Educating buyers: What happens between signing and closing?
For clients, getting an offer accepted might seem like the end of the homebuying process. A new guide from NAR helps explain all the steps that follow.
November 21, 2024
Agent News
Insights, advice and essential news to help agents keep moving forward.
- Commissions relatively unchanged following NAR settlementAn analysis of more than 17,000 transactions initiated within 60 days of Aug. 17 showed only minor shifts in percentages, though transactions were down overall.November 14, 2024
- First-time homebuyers may not be who you expect, NAR saysInexperienced buyers have a lot of questions — about financing, buyer agreements, resources for first-timers and more — and agents need to have the answers.November 12, 2024
- Typical seller is older than ever, gets full asking priceAn aging seller pool reflects a trend also seen among buyers — but sellers have retained the upper hand, rarely reducing prices or offering incentives.November 8, 2024
More in Agents
- Today’s buyers look vastly different from a generation agoNAR’s annual profile of homebuyers, which includes several new records, illustrates just how hard of a market it’s been for would-be homeowners.November 4, 2024
- Making your pitch: What sellers want to know10 questions every listing agent had better be able to answer, from whether to list on the MLS or offer buy-side compensation to what goes into pricing a home.November 1, 2024
- What’s spookier, ghosts or mold? Owners and buyers weigh inIn the “spirit” of Halloween, a new survey finds that many people would settle for a haunted house over one with maintenance issues or political neighbors.October 31, 2024
- Agents see a brighter sales outlook aheadTwo new surveys point to increasing optimism despite mortgage rate and election uncertainty, a sign that post-settlement anxiety could be waning.October 29, 2024
- 10 questions every agent should be able to answerNAR’s latest consumer guide tells buyers exactly what to ask a prospective agent. Agents should be prepared with compelling responses that play up their value.October 25, 2024
- NAR breaks down listing agreements, how agent pay ties inThe latest consumer guide covers different types of contracts between sellers and their agents, and the “fully negotiable” nature of agent compensation.October 18, 2024
- What NAR wants consumers to know about fair housingEveryone involved in a transaction must steer clear of discriminatory practices, says NAR, warning sellers not to direct their agents to avoid certain buyers.October 14, 2024
- Up for negotiation: Commission feesMore than half of recent sellers say they negotiated with their agent to lower the commission, according to new survey data from Zillow.October 14, 2024
- Bigger teams spend more — but their agents make moreA joint research effort revealed what the typical team looks like and how teams allocate their resources toward lead gen and referrals.October 12, 2024
- How buyers have (and haven’t) changed in recent yearsZillow’s latest trends report finds that, despite turbulence in the market, consumer traits and preferences are fairly stable — with some key exceptions.October 9, 2024
- NAR tells sellers they don’t have to list on the MLSIn its latest consumer guide, the association offers general education about MLSs while alluding to the ongoing debate over its Clear Cooperation Policy.Updated October 21, 2024
- Agent mood improving post-settlement — a littleAgents are slowly warming up to the new reality in real estate sales, though most still believe the NAR settlement will have a negative effect on the industry.September 28, 2024
- NAR tells buyers they can — and should — negotiate with agentsA new guide explains the types of compensation allowed (not an “open-ended amount or a range”), how buyers can ask sellers to pay and when it’s OK to walk away.September 20, 2024
- Homebuyers share their biggest deal-breakersA home’s layout and natural light are important, but a new survey reveals what people refuse to give up — and how many of them can stick to their budgets.September 19, 2024
- Buyers value community — and agents who are connected to itA recent survey from Century 21 found that buyers rank community higher than the home itself, and they rely on their agents to provide local insights.September 18, 2024
- NAR offers new advice for sellers on agent compensationWith industry rule changes now in effect, the National Association of Realtors has been doubling down on education and outreach to buyers and sellers.September 12, 2024
- Sellers willing to pay buyer agents — but not in all marketsAgents are talking about compensation “in more depth than ever before” and clearing up a lot of confusion as agent fees stay “mostly the same,” Redfin found.September 11, 2024
- NAR to consumers: Agents must put client interests firstWith new industry rules now in effect, the association has released additional resources for buyers and sellers that focus on ethics and steering.September 4, 2024
- When should sellers play the concessions card?With new rules in place, listing agents need to consider several factors when helping sellers determine their approach to buy-side compensation.August 30, 2024
- The new agent playbook should include ‘leading with grace’Major brokerage leaders are telling agents to be patient with other real estate professionals (and consumers) as the industry adjusts to new practices.August 28, 2024
