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Negotiating pays off for real estate commissions

photo by flickr user aleutia under Creative Commons licenseIt doesn’t hurt to negotiate when it comes to commissions paid to Realtors, according to an Associated Press story. Trouble is, most people don’t bother. 

Don’t be shy about haggling over what you pay your real estate agent.

A study released Monday by Consumer Reports found 71 percent of sellers who negotiated for lower commissions with their brokers were successful. But only 46 percent of sellers surveyed tried.

Those who paid commissions of 3 percent were just as satisfied with their broker’s performance as those who paid 6 percent, the study found.

The lesson? Haggling won’t hurt.

Leave a comment to tell us if negotiation has worked for you.

Photo provided by Flickr user Aleutia under Creative Commons license

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