If you’re making plans to sell your house in the Tar Heel State, you’re probably looking at the selling prices of recently sold nearby homes and calculating your potential proceeds. If this is your first time selling a house — or maybe it’s been a while — you might also be wondering, Who pays Realtor fees in North Carolina? This is a common question among home sellers ever since a court settlement by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) changed how real estate agent commissions are handled. Under the new rules that took effect in August 2024, the seller is no longer automatically expected to pay the buyer’s agent’s fees, which had been the standard practice for more than a century. But has the NAR settlement changed the way Realtor fees are paid in North Carolina? In this post, you’ll learn who pays the Realtor fees, how agent commissions work in the current market, and when it might make sense to cover your buyer’s agent fee. We’ll also provide a handy North Carolina agent commission calculator to help you decide what Realtor fees you may want to pay.
Following the NAR settlement, some industry analysts predicted buyers would feel pressured to pay their own Realtor fees, rerouting commission costs away from sellers. However, this shift hasn’t happened at scale — in North Carolina or anywhere in the U.S. According to a nationwide HomeLight survey, 92% of top agents report that sellers are still paying their buyer’s agent commissions. Why are sellers covering buyer commissions? Agents say it boils down to being practical. High mortgage rates and affordability issues have impacted North Carolina’s housing market. When buyers are hesitant, offering to pay their Realtor fees and providing other concessions is a smart strategy to attract offers and close a sale. Despite the NAR rule changes, most North Carolina sellers continue to offer to cover the buyer’s agent commission. This is especially true in North Carolina housing markets where: Based on feedback from top-rated North Carolina agents, the takeaway is clear: If you want to attract more buyers and sell faster, offering to pay the buyer’s Realtor fees remains an effective strategy. If you’re getting ready to sell your home, try our North Carolina Real Estate Commission Calculator below. It allows you to see a combined buyer and seller agent commission estimate — or what the cost might look like if you decide to only pay your listing agent. You can compare different scenarios using the state’s average agent commission rates, which, combined, equal about 5.5% of your home’s listing price. But you can adjust these based on the rates you think you might negotiate. There is no law or state mandate that requires a North Carolina home seller to pay the buyer’s agent compensation. However, as HomeLight’s nationwide agent survey found, most home sellers still offer to cover this cost for their buyers. Here’s a look at why you might want to pay both Realtor fees in North Carolina: At first glance, skipping the buyer’s agent commission may seem like a money-saving move, but it can reduce your home’s visibility, limit offers, and increase days on market.Who pays Realtor fees in North Carolina?
North Carolina real estate agent commission calculator
Are North Carolina sellers required to pay the buyer’s agent?
