This content was created by Leigh Thomas Brown. This content was uploaded by Leigh Thomas Brown. This is a YouTube video titled "Death, Taxes… and 𝘈𝘱𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺, the REALTOR® Tax?" (uploaded October 16, 2025). The excerpt is a spoken monologue by a real estate professional responding to an article by Robert Bourque Jr., disputing the idea of a "REALTOR® tax." The speaker explains that realtors are independent contractors who pay self-employment tax, are paid on commission only at successful closings, and argues that home-price inflation is driven by supply-and-demand factors (e.g., immigration) rather than realtor fees or a built-in tax. The tone is defensive and corrective toward the cited article's claims.
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Benjamin Franklin said there's only two things in life that are certain: death and taxes. So when I read an article this morning by Robert Bourque Jr. and it talked about the REALTOR® tax, I said I better go check that out because I was unaware of a certainty known as a REALTOR® tax, except for the 15% self-employment tax that we have to pay because we're independent contractors. Now, if I know that taxes are certain, then I'd like to know what is certain in REALTOR® world because we are in a profession where we are not ever guaranteed getting compensated. Yet he talks about how the home prices in the country are inflated because of what realtors charge. Mr. Bourque, I need to explain some things to you. The first one is there is no requirement to use a realtor. The public has always had the option to go for sale by owner. The public also has about a blue million business models they can select from out there. So to continually use this talking point that there is a baked-in guaranteed number is absolutely uneducated. And frankly, it's just lazy. And I would expect more from Robert Bourque's son than laziness in this. When you talk about How it's realtor prices that have kept home prices up. I would actually ask you to look at the immigration situation because we have a supply and demand problem. We who are professionals helping people navigate the American dream are not the issue. And in fact, if there were a realtor tax, that will be something baked into every home price. I should probably remind you of this. When we choose to be professional realtors, we are micro entrepreneurs. We are paid on commission. And let me tell you how commission works, Mr. Bork. I'm only paid at the closing of a successful transaction. That means when the buyer and seller get something they're satisfied with, that's the only time I get compensated. I'm working for free the rest of the time. I'm working at the hope of getting paid, not from any kind of a tax that is forced upon anybody.
