Origin: French suffix -age
Brokerage has 4 different meanings across 1 category:
a stock broker's business; charges a fee to act as intermediary between buyer and seller
"The brokerage charged us a percentage of the sale price for acting as an intermediary between the buyer and the seller."
the business of a broker; charges a fee to arrange a contract between two parties
"The brokerage charged us a substantial fee to facilitate the merger between the two companies."
place where a broker conducts his business
"The new office building served as a modern brokerage, complete with trading floors and client meeting rooms."
A business, firm, or company whose business is to act as a broker (e.g., stockbroker).
"The new brokerage opened in downtown Chicago and quickly became known for its low fees."
In plain English: Brokerage is the fee you pay to an agent for helping you buy or sell something, usually stocks or real estate.
"The company charges an annual fee for its stock brokerage services."
Usage: Brokerage refers specifically to the financial institution itself rather than the fee charged by that firm. Use this term when discussing companies like banks or investment firms where you open an account for trading stocks and bonds.
The word brokerage comes from combining the noun broker with the suffix -age to indicate an action or result. It entered English as a straightforward formation meaning the business of acting as a broker.