For buyers, after the 2024 rules
The 2024 NAR settlement changed how buyers and agents work together - written agreements up front, compensation that is disclosed and negotiable, and no rule setting commissions. Here is what actually changed, in plain language, and why having someone on your side still matters. $40M+ closed, 87+ five star reviews.
In 2024, a nationwide settlement involving the National Association of Realtors led to new practice rules for how agents work with buyers. The goal was more transparency around one thing in particular - how agents get paid - so buyers understand the arrangement before they start touring homes rather than after.
The core of it is simple. Before you and an agent go see homes together, you sign a written buyer representation agreement, and that agreement lays out the agent's compensation in clear terms you both agree to. Nothing about a home price or a commission is dictated by a rule.
This is the part people ask about most, so let's be clear about it. There is no single answer that fits every deal, because compensation is negotiable and spelled out in your agreement. What matters is that you know the options and choose with eyes open.
A buyer's agent can be paid in a few different ways:
Sellers can still choose to offer compensation to a buyer's agent, but that offer is no longer assumed or broadcast the way it once was. Because there are a few paths, we look at the real numbers early - before you write an offer - so nothing about who pays what is a surprise at the table. When you are ready, see how I work with buyers and browse Staten Island and Brooklyn communities.
Here is the thing the headlines sometimes miss - representation is more valuable, not less, when the biggest purchase of your life is on the line. The listing agent represents the seller. Without your own agent, no one at that table is working for you.
A buyer's agent looks out for your interests from search to closing. That means pulling comparable sales so you do not overpay, flagging issues before they cost you, negotiating price and terms, and staying on top of inspections, contingencies, and deadlines so the deal holds together.
This page is educational - it explains how buyer agency generally works after the 2024 changes, and it is not personalized legal or financial advice. Your own agreement controls the details, so read it carefully and ask questions about anything that is unclear before you sign. If you want practical tools to get started, grab something from my resources.
Buyer agency questions
In most cases, yes. Under the rules that took effect in 2024, a buyer working with an agent signs a written buyer representation agreement before touring homes together. The agreement spells out what your agent will do for you and how they get paid. It is meant to make the relationship clear from the start, not to trap you. You should always read it, ask questions about anything you do not understand, and make sure the terms match what you agreed to out loud.
No. Commissions are not set by any rule, law, or standard rate, and they never were required to be. Any agent's compensation is fully negotiable between you and that agent, and it is disclosed and agreed to up front in your written agreement. If someone tells you a fee is fixed or standard, that is not accurate. You are free to discuss the amount and the terms before you sign anything.
It depends on what you negotiate. Your buyer's agent can be paid directly by you, by the seller through a concession offered in the deal, or by a combination of both. Sellers can still choose to offer compensation to a buyer's agent, but it is no longer assumed or advertised the same way it used to be. Because there are a few ways it can work, we talk through the numbers early so you know what to expect before you make an offer.
Because representation protects you at the biggest purchase of your life. A buyer's agent works in your interest - pulling comparable sales, spotting issues, negotiating price and terms, managing inspections and deadlines, and keeping the deal on track to closing. The listing agent works for the seller, not for you. Whatever the compensation arrangement turns out to be, having someone on your side is the point, and we make sure that value is clear before you commit.
Let's talk through how buyer representation works for you - the agreement, the compensation, and the strategy. It starts with one quick conversation.