2026 Real Estate Brokerage Fee Rates: How to Save Money

As of 2026, the maximum brokerage fee for a 900 million KRW apartment transaction is 1.95 million KRW. This follows the standard agreement table from the Financial Settlement Institute, though the actual amount may vary depending on exemption grounds or settlement methods. Today, we will explain the formula for calculating fees and legal ways to reduce them.

2026 Real Estate Brokerage Fee Rates: How to Save Money

1. How much do you pay for a 900 million KRW purchase?

For a transaction of 900 million KRW, the brokerage fee is 1.95 million KRW. This is the result of applying the standard agreement rates, which are 0.3% for amounts over 600 million KRW and 0.7% for amounts over 1 billion KRW. The same standards apply to sales, jeonse (long-term lease), and auctions.

2. Why must you follow the standard agreement rates?

It is illegal for a broker to arbitrarily raise fees. You can easily look up the standard table by region through the Financial Settlement Institute’s website. Be sure to verify this amount before signing the contract.

3. Two situations where brokerage fees are exempt

The only exemption case is when settling the monthly rent or jeonse deposit for a tenant. For example, if a 300 million KRW jeonse is converted to 1 million KRW monthly rent, the broker cannot charge a fee. However, transactions where the seller directly receives the remaining deposit, such as those involving a ‘fixed date’ (confirmation of priority rights), are not included in the exemption category.

💡 Key Point
Only brokerage services for deposit settlements are fee-free. Fees are always incurred for sales or new jeonse contracts.

4. A realistic strategy to pay only half the fee

By using mutual agents, each party can bear only 0.5%. For example, if A and B each hire a broker to draft the contract, the total fee is reduced to about 50% of the standard agreement rate. This is a legal method because it involves using different licensed real estate offices.

5. Do real estate businesses also pay fees?

There is no brokerage fee when an individual buys and sells real estate. However, other costs may arise, such as when purchasing an entire building or registration costs during gift or inheritance processes, so professional consultation is needed. Even in direct transactions between individuals, if a broker is involved, a fee must be paid.

6. Pre-contract checklist

Verify that the amount stated in the contract matches the standard agreement rate. If there are additional costs, request an itemized statement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I trust an ad claiming 0 KRW brokerage fee?

Ads claiming complete exemption in sales contracts (other than deposit settlements) should be viewed with suspicion. They may demand payment under the guise of small service fees or other reasons, so use the standard agreement table as your benchmark.

If the contract is broken due to loan failure, do I still have to pay the fee?

If the broker is not at fault, a minimum fee may be charged as compensation for the work already invested. However, you do not have to bear 100% of the cost; the specific amount should be negotiated based on the expenditure details.

Do online brokerage offices have the same fee rates?

Yes, the standard agreement rates apply equally regardless of the brokerage method. Be cautious of additional charges under the guise of indirect costs that may occur during offline visits.