{"id":2024,"date":"2026-05-22T02:00:07","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T09:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=2024"},"modified":"2026-05-22T17:04:38","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T00:04:38","slug":"how-much-do-real-estate-agents-make","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/how-much-do-real-estate-agents-make\/","title":{"rendered":"How Much Do Real Estate Agents Make On A Home Sale?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you put your house on the market, one question might be on your mind: how much do real estate agents make? For decades, agents earned their pay through commissions<\/a>, usually 5% to 6% of the home\u2019s sale price, and sellers typically footed the bill. But the rules of the game are changing. Changes in real estate commission guidelines that are reshaping what sellers pay and what agents take home.<\/p>\n

In this post, we\u2019ll answer the question, \u201cHow much do real estate agents make?\u201d and review the factors that influence their earnings.<\/p>\n

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How real estate agents are paid<\/h2>\n

Real estate agents predominantly earn their income through commissions, a percentage of the home’s sale price. Historically, when a property was sold, the 5%-6% commission paid by the seller was typically split between the listing agent<\/a> and the buyer’s agent<\/a>. From there, a portion was given to their respective brokerages.<\/p>\n

On August 17, 2024, a landmark lawsuit settlement by the National Association of Realtors (<\/span>NAR<\/span>)<\/span><\/a> changed how Realtor fees are handled. These changes \u201cdecoupled\u201d seller and buyer agent compensations, giving buyers the ability to negotiate commission amounts<\/a> directly with their agent.<\/p>\n

While commissions remain the standard, who pays and how the fees are divided have evolved. (More on this in the next section.) Depending on who you hire, some agents might charge a flat fee<\/a> or work for a salary, particularly in certain discount brokerages<\/a> or specialized real estate firms. Nevertheless, the commission-based model is the most common, as it ties an agent’s compensation directly to their performance and the property’s final sale price.<\/p>\n

According to the most recent salary statistics from the NAR<\/a>, here is a breakdown of what real estate agents make annually:<\/p>\n