Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices (BHHS) doesn't set commission rates — individual agents negotiate them with their clients before signing a contract. Sellers typically pay 2.76% to the listing agent and 2.70% to the buyer's agent, based on Clever's national survey of real estate agents.
For agents, BHHS pays no salary. You keep a share of each commission under a split your office sets — Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices publishes no company-wide split, and its franchise agreement leaves agent compensation entirely to the independently owned brokerage — minus a franchise royalty charged on the brokerage's gross revenue.
This guide covers Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, the real estate brokerage — not Berkshire Hathaway stock. (Searching for stock-split news? See the FAQ below.)
You could also pay less than the standard rate. Clever Real Estate can connect you with local agents from major brokerages, including Berkshire Hathaway, who offer full service for a 1.5% listing fee. Find the top 1.5% agents in your area.
Berkshire Hathaway commission rates for sellers
Berkshire Hathaway commission rates for sellers are negotiated between you and your listing agent, then agreed to in writing in the listing agreement — the brokerage doesn't set them.
A standard listing fee is 2.5–3% of the home's final sale price. Nationally, sellers pay an average of 2.76% to the listing agent, according to Clever's survey of 434 agents (as of August 2026). Average real estate commission rates vary by market, so check yours before you anchor on a number.
Here's the math on a $500,000 home: $500,000 × 2.76% = about $14,400 in listing commission at the current 2.88% survey average.
For that fee, a Berkshire Hathaway realtor's services typically include:
- Determining a list price
- Arranging professional photography
- Listing and marketing the home
- Scheduling showings and open houses
- Guiding you through the appraisal and inspection
- Negotiating offers with buyers
- Completing all necessary paperwork
"It is the realtor/broker who assumes risk in the transaction for the ... seller, and the agent needs to be compensated for their time, knowledge, and experience," says Mike Zschunke, a Berkshire Hathaway associate broker in Arizona.
If the standard rate feels steep, it's not set in stone. Knowing how to negotiate realtor commission before you sign can save you thousands.
Berkshire Hathaway commission rates for buyers
Berkshire Hathaway fees for buyers are also negotiable and vary by office. Nationally, the average buyer's agent fee is 2.70%.
Traditionally, the seller paid the buyer's agent commission and advertised the rate in the home listing. The 2024 NAR settlement changed that.[5] Since the practice changes took effect on August 17, 2024, buyers negotiate the fee directly with their agent and must agree to it in writing before touring homes, and offers of compensation no longer appear on the MLS.[6]
Sellers still typically cover the buyer's agent fee, though — negotiated in the offer rather than advertised in the listing. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac continue to treat seller-paid buyer's-agent compensation as customary, and outside their limits on seller concessions.[7] Buyer's-agent rates are back to pre-settlement levels too, averaging 2.42% nationally in the third quarter of 2025.[8] The paperwork changed; the economics mostly haven't.
Zschunke tells sellers to expect it. "I let (the seller) know upfront that they will most likely be asked to pay buyer agent fees and to be ready for it, but let's make them ask for it," he says. "I personally have not seen any change in overall compensation. Just the fact that we are required to have more documentation stating that the conversation took place."
For their fee, a buyer's agent typically handles:
- Finding properties that match your criteria and budget
- Booking showings and touring homes with you
- Helping you determine a home's fair market value
- Negotiating with the seller and their agent
- Attending the inspection and final walk-through
- Coordinating the closing process
Average commission calculator
Commission is usually a home seller's single largest expense — often tens of thousands of dollars. Our real estate commission calculator estimates what you'll pay: enter your sale price, state, listing commission, and the buyer's agent commission (if you decide to cover it).
Total realtor fees
When you find your agent through Clever, your listing commission is just 1.5% instead of the average 2.76%.
Methodology note: calculator defaults come from Clever's commission survey of 434 agents, as of August 2026. Every rate field is editable — averages are starting points, not quotes.
Does Berkshire Hathaway's luxury brand change what you pay?
No — the luxury brand doesn't come with a luxury rate. Berkshire Hathaway is a franchise network, so there's no brand-level rate that could be higher: every independently owned office negotiates its own, in line with the national averages above. The name on the sign never sets your price.
What the brand does buy is marketing muscle: national advertising, a global referral network, and name recognition that carries weight with buyers at high price points. If you're selling a $1.5 million home, that exposure can genuinely matter.
