How are we agents paid? I know y’all know about commissions. That’s not exactly what I mean. I mean, on a deal by deal basis, how do we know what to expect in terms of pay? After all, we have bills to pay and food to buy. How do we know if our income will cover our expenses?

On the face of it, it’s pretty simple. The listing agent looks at the Listing Contract and sees what the seller agreed to pay.

Same with the Buyer’s Agent. One look at the Buyer Agency Agreement and both the buyer and the agent know exactly how much the buyer’s agent will get paid.

Except for one little thing. Most buyers expect the seller to pay the commission. In fact, most Buyer Agency Contracts spell out how much the buyer agrees to pay his agent, and then says that it’s okay if the seller actually takes care of it.

So, Mary Buyer finds a house she likes. She knows that she’s obligated to pay her agent a 3% commission and she’s anxious to know how much the seller is willing to pay of that 3%. If it’s the full amount, she’s good to go.

But what if it’s less? Is she obligated to make up the difference?

It pretty much depends on what Mary and her agent have agreed to. But Mary will know before she even sees the house if she has to pay any commission out of her own pocket.

And the agents know up front how much they’ll make, which certainly makes budgeting easier.

(C) 2009 Susan Pruden.