Agent Did WHAT?! But you said the Sellers will pay Buyer’s Commission 😬

🧠 THE SCENARIO
 
An agent is out showing homes with a buyer who’s excited and ready to move forward. After a great showing, the buyer pauses and asks a simple question, “How do you get paid?” Without missing a beat, the agent responds, “Don’t worry about that, the seller will cover my commission.” The buyer feels reassured and they move forward writing an offer.
A day later, the listing agent responds. The seller is not offering any compensation, or it’s significantly less than expected. Now the agent is in a tough spot. They have to go back to their buyer and explain that the commission may not be covered after all. The buyer is confused, frustrated, and now questioning the entire process. What started as a confident answer has turned into a credibility issue.

⚖️ BROKER GUIDANCE
You cannot guarantee that a seller will pay your commission.
Compensation is:
  • Negotiated
  • Not guaranteed
  • Different on every property
When you tell a buyer “the seller will pay it,” you are:
  • Making an assumption
  • Setting the wrong expectation
  • Creating a problem at contract time

🛠️ WHAT SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED
  • Explain how you are compensated upfront
  • Review the Buyer Agency Agreement with your client
  • Prepare the buyer for multiple compensation scenarios
  • Confirm compensation on each property before writing
👉 Most importantly:
You should have a Seller to Buyer Agent Compensation Agreement in place before ratifying the offer

🚨 WHY THIS MATTERS
  • Buyers feel misled
  • Deals get renegotiated or fall apart
  • Agents lose credibility
  • Brokerage gets pulled in to fix it
All from one avoidable assumption.

💡 BROKER TIP
Say this instead:
👉 “Compensation may be offered by the seller, but we will confirm that on each property and structure your offer accordingly.”

🔥 CLOSING LINE
If you don’t control the compensation conversation early…
👉 It will control your deal later.
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Summerville, SC 29483, US