{"id":62825,"date":"2025-09-24T11:30:13","date_gmt":"2025-09-24T18:30:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=62825"},"modified":"2026-03-30T14:20:38","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T21:20:38","slug":"who-pays-realtor-fees-in-new-york","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/who-pays-realtor-fees-in-new-york\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Pays Realtor Fees in New York?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re planning to sell a house in the Empire State<\/a>, you may be wondering: Who pays Realtor fees in New York? This has been a common question since last year\u2019s real estate agent commission changes, which were tied to a court settlement<\/a> involving the National Association of Realtors (NAR).<\/p>\n

Under new rules<\/a> that went into effect in mid-August 2024, home sellers nationwide are no longer expected to pay the buyer\u2019s agent by default, breaking with a nearly 100-year-old industry custom. But has the NAR\u2019s landmark court settlement changed the way Realtor fees work in New York?<\/p>\n

In this guide, you\u2019ll learn who pays Realtor fees in New York, how these fees work, and when it might make sense for you to cover the buyer\u2019s agent commission<\/a>. We\u2019ll also share a New York agent commission calculator to help you decide what Realtor costs you\u2019re willing to cover.<\/p>\n

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Who pays Realtor fees in New York?<\/h2>\n

Many industry analysts across the country predicted that the NAR settlement would broadly shift responsibility, pressuring buyers to pay their own agents. However, that shift hasn\u2019t materialized \u2014 in New York or nationwide. According to a HomeLight survey<\/a> of top agents across the country, 92% say sellers are still paying the buyer\u2019s Realtor fees.<\/p>\n

Why? Higher mortgage rates and affordability challenges have impacted New York\u2019s housing market. Offering to pay the buyer\u2019s agent commission and giving up other seller concessions<\/a> is still a proven strategy to attract more offers and close a sale in a hesitant market.<\/p>\n

So, despite the NAR rule changes, in practice, most New York sellers continue to offer to pay the buyer\u2019s agent compensation. This is especially true in situations where:<\/p>\n