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DictionaryThe buying process

Buyer-broker agreement: what it means

A buyer-broker agreement is a legal document you sign with the real estate agent who helps you buy, and it formalizes your working relationship. According to the VA, after a court settlement with the National Association of Realtors (NAR), its agents must sign one with you before you tour a home.

In Spanish it is

Acuerdo con el agente del comprador

Also written as: buyer representation agreement · buyer agreement · written buyer agreement

The full explanation

The agreement must state clearly how much the agent will be paid or how that is determined, without leaving it open-ended; bar the agent from receiving more than the agreed amount from any source; and say that commissions are fully negotiable and not set by law. You can negotiate before signing and ask the seller to pay your agent.

An example

Before touring homes, Andrés's agent asks him to sign an agreement. Andrés reads how much the agent will charge, negotiates the commission and they agree to ask the seller to pay it.

You will see it in…

  • The document your agent asks you to sign before showing you homes
  • Your purchase offer, if you ask the seller to pay your agent
  • The Closing Disclosure, section H, in the real estate commission line

Words that go with it

You will rarely see this word alone. These are the ones that show up with it on the same papers.

More guides that use “buyer-broker agreement”

More words on this topic: The buying process

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Still confused by a paper?

A HUD-approved housing counselor can walk you through it. Agencies usually charge little or nothing, many work in Spanish, and they do not sell you anything.

What a housing counselor does See free help

Official sources

We sum up what these official sources say, in plain words. We add no rules they do not state; when a rule changes, the definition and its date change.

  1. 1. Freddie Mac · Understanding the homebuying and closing documents: buyer representative agreement · in English · Verified on October 17, 2026
  2. 2. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA News) · What real estate industry changes mean for VA home loan borrowers · in English · Verified on October 17, 2026