Do Buyer's Pay Realtor Fees? (What changed in 2025?)
On October 31, 2023, a federal jury in Kansas City, Missouri delivered a verdict finding the National Association of Realtors and several major brokerages liable for conspiring to artificially inflate real estate commissions. The jury awarded nearly $2 billion in damages. The news spread quickly, and it left a lot of buyers and agents asking the same questions: What does this mean for me, and what actually changed?
Hi, my name is Charlie Vinci. I’m a Connecticut Gold Coast Realtor, and now that we’ve had time to see how this has played out, I want to break down what changed, what didn’t, and how it impacts buyers and sellers here in Connecticut.
The Three Rule Changes That Went Into Effect in August 2024
As a result of the settlement, new rules went into effect in August 2024. Here are the big three:
- Sellers are not forced to pay the buyer’s agent commission.
- Buyer agent commission offers are banned from the MLS (the Multiple Listing Service where agents upload listings).
- Buyer agents must sign a written agreement with a buyer before touring or negotiating on a home.
One important note: this came down from the federal level, not the state level. That differentiation matters because real estate practice and existing requirements vary from state to state, including how buyer representation agreements are handled.
What This Means for Sellers in Connecticut
The headline many people focused on was that sellers are not required to pay a buyer’s agent commission. In practice, what I’ve seen is that sellers overwhelmingly still view buyer agent compensation as useful for attracting the largest pool of buyers.
The simple reality is this: the more buyers we can attract to a home, the more likely we are to generate stronger offers and achieve top dollar.
In my experience, I have not seen a reduction in seller willingness to pay a buyer’s agent commission. In fact, I have not shown a single home since the August 2024 rule changes went into effect that did not offer buyer agent compensation.
One reason this may feel less disruptive in Connecticut is that Connecticut did not require sellers to pay buyer agent compensation even before the court case. It was already voluntary here.
What the MLS Change Actually Changes
The second major shift is that buyer agent commission offers are now banned from the MLS. Practically, this means agents may not see commission information in the listing system the way they used to.
If a client has concerns about whether a seller is offering buyer agent compensation, the approach is straightforward: we contact the listing agent before scheduling or attending the showing to confirm.
The Buyer Agreement Requirement (And Why It’s Not New in Connecticut)
The third big change is the requirement for a written agreement between the buyer and the agent before touring or negotiating on a home. But here’s the key point for Connecticut buyers: this has already been a state requirement in Connecticut since 1997.
So while this part of the settlement created major headlines nationally, it is not a new concept for buyers in Connecticut.
If you’d like help navigating the current rules and making the right move, call me directly at (203) 952-7752.