How do brokers get paid when selling your apartment building?

A broker can get paid in a number of different ways. These include contingent commissions (typically a percentage of the sale), a contingency flat fee, or a consulting fee that can be customized to your needs. In the case of a consulting fee, these fees are non-contingent. That is, we are to be compensated for our time independent of whether or not any particular transaction is consummated. Typically, though, brokerage works on a contingent commission basis that is negotiated on a case by case basis.