What’s the Average Massachusetts Real Estate Commission Rate?

Does the agent get to keep the full commission?

Although the seller pays the entire commission, the listing agent, who is representing the seller in a transaction, doesn’t keep it all. Part of their commission will go toward marketing your property with professional photography, open houses, offline marketing, and more.

The commission is also typically split 50/50 with the buyer’s agent to compensate them for bringing a buyer to the sale and coordinating the buy-side of the transaction. So, around 3% goes to the listing agent, and the other 3% goes to the buyer’s agent.

Both the listing agent and the buyer’s agent will then share a percentage of their commission with their sponsoring broker.

These split rates can vary; however, it’s common for the listing agent to give their broker anywhere from 30%-50% of their commission, depending on the agent’s level of experience, their market size, and brokerage agreement. Liriano says that, in Massachusetts, listing agents often make between 3%-4% commission, leaving another 2% for buyers agents, for a total of 5%-6%.

The reason for the difference between the listing and buyer’s agent commissions? Liriano notes that many properties in Boston and the North Shore of the state are multi-family homes, so an agent will likely be doing additional staging and marketing work. Other parts of the state where single-family homes are more prevalent may see more even commission splits. Liriano sees both in the neighborhoods he serves.

“We have a good niche here on multi-families and single-family homes in our residential areas,” he says.

How is the commission divided between agents?

The commission that’s paid by the seller will typically be split among each agent and the brokerages through which they hang their real estate license. Let’s say you sell your Massachusetts home for $400,000 with a 6% commission rate. You pay a commission of $24,000, and each agent has a 70/30 split agreement with their brokerage. Here’s how that split on a single-family home might look:

• Listing agent: $8,400 (70% of their $12,000 commission share)
• Listing broker: $3,600 (30% of their $12,000 commission share)
• Buyer’s agent: $8,400 (70% of their $12,0000 commission share)
• Buyer’s broker: $3,600 (30% of their $12,000 commission share)

Are Massachusetts commission rates negotiable?

You can negotiate real estate agent commission rates, but don’t be surprised if your agent holds firm on how much they charge. A Consumer Federation of America report found that only 27% of agents are willing to negotiate the commission.

One reason agents often don’t lower their rate is that it may reduce their ability to negotiate a higher sale price for the seller. An agent’s services often include photography and pricing analysis, so a lower commission could also translate into a smaller marketing budget for your property, an inaccurate list price, fewer home promotions, and a lower likelihood of selling.

Liriano likes to explain to his clients how real estate agent commissions work up front. That way, they understand how the fee is calculated and how it is being used.

“People need to understand how the commission is calculated, because the more clear we have that part, the better the relationship will be,” he says. “I’ve been in transactions where we agree on listing this property for $900,000. And then [we] ended up selling for like $1.3 million. So, the commission that was calculated at the beginning is not the same.”

Overall, commissions in Massachusetts are negotiable but do your research first. When asking an agent to lower their pay, you’re limiting the pool of agents willing to work with you. And the downsides to working with a low-commission agent can be steep. Without a top Massachusetts-based agent in your corner, you could dramatically undersell your home, have a rough selling experience, or fail to sell the home at all.

“There are agents that sell themselves short on charging commissions,” Liriano says.

What is included in a real estate agent’s commission?

A full-service real estate agent in Massachusetts will provide a high level of offerings that go toward giving you a great selling experience and boosting exposure to your home.

An agent’s services fall into a few main categories:

Guidance on pre-sale improvements

Agents see a lot of houses in their Massachusetts markets. They will have an eye for the small but impactful improvements you could make to help it sell for more. The best agents will go above and beyond to help their clients get the job done.

Pricing strategy

An agent will put together a comparative market analysis in the form of a thick packet featuring charts, facts, figures, and photographs of houses. The analysis will show you what your home is worth based on comparable sales in the neighborhood, market trends, and local price per square foot. This key tool helps you set a realistic price that can attract offers right off the bat in a fraction of the time it would take a non-professional to determine.

Liriano has helped his sellers adapt to rising interest rates, which might be limiting buyers’ spending power. He’s been able to point out when homes might be overpriced and risk falling short of an appraisal.

“The prices are not going down, but the buying power is going down,” he says. “If you are overpriced, you need to bring that price down.”

Marketing services

As part of their commission, at a minimum, Massachusetts agents should offer expert home prep and staging, professional photography, marketing flyers and pamphlets, direct mail, automatic postings of your listing on major home search sites, local advertisements, exclusive previews for other brokers, and open house coordination. Advanced agents may also offer the development of a virtual tour.

“You will not be able to do a good job if you don’t have a good commission because you will not have a good amount of money for marketing,” Liriano says.

