Real estate agent commissions around the world

Yes. Commission is negotiable everywhere and varies by region, price, and the level of service. The figures on this page are typical ranges, not fixed rates, so treat them as a starting point for what agents commonly charge in each country rather than a set fee.

If you sell directly as for sale by owner, there is no fee for your own agent to pay. You still cover the usual notary or escrow fees and any local transfer taxes, which apply to any sale. In the United States and Canada sellers often still pay the buyer’s agent, which is a separate choice you can negotiate.

A US seller’s own listing agent typically charges about 2.5 to 3 percent. Many sellers also pay the buyer’s agent, typically about 2.4 to 2.7 percent, so the two sides together often come to about 5.5 percent. On the illustrative $450,000 home used on this page, the listing side alone is roughly $12,375, which is what a seller keeps by selling without a listing agent.

Among the countries we cover, a seller’s own agent costs the most in South Africa about 5.75 to 8.6 percent, Portugal about 4.9 to 6.2 percent, Brazil about 5 to 7 percent, Mexico about 3.5 to 7 percent, including any VAT or GST.

The lowest are South Korea about 0.4 to 0.55 percent, China about 0 to 1 percent, the Netherlands about 1.1 to 1.7 percent, the United Kingdom about 1.2 to 1.8 percent, including any VAT or GST. In Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates the buyer customarily pays the agent, so a seller usually pays nothing at all.

A lot. Across the countries we cover, the typical fee a seller pays their own agent ranges from about 0.4 to 0.55 percent in South Korea to about 5.75 to 8.6 percent in South Africa, so the same sale can cost many times more depending on where the home is.