Is a 6% Real Estate Commission Still Standard in 2026?

A 6% real estate commission is the traditional fee in U.S. home sales, historically split evenly between the listing agent and the buyer's agent (3% each). Commissions have never been fixed by law: every fee is negotiable, and since the 2024 NAR settlement took effect, buyers negotiate their agent's compensation directly rather than it being set on the MLS.

So is 6% still the standard? Not quite, but it's pretty close: The national average is now 5.70%, according to Clever's 2026 realtor commission survey.[1]

Reducing your commission rate by just 1% is huge: On a $500,000 home, a 6% commission is $30,000 out of your proceeds at closing. Negotiating down to 5% keeps $4,500 of that. Listing with a low commission brokerage that charges 1.5% instead of the traditional 3% listing fee keeps $7,500. Compare agents in your area for free and see how much you can save.

What is 6% real estate commission?

The 6% real estate commission has long been considered the traditional standard in U.S. home sales. Historically, this total fee covered both the seller's and buyer’s agents, with each receiving roughly 3%.

Average commission rates have slipped below that classic 6% benchmark in recent years, landing at 5.70% nationwide. Rates in your area, however, are likely to fluctuate based on the competition, home values, and local market conditions.

Realtor commission trends: Where rates are heading

Average commission rates have moved up and down over the past five years, but the overall direction is upward and closer to the historic 6% mark.

Rates hit their lowest point in 2024 at about 5.32%. They rebounded quickly in 2025 to 5.70%, the highest level since 2021.

This proves that home sellers and buyers continue to value professional representation and are willing to pay for it. But it also may highlight that sellers and buyers remain unwilling to negotiate lower rates.

Christina Rordam, a 21-year REALTOR® at Florida Realty Investments in Orlando, sees this playing out in Central Florida.

"I think people expected the settlement to upend commissions, but in Orlando, at least, we've always had options: flat-fee brokerages, $1 buyer's-agent offers in the MLS, FSBO," Rordam says. "The rule changes brought more transparency and required written agreements, but the underlying economics are close to what they were."

How to pay less than 6%

1. Work with a company that offers built-in savings
2. Negotiate with your agent
3. Sell your home for sale by owner (FSBO)

Thankfully, there are ways to pay much less than 6% currently, while still getting full-service support from a top-rated realtor.

1. Work with a discount real estate broker

The most reliable way to save money on realtor fees is to work with a real estate brokerage that offers built-in savings. The best low-commission realtors (also known as discount brokers) offer discounted listing fees in exchange for full-service and support from a high-quality realtor.

However, this option is still largely overlooked by sellers: Just 9% of recent sellers used a discount real estate broker or low-commission brokerage to sell their home. Most sellers (64%) hired a traditional full-service agent, most of them paying the standard 2.5–3% listing fee. But of those who did use a discount broker, 82% said the service was good or better than a traditional agent.[2]

The best discount brokers provide full-service agents who rank at the top of their markets in performance metrics such as the number of homes sold, time on market, and the home sale price relative to the initial list price. Our study found that 82% of sellers who used a discount broker say the service was as good as or better than a traditional agent.[2]

Here are some top-rated options to consider:

Example: On a median-priced home sale of $372,995, you'd save $5,147 with a 1.5% commission realtor, compared to what you'd pay with an agent charging the national average rate of 2.88%.

2. Negotiate realtor commission

Real estate commissions are technically negotiable, and it's worth trying to negotiate a lower rate. Even a 1% difference can save you thousands in commissions.

Most sellers leave that money on the table. Nearly 4 in 10 sellers (39%) didn't know commission was negotiable before they listed, and only 33% of those who hired an agent actually tried to negotiate their rate.[2]

The ones who do ask are rewarded. Negotiating works far more often than sellers expect: 93% of sellers who asked for a lower commission got at least some reduction, and only 7% said their agent wouldn't budge.[2]

Most reductions were modest but real: 45% of successful negotiators shaved 0.5 to 0.99 percentage points off their rate, and another 35% cut it by 1 to 1.5 points.[2]

3. Sell your home for sale by owner (FSBO)

You can avoid paying a listing fee by selling your home without an agent, but this means you'll handle the entire sale process yourself. This includes setting a listing price, marketing to potential buyers, and navigating negotiations and the closing process. Essentially, you’re giving yourself a new job that may or may not pay well when all is said and done.

