What commission do estate sale companies charge?

Reputable sources disagree, so treat it as a spread. Most quotes land between 25% and 50% of the gross: the EstateSales.NET 2023 industry survey found the most common client rates were 35% and 40% (respondents reported 10% to 60%), Step by Step Business puts the average at 38%, an EstateSales.org poll put the single most common rate at 45%, and Brown Button says companies charge on average between 35% and 60%. High-value, easy-to-sell estates pull toward 25% to 35%, while small or labor-heavy jobs push to 45% to 50% or higher (per DIYAuctions). The rate reflects the work, so set it per job rather than publishing one number for every house.

How much does a typical estate sale gross?

Most sales are small. In the EstateSales.NET 2023 industry survey, 70.57% of usual sales grossed under $20,000 and 36.88% grossed under $10,001; the $70,001-and-up brackets were just 3.9% of those reported. SmartAsset, citing a 2018 EstateSales.net survey, puts average gross sales at $18,565 before commissions and fees. Use your own walkthrough estimate in the field above, not the industry average.

Why is my company take negative?

Because the sale-day costs you carry are larger than your commission on that gross. It is a real outcome on a small or labor-heavy job, and it is why many companies set a minimum commission or a flat fee for small jobs, cleanouts, and appraisal-only work (per DIYAuctions 2025). When the number comes out red, the fix is your floor, not the estimate.

Does this account for taxes and fees?

No. It is a gross-to-net split of one sale, before income tax, any sales tax you collect and remit, and card-processing fees on your own payment account. Read the company take as revenue before those, not as money in your pocket. This is not tax advice.

Updated August 2026

Estate sale proceeds calculator

This splits one sale three ways: what the family receives, what your commission comes to, and what is left for your company once you subtract the staffing and supplies you carry on the day.

What it is not is a valuation. It cannot tell you what a house will gross: that estimate is the hardest number in the trade and you have to bring it. What it can tell you is whether the job pays at the rate you are about to quote. The company take goes red on small, labor-heavy sales, and seeing that before you sign is the whole point of running it.

Sale-proceeds calculator

See how one sale splits between your company and the family. Enter the estimated gross, your commission rate, and the sale-day costs you carry. The company take is your commission minus your own staffing and supplies — and it can go negative on a small job, which is exactly why you run the number before you sign.

Estimated gross salesYour commission rateSale-day staffingSupplies & ads (this sale)

Your commission on the gross —
Family payout (gross − commission) —
Your sale-day costs —

Your company take—

An estimate to plan with, not a quote. Set your rate and costs from your own contract; a stated minimum commission keeps a light sale from paying you nothing.

Want the trade context behind these lines rather than just the arithmetic? Read the full chapter on commission models and contracts, part of the free playbook on how to start an estate sale business.

Frequently Asked Questions

What commission do estate sale companies charge?: Reputable sources disagree, so treat it as a spread. Most quotes land between 25% and 50% of the gross: the EstateSales.NET 2023 industry survey found the most common client rates were 35% and 40% (respondents reported 10% to 60%), Step by Step Business puts the average at 38%, an EstateSales.org poll put the single most common rate at 45%, and Brown Button says companies charge on average between 35% and 60%. High-value, easy-to-sell estates pull toward 25% to 35%, while small or labor-heavy jobs push to 45% to 50% or higher (per DIYAuctions). The rate reflects the work, so set it per job rather than publishing one number for every house.
How much does a typical estate sale gross?: Most sales are small. In the EstateSales.NET 2023 industry survey, 70.57% of usual sales grossed under $20,000 and 36.88% grossed under $10,001; the $70,001-and-up brackets were just 3.9% of those reported. SmartAsset, citing a 2018 EstateSales.net survey, puts average gross sales at $18,565 before commissions and fees. Use your own walkthrough estimate in the field above, not the industry average.
Why is my company take negative?: Because the sale-day costs you carry are larger than your commission on that gross. It is a real outcome on a small or labor-heavy job, and it is why many companies set a minimum commission or a flat fee for small jobs, cleanouts, and appraisal-only work (per DIYAuctions 2025). When the number comes out red, the fix is your floor, not the estimate.
Does this account for taxes and fees?: No. It is a gross-to-net split of one sale, before income tax, any sales tax you collect and remit, and card-processing fees on your own payment account. Read the company take as revenue before those, not as money in your pocket. This is not tax advice.

Run the real sale, not just the estimate

TagLot is the back office for estate-sale and senior-move companies — photograph a whole house offline, review the drafted catalog, print QR labels, and hand the family a settlement they can read line by line. Free is one full sale, no card and no countdown, and the money runs on your own Square or cash. Your money lands in your own accounts — never in a TagLot balance.

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Figures on this page are cited where they appear. How we source and date them is on our editorial standards page. Nothing here is legal, tax, or appraisal advice.