The money conversation moved to the front. That is inconvenient once and useful from then on.
Buyers used to tour homes for weeks with no written agreement and no discussion of how their agent was paid. Compensation was arranged on the listing side and most buyers never saw the mechanics. That changed. A buyer now signs a written agreement with their agent before touring, stating what the agent does and what their compensation is.
Scope, term and compensation. What the agent will do for you, how long the agreement runs, and what they are paid. Read the term and the exit. A long exclusive term with no way out is a lot to hand someone you met an hour ago; a shorter term that renews if things go well costs you nothing and tells you whether they expect to earn it.
Whether a seller contributes toward the buyer agent is now negotiated per transaction rather than assumed. It still happens frequently. It is simply not automatic, and it is disclosed and written down when it does. What that means practically is that the amount can differ from home to home, so it belongs in your conversation before you write an offer.
Ask directly: if a seller contributes less than my agreement calls for, or nothing, what happens? There are several legitimate answers — asking for a contribution as a term of the offer, adjusting, or you covering the difference. What matters is that you hear the answer before you are emotionally committed to a house rather than at the closing table.
When compensation was invisible, so was the service. A written scope means you can hold an agent to what they said they would do, and you can compare two agents on something other than personality. It is worth ten uncomfortable minutes at the start.
Tell us where the home is and what the timing looks like. We will match you and send you the questions to ask.
Get Matched With an AgentEarly questions are fine. Most people talk to us months before they list.