Best Way to Negotiate Your Real Estate Agent's Commission

You are ready to sell your home or business. You know that you are going to have to pay a real estate agent in order to get the best sale price for your property. You don’t mind paying an agent money, but you’d like to get the most for your money. Here are the best ways to negotiate your real estate agent’s commission.

• Ask up front for a discount. If you don’t ask, you won’t get a discount. The worst that can happen is that he or she will tell you no. The agent may also be able to tell you other ways to save money that may make up for the commission you have to pay.


• Plan to buy property that the real estate agent has listed. If a real estate agent lists and sells the same property, he/she will make more commission. Since he/she is making more, you can ask him/her to reduce the commission fees.


• Call or research other agent’s commissions. If your agent is higher, ask why. You may also ask him/her to match the commission fees of a competitor.


• If you are not satisfied with the real estate agent’s work and you don’t feel he/she should earn the commission, talk to his/her supervisor. Many times the supervisor will reduce or eliminate the commission fees.


• Talk openly with the agent and ask what you can do to help reduce the commission costs. Maybe he/she will allow you to show the house to save him/her time and reduce the commission costs.