On the flip side of that, there are circumstances when it makes perfect since to raise your commission over what you normally will accept.

I once was asked to list a small vacant apartment that had been on the market for nearly a year. Several similar units in the same building had sold despite being priced higher. The bottom line was the previous agent was simply NOT marketing the property properly... just urging the owners to further reduce the price every couple months. The effect of that, in my opinion, was to make the place seem less desirable, or even raise questions about whether something was 'wrong' with it.

I agreed to take the listing on the following terms... the sellers would have the place professionally painted, a broken window repaired, and some minor plumbing fixes done at at a cost of about $750. The sellers would pay an 8% sales commission (5% listing side, 3% selling side), plus a nice $1,000 BONUS to the selling agent. They agreed to RAISE the list price several thousand dollars above the competition.

I now listed this in the MLS as the ONE OF THE MOST DESIRABLE units in the building! Perfectly acceptable since desirability is strictly a matter of opinion.

The place sold in less than a month and my clients netted more than they would have had they sold with their previous agent.

They were quite happy paying the 8% and the bonus!