How real estate commission math works
Most people meet commission math for the first time when a listing agreement is on the table. The formula is simple, but the number it produces is often one of the largest costs in a home sale, so it is worth understanding before you sign anything. This calculator does one job: it takes a sale price and a commission rate you choose, and compares the result to VroomBrick’s 1% technology fee.
The formula
- Commission= Sale price × the commission rate in your agreement
- VroomBrick technology fee= Sale price × 1%
- Difference= Commission − technology fee
That is all the calculator does. It does not include title charges, transfer taxes, a mortgage payoff or repairs, because those costs exist in any sale. For a full picture of what you walk away with, use the seller net proceeds calculator.
What each input means
Home value. Use a realistic expected sale price, not the list price you hope for. Commission is charged on the price the home actually sells for, so the dollar amount moves with the final contract price.
Commission rate to compare. This is the rate you would otherwise have agreed to pay. Commissions are negotiable, and there is no rate set by law, so the calculator starts from an example rate you can change. Put in the rate from a real listing proposal and the comparison becomes your own.
Where the commission shows up in a real sale
In Virginia, the terms are written down before the home is listed. Under Code of Virginia § 54.1-2137, brokerage agreements must be in writing, must have a definite termination date (or end 90 days after the agreement date if none is given), and must state the amount of the brokerage fees and how and when they are to be paid (as of September 2026). At closing, the commission is typically deducted from the seller’s proceeds and appears on the settlement statement next to taxes, title charges and the loan payoff.
A worked example
Here is the only fee comparison we publish, on a stated price with a stated example rate:
Worked example
On a $400,000 home, a 1% technology fee is $4,000. If a seller's agent charged 3%, that would be $12,000, a difference of $8,000. Commissions are negotiable, so your number depends on what you'd have paid.
Change the home value or the commission rate in the calculator and the same steps run on your numbers. If the rate you enter is 1% or lower, the difference is zero or negative, and the calculator will show that honestly.
What the 1% technology fee covers
VroomBrick is a technology platform, not a brokerage. Whether you’re buying or selling, VroomBrick charges a 1% technology fee for the platform, paid by the seller at closing. You don’t pay an agent commission on the side VroomBrick works with. The fee pays for the platform and connections to the independent licensed professionals who handle the parts of a sale that need a license: a licensed closing attorney for contracts, title review and settlement; showing agents who open the door for buyers; a transaction dashboard that tracks every document and deadline; and remote closing and power-of-attorney support for sellers who cannot be there in person, including military families on orders. Your closing attorney’s fee is part of your closing costs, itemized in your closing documents.
Questions worth asking before you sign any agreement
- What rate, or flat amount, am I agreeing to, and when is it paid?
- Does the agreement say who pays any buyer-side compensation, if any is offered?
- When does the agreement end, and what happens if I cancel early?
- Which costs are fees to the company, and which are third-party closing costs?
These are questions about your own contract, not negotiating advice, and a licensed closing attorney can explain the terms of any document before you sign it. To see what your equity looks like before you list, try the home equity calculator. Buying as well as selling? The buyer savings calculator covers the purchase side.