What do I do when my commission and my client's best interest don't line up?

You feel the pull between your commission and what's actually best for your client, in the moments the two point different ways. Feeling that tension is the sign of a conscience still doing its job. The agents to worry about are the ones who stopped noticing. Here's the thing that outlasts any single deal: your reputation and your own self-respect are built on whose interest you serve when no one's watching. A bigger commission won today can cost you the trust that brings clients for years. Put the client's real interest first and you're not just being good, you're building the only asset that compounds in this business. Next time they diverge, say plainly to your client what you'd do if you weren't getting paid on it. Give them the honest counsel. You may lose a little now, but you'll be someone worth trusting, and that's worth more than any one check.