Do Realtors Actually Spend Money on Me?

A lot of sellers hear, “My compensation is higher because my marketing is expensive,” and wonder what that really means. Here’s a transparent breakdown of what I personally invest in—and what I believe a listing agent should cover—so you can separate talking points from actual service.

Photography & Video (the first showing is online)

What I order (per listing):

• Unbranded video (property-only; MLS compliant)

• Branded video (I’m on camera walking through features; posted to YouTube)

• 60–80 professional photos (home + neighborhood/community)

• Custom floor plan (room names + dimensions)

• Drone photography (aerial context, property line callouts)

• Short social clips/reels (for IG, etc.)

• Detail edits (remove cords/clutter, highlight proximity pins, color/monochrome effects)

Typical costs I pay:

• Virtual staging: ~$50/room

• Full photo/video package: roughly $1,200 (small condo) to $3,000 (larger estates)

Staging (the priciest lever—with real ROI)

• I recommend staging when it will impact days on market and price.

• What I’ve paid: minimum ~$33,000 up to ~$115,000 depending on size/scope.

• High-end TV homes often run $25k–$30k for staging; it works because buyers buy what they can feel.

Premium Property Brochures & Feature Sheets

• Brochures: 12-page, high-finish magazines showcasing the photos.

  • Cost to me: $500–$1,200 per 25 (quality-dependent; I typically spend ~$750 for 25).

• Feature sheets: one-page “Distinguishing Features” + floor plan, key facts (HOA, year built, SF, lot).

  • Cost to me: ~$1 each, printed in batches of 40–50.

• These pieces sell the story during showings and open houses and support agent-to-agent follow-up.

Ongoing Marketing Systems I Fund

• Mailers to my farm: ~$1,800 per drop; 2–3x/month (= $4,000–$5,500/month).

• Skip tracing for non-farm listings: pull 1,000 nearby homes/emails/phones and send targeted mailers (~$1,000 for the drop).

• Email marketing: professionally designed campaigns ~$350 per blast, usually 2x/month.

• Open house sign-ins: I use Jotform so every lead flows into my CRM.

• CRM: I run Follow Up Boss with multiple users (about $700/month for my team) so every showing/open-house lead is tracked and nurtured.

Portal Exposure I Pay For

• Zillow: ~$500/month for one “Showcase” slot; can add more à la carte.

• Homes.com: ~$1,000/month (strong traction; they’re investing heavily in distribution).

• I use these for reverse prospecting and reporting—views, saves, agent activity—so we can adjust strategy with data.

Pre-Listing Inspections (how I handle the cost)

• I like to provide: home inspection (~$650), appraisal (~$500), termite (~$125).

• Current policy: seller pays upfront; I reimburse at closing. (This avoids me eating fees when a seller decides not to list.)

Paying My Agents for Execution (not “free favors”)

• I run a professional operation. My agents are trained and paid:

  • $45–$60/hour for inspections, showings, prep.

  • $200 per open house (with my protocol: signs, catering when applicable, detailed feedback, CRM follow-up).

Brokerage & Website (why mine looks different)

• I operate on a fee-based brokerage model (not a % split on every deal), so I keep ~98% of my compensation—then reinvest in people, design, and distribution.

• My custom website cost ~$6,000 to build plus ongoing maintenance. It’s purpose-built to showcase listings beautifully and convert traffic.

What Your Listing Agent Should Pay For (Customary)

• Professional photos & video

• All listing materials (brochures, feature sheets)

• Mailers and digital promotion

• Open house collateral (signage, systems, follow-up process)

If an agent asks you to cover these during the listing, push back. You’re already paying a commission for full-service marketing.

My Listing Compensation (so you have a benchmark)

• Typical full-service fee: 2.5%

  • If staging is required: +0.25% (so 2.75%).

• Higher-end listings: ~2.0%

  • If staging required: 2.25%.

• Streamlined/limited service is sometimes discounted case-by-case (when it’s truly minimal lift).

• Buyer-agent compensation is always negotiable (commonly 2%–3% in my market) and is ultimately decided in the offer terms.

Bottom Line

Yes—done right, listing a home is expensive for the agent. The spend should be obvious in the photos, video, staging, collateral, data-driven distribution, and process you see. If you don’t see clear investment and a plan tied to real outcomes (traffic, offers, price integrity), keep interviewing.