{"id":63375,"date":"2025-10-08T09:01:26","date_gmt":"2025-10-08T16:01:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=63375"},"modified":"2026-03-30T14:20:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T21:20:25","slug":"who-pays-realtor-fees-in-illinois","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/who-pays-realtor-fees-in-illinois\/","title":{"rendered":"Who Pays Realtor Fees in Illinois?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re making plans to sell your home in the Prairie State, you\u2019re probably looking at what other homes sold for<\/a>, comparing list prices, and calculating your proceeds. If this is your first time selling or it\u2019s been a while, you might be wondering, Who pays Realtor fees in Illinois?<\/p>\n

This has been a common question since new agent commission rules went into effect following a court settlement<\/a> by the National Association of Realtors (NAR).<\/p>\n

Under the new rules<\/a> that started in August 2024, home sellers are no longer automatically expected to pay the buyer\u2019s agent fees \u2014 an industry tradition that dates back more than a century. But has the NAR settlement changed the way Realtor fees work in Illinois?<\/p>\n

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

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

Some media outlets and industry analysts predicted the NAR settlement would redirect cost responsibility, pressuring homebuyers to pay their own agent fees. But that shift hasn\u2019t happened \u2014 in Illinois or anywhere in the U.S. According to a nationwide HomeLight survey<\/a>, 92% of agents say sellers are still paying the buyer\u2019s Realtor fees.<\/p>\n

Why are sellers still covering this cost? It\u2019s a matter of common-sense marketing.<\/p>\n

Higher mortgage rates and affordability obstacles have impacted Illinois\u2019 housing landscape. In a slow market, offering to pay the buyer\u2019s agent fees and giving up other seller concessions<\/a> is a proven strategy to attract more offers and close a home sale.<\/p>\n

So, despite the NAR commission rule changes, in practice, most Illinois sellers continue to offer to cover the buyer\u2019s agent commission. This is especially true in regions where:<\/p>\n