Coldwell Banker doesn't set a company-wide commission rate. Each agent sets their own, and most charge about the market average, which is 2.76% for the listing agent and 2.70% for the buyer's agent, or 5.46% total.[1] The rate is negotiable, and sellers still typically pay both sides of the commission even after the 2024 NAR settlement rule changes.
You don't have to pay average realtor fees, though. Clever Real Estate negotiates a 1.5% listing fee with top local agents — including agents at major brands like Coldwell Banker — so you get full service for about half the typical listing cost.
» SAVE: Find the top 1.5% agents in your area
Coldwell Banker commission rate for sellers
Most listing agents, including those at Coldwell Banker, typically charge about 2.76% of your home's final sale price.
There's no official Coldwell Banker rate card. Each office is independently owned and operated, and each agent proposes their own fee — the number in your listing agreement is what matters.
Rates run higher or lower depending on your market, your price point, and the service you're asking for. Agents in competitive metros often charge less, and expensive homes leave more room to negotiate because the agent's cut can be sizable even at a lower rate.
That fee covers the full listing job: pricing the home, professional photography, marketing, showings and open houses, negotiating with buyers, and moving the paperwork through closing.
Every state average in the table comes from Clever's survey of 434 agents nationwide, last updated August 2026.
| State | Avg. listing fee |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 2.81% |
| Alaska | 2.67% |
| Arizona | 2.88% |
| Arkansas | 2.81% |
| California | 2.57% |
| Colorado | 2.78% |
| Connecticut | 2.59% |
| Delaware | 2.81% |
| Florida | 2.64% |
| Georgia | 2.89% |
| Hawaii | 2.67% |
| Idaho | 2.78% |
| Illinois | 2.41% |
| Indiana | 2.85% |
| Iowa | 2.87% |
| Kansas | 2.87% |
| Kentucky | 2.81% |
| Louisiana | 2.81% |
| Maine | 2.59% |
| Maryland | 2.94% |
| Massachusetts | 2.59% |
| Michigan | 2.82% |
| Minnesota | 3.03% |
| Mississippi | 2.81% |
| Missouri | 2.87% |
| Montana | 2.78% |
| Nebraska | 2.87% |
| Nevada | 2.78% |
| New Hampshire | 2.59% |
| New Jersey | 2.61% |
| New Mexico | 2.77% |
| New York | 2.41% |
| North Carolina | 2.79% |
| North Dakota | 2.87% |
| Ohio | 3.00% |
| Oklahoma | 2.77% |
| Oregon | 2.67% |
| Pennsylvania | 2.88% |
| Rhode Island | 2.59% |
| South Carolina | 2.81% |
| South Dakota | 2.87% |
| Tennessee | 2.81% |
| Texas | 2.75% |
| Utah | 2.78% |
| Vermont | 2.59% |
| Virginia | 3.08% |
| Washington | 2.67% |
| Washington, D.C. | 2.72% |
| West Virginia | 2.81% |
| Wisconsin | 2.87% |
| Wyoming | 2.78% |
| National average | 2.76% |
Coldwell Banker commission rate for buyers
Coldwell Banker buyer's agents charge about 2.70% on average. Just like listing fees, the exact rate varies by office and is negotiable.
Since the NAR settlement's practice changes took effect on August 17, 2024, buyers agree to their agent's fee in writing before touring homes.[2] Even so, sellers still typically cover the buyer's agent fee. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac continue to treat seller-paid buyer's-agent compensation as customary, and outside their limits on seller concessions.[3] Buyer's-agent rates have also returned to pre-settlement levels — 2.42% nationally in the third quarter of 2025, per Redfin.[4]
“In my buyer transactions since the NAR settlement, the seller has paid for most or all of my buyer-broker fees as part of the contract agreement,” says Jo Ann Bauer, a Coldwell Banker Realty broker in Scottsdale, Arizona.[5]
A buyer's agent earns that fee by finding homes, booking showings, advising you on what a house is worth, negotiating offers, and coordinating the inspection, final walk-through, and closing. See below for the average buyer's agent commission in your state, according to Clever's survey of 434 agents nationwide, last updated August 2026.
State
Avg. buyer's agent fee
Alabama
2.78%
Alaska
2.55%
Arizona
2.83%
Arkansas
2.78%
California
2.51%
Colorado
2.69%
Connecticut
2.44%
Delaware
2.78%
Florida
2.64%
Georgia
2.85%
Hawaii
2.55%
Idaho
2.69%
Illinois
2.49%
Indiana
2.72%
Iowa
2.74%
Kansas
2.74%
Kentucky
2.78%
Louisiana
2.78%
Maine
2.44%
Maryland
2.75%
Massachusetts
2.44%
Michigan
3.09%
Minnesota
2.70%
Mississippi
2.78%
Missouri
2.74%
Montana
2.69%
Nebraska
2.74%
Nevada
2.69%
New Hampshire
2.44%
New Jersey
2.46%
New Mexico
2.85%
New York
2.21%
North Carolina
2.81%
North Dakota
2.74%
Ohio
2.65%
Oklahoma
2.85%
Oregon
2.55%
Pennsylvania
2.83%
Rhode Island
2.44%
South Carolina
2.78%
South Dakota
2.74%
Tennessee
2.78%
Texas
2.87%
Utah
2.69%
Vermont
2.44%
Virginia
2.92%
Washington
2.55%
Washington, D.C.
