If you’re buying or selling a home in Venice, Wellen Park, North Port, or anywhere along Florida’s Gulf Coast, you’ve probably heard the questions:

“Who pays the buyer’s agent now?”

“Do I have to offer a big commission to get my house sold?”

“Will I save money under the new rules?”

The short answer? Commissions are more flexible and transparent than ever. Since the NAR settlement changes, there’s no longer a “standard” way commissions get handled. Sellers are no longer required to automatically offer or advertise buyer-agent compensation through an MLS system.

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Here’s the important context for Southwest Florida sellers: Historically, getting 95% of asking price has been considered a normal and very solid outcome. In many cases, that 5% “discount” from list price already factored in the old practice of the seller paying both sides of the commission (often 5–6% total). This would net the average seller less than 90% of their listing price.

Today, when you see a home sell at 92% or 96.5% of list, you have to look deeper. If the buyer paid their own agent’s compensation directly, that lower percentage can actually deliver the seller the same (or better) net proceeds than a traditional 95% deal where the seller also paid 3% toward the buyer’s side.

The best proof? These recent closings at Slice of Florida Realty show how creative, fair deals are happening every day—without inflating prices or assuming the old split.

1. Full Price + Buyer Pays Their Own Agent (Wellen Park Villa)

We listed a beautiful three-year-old paired villa in Wellen Park on March 7, 2026. It went under contract just nine days later at full asking price.

The buyer had their own agent and paid their compensation directly. The seller walked away with exactly what they wanted—no concessions needed.

2. Strong Offer with Seller Concession for Buyer’s Agent (Pinebrook South)

A 1978 single-family home in Pinebrook South hit My State MLS ( the national MLS) on March 1, 2026. It went pending in 13 days and closed on March 27.

The buyers offered 95% of asking price, and the seller agreed to a 3% credit at closing to help cover the buyer’s broker fees. This remains a common and effective strategy when it fits the seller’s goals.

3. Unrepresented Buyers Paying the Listing Agent Directly (Venice Island Manufactured Home)

We listed a 2009 manufactured home in a popular 55+ community on Venice Island on November 8, 2025. It took about nine weeks to go under contract at $318,000 and sold for 91% of the original list price.

The buyers came to us directly with no buyer’s agent. They paid Slice of Florida Realty separately for contract to closing services. From the seller’s perspective, this effectively delivered a 94% outcome—without any built-in double commission.

4. Buyer Pays Their Own Representation on Top of the Price (Venice East & Venice Gardens)

•  A 1979 home in Venice East went under contract in less than six weeks (after strategic price adjustments) at full asking price.
• A 1972 pool home in Venice Gardens hit the market on March 6, 2025, and went under contract on April 25 at 96.5% of asking. Because the buyer paid their own brokerage separately, it was essentially a 99.5% offer for the seller.

In both cases, buyers seeing the value in paying for their own representation strengthened their offers by handling their side independently.

5. Direct Transaction Services (North Port Golf Community Villa)

A 2003 villa with pool in a North Port country club community listed on November 29, 2025, went pending about two months later at 92% of the original list price after one reduction.

The buyers asked us (the listing brokerage) to write the contract and handle their side to closing, paying us directly outside the purchase price. Again, the seller didn’t have to build extra compensation into the deal. This essentially worked out to a 95% sold price for the seller—matching what has historically been viewed as a strong, normal outcome in Southwest Florida, but without the seller also paying buyer-broker compensation on top.

Even More Creative Ideas We’re Seeing

Just this week, a potential buyer asked an intriguing question: Could they pay the compensation for both the listing brokerage and their own buyer’s brokerage directly? This would allow them to submit a significantly lower purchase price that still nets the seller their desired bottom line.

Here’s why this can be powerful for everyone involved:

Suppose a home is listed at $500,000. In the old model, you may have had a 6% total commission on that price equaling $30,000. If the buyer instead makes a lower offer of $470,000 and covers both commissions directly, the total commission paid drops to $28,200 (6% of the lower price). That’s real savings on commission dollars alone.

On top of that, many closing costs and taxes — such as Florida’s documentary stamp tax on the deed ($0.70 per $100 of the sale price) and certain title-related fees — are calculated as a percentage of the final purchase price. A lower contract price can create incremental savings for both buyer and seller.

Even better for the long term: The next time the property is assessed for property taxes, the lower purchase price often becomes the new baseline for “just value.” In Florida, this can mean meaningfully lower annual property taxes for years to come — potentially saving the new homeowner thousands of dollars over the life of ownership (especially when combined with the Save Our Homes cap that limits annual increases).

This kind of creative structuring shows exactly how the new rules open the door to true win-win deals that simply weren’t as openly discussed before.

The Bottom Line: Sellers Do Not Have to “Buy” Their Buyer’s Agent

These real examples—from a nine-day full-price sale in Wellen Park to thoughtful direct arrangements in Venice and North Port—prove a key truth in 2026:

Homes are selling successfully without automatically offering buyer-agent compensation in the listing agreement.

Buyers now have real choices: bring their own agent and negotiate payment, pay their agent directly, request a seller concession, work directly with the listing side where allowed, or even propose covering both sides to keep the purchase price (and related costs) lower. Sellers benefit from this flexibility too—by pricing competitively and staying open to different structures instead of assuming the old model.

When evaluating any offer, always look at the net to the seller. A 92% sale where the buyer covers their own fees can easily equal (or beat) the old 95% outcome after traditional commissions. Anyone telling you that you must offer substantial buyer-agent compensation or your house won’t sell is simply wrong based on what we’re seeing every month.

What This Means for You

Whether you’re selling in Lakewood Ranch, buying in Englewood, or somewhere in between, success today comes down to smart pricing, strong presentation, and flexible negotiation—not outdated commission assumptions.

At Slice of Florida Realty, we focus on transparency and creative solutions tailored to your goals. Every transaction starts with clear conversations so there are no surprises at closing.

If you’re thinking about buying or selling in the areas of Palmer Ranch, Osprey, Grand Palm, or Nokomis, let’s talk. We’ll review current comps, walk through your options under today’s rules (including creative structures like the ones above), and build a strategy that actually works for you.

Reach out today or follow along for more real stories and practical advice on The Real Estate Agent Man Podcast.

Steve Martin Smith is the Broker/Owner of Slice of Florida Realty and Host of the globally downloaded Real Estate Agent Man Podcast

(941) 894-9800