Buyer Agency Agreement: Definition (2024)

Before entering into any contract, it’s important to fully understand the terms you’re agreeing to abide by. Let’s walk through some conditions you may encounter in a buyer agency agreement.

Agent Duties

This section of the buyer agency agreement outlines the expectations of your real estate agent. Their responsibilities might include locating potential properties and open houses, submitting and negotiating home offers and helping with paperwork when you close on a house.

Your agent may also be able to assist you with the home loan process, from comparing mortgage lenders to understanding the types of mortgage options available to you.

You hired your agent to represent your best interests during the home buying process, so they can also serve as a support system as you search for your dream home.

Term Length

Your buyer agency agreement will state the duration of time that your working partnership with the real estate agent or broker is valid. The agreement can extend anywhere from a few months to upward of a year. But just like with any of the conditions of the buyer agency agreement, the term length is generally negotiable. So, be sure to talk with your agent about the time frame you’ll be requiring their expertise.

Dual Agency

Whether your real estate agent is working as a dual agent is a condition typically disclosed in a buyer agency agreement. Dual agency means the real estate agent represents both the home buyer and the seller in a real estate deal. There’s potential for dual agency to create a conflict of interest between a buyer and seller because the agent helps lead negotiations between the two parties and wants the best outcome on both sides.

How Does Dual Agency Work?

A dual agent also receives the full commission from a real estate transaction, as opposed to splitting the commission evenly between a buyer’s and seller’s agent (also called a listing agent). This can be a financial incentive for the agent to see the entire transaction to completion.

Proceed with caution if your contract includes a dual agency clause. If you’re looking for sole representation, you may be able to negotiate this section with your real estate agent to better suit your needs.

Exclusivity

As mentioned already, exclusivity is a key component of your buyer agency contract. If your contract is exclusive, you can only buy a house with the real estate agent or brokerage firm you hired and signed with.

If you signed a non-exclusive contract, make sure you understand the terms of your working relationship – including the extent to which you can work with other real estate professionals, what commission looks like and whether you can demand sole representation (or single agency, as opposed to dual agency) from an agent.

Commission

This section of the buyer agency contract defines how compensation is handled. During a real estate transaction, the buyer’s and seller’s agents are paid a commission based on the property’s sale price. The average total commission paid to the real estate professionals involved in the home sale is typically 5% – 6%, but it can vary with market conditions. The buyer, the seller or both parties will pay this commission percentage when you close on the house.

If only the buyer’s and seller’s agents are involved in the transaction, these two parties usually split the commission 50/50. Of course, if the buyer is also working with a brokerage firm (as outlined in your buyer agency agreement), they may also receive a portion of the commission.

Termination

If you or your real estate agent are dissatisfied with the partnership, most buyer agency agreements outline how to end the arrangement. You might have to meet certain conditions – like giving prior notice or writing a letter of termination – to break the agreement. Be sure to carefully review the termination clause in your contract in the event you want to end it and work with another real estate professional.

Buyer Agency Agreement: Definition (2024)

FAQs

How to explain buyer agency agreement? ›

What Is A Buyer's Agency Agreement? A buyer's agency agreement is a written contract that creates a working relationship between you, as a potential home buyer, and the buyer's agent you'd like to work with. Sellers sign a similar contract, known as a listing agreement, with their listing agent.

Which of the following best describes a buyer agency agreement? ›

Expert-Verified Answer

The main purpose of a buyer agency agreement is to outline the relationship between the buyer and a real estate agent, similar to an exclusive contract between a manufacturer and dealer.

What is the meaning of agency agreement? ›

An agency agreement is a legal contract creating a fiduciary relationship whereby the first party ("the principal") agrees that the actions of a second party ("the agent") binds the principal to later agreements made by the agent as if the principal had himself personally made the later agreements.

What are the three most common forms of buyer agency agreements? ›

The role of a buyer's agent is to locate a property that meets the buyer's standards. The three types of buyer representation agreements are non-exclusive not-for-compensation contracts, non-exclusive right-to-represent contract and exclusive right-to-represent contract.

What is a buyer's agency? ›

Buyer Agency: The agency relationship that exists between a buyer principal and his or her buyer's agent. Principal: One of the parties to a transaction. For example, the buyer and seller are principals in a transaction for the purchase of real estate. A principal may also be referred to as a client.

Who is the principal in a buyer agency agreement? ›

(Civil Code § 2322, Probate Code §§ 16000-16105.) In most real property transactions, the real estate broker acts as an agent for someone else - the principal - who seeks to sell to, buy from, or exchange with a third party real property or a business opportunity.

What does a buyer broker agreement typically include? ›

The buyer agency agreement is the legal document between the buyer and their agent that sets out what the buyer can expect from the agent and how the agent will be compensated. Each agreement may be different but most include the duties of the agent, length of the contract, compensation, and termination.

Which of the following is not a type of buyer agency agreement? ›

Final answer: The option 'net buying agreement' is not a basic type of buyer agency agreement. Basic types include exclusive right to represent buyer, exclusive agency right to represent buyer, and open right to represent buyer, detailing different levels of exclusivity and commission terms for the representing agent.

What are the key features of agency agreement? ›

The main characteristics of an agency relationship are that it is fiduciary, it involves trust and confidence, agency laws govern it, and it is a consensual relationship. The agent is the party who is legally authorized to act on behalf of another party in business transactions.

What are the duties of an agency agreement? ›

The agent owes several duties to the principal, namely: (1) a duty to undertake the task or tasks specified by the Agency Agreement; (2) a duty to refrain from doing things that have not been authorized by the principal (except for acts that are consistent with the agent's express duties and impliedly authorized by the ...

What is an agency agreement in real estate? ›

A buyer agency agreement, also sometimes called a buyer representation agreement or a buyer-broker agreement, is a contract between a home buyer and a real estate agent that outlines the terms and conditions of their working partnership.

How is Buyer Agency created? ›

Buyer-agency may be created by the actions of a license holder, as well as by written agreements. A buyer whom you have never met has heard about your great skills in working with buyers, so he has made an appointment to consult with you about his real estate needs.

What is the standard term of a buyer representation agreement? ›

It will outline the terms of the agreement, including time frame and the services that the brokerage agrees to render the client during that time, which is typically 3 months by default.

What are the 4 types of agreement? ›

Types of agreements under Indian Contract Act, 1872
  • Valid agreement. Section 11 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872. ...
  • Void agreement. Section 24 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872. ...
  • Wagering Agreements.
  • Contingent Agreement.
  • Voidable agreement. ...
  • Express and implied agreements.
  • Illegal Agreements.
May 4, 2022

Why is a buyer-broker agreement important? ›

Explain to agents that written buyer agreements are legally binding documents that are designed to protect both the consumer and the broker, and that they clearly outline the duties and responsibilities of both parties.

Why is an agency agreement important? ›

The purpose of an agency agreement is to set out the terms and conditions of the relationship between the principle and the agent. It is important that the principal and agent have clear written commercial terms agreed so that both parties know what to expect from their deal.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Madonna Wisozk

Last Updated:

Views: 5520

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (68 voted)

Reviews: 91% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Madonna Wisozk

Birthday: 2001-02-23

Address: 656 Gerhold Summit, Sidneyberg, FL 78179-2512

Phone: +6742282696652

Job: Customer Banking Liaison

Hobby: Flower arranging, Yo-yoing, Tai chi, Rowing, Macrame, Urban exploration, Knife making

Introduction: My name is Madonna Wisozk, I am a attractive, healthy, thoughtful, faithful, open, vivacious, zany person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.