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On a $500,000 sale at a 3% commission, an agent on a 90/10 split keeps $13,500, and an agent on a 70/30 split keeps $10,500. Commission rates are negotiable in Texas, so treat 3% as a round example, not a standard.
The brokerage's take triples under 70/30, and the agent gives up $3,000 on a single closing. Those figures are before your own marketing costs and taxes.
Marketing costs are where the 90/10 number gets better still. At Vince Young Realty the $1,500 brokerage share sits alongside tools you would otherwise pay for: your own custom website on Savvy Studio with IDX search and lead capture, an AI CRM with the Grant assistant, a mobile app for you and your buyers, free yard signs and listing print. On a traditional split, ask which of those come out of your $10,500.
The gap between the two splits is always 20% of the gross commission. Here is how it moves as the rate changes on the same $500,000 price:
For reference, an 80/20 split at 3% keeps $12,000, sitting halfway between the two.
A fair comparison includes the fixed cost. At Vince Young Realty the split is 90/10 with a flat $250 a month, or $3,000 a year, and no transaction fees on sales or leases.
That $3,000 equals the gap on exactly one $500,000 sale at 3%. So:
Put simply, the monthly fee is paid off by the first $15,000 of gross commission you earn in a year. Everything after that widens your lead over a 70/30 split.
Many traditional agreements add charges on top of the split. Two common structures, with hypothetical amounts:
Vince Young Realty charges no transaction fees. For anything beyond the split and monthly fee, ask us for the complete fee schedule, and read our guide to hidden fees in Texas brokerage agreements.
Austin-area sales across Travis, Williamson and Hays counties run through ACTRIS, the MLS of the Austin Board of REALTORS. Listing-side and buyer-side compensation are each negotiated, and buyer-side pay is set in the written buyer representation agreement, so your rate will vary deal to deal.
A higher split also changes how you can price your services. If a seller negotiates your fee down from 3% to 2.5% on a $500,000 listing, a 90/10 agent still keeps $11,250, which is more than the $10,500 a 70/30 agent keeps at the full 3%. That gives you room to negotiate without taking home less than a traditional split would pay.
Leases matter here too. On a $1,200 lease commission, a 90/10 split keeps $1,080 and a 70/30 split keeps $840. With no transaction fees on leases, every lease you close at Vince Young Realty follows the same 90/10 math.
Multiply price by rate, apply the split, subtract per-deal fees, then subtract annual fixed fees. Do it for last year's closings under both splits and the difference is your answer.
If you are also weighing fixed-fee models, see 90/10 vs 100% commission. When you are ready, tell us about your year or call (512) 785-7489.
It means that when a transaction closes and the title company pays the commission to your sponsoring brokerage, 90% of that gross commission is paid to you and 10% stays with the brokerage. On a $15,000 commission, that is $13,500 to you and $1,500 to the brokerage. In Texas, commissions are paid to the sponsoring broker, who then pays the agent, which is why the split lives in your independent contractor agreement rather than in the sales contract itself.
At a 3% commission the gross is $15,000, and a 70/30 split sends $4,500 to the brokerage. A 90/10 split sends $1,500. The extra $3,000 is the cost of the 70/30 structure on that single deal. At 2.5%, the brokerage share is $3,750 under 70/30 versus $1,250 under 90/10, a $2,500 difference. Rates are negotiable, so plug in your own. Remember to add any per-transaction or off-the-top fees your agreement lists.
The title company typically funds the commission to the sponsoring brokerage at or shortly after closing, and the brokerage then disburses the agent's share under its own process. The timing depends on the brokerage, the title company and when the deal funds, so it is worth asking any broker you interview how disbursements work. At Vince Young Realty, ask us on a call and we will walk you through the process from closing to deposit.
On a $500,000 sale at 3%, 80/20 keeps $12,000 and 90/10 keeps $13,500, a $1,500 gap. With Vince Young Realty's $3,000 yearly fee, the break-even against a fee-free 80/20 split is $30,000 of annual gross commission, which is two such sales. Above that, 90/10 keeps more. If the 80/20 agreement adds per-deal fees, the break-even arrives even sooner. For example, a $300 fee per deal on two sales adds $600 to the 80/20 side, so after two sales the 90/10 agent is $600 ahead instead of even.
Work in four steps. First, sale price times commission rate gives gross commission. Second, multiply by your side of the split. Third, subtract any per-transaction fee or off-the-top deduction in your agreement. Fourth, spread your annual fixed fees across the year. Example: a $400,000 sale at 2.5% is $10,000 gross; 90% is $9,000. With no transaction fee at Vince Young Realty, that is $9,000, and the $3,000 yearly fee is covered by your total annual production, not charged per deal.
Applying the split to the wrong number. Some deductions come out before the split, such as certain brokerage fees or a referral fee, and that changes the base. If a 25% referral fee comes off a $15,000 commission first, the split applies to $11,250, and 90% of that is $10,125, not $13,500. Check the order of deductions in your agreement. The second mistake is forgetting annual fixed fees entirely, which makes low-producing years look better than they are.
It is a round, hypothetical figure chosen to make the math easy to follow, not a claim about any area's typical price. Austin-area prices vary widely across Travis, Williamson and Hays counties, and you can check current ACTRIS data through the Austin Board of REALTORS for any segment you work. The useful part is the ratio: the 90/10 versus 70/30 gap is always 20% of gross commission, whatever the price.
At 3%, six sales produce $90,000 of gross commission. Under 70/30, the agent keeps 6 x $10,500, or $63,000. Under 90/10 at Vince Young Realty, the agent keeps 6 x $13,500, or $81,000, then pays $3,000 in monthly fees for a net of $78,000. That is $15,000 more in one year, before your own expenses and taxes. Add two $1,200 leases and the 90/10 agent picks up $2,160 more, versus $1,680 under 70/30.
At Vince Young Realty, yes, and there are no transaction fees on leases. A $1,200 lease commission pays you $1,080. Under a 70/30 split the same lease pays $840, and if a traditional agreement also charges a flat per-transaction fee, the lease can shrink further. Because Austin has a large lease market, agents who close several leases a year should include them when comparing splits.
Ninety percent of every check is yours, the brokerage fee is a flat $250 a month, and no transaction fee comes out of any sale or lease. Your own custom website on Savvy Studio, an AI CRM with the Grant assistant, a mobile app for you and your buyers, free yard signs and listing print are included, along with access to health and private club benefits; contact us for details. To start, fill out the form at vinceyoungrealty.com/join-us or call (512) 785-7489.
90/10 split, $250 a month, no transaction fees on sales or leases. Nothing goes to your current brokerage.