Earning a commission as a real estate agent
| Fatwa #119 | Category: Business & Trade | Country: Zambia | Date: 1st April 2019 |
| Fatwa #119 | Date: 1st April 2019 |
| Category: Business & Trade | |
| Country: Zambia | |
Question
Is it Harām to work as a real estate agent and earn a commission?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
It is permissible to work as a real estate agent as long as one does not broker any mortgage or interest related deals.[1] The commission agreed between the two parties can be any mutually agreed amount. However, his commission should take one of two forms:
1) A percentage of the total amount.
2) A fixed rate.
It is not permissible to leave an open amount of commission. For example, if a property owner utilized the services of an estate agent to sell his property for a base selling price of $10,000, the agent cannot stipulate whatever is gained over and above $10,000 as his commission.[2]
If one does leave an open commission, then the agent shall not be entitled to the amount earned over and above the base selling price of the owner. Instead, he shall be entitled to an amount or percentage that is generally charged by estate agents nowadays.[3]
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Checked and Approved by
Mufti Nabeel Valli.
Darul Iftaa Mahmudiyyah
Lusaka, Zambia
__________________
[1] اسْتِثْنَاءٌ: إنَّهُ وَإِنْ لَزِمَ فِي إجَارَةِ الْآدَمِيِّ بَيَانُ مُدَّةِ الْإِجَارَةِ، أَوْ تَعْيِينُ الْعَمَلِ، كَمَا ذُكِرَ فِي الْمَجَلَّةِ إلَّا أَنَّهُ يُسْتَثْنَى مِنْ ذَلِكَ السِّمْسَارُ وَالدَّلَّالُ وَالْحَمَّامِيُّ وَالْحَكَّاكُ وَمَنْ إلَيْهِمْ مِمَّنْ لَا يُمْكِنُ تَقْدِيرُ الْوَقْتِ أَوْ الْعَمَلِ فِي اسْتِئْجَارِهِمْ، وَيَصِحُّ اسْتِئْجَارُهُمْ بِلَا بَيَانِ الْوَقْتِ وَالْمُدَّةِ اسْتِحْسَانًا لِاحْتِيَاجِ النَّاسِ إلَيْهِمْ، وَالْأُجْرَةُ الَّتِي تُؤْخَذُ تَكُونُ حَلَالًا لِآخِذِهَا إذَا كَانَتْ بِقَدْرِ أَجْرِ الْمِثْلِ. (درر الحكام ج 1 ص 595 العلمية)
الدر المختار وحاشية ابن عابدين (رد المحتار) (4/ 560 أيج أيم سعيد)
وَأَمَّا الدَّلَّالُ فَإِنْ بَاعَ الْعَيْنَ بِنَفْسِهِ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهَا فَأُجْرَتُهُ عَلَى الْبَائِعِ وَإِنْ سَعَى بَيْنَهُمَا وَبَاعَ الْمَالِكُ بِنَفْسِهِ يُعْتَبَرُ الْعُرْفُ وَتَمَامُهُ فِي شَرْحِ الْوَهْبَانِيَّةِ.
(قَوْلُهُ: فَأُجْرَتُهُ عَلَى الْبَائِعِ) وَلَيْسَ لَهُ أَخْذُ شَيْءٍ مِنْ الْمُشْتَرِي؛ لِأَنَّهُ هُوَ الْعَاقِدُ حَقِيقَةً شَرْحُ الْوَهْبَانِيَّةِ وَظَاهِرُهُ أَنَّهُ لَا يُعْتَبَرُ الْعُرْفُ هُنَا؛ لِأَنَّهُ لَا وَجْهَ لَهُ. (قَوْلُهُ: يُعْتَبَرُ الْعُرْفُ) فَتَجِبُ الدَّلَالَةُ عَلَى الْبَائِعِ أَوْ الْمُشْتَرِي أَوْ عَلَيْهِمَا بِحَسَبِ الْعُرْفِ جَامِعُ الْفُصُولَيْنِ.