Most sellers are still paying the buyer’s agent commission despite the rule changes.
Why Sellers Continue to Pay:
The main reasons sellers are still covering these costs:
- Buyer affordability: First-time homebuyers would need to find an additional $6,000 based on the median-price existing home sale with a reduced fee of 1.5 percent of the house price, and many buyers won’t be able to come up with the cash, which would limit the buyer pool
- Market competitiveness: Sellers use it as a strategic concession to attract more buyers and remain competitive
- Practical considerations: The money comes from sale proceeds at closing rather than requiring buyers to have additional cash upfront
The bottom line: while the rules technically shifted responsibility to buyers, the market has largely continued with sellers paying buyer agent commissions as the practical norm.