It depends but the standard is 6% unless it is commercial real estate. However, the agent will pay for advertising expenses which depending upon the strategy used can get costly.

Best piece of advice I can give to you is decide on your budget after speaking with a mortgage person so you know what you can afford. Decide what you want in a house, and shop based upon those two factors (that way you don't have your heart broken later in the process). Then when you find the house make sure you have a home inspection. If you can work it in the deal get the seller to pay for a home warranty, if they don't spend the money yourself, it could be a great investment.