It is people like this that I like to explain how I don't work with just anyone and that I'd have to view the house to see if it is suitable for my brand !

Debbie,

If that is how someone starts the converstion, my CLUE signal goes off.  This usually is indicative of a difficult person to deal with.  I would say, do you want to sell your home or do you want to negotiate the commission?  When we meet, I will be happy to discuss what my commission and whether or not I can or will sell your house.   As I see it Debbie, you are a proven professional with a great track record, and you did not just fall of the turnip truck.  Maybe he is looking for a turnip, and you are not a match.  You deserve the respect! You are a professional...

With the math!  A direct question should command a direct answer proving who you are and how you respond. Its a chance to provide a sample of self. Then, its my turn to ask questions. In the end, my final word? Don't base all that you do on money outcomes especially in Real Estate. Too high stakes

"It depends, let set up a time for me to view the property and determine they best price I can get you in the shortest amount of time. Would 7 this evening work or would 6 be better for you".

Debbie Reynolds - ask the seller simple question:

"Are you interested in my commission or your NET?"

Hi Debbie, I received that call last week and never answered his question over the phone, instead, asked if a weekday or weekend be best for me to come over, we set an appointment for Saturday, got the listing, will be in MLS within the next two weeks. Funny, he neve brought up that "C" word during our meeting.

I blurt out the number. Then I get the appt.

I tell them and wait for their response

I tell them

I tell them upfront that if paying the lowest possible percentage as a brokerage fee, I'm not their agent. I had that conversation with someone this morning.

Whatever it was, it went up if they ask me that question right off the bat.

I ask what kind of representation they want. 

The next staement from them is "What do you mean?"

"My compensation schedule is variable based on the situation of the property and the needs of the owner. It can be Zero or up to 25%. Tell me more about the property you are wanting to sell."

It depends. I need to see the property and also need to figure out how much marketing it will require.

I think the convention is "we can discuss it after we know what we're doing", or something like that, try to push it off to the end.

I tell him it depends on his level of motivation and I'll be happy to discuss it, but must see the property first.

It depends on a lot of things such as the tone of their voice, fluctuation and level of voice, whether they sound apprehensive or angry (the angry ones are the worst, it's like they have to call you and despise themselves for it because they hate ALL agents and have distributed that hate throughout their body to the extent it's bubbling out), or if they are simply asking a question and just don't know any better or have no clue how to handle this sort of interaction.

I generally do a commercial at that point, tell them I am ranked in the top 10 agents in Sacramento and would love to help them, that I do not charge a premium for my services but I am also not a discount agent. Then I ask if they are hoping to find a discount agent or if they want to make the most money they can from selling their home. If it is clear they are focused solely on commission, and I hear whispers of animosity, I wish them luck in their search and send them on their way.

I just tell him what I charge.

How I respond may depend on how the question is asked but it's definitely a red flag.   It's not likely going to be a good match if the fee is where a conversation begins.  

I like to tell them what they get before saying what i charge. For those being "hard" i can say fifty percent

Can't provide an estimate without viewing the project! When can we get together?

Let me discuss that in person.

You may be fighting a losing battle, but with a seller it is worth a try.

I would advise that I would need to view the home and then talk shop.

I would ask why that is important to them.

It depends

I ask what they are selling, because different properties have different rates in my office.

I tell them. That seems to be all they want to know...

That's an immediate red flag. I think, as Mike & Eve Alexander added below, that the less said on the phone the better so you can get in front of them and have a real dialogue. If the only interest is commission amount there are likely issues that would suggest to walk away. But I can;t say I have ever gotten this in the initial call

I tell them it is irrelevent at this point.  We don't even know if they like the way I work and I haven't seen the house yet.

I would be turned off and beat around the bush. If all they care about is how much maybe this seller is not for me.

Well, isn't that the $64,000.00 question! You'll have to provide some more answers for me? May I call you back in a half hour?

I do like Beth Atalay and switch to an appointment mode when they bring up the commission question. I have to admit I rarely have the question asked!

"Your investment in our services will vary depending on what the project entails.  Tell me about the project and then we can determine if it is something you want us to come out an take a look at."

No point in talking price until we know if we want to work together.

    It depends.   Tell me about your property, what do you want to achieve?

Debbie Reynolds A lot of good answers here already.

I explain that before I can discuss my fee I must see the property and have a short meeting with him / her.

"I'd be happy to share that information when we meet; it really depends on your home and your requirements."

So much of this now in a seller's market! There are discount brokerages which provide discount service. Do you want a full service marketing plan or a discount one? I would say in order to best answer his question, you need to view his property to see what it would require to market it. Would tomorrow at 2 work?

I usually respond by asking what they are willing to pay?  Get an idea right off the bat what their expectation is.

I get these calls sometimes too. I'm with Olga Simoncelli on how best to respond. Before knowing what we're doing, it's tough to discuss details.