If you decide to sell your home through the assistance of a real estate agent, be prepared to shell out, on the average, about 5 - 6% of the total sale price as commission. This is the average rate given to agents but you dont necessarily have to abide by it. If you feel that 5 6% is simply, too much, you have the right to request for a lower commission rate.

First thing you should do when you contact a real estate agent is to ask how much he is expecting as his commission. If he gives you a rate that you deem to be higher than what you can afford, you have every right to haggle for a lower rate. By law, commissions are not fixed and must always be negotiated upon by both parties. If your agent refuses to budge, you can either accept his rate or look for another agent.

When you are negotiating commission make sure that you back up your request with facts. It would be good if you had the proposals of several agents on hand so you can show (or at least, inform) the agent youre talking to of your options. It would also help if you are aware of how desirable your house is. You can tell him that he really neednt do much selling because the property can sell by itself.

It would also be better if you did your negotiations in private. If youre dealing with an external real estate agent (hired by the potential buyer), dont talk about specifics in front of your children and most especially in front of guests. If youre negotiating with your agent, you are not confined to discussing commission rates. You can also talk about their proposed marketing activities, frequency of advertisements and open houses, even the number of photographs to be taken.

Aside from straight out bargaining on commission rates, you can suggest a laddered approach to selling. You can pre-determine the commission your agent will get and base it on a pre-specified target price range. This would encourage your agent to sell your home at a higher rate. You may also opt to secure the services of discount brokers who will either charge only for services they render, or a commission rate of at least 3%. Dont be afraid to explore your options. Remember that this is your house, and your money. You have every right to make sure that you get your moneys worth.