A big Realtors settlement could have led to lower agent commissions. They haven’t.

When Eric Itakura listed his Mountain View condo last year, he hoped to save some money on commissions.

The rules over how agents’ fees are set had recently been rewritten as part of a landmark settlement reached between the National Association of Realtors and a group of home sellers. For decades, sellers typically paid a fee between 5% or 6%, split between their own broker and the buyer’s. The new rules, industry watchers predicted, might finally chip away at that standard by forcing buyers and their agents to negotiate separately.

But Itakura found that not much had changed. Two buyers made offers, both asking that he cover their agent’s fee. One wanted 2.5%, the other 3%. Itakura knew he could say no — but he also knew the buyers could walk.

“There’s a convention that’s been in plac