No law sets commission rates, but offering well under what buyers' agents in your area actually charge can shrink your buyer pool. Every side's compensation is negotiable. Nationally, total commissions have tended to run a bit above five percent, often split fairly evenly, but "often" is a habit, and nothing fixes it. Since the NAR settlement, a buyer and their agent agree on that agent's compensation in writing, up front. A seller can still offer a concession toward the buyer's side, and that contribution is what you are really deciding here. If a buyer's agent is doing full-service work (showing, negotiating, managing the transaction) for a contribution that leaves their fee short, some buyers will have to bring extra cash to cover the gap, and some will steer around your listing entirely. Two more things we would weigh: - Buyers read it as a signal. An unusually low contribution sometimes gets read from the buyer side as a sign of a difficult seller. - Generosity tends to pay for itself. A stronger contribution usually drives more showings and more competition, and competition is what pushes the sale price up. Treat the contribution as marketing spend. None of this is a guarantee, and the right number depends on your local market.