How Much Does a Realtor Make? The Full Breakdown

If you’ve ever asked yourself, how much does a realtor make, you’re not alone. Traditional real estate agents in the San Francisco Bay Area earn big, often 2.5% of a home’s sale price as the buyers’ agent’s share. But what if you’re a buyer who has already found the house and just needs help closing the deal, with no haggling over percentage fees?

Enter FlatFeeBuyers, a full‑service, flat fee realtor for buyers in the San Francisco Bay Area. For a flat fee of $9,999, we deliver everything a buyer’s agent normally would, without the 2.5% commission or surprises. Let’s explore the numbers and what you really get.

How Much Do Realtors Make in the San Francisco Bay Area?

Traditional real estate agents earn their income through commissions paid when a home sale closes. The typical total commission is 5% of the sale price, split equally between the buyer’s agent and the seller’s agent. 

Here’s what that looks like on a $2,000,000 home sale:

• Total commission = $100,000 (traditionally 5%)

• Buyer’s agent receives ≈ $50,000 (2.5%)

• Seller’s agent receives ≈ $50,000 (2.5%)

However, it doesn’t stop there; most agents work under brokerages and must split a portion of their commission. Common commission splits range from 30% to 50%, depending on the agent’s experience and performance, which accounts for a net take-home of $35,000 (30%).

What a Real Estate Agent Does?

Real estate agents guide clients through each stage of the home‑buying process. Buyers working with a traditional agent, often charging a 2.5% agent buyer commission, receive structured support across the following key phases:

1. Find the Right Home:

• Understanding your preferences, priorities, and financial comfort zone

• Creating custom alerts and guiding you through property search tools

• Suggesting ideal areas and home styles that match your unique lifestyle

2. Home Assessment & Property Walkthroughs:

• Arranging home tours and open house visits tailored to your shortlist

• Offering insights on pricing with recent sales data and market trends

• Helping you weigh long-term value, investment potential, and resale outlook

  
  

3. Due Diligence:

• Analyzing disclosure documents and property inspection findings

• Connecting you with trusted pros like inspectors or contractors when needed

• Helping you distinguish between everyday wear-and-tear and serious warning signs

4. Offer & Negotiation:

• Developing a competitive offer plan, the right price, the right timing, and the right terms

• Managing all back-and-forth with the seller’s agent on your behalf

• Negotiating conditions, pricing, and contingencies to align with your priorities

5. Closing Coordination:

• Collaborating with lenders, escrow officers, and title agents to keep things on track

• Making sure all documents, deadlines, and contingencies are handled smoothly

• Guiding you through the final walkthrough and closing process with confidence

Realtors provide structure and strategy at every step. Still, in today’s market, with many buyers already doing early research themselves, it’s critical to assess whether your traditional agent’s 2.5% fee reflects actual added value, not just access to listings or outdated commission models.

“How much does a realtor make?” Pretty well, since the commission is baked into the deal value. And is there a better solution? Yes, FlatFeeBuyers is your solution!

What FlatFeeBuyers Does: Full‑Service Buyer Representation for $9,999

At FlatFeeBuyers, we offer exclusive flat fee buyer’s agent service explicitly designed for homebuyers in the San Francisco Bay Area. As a flat fee realtor, we support you across your entire buying journey, once you’ve found the home you want.

We’re a full-service buyer representation team, with no conflicts or selling agendas, providing expert guidance at every phase, all for one predictable, flat fee of $9,999.

Some clients come to us having already found their dream home and need help evaluating it and completing the transaction. Others are early in the process, defining their budget, refining preferences, and exploring neighborhoods. Wherever you are, we’re with you every step of the way.

Here’s What the $9,999 Flat Fee Includes:

• Unlimited offers

• Unlimited property information requests and research

• Unlimited consultations and professional guidance

• Contract review, negotiation strategies, and expert drafting

• Coordination with lenders, escrow, title companies, and inspectors

• Private house tours

This model gives you the full support you’d expect from a traditional full-service buyer representation, without the 2.5% commission. It’s the smarter, cost-efficient choice compared to paying a percentage-based buyer agent commission in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Why a Flat-Fee Makes Sense with FlatFeeBuyers

Why Our Approach Stands Out

• Transparent pricing: As a fixed price agent, you pay the same $9,999 fee, regardless of whether you're buying a $1M or $3M home.

• True buyer-only representation: We never represent sellers, so your interests come first in every negotiation and strategy session.

• Value-packed support: While many fixed price agents Bay Area cut corners on services, we deliver everything from valuation analysis and disclosures to closing coordination, all included in the flat fee

Here’s how the FlatFeeBuyers flat‑fee model benefits you, with a fixed $9,999 fee included:

FlatFeeBuyers Pricing:

• $9,999, that’s it!

Compare that to a traditional 2.5% buyer’s agent commission:

• $1M home = $25,000

• $1.5M home = $37,500

• $2.5M home = $62,500

FlatFeeBuyers saves you thousands.

You still get full‑service representation, everything a traditional agent provides, from offer strategy to closing coordination, just without the unnecessary commission costs.

To Sum It Up!

Ready to Buy Smarter & Save Thousands? Contact us today at FlatFeeBuyers to discuss your options and get started with fixed price agents who put buyers first.