Rant: My brother-in-law's take on broker fees in Chicago made me check my statements

Sean Martin · 2026-03-11T09:55:08.869688+00:00

I was complaining about my apartment hunt last week, and he said he always asks if the broker's fee is negotiable, even in a tight market. He told me he got his last fee in Lincoln Park knocked down from one month's rent to just half a month by asking directly. I never even thought to try that, so I looked back and realized I've just paid the listed fee three times without a word. Has anyone else had luck talking a broker down, or is that just a Chicago thing?

miac436mo ago

Honestly, that sounds like a lot of work for maybe a few hundred bucks.

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the_willow5mo ago

A few hundred bucks is real money for most people, especially when you're moving. It takes two minutes to ask the question. I've saved over a thousand dollars total just by asking over the years. Treating it like it's not worth the effort is how they get away with charging the full fee every time.

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grant_gibson6mo ago

My broker in Wicker Park cut his fee by a third when I asked, so @miac43 it's definitely worth the ask.

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