03/19/2024
I shouldn’t have to say it at this point, but I’ll say it anyway: Don’t believe every sweeping “fact” the media says, especially about real estate. 🏡
Headlines are intentionally click bait and misleading. They want views, shares, and comments to increase their ratings. Read the language of the new rules or talk to a well-informed professional.
**Disclaimer: I’m not an attorney and this isn’t legal advice.**
Change #1:
Taking compensation out of realtor-only MLS. This keeps agents honest with their buyers (public disclosures of compensation only!). That’s a good thing in my book! ✅ And not any different from how commercial real estate operates currently.
Change #2:
Potentially more situations where sellers aren’t offering buyer agent compensation and/or won’t agree to it in an offer contract… this hurts the seller’s bottom line and/or lowers the buyer pool. Look at the stats. Do the math. When buyers have to compensate their agents out of pocket, it lowers their buying power, leading to necessarily lower offers. They go hand to hand.
Smart sellers/listing agents will continue to offer compensation for buyers agents.
Every situation, every transaction, every buyer/seller is unique. Know your market competition and their respective offers of compensation. Many sellers will probably unintentionally devalue their investment thinking they’re getting a “deal”.
Buyers, make sure you/your agent are factoring every aspect into your offers.
Change #3:
Every agent is required to have a signed buyer-broker agreement in order to work for a buyer. (Another thing that has been normal in commercial real estate)
Expect elevated professionalism from agents. You should ONLY be working with a buyers agent that you KNOW will do the best job for you.
Lastly, buyers: don’t sign multiple buyer-broker agreements! It’s a contract. You don’t want to owe commissions to multiple agents. Do your due diligence like you would if you were listing your home. You want to pick 1 agent you trust. Look for thorough market knowledge, great negotiation skills, and an excellent track record.