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Real Estate Commission Calculator — Listing & Buyer Agent Split

Calculate real estate agent commission with independently adjustable listing and buyer-agent rates, reflecting the 2024 NAR settlement changes.

Updated
Total Commission
$20,000
5.00% of sale price
Listing Agent Gets
$10,000
Buyer's Agent Gets
$10,000
Seller's Net Proceeds Before Commission Costs
$380,000

Sale price minus total commission — doesn't include closing costs, payoff of the existing mortgage, or other seller fees.

Total Commission = Sale Price × (Listing Agent % + Buyer's Agent %). Since the August 2024 NAR settlement, listing-agent and buyer-agent commissions are negotiated independently and are no longer required to match or to be posted on the MLS — this calculator lets you set each side separately rather than assuming a fixed 50/50 split. Actual rates are always negotiable and vary by market, brokerage, and individual agreement.
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Reference Values

Last verified:
Category Range What It Means Status
Historical total commission (pre-Aug 2024) 5% – 6% of sale price Typical combined commission before the NAR settlement, usually split roughly 50/50 between the listing agent and buyer's agent (e.g., 2.5%/2.5% or 3%/3%). Good
Historical listing-agent share 2.5% – 3% The seller's own agent's share of the historical split — this side of the transaction is unaffected by the settlement. Good
Historical buyer-agent share (pre-Aug 2024) 2.5% – 3% Was traditionally offered by the seller via the MLS. Post-settlement, this can no longer be posted on the MLS and must be negotiated directly between buyer and buyer's agent. Okay
NAR settlement effective date ★ August 17, 2024 The $418M National Association of Realtors settlement took effect on this date, ending the practice of offering buyer-agent compensation on the MLS. ★ Best
Buyer-broker agreement requirement ★ Required before touring homes Buyers must now sign a written agreement with their agent spelling out compensation terms before the agent can show them homes, per the settlement's practice changes. ★ Best
Post-settlement buyer-agent commission trend Declining and more variable Early data (e.g., Redfin brokerage figures) showed average buyer-agent commissions trending lower and more spread out in the months after the settlement, rather than converging on a new standard rate. Okay

Source: National Association of REALTORS® — "What the Settlement Means for Home Buyers and Sellers" and NAR Settlement FAQs (facts.realtor). Commission rates are always negotiable and vary by market, brokerage, and individual agreement — these are historical/contextual reference points, not fixed rates.

Worked Examples

Traditional 50/50 Split

Sale Price
$250,000
Listing Agent Commission
2.5%
Buyer Agent Commission
2.5%
$12,500 total commission

$250,000 × 2.5% = $6,250 to the listing agent, $250,000 × 2.5% = $6,250 to the buyer's agent. Total: $6,250 + $6,250 = $12,500 (5% of sale price).

Higher-Priced Home, Standard 3%/2.5% Split

Sale Price
$400,000
Listing Agent Commission
3%
Buyer Agent Commission
2.5%
$22,000 total commission

$400,000 × 3% = $12,000 to the listing agent, $400,000 × 2.5% = $10,000 to the buyer's agent. Total: $12,000 + $10,000 = $22,000 (5.5% of sale price).

Post-Settlement: No Seller-Paid Buyer-Agent Commission

Sale Price
$600,000
Listing Agent Commission
3%
Buyer Agent Commission
0%
$18,000 total commission

$600,000 × 3% = $18,000 to the listing agent, $600,000 × 0% = $0 from the seller toward the buyer's agent. Total: $18,000 (3% of sale price) — the buyer would instead pay their own agent directly, per their buyer-broker agreement.

Buyer-Agent Rate Negotiated Higher Than Listing Side

Sale Price
$350,000
Listing Agent Commission
2.5%
Buyer Agent Commission
3%
$19,250 total commission

$350,000 × 2.5% = $8,750 to the listing agent, $350,000 × 3% = $10,500 to the buyer's agent. Total: $8,750 + $10,500 = $19,250 (5.5% of sale price) — illustrates that the two sides no longer have to match.

