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Buyer-agent compensation after the 2024 rule changes
What changed, what a seller can and cannot do, and how to think about offering compensation.
What changed
Since August 2024, MLS rules no longer allow an offer of compensation to a buyer's agent to be published in the listing. Buyers now sign an agreement with their agent that states the agent's fee before touring homes. Whether a seller contributes to that fee is negotiated in the purchase contract, offer by offer.
What you can do
You can offer nothing and wait to see what buyers ask for. You can state in the listing remarks that you are open to considering compensation requests. You can agree to a specific amount or percentage in a contract. You cannot advertise an amount in the MLS, and no one can require you to pay.
How to think about it
A buyer whose agent is owed a fee has to pay it from somewhere. If you decline to contribute, the buyer needs more cash or the deal needs a higher price to cover it, which affects appraisal. Many sellers treat a compensation request like a credit request: a term to negotiate against price, not a cost to refuse on principle. Run the net sheet both ways.
Updated September 11, 2026. General information for North Carolina and South Carolina sellers, not legal or tax advice.