Short answerA buyer's agent helps you find homes, sizes up condition and value before you offer, writes and negotiates the offer, guides the inspection and appraisal stages, and keeps the deal on schedule to closing. Whether one is worth it depends on how much of that you can do well yourself and what the agent charges.
What a buyer's agent does
- Sets up a search and schedules showings.
- Pulls recent sales so your offer is grounded in value, not the list price.
- Reads the seller's disclosure and spots likely condition issues before you commit.
- Writes the offer, including contingencies, deadlines, and earnest money.
- Negotiates repairs or credits after the inspection and options after a low appraisal.
- Tracks deadlines with the lender, title company, and the seller's agent.
How buyer's agents are paid now
Since August 17, 2024, buyers sign a written agreement with their agent before touring, and that agreement states the compensation. A seller may offer to pay some or all of it, or you may ask for it in your offer. See how buyer agent compensation works.
When you might go without one
Experienced buyers buying from someone they know, or buyers comfortable reading contracts and inspection reports, sometimes go without. You can also hire a real estate attorney for the paperwork.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to sign a buyer agreement?
To tour homes with an agent who is a REALTOR® under the current rules, yes. Read the term, the fee, and how it ends before you sign.
Can the listing agent represent me as the buyer?
Only as a limited agent with written consent from both sides. Read about limited agency before you agree.
Keep reading
Looking at a house and not sure what you are getting into?
Ask for a free Before You Offer review. Send me the listing. I look over the photos, the seller's disclosure, and recent sales, then flag likely condition issues and planning cost ranges before you write an offer.
Request a Before You Offer reviewOr call or text (812) 525-5489, or email [email protected].
The Before You Offer review is a REALTOR® and contractor review of the listing, not a home inspection. It is for buyers who are not already working with an agent. If you have an agent, please bring these questions to your agent.
Sources
- National Association of REALTORS®, practice changes effective August 17, 2024
- Indiana Code 25-34.1-10, Real Estate Agency Relationships
Written by John Long, REALTOR®, 1 Percent Lists Indiana Real Estate. Working contractor who has priced hundreds of home inspection repair requests. Former labor relations negotiator for a major manufacturer and U.S. Coast Guard veteran.
John Long, REALTOR® · 1 Percent Lists Indiana Real Estate · (812) 525-5489 · yourpropertynegotiator.com
This page is general information, not a substitute for a professional home inspection, and not legal, tax, insurance, or lending advice. Ask a real estate attorney about contracts and disclosure, a CPA about taxes, your lender about loan rules, and a licensed inspector or tradesperson about your house. Nothing here guarantees a sale price, net proceeds, repair cost, payment, timeline, appraisal, inspection result, or loan approval. Cost figures are planning estimates, not bids. I own Wardmark Property Operations LLC, a contracting company. You are always free to use any contractor you choose.