The buyer's agent commission is typically paid by the seller. The way this works is pretty simple. In most cases, when a seller hires a realtor, they will agree to pay the real estate agent a fee of 4% to 6% to sell the home.

Typically, the fee is paid by the seller at the settlement table, where the fee is subtracted from the proceeds of the home sale. The agent fee is typically paid by the seller to the listing broker who, in turn, shares part of it with the agent who brings a buyer to the table, explains Adam Reliantra, a real estate agent in West Toluca Lake, CA.

The home seller pays agent fees for both their agent and the buyer’s agent at closing. The total commission is typically 5%–6%, with half paid to the seller’s agent and half to the buyer’s agent, though fees are negotiable.