What Changed — August 17, 2024 NAR Settlement
| Before Aug 17, 2024 | After Aug 17, 2024 |
|---|---|
| Buyer-agent compensation listed in MLS, usually seller-paid by default | Buyer-agent compensation removed from MLS entirely |
| No written agreement required before touring homes | Buyer must sign a written buyer-agency agreement first |
| Seller "assumed" to cover ~5-6% total commission | Seller coverage now optional, negotiated case-by-case |
Roughly 35% of sellers (Clever Real Estate survey, 2026) still choose to cover some or all of the buyer's agent fee as a negotiating concession — it's no longer the automatic default it used to be.
This Is a Quick Directional Check — Want the Full Picture?
This checker gives you a fast estimate of the buyer-agent fee under each coverage scenario. It doesn't handle listing-agent commission, agent-broker splits, net seller proceeds, or closing costs — that needs a full calculator built around the same 3-mode toggle (Yes / No / Concession %).
Five situations where the fuller breakdown matters:
- Selling and estimating your net proceeds: total commission (listing + buyer-agent, if covered) is only one deduction — mortgage payoff and closing costs matter too.
- Buying and negotiating a concession: model exactly how a 1%, 2%, or 3% seller concession changes what you'd owe your own agent out of pocket.
- Comparing offers on the same listing: see how commission structure shifts your effective net price under different buyer-agent-coverage terms.
- Checking average commission rates by state: rates vary — a national flat estimate misses real regional differences.
- Splitting commission with your brokerage: agents can model their own take-home after a broker split, not just the gross commission.
The Real Estate Commission Calculator at CommissionCalcPro builds all of this around the same buyer-agent-coverage toggle used above — plus net proceeds, closing costs, commission splits, and state-by-state commission ranges with sourced data (not a single made-up "average").
Open Real Estate Commission Calculator →How to Check Who Owes What — Step by Step
1. Know your sale price
The buyer-agent fee is calculated as a percentage of the home's sale price — typically in the 2.5%-3% range per side, though this varies by market and is now fully negotiable.
2. Pick the real coverage scenario
Ask directly: is the seller covering the buyer's agent in full, not at all, or as a partial concession negotiated into the offer? This is now a specific written agreement, not an MLS default.
3. Read the breakdown
The checker shows the estimated buyer-agent fee and exactly who — seller, buyer, or a split — is responsible for it under your selected scenario.
How This Checker Works — Formulas & Method
Source: NAR settlement FAQ (effective Aug 17, 2024) · Clever Real Estate survey (2026, n=533) · Deterministic calculation — no AI, no estimation
Assumption Used
| Constant | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Typical buyer-agent fee | 2.75% of sale price | Midpoint of Clever/FastExpert survey ranges — directional only |
| MLS compensation display | Removed nationally | NAR settlement, effective Aug 17, 2024 |
Checker Formulas
buyer_agent_fee = sale_price × 2.75%
— Seller coverage by mode —
seller_covers = buyer_agent_fee mode = Yes
seller_covers = 0 mode = No
seller_covers = sale_price × concession_pct mode = Concession
This is a directional estimate using a typical fee percentage — actual buyer-agent fees are individually negotiated and vary by market. For listing-agent commission, splits, net proceeds, and sourced state-by-state ranges, use commissioncalcpro.com.
Transparency & Methodology
Methodology & Sources
Rule change is public record from the NAR settlement (effective Aug 17, 2024). Fee estimate uses a directional midpoint from published survey data — not an authoritative single figure. See the full calculator at commissioncalcpro.com for sourced state ranges.
Not Legal or Financial Advice
This tool provides information only. Buyer-agent fees are individually negotiated — confirm terms in your own written buyer-agency agreement or with a licensed real estate professional.
Open Source
Formulas and calculation code are public. Inspect on GitHub.