Aircraft Broker Commissions: Rates, Splits, and What You Actually Take Home

Aircraft brokerage is not residential real estate with wings. The National Business Aviation Association shapes the professional ecosystem around business aircraft, while brokers on the ground negotiate rates that typically land between 4% and 5% on many turbine sales — sometimes wider on light piston inventory.

On a $4,000,000 pre-owned jet at 5%, gross commission is $200,000. That number gets attention in the first meeting. What matters next is co-brokerage split, your firm’s house take, and your share of the broker pool — the same layered math as yachting, with different paperwork and longer due diligence.

Deals close through aviation-specialized escrow and title services, with FAA registration and logbook integrity driving value more than curb appeal. Pre-buy inspections scale with metal: a thorough jet pre-buy can run $15,000–$30,000, paid by the buyer. Brokers who confuse inspection costs with commission lose credibility when the pre-buy fails a week before closing.

The National Aircraft Resale Association (NARA) is a reference point for ethical practice and industry norms in the US. AOPA and other aviation organizations educate owners; your value is transaction execution, records discipline, and buyer-seller representation — not generic sales talk.

International registrations, export certificates, and engine program status can add months, not days, to a deal. Your commission agreement should define when the fee is earned. Fall-through after a failed pre-buy costs time; it rarely costs you a check you were not yet owed — but it costs your reputation with both attorneys.

Use the calculator below with the aircraft preset, then replace every default with your firm’s actual split before you tell a seller what you keep. On multimillion-dollar metal, being wrong by one point is a career-defining mistake.