How I am paid.
Here it is in plain English: how commission is set, what the listing work covers, what changed after August 2024, and how a listing compares with an iBuyer cash offer in an illustrative example.
How does Karyn Emerson’s real estate commission work in Southern NH?
Commission is negotiable and is not set by law. We set it together, in writing, before anything is signed: in the listing agreement for sellers, and in the written buyer agreement that NAR rules have required before the first tour since August 17, 2024. The listing work includes a comparative market analysis, a presentation and marketing plan, inspection prep and response, negotiation, and closing coordination. Ask me how I handle marketing costs. Scroll for the full breakdown.
Negotiable, and always in writing.
Negotiable
Commission is negotiable; we set it together in writing before anything is signed. Where it lands depends on the home, the market window, and what you want the marketing to do.
In writing
Buyer-side compensation is negotiated directly with you and set in a written buyer-broker agreement before the first tour.
“Every agreement I sign states that commissions are not set by law and are fully negotiable.”
Required agreement language under the NAR settlement, effective August 17, 2024.
What is included
What the listing work covers.
Here is the work that goes into a listing with me, from the first walkthrough to the closing table. We go through the details, and any marketing costs, together and in writing before you sign.
A presentation and marketing plan
We plan how your home is photographed, presented, and marketed, room by room. Ask me how I handle photography, staging, and other marketing costs.
Home-valuation CMA
A real comparative market analysis, prepared from live and recent solds on your cul-de-sac, not a Zillow zestimate print-out.
A listing term we set together
We agree on the listing term together, and I'm happy to talk through flexible terms before you sign anything.
Inspection prep and response
A pre-listing inspection checklist and, after offers, help reading the buyer's inspection and writing a calm response.
Negotiation representation
I write the counter language, I read the contract terms, I manage contingencies. You sign, I do the work in between.
Closing coordination
Title, lender, attorney, buyer agent, movers. I thread the schedule so you close on the date we agreed, not the date everyone else agreed.
Post-NAR, August 2024
What changed, in plain English.
On August 17, 2024, the NAR settlement went into effect and changed two things every NH buyer and seller should understand.
Compensation offers left the MLS
Offers of buyer-agent compensation can no longer be advertised on the MLS.
A written agreement before the first tour
A written buyer-broker agreement is required before I can tour a home with a buyer.
2.38% to 2.43%
Average buyer-side commission nationally, year one of the new rules (Redfin, as of August 2025).
Both changes push the conversation about compensation out into the open, before the house visit, in writing.
A lot of headlines predicted buyer commissions would fall off a cliff. Year-one data said otherwise. As of August 2025, Redfin data showed the buyer-side commission actually ticked up on average, from 2.38% to 2.43% nationally, and under $500,000 the average landed near 2.49% to 2.52%. What changed is not the underlying math so much as the transparency.
For a seller, the practical effect is that you and I decide together what, if anything, you are willing to offer toward a buyer’s agent. That decision lives on your listing paperwork, not on the MLS. For a buyer, the practical effect is that the rate you pay is visible on paper before the first showing.
The new rules favor the informed seller and the informed buyer. If you have a question about what this looks like on your specific transaction, ask me. Thirty minutes on a call usually covers it.
An iBuyer cash offer, or a listing with me.
iBuyers such as Opendoor make fast cash offers on homes. Below is an illustrative example on a hypothetical $500,000Southern NH home. The figures are a worked example, not data about Opendoor’s or any company’s actual offers, which vary by home and market.
| Line item | iBuyer cash offer (example) | Listing with Karyn (example) |
|---|---|---|
| Example offer / sale price (hypothetical $500K home) | $455,000 | $500,000 |
| Service fees and repair credits | $22,750 (5%) + repair deductions | Listing commission, negotiated and set in writing |
| Example net proceeds (rough) | About $410,000 after example repair credits | $455,000 to $475,000 |
| Time to close | 14 to 30 days | Time on market, then a typical 30 to 45 day close |
| Certainty | Locked cash offer, low contingency risk | Market exposure with multi-offer potential |
| Control over the sale | Take the offer or leave it | Price, terms, timing are yours to shape |
- About $410,000 after example repair credits
- $455,000 to $475,000
If your timeline truly calls for cash in 14 days, I will tell you. There are real situations where an iBuyer is the right answer. For many sellers, a well-priced listing on the open market nets more, even after commission. Bring your actual offer and I will run your real numbers side by side.
Frequently asked
The six questions I hear most.
Is commission really negotiable?
Yes. Commission is fully negotiable and is not set by law. Any number you see quoted elsewhere is a common range, not a rate card. We set it together, in writing, before anything is signed, and you always have the full picture of what it covers.
What about buyer agency after August 2024?
The NAR settlement, effective August 17, 2024, made two changes that matter. Offers of buyer-agent compensation can no longer be advertised on the MLS, and a written buyer-broker agreement is required before I tour a home with you. We sign a plain-English agreement that lays out the rate and the term, and we set both together before the first tour. It protects both of us.
How are photography and staging handled?
Ask me how I handle marketing costs. Photography, staging, and the rest of the marketing plan are part of our listing conversation, and we agree on who covers what, in writing, before you sign.
What is the difference between listing-side and buyer-side?
Listing-side is what the seller pays their agent. Buyer-side is what a buyer's agent is paid, and under the new rules it is negotiated directly with the buyer in that written agreement. Both are negotiable and both are set in writing. Since August 2024, offers of buyer-agent compensation are no longer advertised on the MLS.
Will I net less if buyers have to bring their own commission?
Year-one data suggests not. Redfin data as of August 2025 showed buyer-side commissions ticked up, from 2.38% to 2.43% nationally, and under $500K the average sat near 2.49% to 2.52%. What the new rules changed is transparency more than the underlying math. A well-priced, well-marketed listing still sells at market.
Why not just list with Redfin for 1% or use a flat-fee MLS?
If your only goal is the lowest possible listing fee, those are legitimate options and I will tell you honestly. What you give up is the negotiation, the representation, and in most cases the marketing that drives multi-offer situations. On a $500K home, a difference of one to two percent of the sale price can be absorbed by a weaker outcome. That is a judgment call, and I am happy to talk it through at your pace.
What to expect
The first call, in three steps.
Book a time
Pick a 30-minute slot that works for you. Phone or video, on your schedule.
We talk it through
Tell me where you are and what you are weighing. I listen first, then give you a straight read.
You leave with a plan
A clear next step, whether the right move is this month, this fall, or a year out.
Start here
Ask me your hardest question on a 30-minute call.
If I can answer your commission question in thirty minutes, I will. If it takes longer, we will book a second call. Either way you leave with the real numbers.