How commission works | How to save on commission | The current Hawaii housing market | The best low commission companies | Methodology
📊 The data: We surveyed local agents and found that the average real estate commission in Hawaii is 5.25%, which is less than the national average of 5.50%. |
That means, to sell an average Hawaii house worth $743,100 you’ll pay about $39,000 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 5.25%.
Selling with a discount real estate company like Clever could help you save thousands on commission. Clever negotiates 1% listing fees with full-service Hawaii realtors from top brokers.
On that same $743,100 home — you'd pay just $26,900, 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 Hawaii real estate commission fees and share tips on how to save more when you sell.
How real estate agent commission works in Hawaii
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 Hawaii 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 Hawaii?
In Hawaii, 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 Hawaii
💰 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 Hawaii
Whether you’re selling a luxury condo in downtown Honolulu, a cozy cottage in Hilo, or investing in an Airbnb rental in Kailua, you can almost always negotiate a lower rate on your real estate fees!
Negotiating a lower realtor percentage in Hawaii 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 Hawaii housing market |
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While your personal situation will obviously vary, Hawaii 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 Hawaii 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 Hawaii real estate market
Factor | Trends | Indication |
|---|---|---|
Months of inventory | There's 3.8 months of housing inventory on the market | Seller's market |
Sale-to-list ratio | Homes are selling for 99.30% 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 Hawaii
Ready to negotiate with an agent in your area? We looked at the data and found the top Hawaii agents for you.
» FIND: The best Hawaii realtors by city
Low commission real estate companies in Hawaii
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 Hawaii.
The top discount real estate companies in Hawaii
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 Hawaii 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
4.89/5 (1,208 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 October 7, 2021, Clever has a 4.9 out of 5 rating on Trustpilot, based on 1,203 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
3.9/5 (395 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 (395 reviews) across popular review sites like Google and Yelp.
Redfin is available in 80+ U.S. markets (see all locations).
» LEARN: How do discount real estate brokers offer lower fees?
The top flat-fee MLS listing services in Hawaii
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.
Flatlist.com
Flatlist.comBest For
Sellers who want to stand out in crowded markets
Price Range
$299
Pros:
- You can list up to 25 photos without paying extra. Other companies limit you to 10 or fewer on their base packages.
- Your listing comes with all the state and federal disclosure forms, plus counter offer forms, HOA addendums, and seller's property disclosures.
Cons:
- The service is only available in Oahu, Maui County, Big Island, and Kauai.
- Flatlist.com doesn't give you the choice of a smaller, cheaper listing package.
Hawaii Flat Fee
Hawaii Flat FeeBest For
Sellers who need a simple MLS listing without a lot of extras
Price Range
$250
Pros:
- The standard listing term is 12 months. Many other companies limit you to six months or fewer.
- If you decide that you want more help selling your home, you can upgrade to a full-service package for 1% of the final sale price.
Cons:
- You can only make 10 free changes to your MLS listing.
- Hawaii Flat Fee is only available on Hawaii, Kauai, Maui, Molokai, and Oahu.
» MORE: What you need to know about flat-fee MLS services.
Learn more
Hawaii is well-known for some of the best beaches in the world, as well as epic volcanoes and picturesque mountains. The state’s economy is propelled by a massive tourist industry, but it’s not an affordable state to live in. Of course, the one downside of living on a tropical island is that everything has to be imported, which drives prices way up.
That applies to housing, too. Hawaii home values have more than tripled over the last decade, and are far higher than the national average. With very low inventory in the state, it’s a great time to be a seller in Hawaii, though investors should also be eager to buy in Hawaii as well.
If you’re interested in saving thousands on real estate commission, Clever has already pre-negotiated low listing rates of only 1%, or $3,000, with some of Hawaii’s top real estate agents. 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 August 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 September 2021