"John R Weiss" wrote in message
news:FaKtc.5497$4A6.30@attbi_s52...
"rosie" wrote...

:................. For reference, though, be aware that
: a real estate agent normally gets about 1.5% of the selling price
: (double that if [s]he sells hir own listing).


WHAT?
the realtors around here (southern wisconsin) get a lot more than
that!

Nope. I am aware that in some areas commissions are higher or lower than
the norm. However:

A normal commission is 6%. Of that,

1/4 goes to the listing agent's company
1/4 goes to the selling agent's company
1/4 goes to the listing agent
1/4 goes to the selling agent

So, the selling agent gets 1.5%.

First, your split assumptions are wrong for most agents. The typical agent
will net roughly 2% per half on a 6% commission. The more experienced and
successful the agent, the higher that number goes with the highest hitting
somewhere between 2.4 and 2.5%. Only the newest and least experienced agents
who aren't smart enough to find a good broker are netting no less than 1.4%
but if dealing with a FSBO, that's the last person you want working for you.

But that's all moot, you cannot hire an agent directly -- it just so happens
to be illegal -- so there is no point in worrying about what the split is.
You hire a broker and the typical deal is 6%.

In the current seller's market there may be some discounting on listing
commissions but absolutely no incentive to discount a buyer's agency
commission. In fact, I could justify going higher than 3% especially when
the target property is a FSBO! They are notoriously pains in the ass and the
reality is that the buyer's agent will have to do much of what a seller's
agent would do since the seller has no agent.