Flat-Fee Brokerage vs. Full-Service Realtor: What You're Actually Paying For
2 min read · Last updated 2026-08-03 · Reviewed by Camilo Palacio, Licensed Florida Real Estate Professional (License #3280644, REALTOR®)
A full-service Realtor markets a house, hosts showings, and negotiates for a commission that became fully negotiable once the NAR Sitzer/Burnett settlement took effect on August 17, 2024. Cash Flow Deals is a different option: it locks a seller's net price before repairs are scoped, using a flat fee arranged through its licensed FL brokerage partner, Silver Door Realty, shown once as a line item at closing.
| Factor | Traditional Listing | Cash Flow Deals |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline | Full-service Realtor markets and shows the house; homes typically spend weeks on the market before going under contract, then more weeks to close. | Net price locked at signing, with closing timed to the buyer's own lender instead of a marketing period. |
| Repairs | Realtor negotiates repair credits on the seller's behalf after inspection, and commission tied to sale price can complicate that negotiation. | Net price locked before repairs are scoped, so ordinary repair items do not change the number. |
| Fees / Costs | Commission is negotiable since August 17, 2024, split between listing and buyer's agent, and paid at closing as a percentage of sale price. | Flat fee arranged through Silver Door Realty, disclosed upfront, shown as one line item at closing rather than a percentage of price. |
What a Full-Service Realtor's Commission Pays For
A full-service Realtor markets the property, schedules and hosts showings, fields offers, negotiates on the seller's behalf, and manages the paperwork and deadlines through closing. The commission pays for that labor and for access to the MLS. It is a percentage of the sale price, and since the Sitzer/Burnett settlement took effect, that percentage is negotiable between the seller and the agent, and separately between the buyer and the buyer's agent.
What Changed on August 17, 2024
The National Association of Realtors settled the Sitzer/Burnett antitrust litigation for $418 million, and the practice changes took effect nationwide on August 17, 2024. MLS listings can no longer include a field showing what the seller will pay a buyer's agent. Commission amounts are negotiable rather than fixed. Buyer's agents must now sign a written agreement with a buyer before touring homes, spelling out how that agent gets paid. Every full-service commission a Florida seller sees today is priced under these post-settlement rules, not the old fixed-percentage norm.
Cash Flow Deals' Process
Cash Flow Deals' process runs in four steps. 1. Request your net-price walkthrough. Cash Flow Deals prices the house against what a real FHA or conventional buyer's lender will actually approve. 2. Sign for a locked net price, set before repairs are scoped. 3. Cash Flow Deals connects the house to that real homebuyer, whose own lender funds the purchase. 4. Close in one signing, with title transferring once, directly from seller to buyer, through Cash Flow Deals' licensed brokerage partner, Silver Door Realty.
Why a Flat Fee Locks the Number Instead of a Percentage
Cash Flow Deals is a Florida real estate investor that locks in a net price for a seller's house before repairs are scoped, using a novation-based, flat-fee process arranged through its licensed FL brokerage partner, Silver Door Realty — not a traditional listing, and not a brokerage itself. A percentage commission moves with the sale price, so if the price drops during negotiation, the fee drops too, but the number the seller nets can still shift right up to closing. A flat fee arranged through Silver Door Realty is set at signing and does not recalculate off a moving sale price. The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens.
Which Fee Structure Actually Fits Your Sale
A full-service Realtor's commission fits a seller who wants active marketing, multiple showings, and a chance at competing offers on an open market. A flat fee fits a seller who wants one number locked early and does not want the sale price, and the fee tied to it, moving during negotiation. Neither structure is a scam or a shortcut, they price two different services.
Common questions
Did the NAR settlement eliminate real estate commissions in Florida?
No. The Sitzer/Burnett settlement, effective August 17, 2024, made commissions negotiable and removed compensation fields from the MLS. It did not set commissions to zero or ban them.
Is a flat fee always cheaper than a full-service Realtor's commission?
Not automatically. A flat fee is a fixed number set at signing, while a commission is a percentage of whatever the final sale price turns out to be. Which one costs less depends on the specific price and terms of each offer.
Who actually pays Cash Flow Deals' fee?
It is arranged through Silver Door Realty and shows up as a disclosed line item on the closing statement. It is not added on top of the seller's net price as a markup.
Can I still negotiate commission with a traditional Realtor in Florida?
Yes. Since August 17, 2024, commission has been negotiable by law between a seller and their agent, and separately between a buyer and their agent.
What if repairs are found after I sign with Cash Flow Deals?
The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens.