Florida Real Estate Commission Calculator (Post-2024)

How this calculator works

Florida residential real-estate commissions changed materially in August 2024. The Sitzer-Burnett class-action settlement — formally adopted by the National Association of Realtors and effective for NAR-cooperating brokerages on August 17, 2024 — restructured the way buyer-broker compensation is communicated, contracted, and paid. The pre-2024 default ("5–6% total, paid entirely by the seller, split 50/50 between listing and buyer's brokerage via the MLS cooperation field") is no longer the assumed framework. This calculator is the math behind the new negotiation.

The calculator separates the commission into its component parts:

1. Listing-broker compensation — what the seller pays the listing brokerage, as a percentage of sale price (or a flat fee under the discount-brokerage alternative). F.S. § 475.42 makes every rate contractually negotiable between licensee and client.
2. Buyer-broker compensation paid by the seller — the seller's voluntary contribution to the buyer-side commission, often offered as a closing-cost concession. Post-settlement, this is communicated off-MLS rather than advertised in the legacy cooperation field.
3. Buyer-broker compensation paid by the buyer — what the buyer pays their own broker directly, fixed in writing in the Florida Realtors Buyer Broker Agreement (BBA) before the buyer is shown a property.

The total commission is the sum of all three lines. The seller's commission cost is the listing-side plus any seller-paid buyer-side contribution; the buyer's direct cost is the buyer-paid buyer-side portion only. The calculator also produces a comparison against the traditional 6% baseline and against a flat-fee discount-brokerage alternative.

What the August 2024 NAR settlement changed

Two structural changes drove the new compensation framework:

MLS cooperation field is gone. Before August 2024, listing brokers advertised buyer-broker compensation directly on the MLS listing — usually as a percentage cooperation fee that signaled to buyer agents what they would earn for bringing a buyer. Post-settlement, that field cannot be populated. Sellers can still offer to pay the buyer-broker, but the offer is communicated off-MLS — via a closing-cost concession in the contract, via a separate compensation agreement between the brokerages, or via the listing agent's direct communication with inquiring buyer agents.

Written buyer-broker agreement required. Florida brokers must now execute a written Buyer Broker Agreement (the Florida Realtors BBA form) with each buyer client before showing the buyer a property. The agreement fixes the compensation rate, identifies which party (seller, buyer, or split) is responsible for paying, and defines the scope (exclusive vs non-exclusive) and duration of the engagement. F.S. § 475.25 makes failure to disclose compensation a license-discipline violation; the BBA is the form that implements that disclosure under the new regime.

The underlying F.S. § 475.42 framework — that licensee compensation is by written agreement and that every rate is negotiable — is unchanged. The mechanics changed; the statutory floor did not.

The new Florida commission range

The historical Florida convention was 5–6% total commission (a typical split of 3% listing-side / 3% buyer-side), with the seller paying the entire amount out of sale proceeds. Post-settlement, the effective range has widened — current Florida market data through 2025 suggests:

• Full-service total commission: 4–7% combined, with substantial negotiation room. Many sellers continue to offer 2.5–3% buyer-broker compensation as a closing-cost concession, keeping the effective combined rate close to the pre-settlement norm. Buyers without a seller-paid concession negotiate their own broker's rate directly, typically 2–3%.
• Listing-side alone: 2.5–3.5% is the post-2024 norm for full-service Florida listings. Below 2.5% generally implies a reduced-service scope.
• Discount and flat-fee alternatives: 1–3% listing-side, or a flat fee in the $500–$5,000 range for MLS-only or limited-service listings. Buyer-side compensation is a separate decision regardless of the listing model.

The transition is still unfolding through 2026. Florida market data over the next 12–24 months will likely clarify whether the seller-paid buyer-broker concession remains the dominant model, or whether the buyer-pays-their-own-broker default takes hold at scale.

A worked example: $500K Pinellas County sale

A $500,000 single-family home in Pinellas County under three different commission structures:

Pre-2024 traditional: 3% listing + 3% seller-paid buyer-broker = 6% total = $30,000. Seller pays everything; buyer pays nothing directly toward broker compensation.

Post-2024 typical: 3% listing + 0% seller-paid buyer-broker + 3% buyer-paid buyer-broker = 6% combined = $30,000. Same total commission, but the seller's commission cost is now $15,000 (listing only) and the buyer pays $15,000 directly to their broker. The buyer's effective purchase cost rose by $15,000 — either by bringing more cash to closing or by absorbing it into the loan.

Negotiated full-service: 2.5% listing + 2.5% buyer-paid buyer-broker = 5% combined = $25,000. Savings vs the 6% baseline: $5,000. Seller pays $12,500; buyer pays $12,500.

Flat-fee MLS listing: $1,500 flat listing fee + 2.5% buyer-paid buyer-broker = $14,000 total. Savings vs baseline: $16,000. Seller pays $1,500; buyer pays $12,500. The seller handles showings, negotiation, and contract management — the trade-off for the lower listing-side cost.

The calculator surfaces all four scenarios so the conversation moves from "the commission is 6%" (the legacy assumption) to "what compensation structure makes sense for this property and these parties" (the new question).

Reading the Buyer Broker Agreement carefully

The Florida Realtors BBA is the most important contract a Florida buyer signs in 2026 outside of the purchase contract itself. Three terms matter most:

• Compensation rate. Typically 2.5–3% of purchase price. Negotiable. Some brokerages will accept 2% for a buyer with high transaction volume or a pre-approved cash position. Below 2% is unusual.
• Exclusive vs non-exclusive scope. An exclusive agreement obligates the buyer to compensate the broker if the buyer buys property in the defined geographic area during the term — even if the buyer found the property independently. A non-exclusive agreement only obligates payment if the broker actually presented the property to the buyer.
• Term. Typical Florida BBA durations are 30, 60, 90, or 180 days. Longer terms favor the brokerage; shorter terms favor buyer flexibility. The buyer can renew if the relationship is productive.

Buyers should not sign a BBA at the first showing without reading it. Florida brokers are now sometimes presenting the BBA on a tablet at the front door, electronically signed in the driveway — the equivalent of agreeing to a 90-day exclusive engagement before seeing the kitchen. Read first.

What this calculator does not do

This calculator handles the commission line of a Florida residential sale. It does not:

• Compute the seller's net at closing. The commission is one line; the full seller-side calculation also includes mortgage payoff, deed documentary stamps (F.S. § 201.02), owner's title insurance premium (F.S. § 627.7825 where applicable), prorated property taxes (F.S. § 197.0734), prorated HOA dues, and other closing fees. Use the Seller Net Sheet Calculator for the full picture.
• Compute the buyer's total cash to close. The buyer-paid broker compensation is one piece; the buyer also needs the down payment, mortgage doc stamps (F.S. § 201.08), intangible tax (F.S. § 199.133), lender's title insurance, inspection and appraisal fees, and prepaid items. Use the Mortgage Calculator and Documentary Stamp Tax Calculator for those.
• Evaluate brokerage service quality. The math says nothing about whether a 1% listing-side broker will deliver the marketing, negotiation, and contract management that a 3% broker provides. Service scope is a separate diligence question.
• Account for commission negotiations on commercial transactions. Commercial real-estate compensation in Florida uses different conventions (often a flat fee, a sliding scale, or a tenant-rep arrangement) outside the scope of this calculator.

How this page is maintained

The August 2024 NAR settlement compliance landscape is still evolving. Florida Realtors has issued ongoing guidance to members on the BBA, the FR/Bar contract updates, and best practices for off-MLS compensation communication. We refresh this calculator's content and the linked Florida Realtors guidance pages as new releases land — particularly during the 2025–2026 transition period when market norms are still settling.

Last reviewed: 2026-05-15 against F.S. § 475.42, the NAR settlement (August 17, 2024), the Florida Realtors Buyer Broker Agreement (BBA) form, and the FR/Bar standard residential contract incorporating post-settlement disclosure requirements.