A Marin homeowner left a comment on a post we published on Nextdoor last week:
> "Bought my house in 1995 for $240K. Paid $12,000 in commission. Now it's worth $1.2M and I'm told I'll pay $60,000. That's ridiculous."
He's right. And Nextdoor deleted the post that quoted him. Twice.
This is a piece about the math, the moderation, and the question of how modern brokerages are changing the way we look at transaction costs in Marin County.
The math is the math
A 5% commission on a $240,000 home is $12,000. A 5% commission on a $1,200,000 home is $60,000. The 1995 sale included an MLS listing, paperwork, disclosures, showings, and a lockbox. The 2026 sale includes an MLS listing, paperwork, disclosures, showings, and a lockbox. The lockbox didn't get five times harder to install.
As home values in Marin County have risen over the years, the total dollar amount paid in traditional commissions has increased proportionally, prompting many sellers to look closely at what their commission covers.
| Year | Home value | Commission at 5% | What the agent actually does |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | $240,000 | $12,000 | MLS listing, disclosures, showings, paperwork |
| 2026 | $1,200,000 | $60,000 | MLS listing, disclosures, showings, paperwork |
| Change | 5x value | 5x cost | Functionally identical |
The Marin homeowner pointed out that the difference between his 1995 commission and today's estimated commission on the same home is $48,000, driven entirely by how local home values have scaled over the decades.
Why this question is louder now
Two things changed in real estate over the past 24 months.
First, in March 2024, the National Association of Realtors agreed to a $418 million settlement that ended the practice of sellers being expected to advertise a specific buyer-broker commission on the Multiple Listing Service. The MLS can no longer display a "we'll cooperate at 2.5%" offer to buyer's agents — that compensation is now negotiated separately, typically in the buyer's offer itself.
Second, on January 1, 2025, California's Assembly Bill 2992 took effect, requiring written buyer-broker agreements before any property tour — MLS-listed or not — and requiring compensation to be clearly defined in those agreements as a percentage, set fee, or hourly rate, as agreed by the parties. The term cannot exceed three months and auto-renewals are prohibited; each renewal must be in writing.
Both changes were intended to give homeowners more leverage to negotiate. While the traditional 5–6% combined commission norm remains common, sellers are increasingly looking for full-service alternatives that offer clear, competitive pricing structures.
That's what the Marin neighbor was reacting to. He noticed the math, and he said so out loud.
What got deleted (and why)
The original Nextdoor post was straightforward: it quoted the comment, did the arithmetic in three sentences, and asked readers to run the math on their own homes. No business name appeared in the post. No website was linked. No services were offered. The post asked a question.
It received 22 reactions and 40 comments in its first two days. Some neighbors agreed. Others pushed back hard. One commenter pointed out that a meaningful share of Marin sales happen off-MLS through private networks — a separate but related conversation about who controls access to listings. Another sent a polite-but-firm "STFU about fees" before moving on.
Then the post was removed. The flag: "spam and personal fundraising."
Personal fundraising on Nextdoor is defined as soliciting money or donations for personal causes — GoFundMe-style asks for medical bills, family emergencies, or community drives. The post requested no money. It was reposted with edits. The same content was removed again, the second time under "personal fundraising" alone.
The Nextdoor policy text on what constitutes spam is straightforward. The platform's self-promotion guidelines define a post as crossing the line when it is "intended to acquire customers for a business, professional service, or commercial opportunity in exchange for money." The deleted post named no business, linked to nothing, and offered no service. Spam is also defined as "unwanted, unsolicited, and/or repeated actions that negatively affect neighbors." A post with 22 reactions and 40 comments from neighbors actively engaging with the content is not, by definition, unwanted.
The post was wanted. It was removed anyway.
Who benefits when the math doesn't get done
Two parties benefit when public conversations about traditional real estate commissions don't happen.
The first is the traditional model itself. The longer the standard 5–6% commission stays unexamined in public, the longer the status quo survives. A homeowner who hasn't sold a house since 2003 has no recent reference point for what a $60,000 commission feels like. The norm pre-dated modern technology, and inertia keeps the traditional structure in place.
The second is anyone whose business model depends on traditional commission structures staying intact. Real estate is a network industry. Traditional agents and brokers have a structural interest in homeowners not asking, in print, why commissions have scaled so significantly alongside Marin home values over the same window.
That doesn't mean every individual agent is acting in bad faith — many are good operators who provide real value. But the structural incentive to maintain traditional rates is strong, and that incentive often shows up in how these conversations are moderated online.
