Published
Who Pays Realtor Fees in Idaho?
How fees are actually set since August 2024
The old shorthand — "the seller pays both agents" — stopped being a default in August 2024, when national practice changes took effect. The current mechanics:
I would rather tell you what a thing costs up front and lose the call than have you find out at the closing table. Nobody has ever thanked me for a surprise.
— Kjel Jones, Licensed Real Estate Agent (Idaho), LPT Realty, 2026
- Buyers sign a written buyer agreement before touring homes. It states their agent's fee and what the agent owes them. It is required practice, and reading it line by line is the point, not a formality.
- Sellers set their listing fee in the listing agreement — and separately decide, offer by offer, whether to contribute toward the buyer's agent fee.
- Offers negotiate the split. A buyer's offer can ask the seller to cover some or all of the buyer-side fee; in 2026's slower eastern Idaho market, many sellers still agree, because it widens the pool of buyers who can perform.
Can you negotiate realtor fees in Idaho? Yes — always could
Commissions have never been fixed by law or by any board. The honest conversation happens before any work: what the fee is, what it covers, and what happens if the other side contributes. An agent who dodges that conversation in writing is answering a different question. This site's fees page states how its author is paid, in plain language, because that is what transparency looks like.
What a commission actually is, in dollars
A worked example on a real sourced figure — not a quoted "standard":
- $633,950 — median listing price, Rexburg metro area (Madison + Fremont counties), up from $599,500 a year earlier (Realtor.com via FRED, August 2026)
If a seller at that median negotiated a 3% listing-side fee — an example rate, not a norm — the fee would be about $18,787. The agent does not pocket that: brokerage splits, transaction costs, taxes and licensing come out first, and the same agent may run months between closings. The number is real money either way, which is exactly why it belongs in writing before any work starts.
Why "hardest month to sell" is mostly a pricing question
86 days — median days on market, Rexburg metro area — up from 44 days in April 2026 and 65 days in August 2025, a market steadily slowing (Realtor.com via FRED, August 2026) — a market moving that slowly punishes overpricing in every month. Eastern Idaho listings do slow in deep winter, but the listings that sit longest in any season are the ones priced from hope instead of closed comparables. Sellers pulling homes off the market are usually correcting a price mistake, not a calendar mistake.
About Kjel Jones
Kjel Jones is a licensed Idaho real estate agent (license SP49090, verifiable at irec.idaho.gov), licensed since 2018 with around fifty closed transactions. He was born in Idaho Falls, raised in Rexburg, and has lived in eastern Idaho his whole life. His sweet spot is single-family homes within about an hour of Rexburg. “Kjel Jones Real Estate” by LPT Realty — call or text (208) 346-0163, or send a question.
Common questions
Can you negotiate realtor fees in Idaho?
Yes — commissions have never been fixed by law or by any association, and since August 2024 both sides’ fees go in written agreements before any work happens. Negotiate the number, what it includes, and who contributes what, and get every part of it in writing.
Do sellers typically pay both realtor fees?
Not by default anymore. Since the August 2024 practice changes, the seller sets their listing fee in the listing agreement and decides offer by offer whether to contribute toward the buyer’s agent fee. Many still do, because it widens the buyer pool — but it is a negotiated line item, not an assumption.
Is a 3% realtor fee normal?
There is no “normal” — commissions are negotiable and quoting any rate as standard would misrepresent how this works. Fees vary with the property, the price point, the services included and the market. Compare what each agent proposes in writing, including exactly what the fee covers.
How much does a realtor make off of a $300,000 house?
At an example negotiated rate of 3%, the fee on a $300,000 sale is $9,000 — but the agent nets far less after brokerage splits, transaction costs and taxes, spread across the months a deal takes. The real answer for your sale is whatever your written agreement says, which is why it comes first.
What is the most common reason a property fails to sell?
Price. With eastern Idaho listings sitting two to three months and inventory up on the year, buyers simply skip homes priced above the closed comparables — silently, without an offer. Condition and access matter, but nearly every stale listing traces back to a number the market already voted against.
What is the 80/20 rule for realtors?
A business adage — most results come from a small share of causes — often quoted as most sales coming from a minority of agents. For a consumer choosing representation, the practical version: verify the license, ask for recent local transactions, and get the fee in writing. Verifiable work beats slogans.