What actually changed after the NAR settlement?
Answered by Chris Deutsch, Founder & Editor
Licensed Minnesota Realtor #20382264 ·
The short answer
Two things, for ordinary buyers and sellers. First: buyer's agents need a signed written agreement before touring homes with you, and it has to state their compensation. Second: offers of buyer-agent pay came off the MLS — if a seller contributes to the buyer's side, it's negotiated in the purchase offer like any other term.
On stage The 60-second answer
Captions on · Transcript below
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The transcript posts with the video.
The longer answer
Just as important is what didn't change. Commissions were always negotiable; now the paperwork makes that impossible to miss. Sellers can still offer concessions. And Minnesota buyers lost nothing — state law already required written buyer agreements before the settlement existed.
The practice changes took effect in August 2024, and by now they're just how business works. If the headlines left you with questions about your specific situation, that's a coffee conversation. No pitch — just the rules, translated.
The next department over
What people in this spot usually ask next.
- Rules & representationHow do real estate commissions actually work now?Read the answer
- Rules & representationDo I really have to sign something before an agent can show me homes in Minnesota?Read the answer
- Rules & representationIs dual agency legal in Minnesota, and should I agree to it?Read the answer
- Rules & representationWho pays my buyer's agent now?Read the answer
- Investment propertiesAre real estate commissions negotiable in Minneapolis?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.