a) In the Greater Toronto Area, buyers typically don't have to pay a commission to their real estate agent, instead, sellers pay for both buyer's & seller's real estate agent's commission. The commission is included in the property's listing price. The most common commission rate offered to the buyers' agents in Greater Toronto Area is 2.5% of the sale price. (And Yes, taxes are extra.) b) The real estate agent will agree on the commission to be paid to the buyer's broker when signing the Seller's Representation Agreement Listing Agreement with the seller. This information is displayed in the Co-operating Brokerage Commission (CB Comm) section of the listing information for the buyer's real estate agent to view. It is the seller's freedom to pay the buyer's broker a commission, and while it is common to pay 2.5%, the seller may choose to pay only 2.25%, or less, or even only $1, meaning the seller does not pay the buyer's broker a commission, leaving the buyer to cover the buyer's broker's commission. Note that the downside of this is that for some Toronto real estate agents who only charge a commission based on the amount specified in the MLS, such a commission structure would be a disincentive to show the property. However, if the listing (seller) agent has a strong ability to attract buyers, or if the market is a strong seller's market, this could potentially save the seller commission. Also, some buyer's brokers have already set a commission for their services when they sign an agency agreement with their buyer's client. If this amount exceeds the seller's stipulation, the buyer can either make up the buyer's brokerage commission on their own, or they can engage the buyer's broker to negotiate with the seller to have the seller pay it. At this point, the seller needs to ensure that the net selling price, including the buyer's commission, still meets their expectations. c) In the Greater Toronto Area, the more common seller's brokerage commission is currently 1.5% to 2%. However, in the Asian market, especially the Chinese market, realtor commissions tend to be lower or include services that are available in the mainstream market for an additional fee, such as staging upholstery. It is the common desire of all sellers to get good value for money, but please keep in mind that when searching for low commission brokerage services in Toronto, it is important to stick to the points mentioned above in the interview session and not sacrifice quality of service. Sellers need to look at the net benefit. A good marketing campaign can lead to more and better offers, which often ends up being far more profitable than the commission savings offered by a discount broker. The quality of a candidate real estate agent's marketing program, not the amount of commission, is the only indicator of a seller's agent!