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For real estate agents · Fees as of September 2026
Keller Williams vs Compass: what an agent pays
Updated
Neither publishes a company-wide fee schedule. Keller Williams offices set their own split and cap, and agents keep 100% after they cap. Compass negotiates each agent's split and has no public cap. Get both offers in writing and run them side by side.
Only what each company publishes itself, dated, with sources at the bottom.
- The split until you cap
- The cap, in dollars
- Every per-file and monthly fee
Keller Williams and Compass publish no company-wide schedule. The full table is below.
01Side by side
Keller Williams and Compass fees, line by line
Each company's own published numbers. Where a company publishes nothing, we say so instead of guessing. AXEN is shown for reference.
| Fee | Keller Williams | Compass | AXEN |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commission split | Set by each market center | Negotiated agent by agent | None. Flat $500 per closing (Pro plan; 10% on sales under $2,500 of commission) |
| Yearly cap | Set by each market center | No public cap | $6,000 (Pro) or $12,000 (Elite) |
| After the cap, per deal | Set by each market center | Not published | $0 |
| Per-file fees | Not published | Not published | $295 admin fee per sale; it pays the Deal Desk coordinator on every file |
| Monthly or yearly fee | Not published | Not published | $50 a month |
| Sign-up fee | Not published | Not published | $0 |
About Keller Williams
Keller Williams is a franchise. Its own magazine says market centers are independently owned and that the owner decides the commission split. After an agent caps, they keep 100% for the rest of their anniversary year.
About Compass
Compass negotiates splits agent by agent and publishes no fee schedule. It bought Anywhere Real Estate (Coldwell Banker, Century 21, Sotheby's International Realty, Corcoran) in January 2026.
02Ask in writing
How to choose between them
Four checks before you sign with either one. Tap one to open it.
Ask each for its full fee schedule in writing.
Every per-file, monthly, technology and E&O fee, not just the split.
Run your own year.
Your number of deals and your average commission decide which one costs less. A low cap matters most if you close a lot; a low per-deal fee matters most if you close a few.
Count what the fee buys.
Transaction coordination, lead tools and training cost money wherever they are not included.
Read the exit terms.
How you are paid on deals that close after you leave is in the contract.
More on each:
03Another option
Where AXEN fits
No commission split. You keep 100% and pay a flat fee per closing.
Every AXEN fee, in fullFile fee, small sales, leases, admin, platform and rev share.
- File fee: $500 a closing on Pro, capped at $6,000 a year. $1,000 on Elite, capped at $12,000. After the cap it is $0 until your AXEN anniversary.
- Small sales: under $2,500 of commission, the file fee is 10% of it instead.
- Leases, rentals and referrals: 10% of the commission, never more than $500 on Pro or $1,000 on Elite, plus a $50 admin fee.
- $295 admin fee on every sale, even after the cap. Most of it pays your Deal Desk coordinator and state broker.
- Platform fee: $50 a month, $500 a year, or $600 taken from your first closing.
- Rev share: 5 levels, no quota to unlock one. Not a promise of income.
AXEN is not the cheapest on fees alone for every agent, and we say so in the math. These are costs, not an earnings claim.
See every AXEN fee, AXEN vs eXp vs Real, how to transfer your license, or look inside the AXEN portal for free. Leading a team? See what moving the whole team looks like — no split from you, and no split from your agents.
Where every number comes from
Sources
- Keller Williams: KW Outfront, October 30, 2025.
- Compass: no agent fee schedule is published. The Anywhere Real Estate purchase closed January 2026.
- AXEN fee schedule: axenrealty.com/join (September 2026).
Costs only, not an earnings claim. Fees as published by each company as of September 2026; each may change its fees at any time, so confirm current fees with each company in writing before you decide. Keller Williams, Compass are trademarks of their owners, who do not endorse this page.
04Straight answers
Keller Williams vs Compass questions
Short answers from the published schedules. Tap a question to open it.
Which costs an agent less, Keller Williams or Compass?
Neither publishes a company-wide fee schedule. Keller Williams offices set their own split and cap, and agents keep 100% after they cap. Compass negotiates each agent's split and has no public cap. Get both offers in writing and run them side by side.
What is Keller Williams's commission split and cap?
Keller Williams: split Set by each market center; cap Set by each market center, as published September 2026.
What is Compass's commission split and cap?
Compass: split Negotiated agent by agent; cap No public cap, as published September 2026.
How does AXEN compare?
AXEN has no commission split: a flat $500 per closing on the Pro plan, capped at $6,000 a year, plus a $295 admin fee per sale and $50 a month, with a Deal Desk coordinator on every file.
Run it on your own numbers.
Your number of deals and your average commission decide which one costs less. Get every schedule in writing, then run your own year.
AXEN Realty, LLC. Commissions are negotiable and are not set by any brokerage. Costs only, not an earnings claim. Fees as published by each company as of September 2026.