Brokerage Splits, Caps and Fees Compared | Epique Realty Numbers
Brokerage economics

Every brokerage takes a cut. Most never show you the rest of the bill.

Your split is the number you know by heart. The transaction coordinator, the listing photos, the sign install, the CRM, the E&O, the health premium: those are the numbers that actually decide what you keep.

Run your own numbers

Based on 12 sides at $525,000
Your brokerage todayEnter what you actually pay
Gross commission income
$0
Franchise fee % (0 if none)
$0
Split kept by broker
$0
Annual cap (0 if none)
uncapped
Monthly fees
$0
Per-transaction fee
$0
Transaction coordination
$0
Listing photography
$0
Sign + installation
$0
E&O insurance / mo
$0
CRM + IDX site / mo
$0
Primary care + Rx / mo
$0
Net to you
$0
Epique RealtyPublished figures, current Aug 2026
Gross commission income
$0
Franchise fee
not a franchise
Split kept (15%)
$0
Cap, year one
$15,000
Technology fee ($149/mo)
$0
Transaction fees (0.1%, capped)
$0
Transaction coordination
included
Listing photography
included*
Sign + installation
included*
E&O insurance
included
Lofty CRM + IDX site
included
Primary care + Rx
included
Dental + vision (optional)
$0
Net to you
$0
Annual difference
$0

Adjust any figure above to match your own business.

* Professional photography and sign installation are listed by Epique Realty as bonus benefits available in participating markets only. Uncheck them if yours is not one. The primary care and prescription line compares routine healthcare spend only: Epique's health benefit covers primary care, prescriptions, telehealth, urgent care and mental health, and it is not a major medical plan. It does not replace coverage for hospitalization, surgery or specialist care, so do not model it as a premium replacement. Figures on the right are Epique's published fee schedule as of August 2026 and are subject to change. This calculator is an illustration built from numbers you enter. It is not a projection of earnings, and it excludes revenue share, stock awards and income taxes. Verify all figures against current brokerage documents before making a decision.

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The five costs

What does a brokerage actually cost an agent?

A brokerage costs an agent in five places: the commission split, the annual cap, the franchise fee if the brand is franchised, recurring fees, and the services the agent has to buy because the brokerage does not provide them. Most agents can recite the first and badly underestimate the last two.

The fifth category is where comparisons fall apart. Two brokerages can advertise the same 80/20 split and produce a $20,000 annual difference in take-home pay, entirely through what each one includes. Transaction coordination at $400 a deal across 20 deals is $8,000. Listing photography at $250 across ten listings is $2,500. A CRM and IDX website at $150 a month is $1,800. E&O at $35 a month is $420. None of that appears in the split.

This is also why "what split do you offer" is the wrong opening question when you interview a brokerage. The better two are: what do I still have to buy after I join, and what do you keep charging me after I cap?

The fee that survives your cap

Franchised brands charge a franchise or royalty fee, commonly in the range of five to eight percent of gross commission, taken off the top before your split is even calculated. Some systems cap it. Plenty do not.

This is the line agents most often leave out of a comparison, and it is the one that behaves worst. Your annual cap limits what the brokerage collects through the split. It usually does nothing at all to the franchise fee. So the agent who says "once I cap I am at one hundred percent" is not at one hundred percent, and never will be. At six percent on $157,500 of gross commission, that is $9,450 a year that keeps coming out after you have capped, every year you stay.

Check your own agreement rather than trusting a recruiter on this one, including me. The number is usually there in writing, and whether it caps is usually there too.

Epique is not a franchise, so there is no franchise fee to pay. That is a structural difference rather than a discount, which is why the calculator shows it as an absent line instead of a saving.

Structures

The three compensation models, compared

Nearly every residential brokerage in the United States uses one of three structures: a traditional percentage split with no ceiling, a capped model that converts to 100 percent after a set annual amount, or a capped model that also bundles the operating services an agent would otherwise buy.

Structural comparison, not a comparison of named brokerages
ModelHow the broker earnsBest fitWeakness
Traditional splitA fixed percentage of every commission, no annual ceiling. Often paired with desk fees and a physical office.New agents who need supervision, floor time and walk-in leadsCost scales forever. A high producer subsidizes the office indefinitely.
CappedA better split until the agent reaches an annual cap, then 100 percent for the rest of the anniversary year.Producers who clear the cap comfortably and self-generate businessThe agent usually still buys their own TC, photography, CRM and E&O.
Capped with bundled servicesSame cap mechanic, but the brokerage absorbs the operating stack instead of billing it back.Agents whose real cost problem is vendor spend, not split percentageBundles vary by market. What is included in one state may not be in another.

