They are protecting their time, not maximising commission. A broker with one Sunday and one buyer will show three projects, and the order is decided by how likely each is to close without friction. Response speed, accurate availability, site readiness and payment reliability move that order. The commission rate rarely does.
A broker with a Sunday and a buyer will show three projects. Which three, and in what order, is a rational decision made on their side — and it is rarely about your commission rate.
They are protecting their time, not maximising commission
A broker’s scarce resource is a qualified buyer on a Sunday. What they optimise for is the highest chance that the day ends in a transaction rather than wasted effort.
Which means the project they lead with is the one least likely to embarrass them. Commission matters, but it is the second question. A higher rate on a project that wastes their day is not attractive.
The four things that decide the order
1. Can they trust the availability? If a broker has to call your office to confirm 704 is free, and sometimes gets it wrong in front of a buyer, your project is a risk to their credibility. Live, trusted availability moves you up more than any incentive.
2. Is the paperwork clean? Agreements that take a week to produce, documentation that changes between site and office, approvals that cannot be quickly evidenced — each one costs the broker time with a buyer who is ready.
3. Do they get paid, on a known date? This is the one brokers discuss among themselves. A firm that pays on a fixed day, without follow-up, is one they return to. A firm requiring three reminders is one they use when nothing else fits. See broker settlement.
4. Does the site team perform? The broker’s reputation is on the line during the visit. If your site executive is unprepared, cannot answer questions, or is dismissive, the broker will not bring the next buyer.
What does not move them much
A higher commission on a difficult project. It compensates for friction rather than removing it, and brokers price friction realistically.
Occasional gifts and events. Pleasant, not decisive. They do not survive one delayed payout.
Pressure. A broker with a buyer has options. Asking harder is not one of the four things above.
How to tell where you stand
Ask three brokers, plainly, what they showed last week and where your project came in the order. Then ask what would move it up.
The answers are usually specific, uncomfortable and actionable — a payout that took three weeks, a unit sold that was still shown as available, a site executive who did not turn up.
The compounding effect
A project that slips down the list sells less. A project that sells less looks quiet. A quiet project drops further down the list.
That loop is the reason project tails run for years, and it is why re-earning the broker channel is usually the highest-leverage thing available on standing inventory.
Related reading
- Channel Partner Management: What Actually Keeps Brokers Active
- Broker Commission Structures in Indian Real Estate: A Plain Guide
- How to Get Brokers to Actually Sell Your Project
- Sole Selling Mandates: When They Help and When They Hurt
- Broker Settlement: The Unglamorous Thing That Decides Your Channel
- Adding More Brokers vs Fixing Your Process
The 99-Day Sprint
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Frequently asked questions
Why are brokers not selling my project?
Usually because it is harder to transact than the alternative — availability they cannot trust, slow paperwork, unreliable payouts, or a site team that underperforms during visits.
Does raising commission make brokers push a project?
Less than developers expect. Brokers optimise for the chance a Sunday ends in a transaction; a higher rate does not remove friction.
How do I find out where I stand?
Ask three brokers what they showed last week, where you came in the order, and what would move you up. The answers are usually specific.