Here's how to negotiate a lower commission fee from your real estate agent

Real estate agents' fees — a pesky part of the home buying and selling process — aren't necessarily set in stone. Rather they are often negotiable, a fact that could help parties on both sides of a transaction save money. 

And it can be as easy as politely asking for a lower fee: Nearly two-thirds of homebuyers or sellers successfully negotiated down their agent's real estate commission fee simply by asking, according to a new survey from LendingTree. While only 31% of homebuyers or sellers have tried to lower their real estate agent's commission fee when buying or selling, of those who did ask for reductions, 64% were successful. 

"This goes to show that while someone has to pay these fees if you work with an agent, there is wiggle room," LendingTree economist Jacob Channel told CBS MoneyWatch.