Who pays the real estate agent — and what changed in 2024?
Commissions are negotiable — they always have been. Since August 2024, buyers sign a written agreement with their agent before touring homes, and agent pay is no longer advertised on the MLS. Sellers can still offer to cover the buyer's agent; it's simply negotiated in each deal.
The plain answer: real estate commissions are negotiable — they always have been — and who pays the buyer's agent is worked out deal by deal. What changed in August 2024 is how that conversation happens, and it's worth two minutes to understand before you tour your first home.
What changed in August 2024
Following the National Association of REALTORS® settlement (which received final court approval in late 2024), two practice rules took effect. First, before an agent shows you homes — in person or virtually — you and the agent sign a written buyer agreement that spells out the services and states the compensation specifically, not open-endedly. Second, offers of pay to a buyer's agent are no longer advertised on the MLS. These come from REALTOR® and MLS rules rather than Florida law, and they remain in effect today (verified with NAR and Florida Realtors guidance, August 2026).
What didn't change
Sellers can still choose to cover some or all of the buyer's agent's fee — negotiated directly, written into the purchase contract, or handled as a seller credit. Nothing requires it, and no amount is standard: national data from late 2025 put the average buyer's-agent commission around 2.4% of the sale price (Redfin, Q3 2025), with most deals landing somewhere in the 2%–3% neighborhood — but your deal is its own negotiation.
If you're buying
The written agreement works in your favor: you'll know exactly what I do and what it costs before we ever get in the car. And when we write an offer, we can ask the seller to cover my fee — for financed buyers, that keeps cash in your pocket at closing. Skilled negotiation on your side is precisely what that agreement pays for, and every question about it gets a straight answer.
If you're selling
You now decide explicitly whether offering to cover buyer-agent compensation strengthens your sale. In some situations it widens your buyer pool — especially among first-time buyers who are short on cash — and in others it isn't necessary. It's a strategy question, and we'll work through it alongside pricing and preparation when we build your selling plan.
Whichever side you're on, you'll see exactly how my compensation works — in writing and in plain English — before anything is signed. Questions about it cost nothing, so ask me anything.
This answer is general education, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Your situation is unique — let's talk through the specifics together.