Since the industry rule changes took effect in August 2024, the most common question we get from new buyers is some version of: “Wait — do I have to pay my agent now?” Fair question, and the honest answer is: it’s negotiable, it’s written down before you tour, and in most of our deals the structure ends up looking familiar — but you should understand it before you sign anything. Here’s the plain-language version.
What changed in 2024
Written agreements first. Before an agent tours homes with you, something goes in writing — either a full buyer representation agreement (commission, areas, and property types spelled out; exclusive or non-exclusive) or a lighter property showing agreement that runs 30 days max and covers only the specific homes listed on it.
Commissions are negotiable — and always were. The agreement makes the number explicit instead of implied.
Seller-paid compensation moved off the MLS. Sellers can still offer to cover your agent’s fee — and in our market they very often do — but it’s negotiated deal by deal instead of advertised upfront.
So who actually pays?
In the LA market, roughly 95% of purchase offers include a request for the seller to pay the buyer’s broker’s commission — and that’s usually how deals close. The rules changed the paperwork more than the practice: the request now lives right in the purchase agreement, negotiated alongside price, contingencies, and timeline. Where a seller won’t cover it, that fact becomes part of the price negotiation itself. The important shift is transparency: you’ll know the number, in writing, before your first tour.
What to look for in a buyer representation agreement
The rate and how it’s paid — and what happens when the seller contributes.
The term — California law (AB 2992, in effect since January 2025) caps buyer representation agreements with individual buyers at three months and bans auto-renewal; extending takes a fresh signature. Want an even lighter start? A property showing agreement covers just the homes listed on it, for 30 days. A long exclusive lock-in isn’t just a red flag — it isn’t allowed here.
What you’re getting — the agreement should describe real work: comps, offer strategy, negotiation, inspections, escrow management.
An agreement isn’t a trap — it’s a job description with a price tag. Read it like one.
Where the Buyer’s Express credit fits
Our Buyer’s Express program is our answer to the new rules: you do the browsing you already love doing, we do the professional work — and because that model is more efficient for us, we credit $5,000 back to you at closing. The credit is disclosed in writing, applied through escrow on your Closing Disclosure, and subject to lender approval on financed purchases. Same representation, same negotiation muscle, with the efficiency savings passed back to you. If you want us to walk you through a representation agreement line by line before you sign anything — ours or anyone’s — that conversation is free.
Cover photo: The Gamble House, Pasadena — Cullen328 (CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons).
