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Properties of Alaska Real Estate Brokers of Alaska
Commission is the fee paid for the work of listing a home, representing a buyer, or both. It has always been a matter of agreement between the people involved — not a rate set by law. In 2024, national practice rules changed how those agreements are written and how offers of compensation may be advertised. This page explains those changes in ordinary language, then describes the baseline our team uses when we talk with a seller.
Every home and price point is different. The numbers below are a starting place for a conversation, not a take-it-or-leave-it demand, and not a prediction of what your closing statement will show.
In March 2024 the National Association of REALTORS® reached a settlement of lawsuits about broker compensation. Practice changes for MLS participants took effect on August 17, 2024. Two of those changes matter most for everyday buyers and sellers:
A Multiple Listing Service is the local marketplace where agents share homes for sale. Under the new rules, an MLS may not display offers of compensation to a buyer’s broker, and those compensation fields were removed. A seller can still choose to offer compensation to a buyer’s broker, or to offer a closing-cost concession. That offer just has to be made off the MLS, with the seller’s written approval.
An MLS participant working with a buyer must have a written agreement with that buyer before touring a home, including a live virtual tour. The agreement has to state the amount or rate of compensation in a way that is clear and not open-ended — it cannot simply say the broker will be paid “whatever the seller offers.” It also has to say the broker may not be paid more than that agreed amount from any source, and it must include a conspicuous statement that broker fees and commissions are not set by law and are fully negotiable.
Those last two points were true before the settlement as well: commission has never been fixed by a statute, and the amount has always been something the parties could agree on. The settlement made the disclosure more consistent and changed where compensation offers may be advertised. Sources are listed in Notes & sources at the bottom of this page.
In a typical sale there are two sides of the work, and they are not automatically one fee.
The seller usually agrees, in a listing agreement, to pay the listing broker for bringing the home to market and seeing the transaction through. That is the listing-side commission in our net estimate.
The buyer and the buyer’s broker agree, in that written buyer agreement, on what the buyer’s broker will be paid. The funds can come from the buyer, from the seller (as compensation offered off the MLS, or as a concession toward the buyer’s costs), or from a combination, if everyone agrees in writing. The buyer’s broker cannot collect more than the amount in the buyer agreement.
Many sellers still choose to offer a payment toward the buyer’s broker, because it can affect who is able to write an offer and how the contract is structured. It is a decision to talk through for your home and your price point, not a hidden rule of the MLS.
There is no single commission rate set by law in Alaska. Commissions have always been negotiable, and the amount you agree to should be written into your listing agreement or buyer agreement. What one home calls for can differ from another, including at different price points.
Our HERO team baseline — the figure we start from, not a typical rate for Alaska and not a quote — is 6% total, with a portion going to the listing agent and a portion to the buyer’s agent. That is also the starting figure in our seller net estimate. It is not the only way a listing can be structured.
We use this baseline because a listing takes real work and real cost — and because we want room to handle the unexpected turns a sale can take, while still putting time and money into the home. Every home and price point is different. Let’s talk about yours.
If you are under a hard deadline, behind on payments, or facing a life change that makes the usual path feel impossible, start with our page on selling before foreclosure in Alaska. We would rather hear the whole story than have you assume there is no way through.
The listing-side portion is what pays for the work of getting a home ready for the market and carrying the file to closing. The exact mix depends on the property, but it typically includes:
Professional photos, and other media when the property calls for them, so buyers can understand the house before they visit.
Preparing the MLS listing, the written description, and the plan for sharing the home beyond the MLS.
Comparable sales, a clear-eyed look at condition and timing, and help gathering disclosures, well or septic records, and the facts that must be right before the listing goes live.
Scheduling and feedback, reading offers as a whole — not only the price — and coordinating inspections, appraisal, title, and the walk to the signing table.
A short version of this plan, including a transaction fee and cancellation language that still need broker confirmation, is on the When your listing goes live section of the seller guide.
No. Broker fees and commissions are not set by law and are fully negotiable. The 2024 NAR settlement did not invent that fact; it required a clearer written statement of it in buyer agreements. The amount you agree to should appear in your contract.
The buyer and the buyer’s broker agree, in a written agreement signed before touring a home, on what that broker will be paid. The funds can come from the buyer, from the seller, or from a combination, if everyone agrees in writing. A seller can still offer to pay a buyer’s broker; that offer just cannot be advertised on the MLS.
It is our starting figure for a conversation: 6% total, with a portion going to the listing agent and a portion to the buyer’s agent. It is not a typical Alaska rate, not a quote, and not the only structure a listing can use. Every home and price point is different.
If you want to walk through commission, net proceeds, or a listing plan for a specific Palmer, Wasilla, or Anchorage property, use the contact page. For a starting net figure only, the worksheet on the seller guide is a reasonable place to begin.
This page is general education. It is not a listing agreement, a buyer agreement, a quote, or legal, tax, or brokerage-compliance advice. Confirm current forms, MLS rules, and any published-rate policies with official sources and your own advisors.
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