Are Realtors Paid Too Much? No. The Wrong Ones Are.

A Facebook post from Andrew Perrie sparked a conversation this week that every Realtor in Canada needs to read.

Perrie's take was direct: stop defending your commission with a list of expenses. Nobody buying or selling their largest asset cares about your gas bill or your health insurance. They care about what you actually do for them.

He's right. And it cuts deeper than most agents want to admit.

The wrong argument

When a client pushes back on commission, the worst thing you can do is explain how much it costs to be a Realtor. That conversation ends one way. They start doing the math and deciding they can do without you.

The moment you justify your fee with your overhead, you've already lost the room. You've framed yourself as an expense, not an asset.

Perrie's point is this: if you cannot clearly articulate the value you bring to the table, you are making it very hard for clients to justify paying you. And honestly? They shouldn't have to.

Gary McGowan's answer

Gary McGowan, founder of RealtyChatter, replied to Perrie's post. His response cut straight to it:

"Are Realtors paid too much? No, the wrong ones are. The issue isn't commission, it's inconsistency in value. When an agent brings strategy, negotiation, protection, and real market insight, they're often underpaid for what they actually deliver. But when someone is just opening doors and filling out paperwork, yeah, it feels overpriced to the client. So the real answer is this, you don't defend your fee, you prove it, clearly and confidently, before they ever question it."

That is the whole argument, right there.

Commission isn't the problem. Competence is. And when competence is inconsistent across the industry, the whole profession takes the hit. Clients cannot always tell who is exceptional and who is just showing up. So they question everyone's fee equally.

The agents who are doing the real work -- the ones running comparable analyses at midnight, negotiating conditions out of a tough offer, flagging a title issue before it blows up a deal -- those agents are often underpaid relative to what they deliver.

The ones coasting? They make the rest look bad.

What this means for your practice

Perrie followed up Gary's comment with something equally sharp: his team no longer hires agents who treat real estate as a side job. It has to be your profession. Your full focus. Clients are depending on your competency, not your availability between shifts somewhere else.

This is the standard the industry needs to hold itself to. Not because it sounds good, but because clients deserve it. They are trusting you with their biggest financial decision. That warrants professionalism, preparation, and genuine expertise.

Prove the value before they ask

The agents who never hear 'you're too expensive' are not the ones with the lowest fees. They are the ones who made the value undeniable before the conversation ever got to money.

That means showing up prepared. Knowing the market. Having a clear strategy for their specific situation. Being the person in the room who actually knows what they are talking about.

When you do that consistently, the commission conversation becomes short. Because the client already knows what they are getting.

The bottom line

The real estate industry does not have a commission problem. It has a consistency problem. Fix the consistency and the commission takes care of itself.

As Gary put it: you don't defend your fee, you prove it.

Ontario buyers and sellers can get a free home valuation at homes.RealtyChatter.com.

About the Author

Paige Kirkdene is Editor in Chief at RealtyChatter.com. She breaks down the Canadian real estate market for buyers, sellers, and Realtors who want straight answers, not noise. Paige works directly with Gary McGowan, bringing his 20+ years of real estate and training expertise into every article.