Portal economics: what every paid source actually keeps
Side-by-side take-rate math for Zillow, Realtor.com, Homes.com, and the alternative source-mix.
Every paid source has a take rate. The contracts call it different things—performance fee, connection share, market share program, subscription—but the underlying question is the same: of the gross commission your work produces, how much actually lands in your account at the closing table?
The table below puts the major sources side by side at a single reference sale ($400K). The numbers compound over a year, and the right mix depends on how much of your business comes from sphere and past clients versus paid pipeline. Read the methodology note before drawing conclusions; long-tail effects like exclusivity, allocation opacity, and minimum-spend lock-ins are real but don't fit in a single row.
Net vs gross — what every commission structure actually keeps
$200k / $400k / $750k production walked across cap brokerage, split brokerage, and portal-heavy mixes.
Deep diveAgentPik in the source-mix picture
Where a merit-based match channel sits next to portals, sphere, and brokerage splits — plus the switching costs that lock agents into the wrong mix.
Deep diveCompass agent economics
Deep diveeXp Realty compensation model
Deep diveGraduated split mechanics
Deep diveKeller Williams compensation model
Deep diveRE/MAX compensation model
Deep diveBrokerage compensation structures: the four dominant families
Deep diveTeam splits stacked on brokerage splits
Deep diveTraditional independent brokerage splits
Deep diveFlat-fee MLS and discount listing economics
Deep diveRedfin agent compensation (W-2 employee model)
Deep diveWorked example: heavy-Zillow vs sphere agent at $300k gross
Deep diveNet-vs-gross compounding at $200k, $400k, and $750k production
Deep diveHomes.com Pro (CoStar Group)
Deep diveOJO Labs, Movoto, and OpJet referral programs
Deep diveRealtor.com Connection Plus and Concierge (formerly Opcity)
Deep diveIs Zillow Premier Agent worth it? The honest math.
ZPA Flex takes 25 to 40 percent of every closed deal. The page walks the take-rate math at $200k, $400k, and $750k production.
Deep dive