http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/26/business/an-extra-cost-in-american-home-sales.html 2014-10-25 16:38:00 An Extra Cost in American Home Sales The average real estate broker commission is far higher in the United States than in some other countries. === In a typical year, real estate brokers in the United States sell more than $1 trillion worth of homes, making a total average commission of 5.4 percent on each sale. What many home buyers may not realize is that real estate commissions are negotiable and are far lower in some other countries. In Why would this be? In the United States, buyers typically use their own broker, while they don’t in Britain. “In the U.K. and almost everywhere in the world, other than Canada and the U.S., the general practice is that one agent, hired by the seller, facilitates the transaction for both the buyer and the seller,” said Simon Ru, founder and chief executive of Buyers may be able to save on fees by not using a broker at all, although they may have to do more legwork. Buyers can also ask selling brokers to cut their fees — something they should be willing to do if they don’t have to split the commission with another broker. Buyers should remember that, like lunch, there is no such thing as a free broker.