When it came time to list their five-bedroom, three-bath home with a real estate agent -- and agree on the commission they'd pay -- Nancy and Rick Razzano of Wayne, Ill. got a surprise. "The agent told us that the commission was 5 percent to 7 percent, and that we should pick it," recalls Nancy. "She seemed to be very ... Continue Reading »

"Most people didn't think about how real estate agents get paid -- I never did," says homeowner Rick Razzano of Wayne, Ill. "When we bought our house, I don't know if I understood that our agent's commission came out of the amount the sellers were paying their agent." However, now that Razzano and his wife, Nancy, ... Continue Reading »

After her home in Michigan's Upper Peninsula sat on the market for a year without an offer, Rita Gordon and her husband, Bill, were determined to hire a new real-estate agent. "The first time, our family and friends said, 'Go with this person.' We did no due diligence," says Gordon, who has since relocated to Rocky Point, ... Continue Reading »

Colleen Gelardi learned the hard way that listing your home with a top-producing agent -- or even one recommended by a friend- - may not be the best way to pick a real-estate agent. " We just went with what our friends said," explains Gelardi, of Aurora, Ohio. "They knew the agent personally, and she'd helped them." ... Continue Reading »