Real estate commissions are fully negotiable. There is no standard, no set rate, no industry-mandated figure — and any agent who tells you otherwise is either misinformed or hoping you are. Every fee in this business is a private agreement between principals, put in writing, and defended in the open.
Compensation can be paid by the buyer, by the seller, or shared between them — and the structure is decided before we begin, in your Buyer Representation Agreement. In many transactions we structure buyer-side compensation against a seller or builder concession so it never touches your out-of-pocket funds at the table. In others, we engage directly. The right answer depends on the property, the market, and the leverage available on the day we write the offer.
In thirty-five years of practice I have written every configuration of this arrangement — full-seller-paid, split, buyer-paid with a rebate structure, hourly consulting, flat fee. What has never varied is the discipline: the number is agreed to in writing, in advance, in plain language, before a single showing.
Fully Negotiable
There is no fixed commission rate. Every fee is a private agreement — negotiated in writing before we begin.
Buyer, Seller, or Both
Commission may be paid by the buyer, the seller, or shared between them. Structure follows leverage.
Buyer Representation Agreement
The written compact that names the fee, the term, and the geography. Required under current Virginia MLS rules before touring.
Seller & Builder Concessions
Often used to absorb some or all of buyer-side compensation without changing your monthly payment.
No Surprises at Closing
The exact figure appears on the Closing Disclosure — matching, to the dollar, what we signed at the start.
- Fully Negotiable
There is no fixed commission rate. Every fee is a private agreement — negotiated in writing before we begin.
- Buyer, Seller, or Both
Commission may be paid by the buyer, the seller, or shared between them. Structure follows leverage.
- Buyer Representation Agreement
The written compact that names the fee, the term, and the geography. Required under current Virginia MLS rules before touring.
- Seller & Builder Concessions
Often used to absorb some or all of buyer-side compensation without changing your monthly payment.
- No Surprises at Closing
The exact figure appears on the Closing Disclosure — matching, to the dollar, what we signed at the start.