Question

A real estate broker’s base salary is $18,000. She earns a 4% commission on total sales. How much must she sell to earn $55,000 total? Show your work and explain your reasoning in the space provided below.

Answer 1

$925,000

Explanation:

Let "t" represent "total sales."

We are asking how much this person must bring in thru sales to end up with $55,000 in earnings.

A suitable equation would be:

$18,000 + 0.04t = $55,000.

Let's isolate t. Start by subtracting $18,000 from both sides, obtaining:

0.04t = $37,000

Dividing both sides by 0.04 results in t = $925,000.

Her sales must be $925,000 for her income (including earnings) to be $55,000.