The return of the 6 percent commission for South Florida brokers

South Florida real estate brokers are getting paid again — if they can manage to land a sale. During the boom years homebuyers were easy to find, and sellers, who had historically paid a 6 percent commission, began questioning the need for a broker to sell a home. Simultaneously increased competition lowered commission fees as more people entered the real estate brokerage profession to capitalize on the volume of transactions. Nationally, the average commission rose to 5.4 percent in 2010, compared to 5.04 percent in 2005. And in Broward and Palm Beach counties 6 percent is once again the standard, brokers say. “No one really has given me any grief about commissions,” Broward broker Beverly Rothstein of the Christopher White Group said. “In this market, your best friend is your real estate agent.” [Sun Sentinel]