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Commission Splits by Industry: Where Brokers Make the Most Money

A side-by-side comparison of commission rates and split structures across real estate, yachting, aircraft, automotive, and fine art.

Commission Rate by Industry

IndustryTotal RateTypical Agent SplitAvg Deal Size
Yachting10%55/45$300K–$2M
Real Estate5–6%70/30$350K–$600K
Aircraft4–6%55/45$500K–$5M
Fine Art10–15%60/40$50K–$500K
Automotive2–5%60/40$30K–$150K

Where Brokers Earn the Most Per Deal

Aircraft brokerage produces the highest per-deal earnings despite a lower rate, because deal sizes routinely exceed $1M. A 5% commission on a $2M aircraft is $100,000 gross — at a 55/45 split, the broker nets $55,000 from a single transaction.

Fine art has the highest commission rate (10–15%) but the market is illiquid and relationship-driven. Volume is low, so annual income depends almost entirely on access to high-value consignments.

Real estate offers the best combination of deal volume and commission size for most brokers — especially in markets above $500K median home price.

Annual Earnings Potential by Industry

A yacht broker closing 12 co-brokered deals per year at $400K average vessel price earns roughly $264,000 gross ($40,000 per deal × 12 × 55% split). A real estate agent closing 24 deals at $450K average with a 70/30 split at 3% buyer's commission earns approximately $226,800 gross.

Use the annual income projector to model your own deal volume and split across any industry preset.

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