Question

how much money do real estate agents generally get paid for commission and who pays the expense?

Answer 1

In the US, real estse agents , gets paid 5% to 6% on the sales price, on an average.

Real estate Commission , being a % age of the price of the property, is part of the purchase price for the buyer & part deducted from the selling price for the seller.

That said, mostly the seller who puts the property for sale,will be the first one to exchange terms for the contract of finding a suitable buyer --so he will be fixing the commission % with the broker /agent--- with whom registers his house .as for sale.

During the course of the search, many agents/sub-brokers join & the commission , gets divided.

Buyers also pay commission . It all depends on who needs to close the transcation fast.