What Does Paying the Buyer's Agent Commission Mean? (2026)
Paying the buyer's agent commission means the seller compensates the agent representing the buyer, historically 2.5–3% of the sale price. On ClozeEZ, offers and counters run directly between the parties, so any buyer-side contribution is a term you negotiate rather than a rate you advertise. Since the 2024 NAR settlement changed the rules, that payment is fully negotiable and no longer assumed: buyers now sign written agreements with their agents that set the fee, and sellers decide case by case whether contributing toward it makes an offer work.
How buyer-agent commissions used to work
For decades the seller effectively paid both agents: a listing commission around 5–6% was split between the listing agent and the buyer's agent, and the buyer-side share was advertised through the MLS. Buyers rarely saw or negotiated the number.
The 2024 National Association of Realtors settlement ended blanket offers of buyer-agent compensation on the MLS. Buyers working with an agent now sign a written buyer-broker agreement that states what their agent will be paid and by whom.
What it means for you as an Arizona FSBO seller
You have no obligation to offer a buyer's agent anything. Three common paths: offer nothing and let buyers cover their own representation; consider compensation as one negotiable term inside a specific offer; or offer a stated amount up front if you want to draw agent-accompanied buyers.
The practical frame: a buyer's offer that asks you to pay their agent 2.5% is really a price adjustment. A $460,000 offer asking for 2.5% ($11,500) toward the buyer's agent nets you about the same as a clean $448,500 offer. ClozeEZ's seller net sheet compares offers on net proceeds rather than sticker price.
How this plays out in a ClozeEZ sale
Many ClozeEZ buyers shop without an agent, tour without signing anything, and make offers directly; in that case there is no buyer-side commission at all, on either side. The platform charge is a flat $200 Platform Success Fee per party, only at closing.
When an agent-represented buyer makes an offer on your FSBO home, treat any requested compensation as a line item to negotiate like price, earnest money, or repairs. There is no standard number anymore, only what the two of you agree to in writing.
Frequently asked questions
Do sellers have to pay the buyer's agent in 2026?
No. Since the 2024 NAR settlement, buyer-agent compensation is fully negotiable. Sellers may offer it, negotiate it inside a specific offer, or decline entirely; buyers agree in writing with their own agent about how that agent gets paid.
What is a typical buyer's agent commission?
Historically 2.5–3% of the sale price. Today there is no set standard; the amount is whatever the buyer's written agreement with their agent says, and whatever the purchase contract negotiates about who funds it.
If I sell FSBO, can I refuse to pay any buyer's agent?
Yes. You can decline buyer-side compensation entirely. Agent-represented buyers can still buy your home; their agreement with their agent determines how the agent is paid, and any seller contribution is just a negotiable term of the offer.
Is paying the buyer's agent ever worth it for a FSBO seller?
Sometimes. A contribution can widen your buyer pool to agent-accompanied buyers and can be cheaper than a price cut. Evaluate it per offer, by comparing your net proceeds with and without it.