This is one of the first things sellers Google before they call anyone. Makes sense.
So here’s the straight version.
What the Numbers Actually Look Like in Brooklyn
In NYC, total commission typically runs 4–6%. Since the 2024 NAR settlement, buyers now negotiate their agent’s fee
separately — so the seller’s conversation is more focused than it used to be.
On a $1.3M Midwood home, 5% comes out to $65,000. That’s real money. You should understand exactly what’s being done
for it.
Can You Negotiate It? Yes. But Here’s What Actually Changes.
Commission rates are negotiable. Full stop.
The thing is, when the rate goes down, something else usually goes down with it.
Some discount shops charge 1–1.5% to list. In exchange you’re often looking at: one set of photos, a basic MLS entry,
an agent juggling 40 listings, and nobody who knows Midwood specifically. In a neighborhood where the buyer pool is
narrow, days on market already run long, and community relationships actually matter — a listing that gets treated
like a commodity is a listing that sits.
Saving $15,000 in commission by going cheap, then watching your home sit an extra four months? That’s not a savings.
That math doesn’t work.
Stop Thinking About Percentage. Start Thinking About Net.
The question that actually matters is: what do I walk away with?
An agent who negotiates you to $1.35M on a $1.3M home and charges 5% puts more money in your pocket than an agent who
gets you $1.2M at 2%. Every time.
What gets you to that higher number isn’t magic. It’s honest pricing, real marketing, photos that don’t look like they
were taken on a flip phone, and an agent who doesn’t cave the moment a buyer pushes back.
That’s what a full-service commission is supposed to buy you. Whether you’re getting it is the right question to ask.
—Questions about what selling in Midwood actually costs — all in? We’ll walk you through commission, transfer taxes,
attorney fees, and a realistic net proceeds number — https://thebehfarteam.com or (347) 988-2526.
