I'm unfamiliar with the condo market but one should still assume 5% for real estate transactions although some agents go as low as 3.5% as far as I know personally.
I would be skeptical at lower rates because the only rational an agent would have to lower fees in the open is if they intend to do a high volume of sales (which means emphasizing the sale over sale price). If you are the seller and the property is having difficulty on the market you may be able to negotiate with your listing agent to reduce their portion of the fees. If you are the buyer always if possible attempt to use the listing agent as your buying agent (a conflict of interest exists giving you an unfair advantage over other buyers and the ability to privately negotiate a reduction in fees).
I recently purchased in a private deal without agent involvement, the most desirable way to handle a sale or purchase if you are more knowledgeable. One should be cautious of private deals as well however because the money saved on the commission may be lost if you mis-calculate the market or haven't thought through what additional benefits like fexibility in choosing your closing period are worth to you.
