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. The seller pays a 6% commission and $4,000 in other closing costs. What is the seller's net?
Answer: A. Commission = $18,000. Net = $300,000 − $18,000 − $4,000 = $278,000.
Question 4 of 5
A seller nets $188,000 after paying a 6% commission (and no other costs). What was the sale price?
Answer: A. The seller keeps 94% of the price: price = $188,000 ÷ 0.94 = $200,000.
Question 5 of 5
A seller wants to net $94,000 after a 6% commission (no other costs). What is the minimum sale price?
Answer: A. The seller keeps 94%: price = $94,000 ÷ 0.94 = $100,000.
Keep the streak going with more questions like these, each with a full rationale.
What you need to know
Sale $420,000, total commission 5.5% = $23,100. Co-brokerage 60/40 listing/selling: listing side $13,860, selling side $9,240. The selling agent on a 70/30 split with their broker earns $9,240 × 0.70 = $6,468. Twists: a referral fee (25% of the selling SIDE) comes off the top of that side before the broker/agent split; a transaction fee may come off the agent's share; 100%-commission shops charge flat desk fees instead. Reverse question: an agent earned $6,468 on a 70% split of a 40% side at 5.5% — price = $6,468 ÷ 0.7 ÷ 0.4 ÷ 0.055 = $420,000.
Commission Splits With a Twist: FAQs
Is Commission Splits With a Twist on the real estate exam?
Yes. Real Estate Math 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.
