Listing Commissions
Real estate brokers normally charge a commission for listing and selling your home. The rate varies, both by region and according to service level. In most areas the commission is calculated as a percentage of the sales price although some brokers offer a set price per transaction.  The MLS is a database of properties currently on the market in the area. Brokers participating in the MLS (which includes virtually all Brokers in the area) list all the homes they have for sale and agree to share in the sales commission of the properties. This means that when an agent lists your property on the MLS for you, but another agent finds a buyer for your house, that other broker is entitled to part of the commission. The big advantage to you, as the seller, is that every single broker and agent participating in the MLS has an incentive to sell your home. This effectively puts every agent in the area to work selling your home!  It also means the listing broker isn't receiving the entire commission, it is shared with the selling broker.  And your agent will only be receiving a percent of what the listing broker receives.

Discount commissions?
There are many brokers and agents willing to list your home for considerably less than others.  You need to be aware though, that lower commissions are nearly always tied to lower levels of service.  Some agents willing to list your home for a bargain commission rate aren’t going to do any advertising or marketing of your home.  They may just list it with the local MLS and put a sign in your yard, and that’s about it.  Meanwhile, a full service agent will probably spend considerable time and money to advertise and market your home and also perform many transactional tasks that the average consumer may not know are necessary . To give you an idea of what a full service agent does follow this link to a list created by the Orlando Regional Realtor Association with 183 tasks.  If you hire an agent based on commission alone, find out exactly what they will do to earn their commission and what services you may be giving up.

Sometimes, lower commissions will be part of a package deal where you agree to use a particular mortgage broker or you agree to buy your next home through the same agent that sells your present one.  There are some good bargains to be had with these package deals.  But again, it pays to examine the details closely, and make sure the whole package fits your needs.