If a real estate agent received a commission of 6 percent of the selling price

[BTGModeratorVI]

If a real estate agent received a commission of 6 percent of the selling price of a certain house, what was the selling price of the house?

(1) The selling price minus the real estate agent’s commission was $84,600.
(2) The selling price was 250 percent of the original purchase price of $36,000.

Answer: D
Source: Official Guide

[Jay@ManhattanReview]

If a real estate agent received a commission of 6 percent of the selling price of a certain house, what was the selling price of the house?

(1) The selling price minus the real estate agent’s commission was $84,600.
(2) The selling price was 250 percent of the original purchase price of $36,000.

Answer: D
Source: Official Guide

Say the selling price of the house was $x.

Thus, the real estate agent received a commission of 6% of x = $0.06x.

We have to get the value if x.

Let's take each statement one by one.

(1) The selling price minus the real estate agent’s commission was $84,600.

=> x – 0.06x = 84,600.

0.94x = 84,600

We can get the unique value of x. Sufficient.

(2) The selling price was 250 percent of the original purchase price of $36,000.

x = 250% of 36,000

x = 2.5*36,000. We can get the unique value of x. Sufficient.

The correct answer: D

Hope this helps!

-Jay
_________________
Manhattan Review

Locations: Manhattan Review Hyderabad | GMAT Prep Bangalore | GRE Prep Chennai | Himayatnagar GRE Coaching | and many more...

Schedule your free consultation with an experienced GMAT Prep Advisor! Click here.

[Brent@GMATPrepNow]

If a real estate agent received a commission of 6 percent of the selling price of a certain house, what was the selling price of the house?

(1) The selling price minus the real estate agent’s commission was $84,600.
(2) The selling price was 250 percent of the original purchase price of $36,000.

Answer: D
Source: Official Guide

Target question: If a real estate agent received a commission of 6 percent of the selling price of a certain house, what was the selling price of the house?


Statement 1: The selling price minus the real estate agent’s commission was $84,600.
Let x equal the selling price of the house. So our goal is to find the value of x
From statement one we can write: x - (6% of x) = 84,600
Simplify: x - 0.06x = 84,600
Simplify: 0.94x = 84,600
Divide both sides by 0.94 to get x = 84,600/0.94

NOTE: We need not actually calculate 84,600/0.94. We need only recognize that we COULD determine the value of x, which means we could determine the selling price of the house.
Since we can answer the target question with certainty, statement 1 is SUFFICIENT


Statement 2: The selling price was 250 percent of the original purchase price of $36,000.
Let x equal the selling price of the house.
We can write: x = 250% of 36,000
In other words: x = (2.5)(36,000)
Once again, we need only recognize that we COULD determine the value of x, which means we could determine the selling price of the house.
Since we can answer the target question with certainty, statement 2 is SUFFICIENT

Answer: D

Cheers,
Brent