Epique Realty operates the third model. That is a structural description, not a claim of superiority. It advantages a specific agent profile and disadvantages others, which is covered further down.

The schedule

What are Epique Realty's splits, caps and fees?

Epique Realty uses an 85/15 commission split with a $15,000 annual cap for individual agents. The cap declines by $1,000 for every year the agent stays, down to a $10,000 floor. There is a 0.1 percent transaction fee capped at $500 per side, which drops to a $250 ceiling once the agent has paid $5,000 in transaction fees, plus a $149 per month technology fee reduced to $99 for team members.

Epique Realty fee schedule, current August 2026
Line itemIndividual agentTraditional team memberPower Team member
Commission split85 / 1585 / 1585 / 15
Annual company cap$15,000$10,000$5,000
Cap decline per year$1,000 to a $10,000 floorNon-decliningNon-declining
Technology fee$149 / mo$99 / mo$99 / mo
Transaction fee0.1%, max $5000.1%, max $5000.1%, max $250

The transaction fee has a second step-down most agents miss. It is 0.1 percent of sale price with a $500 ceiling per side, and once you have paid $5,000 in transaction fees the ceiling drops to $250 per side. On a $525,000 average price that means the first ten sides cost $500 each and every side after that costs $250. Power Team members sit at the $250 ceiling from the start.

The declining cap, year by year

An individual agent's cap starts at $15,000 and drops $1,000 on each anniversary until it reaches $10,000 in year six, where it stays. Across six years that is $15,000 of cap reduction against a flat-cap brokerage, before any other benefit is counted.

Year123456+
Cap$15,000$14,000$13,000$12,000$11,000$10,000
Included

What does Epique include that most brokerages bill separately?

The operating stack an agent normally pays vendors for is absorbed by the brokerage: transaction coordination, E&O insurance, the CRM and IDX website, buyer and seller leads with no referral fee, and healthcare with zero dollar primary care and zero dollar prescriptions on more than 1,000 medications.

  • Transaction coordination. Contract to close handled for you on every deal, at no per-file charge.
  • Lofty CRM with AI, plus an IDX website and a personalized .com domain. The single largest recurring software line for most agents.
  • Buyer and seller leads at no referral fee. Provided without a percentage clawback at closing, which is what separates a real lead benefit from a referral program.
  • Healthcare with $0 primary care and $0 prescriptions on 1,000+ medications. Coverage, not a discount card. Dental and vision at $25 a month. Mental health appointments typically inside 24 to 48 hours.
  • E&O insurance. Included rather than billed per transaction.
  • Free continuing education. Every required CE hour to keep your license active.
  • Forever Mentorship. On-call access to a personal mentor with no mentorship split or fee.
  • Maternity and paternity fee waiver. Cap, transaction and monthly fees waived for a defined leave period, covering birth, adoption and foster placement, for both parents.
  • Professional photography and sign installation. Listed as bonus benefits in participating markets. Confirm availability for your market before you count them.

Epique has been recognized by Fast Company on its Most Innovative Companies list and verified by RealTrends as the fastest growing cloud brokerage. Both are third party designations you can check independently.

The rest of it, which I am not going to pretend changes your math

Epique publishes more than 100 agent benefits. Most of the list does not belong in a financial comparison, and adding a car wash to a spreadsheet is how a page like this loses your trust. So here they are without dollar figures attached, because they are genuinely useful and genuinely not why anyone should change brokerages.

  • Health and family. Mental health appointments typically inside 24 to 48 hours, 24/7 virtual urgent care, AirVet unlimited video vet calls for every pet, childcare, eldercare, pet sitting and tutoring in participating markets.
  • Day to day. Unlimited car washes and 24/7 roadside assistance, both market dependent.
  • Brand and marketing. Canva Pro, Graphiq, AI headshots, virtual staging, Creator video tools, Adwerx streaming TV ads, Thanks.io direct mail, the Epique Card, and agent and listing billboards in participating markets.
  • Deal tools. Epique Edge, a line of credit up to $50,000 to prep a listing with no out of pocket cost to you or your seller, repaid at closing. Plus CliqueOffers for cash offers, equity unlock and bridge financing, Showami on-demand showing agents, and Zillow Showcase placement.
  • Long term. A 401(k) built for independent contractors, company stock awards, Power Award status and cap deferment.
  • Announced for 2027. RevShare+ and a gym membership benefit. Both are scheduled, neither is live today, and you should not factor either into a decision you are making this month.
Revenue share

How does the revenue share work?