You often have more negotiating room on a luxury listing, not less. A 3% listing fee on a $1 million sale is $30,000 — at dollar figures that size, many agents will accept a lower percentage because their absolute payout is still substantial.
The honest caveat: the brand doesn't guarantee the agent. A mediocre agent with a premium sign is still a mediocre agent. Vet the individual — our guide on how to find a real estate agent shows you what to check — before you pay full freight for the name.
Are there other fees — and what about the commission settlement?
In most cases, the commission is the only brokerage fee you'll pay Berkshire Hathaway. Check with your local office to confirm nothing else is added.
Aside from brokerage fees, you'll still owe standard seller closing costs in your market, such as title fees, transfer taxes, and recording charges.
One legal footnote worth knowing: in April 2024, HomeServices of America — the Berkshire Hathaway affiliate whose subsidiary HSF Affiliates LLC operates the BHHS franchise network — agreed to pay $250 million to settle the class-action lawsuits over real estate commissions.[9] The court granted final approval on November 27, 2024, and the Eighth Circuit affirmed it on August 19, 2026, so the settlement is now final and no longer on appeal.[10] It didn't create BHHS-specific rules for consumers — the practical changes are the industry-wide NAR practice changes covered above: written buyer agreements and no compensation offers on the MLS.
How to get lower Berkshire Hathaway commission rates
You have two reliable paths to a lower rate: ask for one, or start with an agent who's already agreed to one.
Negotiate directly with your agent
Berkshire Hathaway commission is negotiable, so raise it before you sign the listing agreement. Even a 0.5% reduction saves $2,500 on a $500,000 home.
Sellers who ask usually get something. In Clever's July 2026 survey of 500 recent home sellers, just 33% of those who used an agent tried to negotiate a lower rate — and 93% of the ones who asked got a reduction.[11] The problem isn't that agents say no. It's that most sellers never ask.
Your odds improve if you know local rates (so you can aim for a realistic number), understand your leverage (a desirable home in a hot market is easier money for the agent), compare several agents to see who's flexible, or offer the same agent both your sale and your next purchase.
Find a low-commission agent
Some Berkshire Hathaway agents have already agreed to lower rates. Through a partnership with Clever Real Estate, these agents charge a 1.5% listing fee instead of the standard 3%. On a $500,000 home, that cuts the listing commission in half, from $15,000 to $7,500.
Saving on commission doesn't mean compromising on service — these agents offer the same full service at a precommitted lower rate. If maximum savings is the goal, see which real estate company has the lowest commission.
» SAVE: Find full-service agents at reduced commission rates
Berkshire Hathaway commission split for agents
There's no single Berkshire Hathaway commission split — and no published one, either. Each franchise office sets its own, and the BHHS franchise agreement leaves agent compensation entirely to the independently owned brokerage; the franchisor neither sets splits nor discloses them. Recruiting sites and agent-review aggregators circulate ranges, but none of them cite a document, and we couldn't verify any of them against one. Treat whatever a recruiter quotes as that one office's number, and get it in writing before you sign.
What is documented is the royalty. Before any split, the brokerage owes a franchise royalty to BHH Affiliates, LLC. Under the BHHS franchise agreement filed with the SEC, it's a declining scale — 6.00% of gross revenues on the first $1.65 million, stepping down to 2.00% above $100 million — plus a marketing fee that starts at 1.00% with a $500 monthly minimum. For most offices that's a combined 7% off the top. The agreement calculates it on gross revenues “without deducting … commissions, salaries, overrides or bonuses payable to its salespersons” — in other words, before agents are paid.[12]
Here's how that works on a $10,000 commission: a combined 7% royalty and marketing fee takes $700 off the top, leaving $9,300 for the office and the agent to divide. What share reaches you — and whether your office passes the royalty through to agents at all — is an office-by-office decision.
Estimate your take-home commission
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices publishes no split. Every office is independently owned and sets its own split, cap, and fees — these ratios are illustrations, not the brand's terms. Replace them with your office's own numbers, and set the cap to 0 if it has none.
