pocket commission

Definition

The extra compensation an agent receives when representing both buyer and seller, also called double-ending. Twice the work or twice the conflict of interest, depending on who you ask.

Example Usage

By keeping it a pocket listing and finding the buyer herself, the agent earned a pocket commission of 6%, proving that limited exposure can be very profitable—for the agent.

Origin

Emerged from dual agency practices in real estate brokerage

Fun Fact

Some brokers prohibit dual agency entirely due to ethical concerns, while others embrace it as efficient capitalism, making it real estate's most contentious practice.

Source: Real estate brokerage commission terminology

Related Terms

Beginner

batched showings

Scheduling multiple property viewings in rapid succession, typically in the same neighborhood, to maximize efficiency and minimize windshield time. It's speed dating for houses, and just as exhausting.

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Intermediate

points

Upfront fees paid to the lender at closing to reduce your interest rate, where one point equals 1% of the loan amount. It's buying a discount on money you're borrowing—capitalism at its finest.

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Beginner

subdivide

The real estate developer's favorite verb: to slice a large parcel of land into smaller, more profitable chunks like a capitalist playing Minecraft. This process transforms Farmer Joe's 40-acre field into 'Meadowbrook Estates,' featuring 200 identical homes and exactly three approved paint colors. It's the magic by which empty land becomes cookie-cutter suburbs and developers become very, very wealthy.

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Beginner

comparable sales

Recently sold properties similar to yours that allegedly determine your home's value, though somehow the appraiser always picks the worst examples when you're selling and the best when you're buying. It's objective data filtered through suspiciously convenient selection.

🏠 Real Estate

Beginner

warranty

A seller's promise that their product won't immediately explode or fall apart, though the fine print will explain in excruciating detail all the ways you can void this promise. This legal guarantee assures buyers that goods or property meet certain standards and provides recourse if things go wrong—assuming you kept the receipt, didn't use it wrong, and performed ritual maintenance every third Tuesday. Extended warranties are the profitable cousin that exists solely to make you second-guess your purchase.

🏠 Real Estate

Intermediate

parcel

A discrete unit of land that can be bought, sold, or taxed as a single entity—essentially real estate Legos that local governments use to organize property ownership. It's the official way of saying "this chunk of dirt is yours" with legal boundaries, documentation, and the inevitable property tax bill. Not to be confused with the thing Amazon drops on your doorstep.

🏠 Real Estate

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