2.63%
West Virginia
2.78%
Wisconsin
2.74%
Wyoming
2.69%
National average
2.70%
Who pays the commission — and is it negotiable?
The seller usually pays the full commission. Both agents' fees come out of your sale proceeds at closing, and all of it is negotiable — as long as you negotiate before you sign a listing agreement.
Nothing at Coldwell Banker is fixed company-wide. Even the share each agent keeps is a negotiated number. “That split could be different depending on a variety of factors: years of experience, sales volume, and the rate negotiated between the brokerage and the agent,” Bauer says. If your agent's own deal with the brokerage is up for negotiation, your rate is, too.
You have more leverage than you might think. A few things make agents flexible when you negotiate realtor commission:
- Competition. Interview two or three agents and let each one know you're comparing rates as well as marketing plans.
- A higher price point. On a $700,000 home, a half-point discount still leaves the agent a strong payday, so they're likelier to say yes.
- A double deal. Agents often trim their rate if you're selling your current home and buying the next one with them.
Average commission calculator
Realtor fees are typically the largest expense for home sellers. Our real estate commission calculator can help you estimate what you’ll pay. It considers your home sale price, your state, your listing agent’s 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%.
Are there Coldwell Banker fees besides the commission?
Commission is usually the only fee you'll pay a Coldwell Banker brokerage to sell your house. But every office sets its own terms, and some add an administrative or transaction charge on top. Coldwell Banker publishes no fee schedule and no credible source states an amount, so the only reliable way to find out is to ask your agent directly.
Although “it is possible that a brokerage may charge an additional fee,” Bauer says, “a seller should ask their agent if there are any fees outside of the commission they have agreed to.” Get every charge in writing before you sign — an office with nothing to hide won't hesitate to list them.
Brokerage fees aren't the same as closing costs. You'll still owe the standard seller costs in your market — title fees, transfer taxes, and recording charges — no matter which brokerage lists your home. Those go to third parties, not to Coldwell Banker.
How to pay less than the standard Coldwell Banker rate
There are two ways to pay less: negotiate the rate yourself, or start with an agent who's already agreed to a lower one.
Negotiate directly with an agent
The Coldwell Banker commission rate is negotiable, so raise it before you sign — not after. Even a small cut matters: a 0.5% drop saves $2,500 on a $500,000 sale.
Research your state's average commission rates, interview more than one agent, and ask each what they'd charge to win your listing. If you're buying your next home at the same time, say so — a double transaction is often worth a discount.
Find a low-commission agent
Some Coldwell Banker agents have already agreed to lower commission rates. In a partnership with Clever Real Estate, these agents charge only 1.5% versus the standard ~3%. On a $500,000 home, that cuts the commission in half, from $15,000 to $7,500.
These are full-service agents, offering the same marketing, pricing, and negotiation you'd get at the standard rate. If you want to weigh Clever against other options, compare the best low commission real estate companies before you choose.
- Answer 5 simple questions about your sale
- Get matched with 2 to 3 top local agents in minutes
- Choose the best fit and save up to 50% on listing fees
How Coldwell Banker pays its agents
Your agent's split with Coldwell Banker doesn't change what you pay — but it explains where your commission goes. Each office sets its own schedule; the published ones start agents between 60/40 and 70/30 and rise to 90/10 with production.
On top of the split, offices commonly charge agents a 6% franchise fee on gross commission, and many charge about $110 a month in office fees. That 6% is the office's own line item — what the franchisor collects is a declining royalty of 5.5% down to 3% on the brokerage's annual revenue, plus a 0.5% marketing fund.[6] All of it comes out of the agent's side, not yours.
For the full tier schedule, caps, and fee math, see our guide to the Coldwell Banker commission split for agents.
Frequently asked questions
Coldwell Banker itself doesn't take a percentage from sellers — you pay your agents, at a national average of 5.46% total (2.76% listing + 2.70% buyer's agent), per Clever's survey (updated August 2026).[1] The brand's cut — the franchise royalty plus a share of the agent's Coldwell Banker commission split — comes out of the agent's share, not on top of your bill.
Yes — every Coldwell Banker commission is negotiable until you sign the listing agreement. Your leverage is highest when agents are competing for your listing, when your home is expensive or easy to sell, or when you're buying and selling with the same agent. After you sign, the agreed rate governs.
Usually not — commission is normally the only brokerage charge. Some offices add an administrative fee, and Coldwell Banker publishes no schedule for it, so ask for every fee in writing before you sign. Standard closing costs like title and transfer taxes apply either way; they go to third parties, not Coldwell Banker.
No. The national average total commission is 5.46%, according to Clever's survey of 434 agents (updated August 2026), and it has sat below 6% for years. Treat 6% as a ceiling from an older era, not a standard — many sellers pay less, and a 1.5% listing fee cuts the listing side roughly in half.