Reduced-Fee Listing With Standard Buyer-Agent Rate

Sale Price
$500,000
Listing Agent Commission
2%
Buyer Agent Commission
2.5%
$22,500 total commission

$500,000 × 2% = $10,000 to the listing agent, $500,000 × 2.5% = $12,500 to the buyer's agent. Total: $10,000 + $12,500 = $22,500 (4.5% of sale price) — a discount-brokerage listing rate combined with a standard buyer-agent rate.

How to Use This Calculator

  1. 1

    Enter the home sale price

    The agreed final sale price, not the original list price.

  2. 2

    Set the listing agent's commission percentage

    The rate the seller has negotiated with their own listing agent.

  3. 3

    Set the buyer's agent commission percentage

    Set independently — post-settlement, this doesn't have to match the listing side, and can be 0% if the buyer is paying their own agent directly.

  4. 4

    Read the total commission and per-side breakdown

    Shows the dollar amount to each agent, the combined total, and an estimate of seller proceeds before commission is deducted.

What Each Value Means

Listing Agent Commission (% of sale price)
The percentage of the sale price paid to the seller's own agent, negotiated between the seller and their listing agent.
Buyer's Agent Commission (% of sale price)
The percentage of the sale price allocated to the buyer's agent — since August 2024, negotiated separately from the listing side rather than automatically offered by the seller via the MLS.
Total Commission ($)
The combined dollar amount paid across both agents, equal to the sale price multiplied by the sum of both commission percentages.

Related Calculators

Frequently Asked Questions

How did the 2024 NAR settlement change real estate commissions?
Before August 17, 2024, sellers typically offered to pay both the listing agent and the buyer's agent, with that buyer-agent offer posted publicly on the MLS. The National Association of REALTORS® settlement ended that practice: sellers are no longer required to offer buyer-agent compensation, and such offers can no longer appear on the MLS. Buyer-agent commission is now negotiated directly and separately between a buyer and their own agent, typically through a required written buyer-broker agreement signed before the agent shows them homes. This calculator lets you set the listing-agent and buyer-agent percentages independently, since they're no longer tied together.
What's a typical real estate commission rate today?
Historically, total commission ran 5–6% of the sale price, split roughly 2.5–3% to each side. Rates haven't disappeared, but post-settlement they're more variable and are trending lower on the buyer-agent side in some markets, according to early brokerage data. There's no longer a single "standard" split — the listing side and buyer side are negotiated as two separate agreements, so treat any percentage as a starting point for your own negotiation rather than a fixed rule.
Who actually pays the buyer's agent now?
It depends on what's negotiated. A seller can still choose to offer a concession that covers some or all of the buyer's agent's fee as part of the deal — this is common and legal — but it's negotiated deal-by-deal rather than advertised on the MLS. Alternatively, the buyer can pay their own agent directly, per their buyer-broker agreement, and may attempt to roll that cost into their financing or offer price. Which approach applies depends on your specific purchase contract and local practice.
Is real estate commission always split evenly between the two agents?
No — that was only ever a common convention, never a rule, and it's even less likely to be exactly even now. Before the settlement, a seller and listing agent would negotiate one combined rate (say, 6%) and often split it 50/50 with whichever agent brought the buyer. Post-settlement, the listing-agent rate and buyer-agent rate are two entirely separate negotiations, so it's normal to see uneven splits like 2.5%/3% or a listing side with no buyer-side commission attached at all.
Does the commission come out of my sale proceeds or get paid separately?
Commission for the listing side is customarily deducted from the seller's proceeds at closing, along with other closing costs. Buyer-agent commission, when a seller concession covers it, is also typically settled at closing as part of that agreement. If a buyer is paying their agent directly per their buyer-broker agreement, that cost is the buyer's own closing expense rather than something deducted from the seller's proceeds — confirm the exact mechanics with your closing/escrow agent, since state practice and individual contracts vary.

References & Sources

  1. [1]
    National Association of Realtors - Settlement FAQ (opens in new tab)

    Supports: Current buyer-agreement and compensation-practice changes following the NAR settlement.

    Verified

  2. [2]
    CFPB - Your Home Loan Toolkit (opens in new tab)

    Supports: Transaction costs and home-purchase budgeting context.

    Verified

  3. [3]
    CFPB - Owning a Home (opens in new tab)

    Supports: Official homebuying, mortgage, closing-cost, and settlement guidance.

    Verified