People Are Debating Whether 3% Buyer Commissions Still Make Sense In 2025. ‘$12,000 Feels Wild For A Few Showings And A Handful Of Calls’
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A growing number of homebuyers are questioning the traditional 3% commission paid to buyer’s agents, especially as online tools and post-pandemic market shifts reshape how real estate deals happen.
One Reddit user summed it up plainly. In a recent thread titled, “Are 3% buyer commissions outdated in 2025?” they said, “On a $400K house, $12,000 feels wild for what often amounts to a few showings, some paperwork, and a handful of calls or texts.”
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That sentiment is gaining traction in the wake of the National Association of Realtors’ commission settlement last year, which banned advertising buyer-agent commissions on the Multiple Listing Service and required buyers to sign compensation agreements before viewing homes. Though these rules were expected to bring fees down, recent data suggests otherwise.
According to Redfin, the average U.S. buyer’s agent commission rose to 2.43% in Q2, up from 2.38% a year earlier. That’s the third consecutive quarter of increases, pushing rates back to pre-settlement levels. For homes under $500,000, the rate reached 2.52%, the highest since 2023.
In some cities, 3% remains the norm. “Austin’s market is slow, so buyers have a lot more power,” said Texas Redfin Premier agent Andrew Vallejo. “Buyers can walk away if the seller does not pay the buyer’s agent commission.”
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Buyers on Reddit are responding by either pushing for reduced fees or skipping agents altogether. One homebuyer shared that their agent didn’t see the house they bought until the day after closing. He didn’t come to the closing either. “We did the whole process by phone and email,” they said. “Next time I’ll just find someone to write up my offer and I’ll do the rest.”
Another poster detailed a situation where they paid 3% to an agent who showed them just three homes and refused to offer any moving-cost rebate. “I felt so scammed and broken,” they wrote. “She has barely done anything ever since we did the down payment stuff.”
