Get ready for yet another cost when buying a home: Junk fees

Kelly MacDonald holds her dog in front of her five bedroom home in a Cincinnati suburb on September, 11 2026. Patrick Apfelbeck hide caption

Two cats, one dog, one boyfriend and one bedroom. Kelly MacDonald was ready to move out from her small rental home in a Cincinnati suburb and buy her own place.

She met a real estate agent at a backyard party earlier this year ready to help. MacDonald figured she could trust her since they met through a friend.

Still, she did not fully let her guard down. Since her mom works in commercial real estate, MacDonald had her mother look over the contract for working with the new agent.

"She would sniff out bad vibes or things that might be weird," MacDonald thought.

Her mom did spot something: A strange $425 fee the agent had tacked on to the contract.

Wanting to know more, MacDonald turned to where she usually starts her research: Reddit. And soon, commenters had a warning for her: This is a junk fee.

Now, a $425 fee is just a fraction of a percent of the total cost of buying a typical home in the U.S, which can often be north of $400,000.