If you’re making plans to sell your house in the Peach State, you’re probably looking at how much other nearby homes sold for and calculating your potential net proceeds. If this is your first time selling a house (or it’s been a while), you might also be wondering, “Who pays Realtor fees in Georgia?” This question has become more common following a landmark court settlement by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) that changed how commissions are handled. Under the new rules that took effect in August 2024, home sellers are no longer automatically expected to pay the buyer’s agent fees, which had been a standard industry practice for about 100 years. But has the NAR settlement changed the way Realtor fees are handled in Georgia? In this post, you’ll learn who pays the Realtor fees, how agent commissions work today, and when it might make sense to cover your buyer’s agent fee. We’ll also provide a Georgia agent commission calculator to help you decide what Realtor fees you may want to pay.
You may have seen news or market reports predicting the NAR settlement would shift some agent commission costs away from sellers, as buyers would feel pressured to pay their own Realtor fees. But that hasn’t happened at scale — in Georgia or anywhere in the country. According to a HomeLight survey, 92% of top agents report that sellers are still paying their buyer’s agent commissions. Why are sellers still covering this expense? Agents say it’s a matter of practical marketing. Higher mortgage rates and affordability roadblocks have impacted Georgia’s housing landscape. In a slow or uncertain market, offering to pay the buyer’s Realtor fees and providing other concessions is a smart strategy to attract offers and close your home sale. So, despite the NAR rule changes, most Georgia sellers continue to offer to cover the buyer’s agent commission. This is especially true in Georgia housing markets where: Based on feedback from top-rated Georgia agents, the takeaway is very clear: If you want to attract more buyers and sell faster, offering to pay the buyer’s Realtor fees remains an effective and proven strategy. So, what will the two combined Realtor fees cost you in Georgia? Or what might just the listing agent fee look like if you decide not to offer to pay your buyer’s agent commission? To see rough estimates, use our Georgia Real Estate Commission Calculator below. With this simple tool, you can compare different scenarios using the state’s average agent commission rates, which, combined, equal about 5.67% of your home’s listing price. You can also adjust the commission percentages up or down to see what Realtor fee rates you might want to negotiate. There is no law or state mandate that requires a Georgia home seller to pay the buyer’s agent compensation. However, as HomeLight’s agent survey revealed, most sellers still offer to cover this cost for their buyers. Here’s a quick look at why you might want to pay both Realtor fees in Georgia: At first glance, refusing to pay the buyer’s Realtor fee may seem like a money-saving strategy, but in reality, this decision can hurt your home’s visibility, total days on market (DOM), your final sale price, and net proceeds.Who pays Realtor fees in Georgia?
Georgia real estate agent commission calculator
Are Georgia sellers required to pay the buyer’s agent?
