Answers by Melanie Parsons

Hi Martha! Real estate commissions are always negotiable. In today's market, when you list your home, you are only negotiating the List side of the commission. Some agents will try and work with you, but others will not. As the other responses stated, you get what you pay for. Make sure you look at what is included with their fee i.e. professional photography, staging, floor plans etc...These expenses are all on the agent (whether or not it sells). Plus they must share that commission with their brokerage. The buyer's agent will request a commission on the contract when you receive an offer. This is also negotiable. You will need to work with YOUR agent to determine what is reasonable on the buyer side, when considering offer price and taking everything else into account.