What each input means
- Sale price: the price in your accepted offer, not your list price. A listing agreement normally ties a percentage commission to the price the home actually sells for, so check how yours defines it.
- Listing commission rate: the percentage your listing brokerage would charge. The calculator starts at 3% only as an example. Rates aren't set by law, and NAR's settlement FAQs say compensation "remains fully negotiable and is not set by law."
- Buyer's agent compensation: an optional percentage you choose to pay the buyer's brokerage. It starts at 0% because, since August 17, 2024, you pay it only if you agree to. It's the same whichever listing option you pick, so it's shown on its own line.
How to read the results
The summary line gives the dollar cost of the listing rate you entered, and, if you entered one, the dollar cost of buyer-agent compensation.
The tables below it put each JupiDoor option next to that percentage. In Utah these are full-service tiers paid at closing. In Idaho they are flat-fee MLS listings paid up front, where you handle more of the sale yourself; the Full Service Realtor package also adds a percentage at closing, and the calculator includes it. The last column shows how much less each option costs than the percentage you entered. A dash means it doesn't cost less at that price and rate.
These are listing costs only. Title insurance, escrow fees, property tax and HOA prorations, and your mortgage payoff are separate and don't change with the listing option. See /selling-costs/ for the full list and a net proceeds example.
How commission scales with price: worked examples
These use round, hypothetical rates to show the arithmetic. They are not typical or average rates.
| Sale price | 3% listing commission | 2% buyer-agent compensation (if agreed) | Both together |
|---|---|---|---|
| $300,000 | $9,000 | $6,000 | $15,000 |
| $500,000 | $15,000 | $10,000 | $25,000 |
| $800,000 | $24,000 | $16,000 | $40,000 |
Each $50,000 of price adds $1,500 at 3%. A half-point change in the rate is worth $2,500 on a $500,000 sale. Compare that with a flat fee: a hypothetical $5,000 fee costs $5,000 at every price, so it's $4,000 less than 3% at $300,000 and $19,000 less at $800,000. That $5,000 figure is for illustration only; it isn't any company's price.
The percentage doesn't tell you what services you get. Before you compare numbers, compare what each option includes. See /selling-costs/flat-fee-vs-commission/ for the questions to ask.
Listing-side versus buyer-side compensation
The listing-side charge is what you owe your own brokerage under your listing agreement. In Idaho, the written seller representation agreement must state "all fees or commissions" (Idaho Code § 54-2050).
Buyer-side compensation changed in 2024. MLSs covered by the NAR settlement no longer carry offers of compensation to buyer agents, and buyers must sign a written agreement with their agent that states the agent's pay before touring a home. You can still agree to pay the buyer's brokerage, and Utah's state-approved purchase contract has a line for it (REPC § 4.3(e)). You can also offer a concession toward the buyer's costs instead. Details are at /selling-costs/buyer-agent-commission/.
If your agreement sets a total rate that your listing broker shares with the buyer's broker, the calculator treats it as two lines. Enter your side as the listing rate and the shared portion as buyer-agent compensation, so you can see each part.
Commission as a share of your equity
Commission is figured on the sale price, but it's paid out of your equity: the price minus what you still owe. The less you owe, the smaller that share. The more you owe, the bigger it gets.
Take a hypothetical $500,000 sale with a $400,000 loan balance. Your equity before costs is $100,000. A 3% listing commission ($15,000) plus 2% to the buyer's agent ($10,000) totals $25,000, which is a quarter of that equity. With a $200,000 balance, the same $25,000 is about 8% of $300,000 in equity. The commission is the same in both cases. What changes is how much of your equity it takes.
That's why sellers who bought recently, or who refinanced, often look hardest at the listing cost. To turn these numbers into a net proceeds estimate, subtract your payoff and the other closing costs listed at /selling-costs/.
What the calculator can't see
A calculator only multiplies. Your listing agreement may have terms that change the real cost, so read it for these before you sign:
- Whether the rate applies to the final sale price and what happens if a price reduction or seller credit is agreed after the offer.
- Whether any part of the fee is owed if you cancel the listing or the home doesn't sell.
- Whether a flat fee is paid up front or at closing, and whether anything else is added at closing.
- Whether the listing brokerage expects to share part of its fee with a buyer's broker, and if so how much you must approve in writing.
Under the NAR settlement, a REALTOR® listing agent must disclose in writing, in advance, any payment the listing broker will make to a buyer's broker, and must specify the amount or rate.
This guide is general information about how selling works in Utah and Idaho, not legal, tax or financial advice. Laws, forms and customs change; read the actual documents you are asked to sign, and talk to an attorney or tax professional about your situation.
