How commission works | How to save on commission | The current Colorado housing market | The best low commission companies | Methodology
📊 The data: We surveyed local agents and found that the average real estate commission in Colorado is 5.50%, which is about equal to the national average of 5.49%. |
That means, to sell an average Colorado house worth $528,200 you’ll pay about $29,100 in realtor fees.
Realtor commission is usually the largest cost you'll face when selling your home — but you don't have to pay the full 5.50%.
Selling with a discount real estate company like Clever could help you save thousands on commission. Clever negotiates 1% listing fees with full-service Colorado realtors from top brokers.
On that same $528,200 home — you'd pay just $20,100, up to 31% less than paying average rates.
» SAVE: Sell with Clever for 1% listing fees and save thousands in commission!
Below, we cover everything you need to know about Colorado real estate commission fees and share tips on how to save more when you sell.
How real estate agent commission works in Colorado
There are usually two real estate agents involved in a home sale:
- The seller's agent (also called the listing agent), who represents the home seller
- The buyer's agent, who represents the person buying the home
Both agents earn a percentage of the home's final price when the sale closes. This payment is called real estate agent commission, and it's baked into the sale price when you sell your home.
Based on our research, the average commission split in Colorado has 49.1% of the commission going to the listing agent and 50.9% going to the buyer's agent.
» LEARN: How do real estate commissions work?
Who pays realtor fees in Colorado?
In Colorado, home sellers pay real estate commission fees out of the final sale proceeds for both agents involved in a deal.
However, since this commission is baked into the sales price, you could say that the home buyer is paying — at least in part — through a higher price.
» LEARN: Who pays realtor commission?
How to save on real estate commission in Colorado
💰 Best ways to save on commission:
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Keep reading to learn how you can negotiate cheaper rates or find low commission companies that negotiate lower realtor fees for you!
Tips for negotiating realtor commission in Colorado
Whether you’re selling a vacation cabin in Aspen, a condo in downtown Denver, or a luxury ski home in Vail, you should always try to lower your realtor commission.
Negotiating a lower realtor percentage in Colorado depends on two main factors: your situation and the housing market.
Factor | You may have an easier time negotiating low rates if... |
|---|---|
Your situation |
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The Colorado housing market |
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While your personal situation will obviously vary, Colorado real estate market conditions will affect all home sellers in your area.
In general, in a seller's market — where home sellers have more leverage than buyers — a listing agent's job is easier and they may be more willing to lower their commission rates. The opposite is usually true in a buyer's market.
» LEARN: Find our top tips for negotiating lower commission fees
To judge the current state of your real estate market, look at these three factors:
- Months of inventory ⓘ
- Sale to list price ⓘ
- Home value trends ⓘ
If every factor points to Colorado being a seller's market, then you may be in a good position to negotiate a lower commission rate with your agent. If market conditions are mixed or favor buyers, it may be more challenging to persuade your realtor to accept a cheaper fee.
The current state of the Colorado real estate market
Factor | Trends | Indication |
|---|---|---|
Months of inventory | There's 0.8 months of housing inventory on the market | Seller's market |
Sale-to-list ratio | Homes are selling for 101.30% of their listing price | Seller's market |
Home values | Home values have risen 26.05% year over year | Seller's market |
» FIND: The average commission rates in more Colorado cities:
Find a top realtor in Colorado
Ready to negotiate with an agent in your area? We looked at the data and found the top Colorado agents for you.
» FIND: The best Colorado realtors by city
Low commission real estate companies in Colorado
Negotiating a lower rate with a professional negotiator can be hard! In many cases, home sellers can save just as much (or more!) by selling with a low commission real estate company.
These are some of the top discount and flat-fee MLS services in Colorado.
The top discount real estate companies in Colorado
Discount real estate companies typically offer full-service support for a reduced commission percentage or flat rate. Like traditional agents, these agents are fully licensed and have met all of the requirements of the Colorado real estate commission board.
How they create those discounts will depend on the company's model, with some creating more risks and tradeoffs than others.
Clever Real Estate
Learn More💲 Listing Fee
$3,000 or 1%
💰 Avg. Savings
$7,375
⭐ Avg. Customer Rating
4.9/5 (1,289 reviews)
Clever is a quick, easy, and free way to find a top-rated local agent. And, unlike many similar companies, Clever pre-negotiates big discounts on your behalf, so you can save thousands without sacrificing on service.
- Free, nationwide agent-matching service that partners with full-service local agents from conventional brokerages like Keller Williams, Century 21, and RE/MAX
- Provides multiple agent matches so you can interview, compare marketing plans, and choose the best fit
- Pre-negotiates low rates on your behalf — you get full service for a flat $3,000 listing fee, or just 1% if the home sells for more than $350,000
- If you buy with Clever, you could get a check worth up to 0.5% of the home price
- You may not get matched with an agent from your preferred real estate brokerage.