Your next deal
- Gross commission
- $15,000
- Franchise royalty + marketing fee 7% of GCI
- −$1,050
- Brokerage split 40% of GCI after the franchise royalty + marketing fee
- −$5,580
- Transaction fee
- −$0
After you cap
- Gross commission
- $15,000
- Franchise royalty + marketing fee 7% of GCI
- −$1,050
- Brokerage split 40% of GCI after the franchise royalty + marketing fee
- −$5,580
- Transaction fee
- −$0
At 10 deals a year
- −$10,500 Franchise royalty + marketing fee
- −$55,800 Brokerage share
- −$0 Transaction fees
- −$0 Monthly fees $0/mo × 12
Rates as of August 2026 BHHS franchise agreement (SEC Exhibit 10.25)
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices publishes no split, cap, or fee schedule, and no third-party figure for one could be verified — enter your own office's numbers before reading anything into the result. What is documented is the franchise royalty: under the BHHS franchise agreement filed with the SEC, 6.00% of gross revenues at the entry tier plus a 1.00% marketing fee, charged before agents are paid. Whether your office passes that through to you is an office-by-office decision.
Estimates for illustration. Actual splits and fees vary by office and agreement.
Why split at all? Agents must work under a broker unless they hold their own broker license — and the brokerage provides marketing materials, tech tools, sales resources, and often office space in return.
If you'd rather be judged on lead flow than split percentage, you can also join Clever's Partner Network — qualified client referrals with no upfront cost.
Berkshire Hathaway fees for agents
Beyond the split and royalty, Berkshire Hathaway agents pay recurring office fees. Offices set their own schedules and BHHS publishes none, so confirm yours in writing before you sign.
- Per-transaction fees. Common at franchised brokerages, charged per side or per closing. BHHS publishes no schedule, and we found no credible third-party figure — ask your office for its number.
- Technology and desk fees. AgentAdvice lists a $108.71 fee on its BHHS brokerage profile, though the page doesn't say whether that's monthly or per transaction.[13]
- E&O insurance. Errors-and-omissions coverage is commonly billed per transaction or monthly, at the office's rate.
- Marketing-fund contributions. Some offices require contributions to local or national advertising funds.
"Varies by office" is the honest through-line, so ask your specific office:
- What's my exact split, and what production levels move it?
- Is there a cap, and what counts toward it?
- Which fees am I charged monthly vs. per transaction — and is the royalty calculated on gross commission?
- What do I actually get for the fees — leads, mentorship, desk space, or just the sign?
Bottom line
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices is a good brokerage for agents who'll actually use the brand — and a middling one for agents chasing the best split. Agents rate it 3.85 out of 5 across 34 reviews on AgentAdvice, though that's a thin sample and most of it dates to 2022.[14]
Reviewers praise the brand name, national marketing, strong training, and the REsource Center marketing platform. They knock the below-average starting splits, inconsistent lead flow, and mentorship that varies office to office — several new agents report promised mentorship that never materialized.
If you work luxury or high-trust markets where the name opens doors, the split trade-off can pay for itself. If you're a self-directed agent who generates your own leads, a cap-model or high-split brokerage likely nets you more.
For sellers and buyers, the verdict is simpler. BHHS delivers strong marketing and a trusted name at standard, negotiable rates — the brokerage name doesn't set your price. The agent you choose and the deal you negotiate do.
FAQ about Berkshire Hathaway commission
It depends on their commission rate, split, and market. BHHS pays no salary and publishes no company-wide split — each office sets its own, so the only reliable number is the one your office puts in writing. What is documented is the franchise royalty the brokerage owes: 6% of gross revenues at the entry tier plus a 1% marketing fee, taken off the top before agents are paid. On a $10,000 commission, that's $700 gone before anyone splits anything.[1]
No — Berkshire Hathaway agents are paid entirely on commission. The brand runs a dedicated luxury program (its Luxury Collection and Prestige magazine), so commission per sale can run larger at offices working that market, but income is less predictable than a salary. New agents should budget for office fees that start before the first closing.
It's a mixed fit. The training and brand are genuine advantages — reviewers consistently call the training a highlight. But reviewers also knock the starting splits, and BHHS publishes no split schedule you can compare before you walk into an interview. Luxury real estate is also a hard place to learn. Ask the specific office about mentorship and about its exact split before signing; reviewer complaints cluster there.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices has approximately 40,000 real estate professionals in more than 1,300 offices spanning North America, the Caribbean, Europe, and the Middle East, and the network closed more than $128.5 billion in real estate sales in 2025.[2][3]
Not exactly. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices is a real estate franchise network operated by HSF Affiliates LLC, a subsidiary of HomeServices of America — a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate — and your local office is independently owned. And if you searched “Berkshire Hathaway split” looking for the stock: Class A shares have never split, and Class B shares split 50-for-1 effective January 21, 2010.[4] This page covers real estate commission splits.