are more flexible on higher-priced or easy-to-sell homes and when they represent you on both a sale and a purchase.
How much does a real estate agent make on a $500,000 house?
At a 2.88% listing-side rate, the gross commission is $14,400. After a 70/30 brokerage split and a $395 fee, the agent receives about $9,685 before taxes and business expenses.
Is commission calculated on the list price or the sale price?
On the final sale price recorded at closing. If you list at $450,000 and sell for $430,000, a 5.70% commission is $24,510, not $25,650.
When is real estate commission paid?
At closing. The title or escrow company deducts it from the seller’s proceeds, or from the buyer’s funds where the buyer pays, and sends it to each brokerage, which then pays its agents.
Can a buyer finance the buyer’s agent fee?
Usually not as part of the loan amount, so it typically comes out of pocket at closing. Some buyers ask the seller for a concession to cover it instead. Ask your lender how your loan program treats the fee.
Is real estate commission tax deductible?
For a home sale, commission isn’t deducted on its own. It reduces your amount realized, which lowers any capital gain. For investment property it’s likewise a selling expense that reduces your gain.
What is a tiered commission?
A structure that charges one rate on the first part of the price and a lower rate on the rest, such as 7% on the first $100,000 and 2.5% on the balance, a common arrangement in British Columbia.
How much are estate agent fees in the UK?
Typically about 1.2% to 1.8% including VAT for a sole agency agreement and 3% to 3.6% for multi-agency. Online agents usually charge a fixed fee instead of a percentage.
What is the difference between a realtor commission calculator and a real estate commission calculator?
None in practice. “Realtor” is a trademarked term for members of the National Association of Realtors, but commission is calculated the same way for any licensed agent or broker. This tool works as a realtor commission calculator, a real estate agent commission calculator and a broker fee calculator.
Is this commission calculator free and private?
Yes. It’s free, needs no sign-up and runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent to DexoCalc or stored.
Manzoor Ahmad
13+ years of web development & SEO experience · Founder, DexoCalc
Manzoor builds and maintains every DexoCalc calculator, including the full property and mortgage libraries. This real estate and realtor commission calculator is built around the rules that took effect after the 2024 NAR settlement, and uses current US commission survey data, Canadian tiered schedules and UK and Australian fee norms.
Sources
- Clever Real Estate via PR Newswire — The typical US home sale costs over $20,000 in realtor fees in 2026 (March 24, 2026)
- Mortgage News Daily — NAR existing-home sales and median price, September 2026
- Redfin via Business Wire — Average buyer’s agent commission, Q3 2025
- National Association of Realtors — The Facts about the settlement practice changes
- WealthNorth — Real estate agent fees in Canada (B.C. and Ontario)
- HomeOwners Alliance — Estate agent fees 2026
- PropertyNow — Real estate agent commission by state (Australia, 2026)
- IRS Publication 523 — Selling Your Home
Commission rates are negotiable and vary by market, brokerage and property. Results are estimates for planning, not legal, tax or financial advice. Confirm the exact terms in your listing or buyer agreement.