How Much Commission Do They Really Make On Selling Sunset?

We've done the maths and spoken to the stars of Selling Sunset, and it turns out selling multi-million dollar houses is pretty profitable. Who knew?

Selling Sunset commission split

by Daisy Hall |
Updated on

We've been counting down the days until Selling Sunset season eight is finally out, because after everything that went down last series, we know that it's going to be an absolute corker.

From explosive confrontations (featuring, unsurprisingly, the majority of cast members) to Mary Fitzgerald opening up about her devastating miscarriage, it was yet another emotional and drama-driven ride at the Oppenheim Group. But perhaps one of the most shocking moments was Bre Tiesi claiming she was 'done' (with some expletives thrown in for good measure) following a string of heated spats with Chelsea Lazkani and Cassandra Dawn, leaving her future on the show uncertain.

In addition, Bre also had a disagreement with Jason Oppenheim about the commission split at the O Group, which left a lot of viewers wondering what it amounts to.

So, we’ve done some research into brokering and real estate (followed by a little bit of maths) to work out exactly how much commission these multi-million-dollar sales are bringing home. And while it’s only a fraction of the cost of the property, it’s still pretty big bucks.

Selling Sunset commission
Selling Sunset commission ©Netflix

What's the Selling Sunset commission split?

In the season seven finale, Jason revealed that Oppenheim Group agents are subject to an 80/20 per cent commission split, whereby 80% goes to the agent and 20% to the brokerage.

Say the total commission is 5% of the cost of the property. That 5% would be split and shared by the person who represents the seller and the person who brings the buyer. So it would benefit the agent if they represented both the buyer and seller.

According to former O Group agent Maya Vander, the real estate agents take end up taking home about 1.75% of the commission on sale.

'Typically the commission on a purchase is 5%,' she said. 'The % is split into half for the person who represents the seller and the person who brings the buyer, so you end up with 2.5%.

'If I bring the buyer, I get 2.5% of the purchase price, but then Jason will take his cut because he’s the broker and he has the liability.' Speaking to Metro, Maya continued, 'Typically for a brokerage, it’s about 70/30 split. I would keep 70% out of the 2.5% and he would take 30%. And then we have to pay taxes.'

Well, now we know how much the stars of Selling Sunset really make every time they sell a property.

Co-star Mary Fitzgerald previously told The Express, 'I think the hardest thing in real estate is working for commission only. Spending months sometimes with a client and then they change their minds.'

She continued, 'The best part can also be when a client finds something they love immediately and I make a huge commission with very little effort. This unfortunately is not normally the case, but I have double-ended deals represented the buyer as well on my own listing, so this is the best scenario for an agent.'

Are the Selling Sunset agents paid a salary ?

The real estate agents do not receive a salary from the Oppenheim Group, meaning they make all their money via commissions. If you don't sell a house, you don't get paid!

However, the Selling Sunset girls have created their own opportunities and side hustles which they also earn from too - including, of course, their careers as reality TV stars!

Daisy Hall is a News and Entertainment writer on Grazia, specialising in TV and film meaning that you can count on Daisy for the latest (and best) recommendations.

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