There are two common ways to pay a listing agent in Orange County. One is a percentage of the sale price, usually half of a 5% total commission. The other is a flat fee written down before the house goes on the market. Both are paid out of escrow at closing.
The work behind them is the same list. Where they part ways is the price, and how far apart they get depends on what your house sells for.
What each one costs
A 2.5% listing side grows with the price. Our fee is $12,500 under a million dollars and $19,500 for each whole million of sale price.
| Sale price | Listing side at 2.5% | Our flat fee | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| $700,000 | $17,500 | $12,500 | $5,000 |
| $1,300,000 | $32,500 | $19,500 | $13,000 |
| $2,500,000 | $62,500 | $39,000 | $23,500 |
Based on a total commission model of 5%. Savings vary by property and price. Commissions are always negotiable and are not set by law.
On a percentage, every extra $50,000 of sale price adds $1,250 to the listing side. Our fee only moves when the price crosses a whole million.
It runs the other way at the bottom of the market. Under about $500,000, a 2.5% listing side costs less than our fee. There aren't many Orange County houses down there, but there are condos, and if yours is one of them we'll say so.
What the fee pays for, item by item
Every listing we take includes all of these.
- Property Valuation. What it's worth this month, with the comps that say so.
- Staging Tips. A walk-through, room by room, before anything is listed.
- Preparing to Sell. The short list of fixes worth doing, and the ones that aren't.
- Photography / Virtual Tour. Shot properly by a professional. Included on every listing.
- MLS Submission. The same MLS every other agent in Orange County searches.
- Lockbox. Installed and managed. Access is tracked.
- Yard Sign. Up before the first weekend.
- Open Houses. Held, staffed, and followed up on.
- Property Showings. Scheduled around your week, evenings included.
- Offer Negotiation. Your agent reads every offer with you. Terms first, price second.
- Purchase and Sale. Contract, contingencies, deadlines, all tracked.
- Home Inspection. Reports reviewed, repair requests written and negotiated.
- Escrow. Chased daily so nothing sits waiting on one signature.
- Closing. Through recording, keys, and the final settlement statement.
Some companies sell a flat fee that covers the MLS entry and stops there. You do the showings, the offers and escrow yourself. That's a different product with the same name, so ask any brokerage for its list in writing before you compare prices.
What stays the same either way
The buyer's agent. What you offer the agent who brings the buyer is a separate decision from how you pay your own agent. Since August 2024 it's negotiated in the purchase contract and doesn't appear in the MLS. Most of our sellers offer something, because most buyers have an agent. The amount is yours to set.
The closing costs. Escrow, title, the county transfer tax, the disclosure reports and HOA documents cost the same whichever way your agent is paid. We went through each of them in what it really costs to sell a home in Orange County.
When it's paid. A percentage commission and our fee both come out of escrow on closing day. Nothing is due up front.
The full schedule at any price, with the buyer's side added in, is on our flat fee page. For a side-by-side on your own house, ask any agent you're talking to for a seller's net sheet at the same expected price, and compare the bottom lines.