Most sellers still choose to offer some commission to a buyer's agent, because doing so keeps the widest possible pool of REALTORS® willing to bring their buyers through the door, but nothing forces that structure. Total seller closing costs, commission and legal fees together, run 4 to 6 percent, and how that total splits between listing side and buyer side is negotiated case by case.
Offering little or nothing to a buyer's agent is legal, but it can narrow interest in a market where other listings do offer it, since a buyer's agent has no obligation to show a property that does not compensate them the way a competing listing does.
The right structure depends on how your specific house needs to compete right now. Get your hand-reviewed valuation from Joel Dyck.