Do the math on your own home
If you have lived in a Bay Area home for ten or more years, your house has very likely doubled or tripled in value. The 5% bill on the sale today is not a 5% bill in 1995 dollars — it is a 10%, 15%, or 20% bill in inflation-adjusted terms. The market made your equity. You should keep more of it.
| Home sale price | Listing side at Loqol's 2.5% | Total at a traditional 5% | Total at a traditional 6% |
|---|---|---|---|
| $750,000 | $18,750 | $37,500 | $45,000 |
| $1,200,000 | $30,000 | $60,000 | $72,000 |
| $1,500,000 | $37,500 | $75,000 | $90,000 |
| $2,000,000 | $50,000 | $100,000 | $120,000 |
The buyer-side fee is no longer fixed by the MLS. Under the updated MLS rules, it is negotiated in the buyer's offer — and as of January 1, 2025 under California's AB 2992, the buyer signs a written buyer-broker agreement with their own agent that defines the rate (percentage, set fee, or hourly) before any property tour. The buyer then asks the seller to cover some, all, or none of that as part of the purchase offer. If the seller declines, the buyer pays their own agent themselves.
The commission rate you agree to is not a law of nature. It is a default that survives because most people don't run the math or explore modern full-service alternatives.
A Modern Full-Service Approach in Marin
Loqol (Sunday Real Estate Brokerage Inc. dba Loqol), CA DRE #02261474, is a full-service California brokerage with dedicated licensed agents built to provide a modern answer to the Marin neighbor's question. We offer a 2.5% seller-side commission when the seller onboards through Loqol. This includes a dedicated licensed agent reachable directly at any point in the transaction, a seller dashboard with full visibility into the deal, all documents and disclosures in one place with complete deal and document history, signage installation, and marketing run by Loqol's in-house marketing team.
Every Loqol agent is a licensed California agent we onboarded with prior transaction experience, and our roster has closed 100+ listings between them. Our agents work on software we built ourselves, so every disclosure, deadline, and document in your sale is tracked rather than remembered — and you can see all of it, and reach your agent, in one click. Charlie is Loqol's in-house AI. Our agents use it to run the transaction, and in your seller dashboard you can ask it what's happening with your sale at any point and get an answer grounded in your actual deal — with your agent one click away.
By combining experienced agents with proprietary transaction software, we focus on maximizing your net proceeds and ensuring flawless execution from listing to close.
If you want the deeper county-level breakdown, the Average Real Estate Commission in Marin County 2026 post runs the per-city math from Novato to Belvedere.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much commission does a Marin County real estate agent charge in 2026?
The Marin norm is 5–6% of the sale price when both listing-side and buyer-side commissions are paid by the seller. At Marin's ~$1.5M median, that's $75,000–$90,000 per sale. The post-NAR-settlement and post-AB-2992 reality is that buyer-side compensation is no longer pre-set on the MLS — it's negotiated in the buyer's offer — but the total seller-paid figure most listings still quote hasn't meaningfully changed.
Did the NAR settlement actually lower commission rates?
Not directly. The March 2024 NAR settlement and the rule changes that took effect August 17, 2024 banned MLS display of buyer-broker compensation and required written buyer-broker agreements — but it did not cap or set commission rates. Rates remain fully negotiable. In practice, the 5–6% norm has been remarkably durable.
What changed in California on January 1, 2025?
California's Assembly Bill 2992 took effect. Buyer's agents must now have a written buyer-broker representation agreement signed before showing a buyer any property — MLS-listed or not. The agreement defines compensation as a percentage, set fee, or hourly rate. Terms cannot exceed 3 months, auto-renewals are prohibited, and each renewal must be in writing.
Who pays the buyer's agent now?
Whoever the buyer and seller agree to in the purchase contract. The buyer's representation agreement with their own agent defines what the buyer-side rate is. The buyer can ask the seller to cover some, all, or none of that as part of the offer. If the seller declines, the buyer pays their own agent themselves. It's a real negotiation now.
How does Loqol's 2.5% seller-side commission compare to traditional rates in Marin?
At the ~$1.5M Marin median, a traditional listing-side commission of 2.5% to 3% represents $37,500 to $45,000 in transaction costs. Loqol offers a full-service experience for a 2.5% seller-side commission when you onboard through our platform. This ensures you receive dedicated agent representation, comprehensive marketing, and complete transaction tracking to maximize your net proceeds.
Is Loqol a real brokerage?
Yes — Loqol (Sunday Real Estate Brokerage Inc. dba Loqol) is a licensed California real estate brokerage with CA DRE #02261474. We provide full-service representation with dedicated licensed agents who use our proprietary software to track every detail of your transaction, while giving you complete visibility through your seller dashboard.
Related Reading
- Average Real Estate Commission in Marin County 2026
- Marin County Housing Market 2026
- Best Real Estate Agents in Marin County (2026)
Selling in Marin County?
Loqol is a full-service California brokerage working with sellers in Marin County. Every Loqol agent is a licensed California agent we onboarded with prior transaction experience, and our roster has closed 100+ listings between them.
Talk to a Loqol agent about your Marin County sale.
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