Under current industry rules and California’s buyer-representation requirements, your buyer’s agent will generally have a written agreement with you before you tour a home together. Buyers hear this and picture signing their life away before they’ve even seen a kitchen. The reality is much less dramatic — and understanding the two forms we most commonly use puts you in control of the conversation.
Option 1: The 30-day showing agreement
Formally the Property Showing Representation Agreement. It’s the light-commitment option: it lasts a maximum of 30 days and is non-exclusive, applying only to the specific properties identified on the form or an attached list. Want to see a few houses this weekend with an agent you just met? This agreement can cover those homes for a short period without committing you to broader representation. If the relationship isn’t a fit, the agreement does not lock you into a long-term exclusive relationship.
Option 2: The BRBC
The Buyer Representation and Broker Compensation Agreement is the fuller commitment. Under California law (AB 2992), it can run no longer than three months and cannot auto-renew — a real consumer protection compared to the old days of year-long lock-ins. The BRBC covers several terms, but three important ones to pay close attention to are whether the relationship is exclusive or non-exclusive, the compensation you and the broker agree to, and the locations and property types the agreement covers. It also specifies how long the representation lasts and includes other terms governing the buyer-broker relationship.
“But I don’t want to owe a commission.”
That’s an important concern. Your BRBC establishes the compensation you and your broker agree to, but that does not necessarily mean you will pay that amount out of pocket.
When we write an offer, we can request that the seller pay some or all of your broker’s compensation as part of the transaction. The seller can agree, negotiate the request, or decline it.
Terms to understand before you sign
A buyer agreement that runs longer than 90 days or automatically renews. For individual consumers, California law limits buyer-broker representation agreements to 90 days, and renewals must be separately agreed to in writing.
Pressure to sign a long-term exclusive agreement before the agent has clearly explained your options. A written agreement may be required before touring homes, but you should understand whether it is exclusive or non-exclusive, how long it lasts, what properties it covers, and how you can end the relationship before you sign.
Vague answers about the broker compensation line. It’s your agreement, and compensation is negotiable. The amount, when it is earned, and who may ultimately pay it should be clearly explained.
Unclear cancellation or termination terms. Before signing, ask exactly how you can end the agreement, whether cancellation must be in writing, and whether any compensation obligation survives cancellation.
Any suggestion that the commission is “standard,” “required,” or fixed by law. It isn’t. Broker compensation is negotiable between you and the broker.
How we handle it
We’ll suggest the agreement that best fits where you are in the process. Just testing the waters? A short-term, 30-day agreement may make sense. Ready to start searching seriously? We may recommend a BRBC, with the terms explained clearly and walked through with you before you sign.
Either way, you should understand exactly what you’re agreeing to — that’s kind of the whole point of how we work.