Epique pays 10 percent of company revenue across a five level downline with no unlocking requirements and no production restrictions. Managing brokers earn 10 percent on agents they supervise, and mentors and coaches earn 10 percent on transactions involving their mentees. These streams stack. A separate program, RevShare+, is scheduled to launch in 2027 with no production, attraction or commitment qualifications, available from month one.

Two things worth stating plainly. First, revenue share is a real structural feature and it is also the part of any cloud brokerage pitch that deserves the most skepticism, because it is the easiest thing to oversell. Second, no figure on this page models revenue share income, deliberately. Your decision should hold up on the transactional math alone. If it only works because of a downline, it does not work.

Going deeper

Whether the revenue share is an MLM, what the honest criticisms are, and how to verify any brokerage yourself is covered on the due diligence page.

Honest scope

Who is this model not right for?

Epique is a cloud brokerage. If your business depends on a physical office, daily in-person floor time, walk-in traffic, or a brokerage-supplied inside sales team, a traditional office model is a better fit even at a worse split.

  • Brand new agents who need a desk and a manager down the hall. Forever Mentorship and daily live training are real, but they are not a substitute for a physical office if that is genuinely how you learn.
  • Agents already at a negotiated cap under $10,000. If you have leverage at your current brokerage and have used it, the split math may not move enough to justify a move. Run the calculator before you take anyone's word for it, including mine.
  • Agents who want their broker to hand them a full pipeline. Leads are provided, but this model rewards agents who already generate their own business.
  • Agents whose local board is not open yet. Epique is licensed in all 50 states and Canada, but a specific MLS or Realtor association may not be active in your area. It takes two or three agents or listings to open a new board, so this is solvable, just not always immediate.
  • Anyone whose current brokerage already covers the operating stack. If your broker pays for your TC, photography, CRM and E&O today, most of the advantage on this page evaporates and you should stay put.
Common questions

Quick answers

What is a commission split?

The percentage of gross commission income an agent keeps after the brokerage takes its share. A 70/30 split means the agent keeps 70 percent. It is only one of five cost categories, the others being the annual cap, the franchise fee if the brand is franchised, recurring fees, and services the agent must buy independently.

What is a franchise fee in real estate?

A franchise or royalty fee is what a franchised brokerage pays its parent brand, passed through to the agent. It is commonly five to eight percent of gross commission and is usually deducted before the commission split is calculated. Critically, at many brands it is not covered by the annual cap, so it continues after you have capped for the year. Independent and non-franchised brokerages, including Epique Realty, do not charge one.

Does a franchise fee count toward my cap?

Usually not. An annual cap normally limits company dollar collected through the commission split, and the franchise fee sits outside it. That means an agent who has capped is still paying the franchise fee on every transaction for the rest of the year. Read your independent contractor agreement, because this varies by brand and it is the single most commonly missed line in a brokerage comparison.

What is a brokerage cap?

The maximum a brokerage will collect from an agent in one anniversary year. After the agent has paid that amount through their split, they keep 100 percent of subsequent commissions until the year resets. Capped models favor higher producers, since the effective split improves with every transaction past the cap.

What is a declining cap?

A cap that shrinks with tenure. Epique's individual cap starts at $15,000 and drops $1,000 each year to a $10,000 floor in year six. Most capped brokerages hold their cap flat or raise it, so staying produces no compounding benefit.

Does changing brokerages affect my listings?

Listing agreements are between the seller and the brokerage, not the agent, so active listings generally stay with the brokerage you are leaving unless it releases them. Most will negotiate a release, but confirm your specific policy and any post-termination commission terms in writing before you give notice.

How long does a brokerage transfer take?

Applications are typically approved by Epique within 24 to 48 hours, and you should plan on about a week to be fully onboarded. The practical timeline is driven by your state license transfer, your MLS and association records, and rebranding your marketing.

Is Epique Realty available in my state?

Epique is open in all 50 states and Canada, with Mexico and Australia opening soon. The one thing to check is your local board: certain MLSs and Realtor associations may not be active yet, and it takes two to three agents or listings to open a new board. Which bonus benefits are live also varies by market. Check with Adrienne or Ryan on both before you plan around a specific benefit.

The Insiders Networkat Epique Realty

Straight answers about brokerage economics for agents deciding where to hang their license. Written by people who benefit if you move, which is why everything here is checkable.