Real Estate Commission Calculator

How to Use the Realtor Commission Calculator (Step by Step)

Whether you’re a homeowner or a real estate professional, the workflow is the same. The tool is designed so you can go from “rough idea” to “clean estimate” in under a minute.

1. Choose your province

Use the dropdown at the top to select the province where the transaction will close:

• Ontario – Flat rate structure with HST.
• BC, Alberta – Tiered model (GST only).
• Saskatchewan – Tiered model (GST + PST applies).
• Manitoba, Territories – Flat rate (GST only).
• Quebec, Atlantic provinces – Flat rate with QST or HST applied.

This matters because each region has different tax rules, and some markets commonly use tiered commission structures.

2. Set the expected sale price

Use the Sale Price slider or switch to Input mode:

• Drag the slider to approximate the expected sale price.
• Or click “Input” and type the exact number if you already have a list price or a realistic offer in mind.

The highlighted number above the slider updates in real time so you can quickly compare different price scenarios.

3. Adjust the listing and buyer agent percentages

In the split grid you’ll see two sides:

• Listing Agent % – the rate you expect the listing side to receive.
• Buyer Agent % – the rate you expect the cooperating brokerage (buyer’s agent) to receive.

You can:

• Keep them equal for a “traditional” 50/50 style split, or
• Adjust them to model discount models, bonus buyer-side incentives, or reduced co-op

In tiered provinces, the labels change to:

• Listing % (On Balance)
• Buyer % (On Balance)

That’s because the first $100,000 of the sale price is handled as a fixed amount in the background, and your percentages apply only to the balance over $100k. The yellow banner explains this logic so agents can use it confidently with clients.

Note: In many tiered markets, the industry convention is a higher rate on the first $100,000. The calculator defaults to a standard 7% total split 50/50 ($3,500 per side) on this portion, but this can often be adjusted depending on the tool settings

4. Review the results: fee breakdown and tax

The results panel at the bottom gives you four key numbers:

• Listing Agent Fee – total dollar amount going to the listing side.
• Buyer Agent Fee – total dollar amount going to the buyer’s side.
• Net Commission – combined commission (listing + buyer) before tax.
• Tax – calculated automatically based on your province (HST, GST, or GST+QST).

The final row shows Total Payable, which is the net commission plus tax. This is a quick way for home sellers to understand what will be deducted from the sale, and for agents to see how changes in commission structure affect the total cost.

What This Real Estate Fee Calculator Is (and Isn’t)

This real estate fee calculator is designed to give you a transparent, customizable snapshot of how commission and tax might look on a specific sale price.

It is:

• A flexible real estate broker commission calculator that works for every province.
• Useful for home sellers budgeting their net proceeds.
• Practical for agents who want to model different realtor commission rates and explain them to clients.
• Built to reflect tiered structures that are common in markets like BC and Alberta.

It is not:

• A quote, promise, or guarantee of what a brokerage will charge.
• A substitute for reading your Listing Agreement, Buyer Representation Agreement (BRA), and brokerage policies.
• Tax advice — always speak with your accountant about how commission income or selling costs affect your personal tax.

Commission is always negotiable, and actual compensation must be spelled out in a written agreement with a brokerage.

How Commission Is Calculated: Flat vs. Tiered Provinces

To help users make sense of what they’re seeing in the calculator, you can explain it right on the page.

Flat rate provinces (e.g., Ontario, Manitoba, Atlantic Canada, Quebec)

In a flat model, the math is straightforward:

Commission = Sale Price × Commission %

So if a listing agent is at 2.5% and the buyer’s agent is also at 2.5%, and the property sells for $800,000:

The calculator handles all of this automatically — including the HST / GST / HST-equivalent for the selected province.

Tiered provinces (BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan – as modelled here)

In some markets, commission is expressed as a tiered rate, for example:

• “7% on the first $100,000 and a lower percentage on the balance.”

To keep this understandable for both home sellers and agents, the calculator:

1. Treats the first $100,000 of the sale price as a fixed amount per side – shown as a built-in $3,500 per agent in the banner text.
2. Applies your chosen Listing % and Buyer % only to the balance above $100,000.

So if the sale price is $900,000 in a tiered province and you set 1.5% for each side “on balance,” the logic looks like this behind the scenes:

 

This mirrors how many tiered structures work in practice without forcing users to decode the math manually.

For Home Sellers: Using the Calculator to Plan Your Move

If you’re selling, you care about one question:
“How much will I actually pay in commission, and how does that affect my net proceeds?”

You can use this realtor commission calculator to:

• Compare different commission offers from listing agents.
• See how changing the buyer’s side (for example, from 2.5% to 2%) impacts the total commission.
• Test how a higher sale price affects commission and tax.
• Understand the difference between a “traditional” percentage model and a low-commission or flat-fee

Once you have a realistic estimate:

1. Subtract commission + tax from your expected sale price.
2. Subtract any mortgage balance, legal fees, and penalties.
3. You’ll have a working idea of your approximate net proceeds.

If you want to go beyond commission and estimate all the typical closing costs for seller — including legal fees, discharge penalties, and adjustments — you can use our dedicated calculator on that page for a more detailed breakdown.

You can then use that number to budget for your next purchase, moving costs, or debt repayment.

For Real Estate Agents: Using the Calculator in Your Business

For agents, this real estate agent commission calculator can be a teaching and planning tool.

With clients

• Walk sellers through the percentage for real estate agents so they can see where their money goes.
• Ensure the co-operating commission is competitive for your market to attract maximum interest from buyer agents.
• Demonstrate that commission is not always 50/50 and that every agreement is negotiated.

For your own planning

• Model how different realtor commission rates translate into gross commission income.
• Test what happens if you move from a traditional model to a discount / flat-fee listing model while adjusting the buyer side.
• Pair this calculator with your own brokerage split (e.g., 70/30, 80/20, cap) to estimate your personal earnings per deal.

FAQ: Real Estate Commission and This Calculator

Is commission in Canada always split 50/50 between listing and buyer agents?

No. A 50/50 split is common historically, but it is not required in any province. The split:

• Can be equal,
• Can favour the listing side or the buyer side, or
• Can be very low (or even $0) for one side if that’s what the parties agree to in writing.

This calculator lets you set the listing % and buyer % independently so you can model whatever structure you’re actually using.

Does the calculator show what my agent will personally earn?

Not directly. This tool shows:

• What the seller pays in commission and tax.
• How that total is divided between the listing and buyer brokerages.

Each agent’s personal share depends on their split agreement with their brokerage and any expenses they cover themselves. To understand that, you would need to ask the agent about their internal arrangement.

Can I rely on this tool when I sign a contract?

Use this calculator as a planning and education tool, not as a contract. The numbers are approximate and based on:

• The sale price you enter,
• The commission percentages you choose, and
• The tax assumptions for the province.

The only numbers that truly govern your transaction are the ones in your:

• Listing Agreement (seller).
• Buyer Representation Agreement (buyer).

Always read those documents carefully and ask your brokerage or lawyer if something is unclear.

Why are there different tax rates in different provinces?

Some provinces use HST, some use GST, and Quebec has GST + QST. This affects the tax that applies to professional services such as real estate commission. The calculator automatically updates the label (for example, “HST (13%)” or “GST (5%)”) based on the province you select, so you don’t have to memorize the rates.

Can I use this as a real estate brokerage commission calculator for teams?

Yes. Many brokers and team leaders use tools like this to:

• Estimate gross commission income for the brokerage or team.
• Decide on team splits and incentives.
• Show new agents how commission structures work in a transparent, visual way.

You can run different scenarios at various price points and commission rates to plan your business model.