REMAX and the 5% commission: how much the middleman takes
REMAX commissions range from 3% to 10% depending on the office. Anyone negotiating with property owners should know how much the agent takes and what they are signing.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
REMAX and the 5% commission: what the middleman takes
A buyer has set their sights on an apartment being sold by a REMAX agent. They know neighbours in the development, can reach the owners directly without a middleman, and want to know how much the agency takes to fine-tune their negotiation. The simple question uncovers one of the most opaque practices in the Spanish property market: the commission of a franchise network that rarely publishes its rates.
The answer circulating in industry whispers is not a single one. Some point to 5% as the usual benchmark in Galicia. Others put the floor at 3% and warn that there is no ceiling: if the seller is naive, the agency can push up to 10%. The range is so wide that any advance calculation becomes guesswork.
How much commission does REMAX charge to sell a property?
There is no single official rate. REMAX's franchise structure leaves each office free to set its own fees, which explains why the figures vary by province and property type. 5% serves as a reference in some areas, but it is not a written standard. The practical advice that floats around is to talk to someone who has recently bought through them: recent experience is worth more than any brochure.
The underlying problem is that the commission is charged to the seller, but it shapes the final price the buyer pays. If the owner needs to net a specific amount, the middleman's percentage is added to the asking price. Negotiating blindly against that percentage is negotiating against a ghost.
The 5% commission: a service or a rip-off?
The figure stings. 5% on an average-priced home in Spain equals several months' salary for a skilled worker. And that is where the harshest criticism begins: charging that percentage for an intermediary service that, in many cases, amounts to little more than posting a listing and opening the door raises more than a few suspicions. The comparison made is damning: the middleman can earn more than those who broke their backs on the construction site or, at times, more than the developer itself.
Those who defend the model argue that the agency covers marketing, management and visit-filtering costs. Those who attack it reply that such work does not justify such a high percentage on an asset that practically sells itself. The debate, at heart, is about how much property intermediation is really worth in a market where the seller has all the information one click away.
Bypassing the agency: legal, but with a catch
A buyer who contacts the owners directly commits no illegality. What they sign is another matter. Agencies protect the visit with a document in which the client agrees to pay the fees if they buy the property they were shown. If it is signed and the buyer then negotiates behind the agency's back, a court claim for the fees plus the costs of the proceedings is a foregone conclusion.
The dividing line is clear: anyone who never set foot in the agency or signed anything owes nothing. Anyone who viewed the property with an agent and put their name on the visit form, does. The nuance turns the move of saving the commission into a bet with fine print.
The 3% to 10% range remains unresolved in a single figure, and the opacity of the franchises does not help. The buyer who wants to negotiate with the owners has an approximate figure and a legal warning. What they do not have is certainty about how much is at stake in that subtraction.
A buyer has set their sights on an apartment being sold by a REMAX agent. They know neighbours in the development, can reach the owners directly without a middleman, and want to know how much the agency takes to fine-tune their negotiation. The simple question uncovers one of the most opaque practices in the Spanish property market: the commission of a franchise network that rarely publishes its rates.
The answer circulating in industry whispers is not a single one. Some point to 5% as the usual benchmark in Galicia. Others put the floor at 3% and warn that there is no ceiling: if the seller is naive, the agency can push up to 10%. The range is so wide that any advance calculation becomes guesswork.
How much commission does REMAX charge to sell a property?
There is no single official rate. REMAX's franchise structure leaves each office free to set its own fees, which explains why the figures vary by province and property type. 5% serves as a reference in some areas, but it is not a written standard. The practical advice that floats around is to talk to someone who has recently bought through them: recent experience is worth more than any brochure.
The underlying problem is that the commission is charged to the seller, but it shapes the final price the buyer pays. If the owner needs to net a specific amount, the middleman's percentage is added to the asking price. Negotiating blindly against that percentage is negotiating against a ghost.
The 5% commission: a service or a rip-off?
The figure stings. 5% on an average-priced home in Spain equals several months' salary for a skilled worker. And that is where the harshest criticism begins: charging that percentage for an intermediary service that, in many cases, amounts to little more than posting a listing and opening the door raises more than a few suspicions. The comparison made is damning: the middleman can earn more than those who broke their backs on the construction site or, at times, more than the developer itself.
Those who defend the model argue that the agency covers marketing, management and visit-filtering costs. Those who attack it reply that such work does not justify such a high percentage on an asset that practically sells itself. The debate, at heart, is about how much property intermediation is really worth in a market where the seller has all the information one click away.
Bypassing the agency: legal, but with a catch
A buyer who contacts the owners directly commits no illegality. What they sign is another matter. Agencies protect the visit with a document in which the client agrees to pay the fees if they buy the property they were shown. If it is signed and the buyer then negotiates behind the agency's back, a court claim for the fees plus the costs of the proceedings is a foregone conclusion.
The dividing line is clear: anyone who never set foot in the agency or signed anything owes nothing. Anyone who viewed the property with an agent and put their name on the visit form, does. The nuance turns the move of saving the commission into a bet with fine print.
The 3% to 10% range remains unresolved in a single figure, and the opacity of the franchises does not help. The buyer who wants to negotiate with the owners has an approximate figure and a legal warning. What they do not have is certainty about how much is at stake in that subtraction.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (4 replies).
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