While the potential savings are real, several risks are involved in selling FSBO homes. Statistics show that homes sold by owners typically sell for nearly than those sold with an agent. FSBO homes sold for a median of $360,000 vs. $425,000 for agent-assisted sales, an 18% gap, according to NAR's 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.[3]

David Baca, a REALTOR® at Life Realty District in Henderson, NV, sees this gap show up most often when investors target unrepresented sellers. "FSBO sellers lose out on hundreds of thousands, almost millions of dollars," Baca says. "Investors will just knock on your door and say, 'I'll give you cash right now, $250,000,' when the home could have been worth $400,000, because they're trying to save a nickel and a dime here and there."

Rordam points to a different cost: sellers who sabotage their own showings. "They like to be there at the showing, and they just talk too much," she says. "The seller will follow the buyer from room to room. You'd be shocked at the level of disclosure, personal family history of the home, things that don't need to be disclosed."

The bottom line is that FSBO can work for experienced home sellers who are comfortable with pricing, marketing, and negotiating on their own. But for most people, it can mean leaving money on the table—or making costly mistakes.

» MORE: How to sell your house without a realtor

How much does a realtor make on a $500,000 sale?

If you run the numbers off the top of your head, it might sound like realtors are making a windfall on every sale. After all, 6% on $500,000 is $30,000. But no agent in the world is pocketing anywhere close to that figure.

First, the fee covers both the seller's and buyer's agents. A seller's agent might earn 3% on the sale, and a buyer's agent might get paid out 2.5%. For a seller's agent, this means $15,000.

It gets worse, though. Agents split that commission with their brokerage. Newer agents with fewer sales tend to pay more to their brokerage, while more established agents are on different commission structures and keep more of their earnings.

Agent commission split calculator

Real estate agents earn a lot less than you might realize. After the brokerage's cut and common business expenses, an agent's actual take-home on a sale is only a fraction of the commission.

Sale price

Brokerage's cut

New agent keeps 50% Typical keeps 70% Top producer keeps 90%

One agent's commission (3%) $15,000

The seller negotiates this fee. The buyer's agent is paid separately. 3% of sale price

After the brokerage's cut $10,500

-$4,500 to the brokerage 2.1% of sale price

Actual take-home $5,000 to $8,000

-$3,990 taxes, E&O insurance & marketing 1.3% of sale price

On a $500,000 sale, a realtor takes home about $5,000 to $8,000. That is roughly 1.3% of the sale price, not the 6% many people picture.

Estimates assume a single agent earns about 3% on one side of the sale. The seller negotiates the listing agent's fee and the buyer's agent is paid separately. Actual take-home varies by the brokerage's cut, local market, and individual business expenses.

Then you have to factor in the costs of actually being an agent. Real estate agents are independent contractors and cover their own license and MOS dues, insurance costs, and marketing costs. All of these expenses could add up to thousands annually.

Recent stats also show that most agents are struggling to make a good living: 68% of realtors earn less than $100,000 a year, with an average earnings of $58,100, according to NAR.[4]

For sellers, the takeaway is simple: the 6% you pay isn't lining one person's pockets. But that doesn't mean you can't pay less for the same level of service.

How commission splits work

Anywhere Real Estate, the parent company of CENTURY 21® and Coldwell Banker®, reported an 80% average commission split in its most recent public filing, meaning its agents keep 80 cents of every commission dollar.

I saw this climb firsthand as a licensed agent in Charleston, SC. I started at a 30/70 split in my brokerage's favor. As my sales volume grew, my split improved to 50/50 and eventually 70/30 in my favor. That path is typical: most agents start with unfavorable splits and earn their way up over the years, all while paying for their own marketing, signage, transaction tools, and MLS dues out of what's left. 

Interestingly, most sellers don't begrudge agents their pay. Over three-quarters of Americans think agents should earn at least as much in commission as they do now, and nearly half believe they should earn more, according to one Clever study.

None of that changes what commission costs you, though. Selling a typical U.S. home runs about $35,939 all-in, and realtor commission is the single biggest line item at $21,261, nearly 60% of total selling costs, according to our breakdown of the average cost to sell a house.

Is a 6% commission realtor ever worth it?

A 6% total commission rate might still be worth paying in some cases. But it has become less justifiable in the age of discount brokers.  

Paying 6% could make sense if the agent blows you away with the services and value they provide: Elite marketing, home staging, a database of motivated buyers, and deep local market expertise. 

