giant broker holding a house in one hand and holding a buyer  in the other, shaking him as money falls out of his pockets
Many brokerages are tacking on an extra fee that has divided the real-estate industry and stoked fury among consumer advocates, who call it a blatant cash grab.

A typical home sale involves two main parties: the buyer and the seller. But there are plenty of others who stand to benefit on closing day: agents who brokered the deal, the title company, attorneys, appraisers, mortgage lenders. Sign on the dotted line, and a whole bunch of people get paid.