How commission works | How to save on commission | The current Florida housing market | The best low commission companies | Methodology
📊 The data: We surveyed local agents and found that the average real estate commission in Florida is 5.38%, which is less than the national average of 5.50%. |
That means, to sell an average Florida house worth $303,600 you’ll pay about $16,300 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 5.38%.
Selling with a discount real estate company like Clever could help you save thousands on commission. Clever negotiates 1% listing fees with full-service Florida realtors from top brokers.
On that same $303,600 home — you'd pay just $11,200, up to 32% 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 Florida real estate commission fees and share tips on how to save more when you sell.
How real estate agent commission works in Florida
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 Florida has 50.0% of the commission going to the listing agent and 50.0% going to the buyer's agent.
» LEARN: How do real estate commissions work?
Who pays realtor fees in Florida?
In Florida, 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 Florida
💰 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 Florida
Whether you’re selling a high-rise condo in Miami, a vacation home in Pensacola, or your retirement pad in Naples, you can almost always negotiate a lower rate on your commission!
Negotiating a lower realtor percentage in Florida 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 Florida housing market |
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While your personal situation will obviously vary, Florida 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 Florida 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 Florida real estate market
Factor | Trends | Indication |
|---|---|---|
Months of inventory | There's 0.6 months of housing inventory on the market | Seller's market |
Sale-to-list ratio | Homes are selling for 98.60% of their listing price | Seller's market |
Home values | Home values have risen 12.0% year over year | Seller's market |
Find a top realtor in Florida
Ready to negotiate with an agent in your area? We looked at the data and found the top Florida agents for you.
» FIND: The best Florida realtors by city
Low commission real estate companies in Florida
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 Florida.
The top discount real estate companies in Florida
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 Florida 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 (974 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 April 2, 2021, Clever has a 4.9 out of 5 rating on Trustpilot, based on 974 reviews.
Clever has pre-negotiated low commission rates with top agents in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and Washington, DC.
Redfin
Full Review💲 Listing Fee
1.5% (min. fees vary)
💰 Avg. Savings
$5,550
⭐ Avg. Customer Rating
3.2/5 (287 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 3.2 out of 5 rating (287 reviews) across popular review sites like Google and Yelp.
Redfin is available in 80+ U.S. markets (see all locations).
Houwzer
Full Review💲 Listing Fee
$5,000
💰 Avg. Savings
$7,000
⭐ Avg. Customer Rating
4.8/5 (1,142 reviews)
Houwzer offers true flat-fee savings — but homes near or below $500,000 can likely find better rates and less risk elsewhere.
- Huge commission savings on luxury homes
- Listing fee includes virtual home tours and other premium marketing services
- Houwzer has a small team, which limits your options if you don't hit it off with the first agent they send you
- If you're selling a lower-priced home, Houwzer may not be cheaper than selling with a traditional realtor
Houwzer has a 4.8 out of 5 rating (1,142 reviews) across popular review sites like Google and Zillow.
Houwzer is available in the following locations: DC, FL, MD, NJ, PA, VA.
Redefy
Full Review💲 Listing Fee
$3,500 (1% above $1M)
💰 Avg. Savings
$8,500
⭐ Avg. Customer Rating
4.6/5 (345 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 4.6 out of 5 rating (345 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 Florida
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.
Beycome
beycomeBest For
Tech-savvy sellers who want to manage their listings on an online platform
Price Range
$99-299
Pros:
- You can upload photos, manage your listings, and receive and negotiate offers all within the online platform. Great for people who don't like to talk on the phone!
- If you need help pricing your home, you can check the two home value estimates that come with each package.
- Sellers who opt for the $199 Premium version can use the platform to automatically list their homes on popular classified sites like Craigslist, Oodle, and Listanza.
Cons:
- You'll get no assistance with paperwork, even as an add-on service.
- Beycome's site doesn't make it clear that you may still have to pay a buyer's agent commission.
Houzeo
HouzeoBest For
Sellers looking for a lot of a-la-carte options
Price Range
$245-399
Pros:
- You can fill out, sign, and submit all your seller's paperwork on the Houzeo app.
- When you enter your address, Houzeo auto-fills publicly available data about your property.
- Houzeo lets you buy additional services like contract reviews, agent showings, and professional showings a la carte.
Cons:
- You have to pay extra for pricing assistance — several local competitors offer this for free.
- You're limited to 10 free changes for price, status, and description in their two most popular packages. Most competitors offer unlimited free changes.
» MORE: What you need to know about flat-fee MLS services.
Learn more
Florida is well known for sunshine, citrus, and beaches, but it has even more to offer, including a booming tourist economy, no personal state income tax, and an affordable cost of living. Thanks to the weather and a job market that’s growing at a rate far outpacing the national average, Florida is gaining a ton of new residents.
As you might imagine, home values in Florida are booming. They’ve more than doubled over the past decade, but there’s good news for buyers: median home values here are just a little higher than the national average. That means there are definitely pockets of affordability scattered throughout the state. And for seasoned investors, major markets like Miami offer high-end properties for any budget.
Commission is the single largest cost of selling your home in Florida, but Clever can help you save thousands of dollars when you do sell. Clever pre-negotiates rates of 1%, or a flat fee of $3,000 if your home sells for less than $350,000, with top agents in Florida. Contact Clever today to find out how they can help you!
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 May 2021
- Sale prices and sale-to-list ratios: Based on Redfin data as of April 2021 (unless specified otherwise)
- Months of inventory: Based on Realtor.com data as of June 2021