- Agents may not provide premium services like drone photography and professional home staging.
As of November 11, 2021, Clever has a 4.9 out of 5 rating on Trustpilot, based on 1,289 reviews.
Clever has pre-negotiated low commission rates with top agents in all 50 states and Washington, DC.
Redfin
Full Review💲 Listing Fee
1.5% (min. fees vary)
💰 Avg. Savings
$5,550
⭐ Avg. Customer Rating
3.9/5 (416 reviews)
Redfin offers real savings and a proven brand. But sellers could compromise on service — especially agent experience and availability.
- If you buy and sell with Redfin, you'll get a 0.5% listing fee discount
- Redfin gives its listings premium placement in its popular home search app
- If finding the right agent is a top priority, you'll have limited options — Redfin only has a few agents in each of its markets
- Redfin agents handle more customers at once than the average realtor, so they may not be able to provide as much personalized service
Redfin has a 3.9 out of 5 rating (416 reviews) across popular review sites like Google and Yelp.
Redfin is available in 80+ U.S. markets (see all locations).
Homie
Full Review💲 Listing Fee
Up to $3,000
💰 Avg. Savings
$8,500
⭐ Avg. Customer Rating
4.3/5 (1,118 reviews)
Homie offers legit flat-fee savings — but may provide less personalized service than a traditional agent.
- Flat-fee pricing model offers big commission savings on higher-priced homes
- Self-service listing process lets you get your home on the market quickly
- Homie agents provide no in-person services or support
- Agents juggle up to 10x as many customers at once, which increases the risk you'll have a bad experience
Homie has a 4.3 out of 5 rating (1,118 reviews) across popular review sites like Google and Yelp.
Homie is available in the following areas: AZ, CO, ID, NV, UT.
Redefy
Full Review💲 Listing Fee
$3,500 (1% above $1M)
💰 Avg. Savings
$8,500
⭐ Avg. Customer Rating
4.7/5 (319 reviews)
Redefy’s flat fee could offer big savings. But hands-off service and non-refundable upfront fees make it a hard sell over other, less risky options.
- Flat $3,500 listing fee is an excellent value for higher-priced homes
- Agents provide more in-person services than some similarly-priced low commission brands
- Redefy charges an upfront, non-refundable $500 fee (most companies don't make you pay anything until your house sells)
- Your agent will not host an open house for you
Redefy has a 4.7 out of 5 rating (319 reviews) across popular review sites like Google and Zillow.
Redefy is available in the following areas: CO, FL, GA, IL, NC, SC, TN, TX, VA.
» LEARN: How do discount real estate brokers offer lower fees?
The top flat-fee MLS listing services in Colorado
Flat-fee MLS services list your home on your local MLS for a low fee, often around $100-300. The trade-off is that you'll have to handle almost the entire home-selling process yourself. If you're a real estate novice, or simply don't have the time to sell your home without a realtor, this might not be a good option.
Home Savings Realty
Home Savings RealtyBest For
Sellers who expect their home to sell quickly
Price Range
$399-699 (0.25% at closing)
Pros:
- The broker is involved in all parts of the selling process as long as your listing is active.
- Your listing package includes professional photos of your home.
Cons:
- The listing terms are short compared to other Colorado flat-fee MLS companies.
HybridMLSListings
HybridMLSListingsBest For
Inexperienced sellers who need extra guidance
Price Range
$299-549 (0.5% at closing)
Pros:
- You can add as many photos as the MLS allows with all listing packages.
- The broker will handle all your offer negotiations for you.
Cons:
- The basic package doesn't include any pricing assistance.
» MORE: What you need to know about flat-fee MLS services.
Learn more
Colorado consistently ranks near the top on lists of most livable states, and it’s easy to see why. From natural beauty like the Rocky Mountains, to lively cities like Denver and Aspen, to a booming economy based on tourism, tech, and legalized marijuana, Colorado is the total package.
So it’s probably no surprise that the Colorado housing market is one of the very hottest in the nation. Home values here have more than doubled over the past decade, and are currently almost double the national average. Appreciation in the Denver market puts it on par with white-hot markets like San Francisco and Washington, DC. Inventory is low, though, so even at this price point, the market likely has a lot of room to grow.
If you’re interested in saving thousands on real estate commission when you sell in Colorado, Clever has already pre-negotiated low listing rates with some of Colorado’s top real estate agents. You'll only pay listing fees 1%, or $3,000 on homes under $350,000. Contact Clever today to find out how much you can save!
Methodology
Our data on commission rates is based on a survey of 915 of our partner agents, in which we asked for typical rates for both buyer's and seller's agents in their area.
Additionally, we utilized the following data from Zillow and Realtor.com:
- Home values, list prices, and sale prices: Based on Zillow data as of November 2021
- Sale prices and sale-to-list ratios: Based on Redfin data as of November 2021 (unless specified otherwise)
- Months of inventory: Based on Realtor.com data as of November 2021