Real Estate Commission Fees

[Mike S.]

We are planning on putting our house on the market in the next few weeks and met with a real estate agent recently. They indicated that the market is red-hot, there is very little inventory in our area, and houses are selling in a day or two (I already knew all this), They also indicated their commission rate is 5%. That being said, I am having a hard time paying a real estate agent close to $20k for a house that is going to be really easy to sell. I understand agents need to make a living and that for a lot of people they are a necessity. However we have already sold a townhouse by owner in the past. We also have a lawyer lined up to help us. So I'm wondering what are my options to reduce or eliminate the commissions fee? Thanks in advance!