Co-brokerage split first (listing side vs selling side)
Before you read
Test yourself first: 5 questions
Question 1 of 5
A property sold for $325,000 with a 5.5% commission split 50/50 between brokerages. The selling agent is on a 60/40 split with her broker. The selling agent earns:
Answer: A. Total: 325,000 × .055 = $17,875. Selling side: $8,937.50. Agent 60%: $5,362.50.
Question 2 of 5
A home sells for $250,000 at a 6% total commission, split 50/50 between the two brokerages. How much does the listing brokerage receive?
Answer: A. $250,000 × 6% = $15,000 total. Split 50/50 → $7,500 to the listing brokerage.
Question 3 of 5
A home sells for $300,000 with a total commission of 6 percent, split 50/50 between the listing and selling brokerages. How much does the SELLING brokerage receive?
Answer: A. Total commission is $300,000 x 0.06 = $18,000; split 50/50 gives each brokerage $9,000.
Question 4 of 5
A home sells for $320,000 with a 6% total commission. If the listing and selling brokerages split the commission equally, how much does the listing brokerage receive?
Answer: A. Total commission is $320,000 x 0.06 = $19,200; split equally, each brokerage gets $9,600.
Question 5 of 5
An agent on a 70/30 split (agent/broker) closed a deal where the brokerage's total share of commission was $9,000. How much does the BROKER keep?
Answer: D. The broker keeps 30% of the $9,000 share = $2,700; the agent receives the other 70%.
Keep the streak going with more questions like these, each with a full rationale.
Must-know rules
- Total commission = sale price × rate
- Co-brokerage split first (listing side vs selling side)
- Then broker/agent split within each side
- Agent's take = price × rate × side split × agent split
- $300k × 6% = $18k → 50/50 sides = $9k → 60% agent = $5,400
Commission Math — Follow the Split: FAQs
Is Commission Math — Follow the Split on the real estate exam?
Yes. Brokerage & Practice is a scored domain on the real estate licensing exam, and this topic appears in the national portion.
Is this cheat sheet free?
Yes — every page on Cinna RE's resource library is free to read, print and share. The app adds practice questions, mock exams and a readiness score.
