Do I really have to sign something before an agent can show me homes in Minnesota?
Answered by Chris Deutsch, Founder & Editor
Licensed Minnesota Realtor #20382264 ·
The short answer
Yes — and in Minnesota, that's older news than most headlines suggest. State law has required a written buyer's broker agreement before an agent acts as your representative since well before the 2024 NAR settlement made it the national standard. The settlement added the touring trigger: a signed written agreement before an agent shows you homes, stating what the agent is paid and that the amount is negotiable.
On stage The 60-second answer
Captions on · Transcript below
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Chris's video answer is on its way. Until then, the short answer above says the same thing.
The transcript posts with the video.
The longer answer
The agreement protects you as much as the agent — you see the cost of the representation in writing before anyone opens a door. And the terms are negotiable too: length, scope, how either of you can walk away. Don't sign what you haven't read. (I'm not a lawyer, and this isn't legal advice.)
If you want, I'll walk you through one line by line before you commit to anything. Send me a text.
The next department over
What people in this spot usually ask next.
- Rules & representationWhat actually changed after the NAR settlement?Read the answer
- Rules & representationI signed a buyer representation agreement and it's not working out. Can I get out of it?Read the answer
- Rules & representationWho pays my buyer's agent now?Read the answer
- Rules & representationHow do real estate commissions actually work now?Read the answer
- The banned-term explainersA house I want shows "Coming Soon." Can I get in early to see it?Read the answer
- The banned-term explainersDo agents really have a secret list of homes the public can't see?Read the answer
From the editor's desk
“As Founder and Editor, I review, correct, and stand behind every answer.”
Is your situation more specific than the market? That's the one worth talking through.