Just remember that for a typical home sale, a discount broker offers the same core service for a fraction of the cost, so a 6% agent really has to earn the difference. 

Sellers seem to agree: Our 2026 survey found a clear gap between what sellers pay and what they think is fair: 51% said a total commission of 3% or less would have been fair.[2]

Home value changes the math, too. A 6% commission on a $200,000 home in small-town Ohio comes out to $12,000, which might be a reasonable price for the work involved in marketing and closing a sale. That same 6% on a $2 million beachfront home in California is $120,000, even though the agent likely isn't doing 10 times the work. 

The higher your home's value and the stronger your market, the more room you have to negotiate a lower rate, and the more a discount broker's 1.5% listing fee works to your advantage.

Agent quality matters more than commission rate

A skilled agent charging 3% beats an average agent charging 1.5%, and a bad agent can cost you far more than any commission savings. Pricing strategy, marketing, and timing matter more than the commission rate itself.

Baca, the REALTOR® with Life Realty District in Henderson, NV, says sellers should factor holding costs into the math, too. 

"When your home sits on the market for 30 to 60 to 90 days, guess who's paying the mortgage? The seller," Baca says. "Let's say your mortgage is $2,400 and it's been on the market for three months. That's $7,500 the seller's losing because of inadequate representation."

He sees the difference play out in his own market. "There's a lot of flat fee agents out there, and unfortunately, that's why their listings are 100 days on market," Baca says. "I literally just listed a property on Monday. I have 15 showings in two days in this real estate market, because of our pricing strategy and the systems we have in place."

What sellers say about the 6% commission

Original research

Commission reality check

To see how much the old 6% commission standard still holds, Clever surveyed 500 people who sold a home within the last two years about what they paid, what they believed, and how they negotiated. The findings show a market that has quietly moved on from 6%, even as the belief in it lingers.

Belief vs. reality

Belief in 6% runs far ahead of what sellers actually pay

6% is still the standard total commission 38%

Actually paid a full 6% commission 14%

Belief in the 6% standard runs more than two and a half times higher than the reality. Only 16% of sellers paid 6% or more.

Little price pressure

Most sellers never shop around

Interviewed only one agent before signing 65%

Talked to three or more agents 8%

With no competing bid on the table, there is little pressure on the rate, which helps explain why the 6% anchor holds and so few sellers negotiate.

The best-kept secret

Negotiation almost always works, but few sellers try

Tried to negotiate their commission 33%

Of those who asked, got at least some reduction 93%

Only 7% of sellers who asked were turned down. Among those who succeeded, 45% shaved 0.5 to 0.99 points off their rate and 35% cut it by 1 to 1.5 points. Yet only 33% of sellers who hired an agent tried to negotiate at all.

How sellers went to market

Most sellers still hire a traditional agent, but nearly a third now choose a discount brokerage, sell FSBO, or take a cash offer instead.

• 64% Traditional full-service agent Your conventional realtor. They list, market, and negotiate the sale for a full commission at market rates.
• 11% Sold FSBO For sale by owner. You bypass the listing fee entirely but handle every task of selling the home yourself.
• 10% Cash buyer or iBuyer A direct sale to an investor or instant-offer company. Fast and as-is, usually below full market value.
• 9% Discount or low-commission brokerage A brokerage that lists your home for a reduced commission or a flat fee while still providing agent service.
• 6% Other (flat-fee MLS, limited service, etc.) Less common routes like flat-fee MLS listings or limited-service agents that unbundle parts of the traditional package.

Discount brokers are still overlooked

Just 9% of recent sellers used a discount real estate broker or low-commission brokerage, fewer than the 11% who sold FSBO and the 10% who sold to a cash buyer or iBuyer. The other 64% hired a traditional full-service agent, most of them paying the standard 2.5–3% listing fee.[2]

This is a missed opportunity for home sellers. The best discount brokers provide full-service agents who rank at the top of their markets in performance metrics such as the number of homes sold, time on market, and the home sale price relative to the initial list price. 

These brokers also charge a listing fee as low as 1.5%, a big savings versus the usual 3% listing fee. The math is hard to ignore: On a $500,000 home sale, reducing your listing fee by 1.5% saves you $7,500 – and you don't have to give up an agent's expertise, marketing, or negotiation support. 

Compare this to FSBO, where sellers avoid paying the listing fee entirely – but typically end up netting less in the sale.

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