Offer management and negotiations

When you receive one or multiple offers, an agent will help you determine the strength of the offer and work with you to proceed with responding to buyers. They’ll advise on whether to accept, reject, or make a counteroffer while putting together offer spreadsheets to identify the best offer in bidding war situations.

If a buyer requests repairs after the inspection, an agent will help you push back where appropriate and advise on when to concede. Should the appraised value be lower than the contract price, an agent can help you determine whether to ask the buyer to make up the difference or if you should lower your price.

Market knowledge and neighborhood expertise

Great Massachusetts real estate agents know what local buyers seek in homes and which of your home’s attributes to highlight. An agent will skillfully incorporate key features into your home’s listing description and immediately be able to recognize what makes your house or the surrounding area special.

Timing, too, is key for Massachusetts-based sellers. Liriano points out that the real estate market in the state is heavily seasonal, with buyers searching for homes mostly in the spring and summer. The market slows down in July, when many people go on vacation, and again in November around the winter holidays. Listing your home at the right time can help it sell quickly and attract more offers. “The market has its cycles,” Liriano says.

To find the best month to list your Massachusetts house for the highest price and the fastest sale, enter your city in our free online Best Time To Sell calculator.

What is a fair real estate commission in Massachusetts?

As noted above, the average commission rate in most Massachusetts markets is between 5%-6% to hire a full-service real estate agent. This rate should mean you have an agent who is dedicated to selling your home for the best possible price, who is available and communicative, and who is willing to shepherd the transaction from start to finish. If an agent isn’t willing to offer all or the majority of services listed above, you should interview more candidates.

What if my Massachusetts house doesn’t sell?

Real estate agents only get paid commissions if and when your home sells successfully. Most real estate contracts include an exclusive right to sell, which gives the real estate agent the sole rights to market the property, list the property on MLS, and receive the commission if the sale closes in a determined time frame. If your house remains on the market beyond the time period outlined in the listing agreement, you are not obligated to pay your agent.

However, keep in mind that your listing agreement may contain a protection clause, also known as a “brokerage protection clause,” “safety clause,” “extension clause,” or “tail provision.” The protection clause states that if a buyer who the listing agent introduced to the property purchases the property after the listing agreement expires, the seller still must pay the agent a commission.

How can you avoid paying Realtor fees?

There are two main ways to avoid paying Realtor® fees. You can either sell your Massachusetts home without an agent’s help, or sell it directly to a cash buyer without ever going on the market.

For Sale By Owner

Without a real estate agent, you’re responsible for preparing your home for sale, marketing, negotiating, and navigating legal and financial documents. When selling a house on your own, you’ll need to hire an attorney, at a minimum, to make sure the paperwork is right.

Typically, For Sale By Owner (FSBO) makes the most sense if you already have a buyer. As of 2022, 50% of FSBO sellers knew their buyer.

This indicates that while the FSBO route is rare, making up just 10% of sellers, it’s even more rare to forgo a real estate agent’s help when you don’t already have a buyer lined up and ready to go. In addition, according to a 2022 National Association of Realtors report, the median FSBO house sold for $225,000, compared to a median of $345,000 for agent-assisted sales. That’s a significant loss of proceeds in an effort to save 5.5% on commissions.

Sell to a cash buyer

Cash buyers — including iBuyers, investors, and house-buying companies — are individuals or entities that purchase your home outright, without the need for lender financing. These buyers typically make off-market purchases and can provide speed and convenience to sellers.

Just be aware that the price offered by most cash buyers may not match what you could receive on the open market with the help of a top agent.

If you’re interested in a cash sale, you can receive a no-obligation offer through HomeLight’s Simple Sale platform, with no hidden fees or agent commission. Simple Sale connects you to the largest network of cash buyers in the U.S.

Now you know how Massachusetts agent commissions work

Sellers pay real estate commissions in exchange for an agent’s expertise and services throughout the sale process. If you’re worried about the cost of the commission, consider that targeted upgrades, stellar marketing, and savvy negotiations can help you maximize your sale price. With a performance-proven Massachusetts agent to guide you, you also avoid the stress of navigating this complex process without professional oversight.

“People want to know the bottom line: how much you charge,” Liriano says. “I make sure that I let them know what it is that we charge for that specific type of property in that situation that we are with them.”

The key is finding a quality agent who provides the highest amount of value for their commission fee. In fact, our transaction data shows that the top 5% of agents in Massachusetts sell homes for as much as 10% more than the average agent.

HomeLight can connect you with top Massachusetts agents with experience tailored to your needs. Whenever you’re ready to get started, HomeLight would be happy to put your commission worries to rest by introducing you to several agents in your area who are well worth it.

Writer McCoy Worthington contributed to this story.

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