Brokerage fee by price band
A Korean brokerage fee is amount × upper-limit rate, and the rate changes by price band. The table shows the maximum, negotiable within that cap.
Sale rates run 0.4% to 0.7%; lease rates 0.3% to 0.6%, with fixed caps on the smallest bands. For a lease, the amount is deposit + (monthly rent × 100) — or × 70 if that total is under 50M KRW.
Rates and caps vary by local ordinance, and VAT (10%) may be added. See the acquisition tax or capital gains tax calculators.
Jeonse vs wolse for foreigners
- Jeonse (전세): you pay a large lump-sum deposit — often 50–80% of the home’s price — and no monthly rent; the deposit is returned when you move out.
- Wolse (월세): a smaller deposit plus monthly rent. Most foreigners on shorter contracts rent this way.
- Banjeonse (반전세): a larger deposit with lower rent, in between the two.
For the agent fee, a wolse lease is converted to one amount: deposit + monthly rent × 100 (× 70 if that total is under 50 million won), then the lease rate for that band applies.
Protecting your deposit. Tenant protection depends on occupying the home and registering your address there. For foreigners, the alien registration and change-of-address report legally count as the move-in report (Immigration Act, Art. 88-2), so report your new address promptly after moving in and get a fixed date stamp (확정일자) on the lease. Before paying a deposit, check the building’s registry for existing mortgages — a large prior mortgage puts your deposit at risk.