Sellers should be informed of one very important thing before listing their home for sale with a licensed real estate agent, and that is, you don't. You can sell your home all by yourself, and pay no commissions, by listing your home on various, FOR SALE BY OWNER websites, that are free. When you receive an acceptable offer, you open escrow, and escrow does all the closing paperwork work for you, as well as receiving the distributing funds. All you need to give the buyer are various disclosures on the property. When escrow closes, you receive your full purchase price, less liens needing to be paid, but, you lose no addition funds by paying commissions of (6%) more or less.