Commission Split
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The total commission (often 5-6% of the sale price) is usually first divided between the listing brokerage and buyer's brokerage, and then split again within each brokerage between the broker and the individual agent according to their agreed percentage — commonly 50/50, 60/40, or a graduated scale as the agent hits volume tiers.

Beyond the broker split, many agents also pay franchise fees, transaction fees, marketing cost contributions, or team splits, all of which come out before you see your final check. Your effective split can end up meaningfully lower than your headline commission percentage with the broker.

In a graduated split, the agent's percentage of commission increases as they hit certain cumulative sales volume or commission thresholds within a set period (often a calendar year), rewarding higher-producing agents with a better split later in the year. This resets at the start of each new period unless the brokerage says otherwise.

Only if you enter them — a referral fee (commonly 20-35% of the referring agent's side) is subtracted before the receiving agent's split is applied, and needs to be included as a separate deduction if it applies to your transaction.

No — while 50/50 is a common default, the actual split between listing and buyer's side is negotiated and disclosed in the listing agreement, and can be adjusted, sometimes to attract more buyer's agents to show a hard-to-sell property or reflect a lower total commission rate.