Earlier this year, there were glimmers of a silver lining in the cloud that hangs over the U.S. housing market, when existing home sales rose a bit in February and May and new home sales did the same in April. The rest of the cloud remains pretty dark, however; home sales are down substantially from their 2005 peak and are predicted to fall further in many regions.

If you’re a would-be buyer, seller, or even a remodeler, this report can help you get the most for your money or for your house. It’s based on the Consumer Reports National Research Center’s recent Annual Questionnaire of 3,753 readers who sold or tried to sell a home, 4,029 readers who bought one, and 7,368 readers who did both during the past few years. Just over 80 percent of sellers used an independent agent or one from a large brokerage chain, including Century 21, Coldwell Banker, Keller Williams, Prudential, and RE/MAX. About 17 percent tried to sell on their own, and a handful, about 1 percent, used a Web site, such as Craigslist, ForSaleByOwner.com, or RealtyTrac.

Our survey also looked at the level of services different agencies provide and whether the quality of help you can expect is determined by how much commission you pay. That turned out to be one of the most surprising findings: Many real-estate brokers are willing to cut a deal on their commissions, and readers who successfully negotiated for a lower commission, often cutting the traditional 6 percent to 3 or 4 percent, tended to be just as satisfied with the result as those who paid the full fare.