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Buyer's guide · Florida
Florida buyer agreements after the NAR settlement: what to sign and what's negotiable
Since August 2024, buyers working with REALTORS® sign a written agreement before touring homes. Here's what that agreement covers, who pays your agent now, and how a 50% rebate is written into it.
What changed in August 2024
In writing
your agent's pay and your rebate, before you tour
Rules come from the NAR settlement practice changes effective Aug. 17, 2024. Florida brokerage relationship rules also apply.
Get my rebate in writing
Reviewed by Bryan Berns, Florida real estate broker (License BK3659524), licensed since 2011 · Updated October 2026What a Florida buyer agreement spells out
| Item | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Compensation | A specific amount or rate your agent will receive. It must be objective, not open-ended. |
| Who may pay it | The seller or builder, you, or a mix, as negotiated on each purchase. |
| Your rebate | With us, a written promise that 50% of the compensation received comes back to you at closing. |
| Term and area | How long the agreement lasts and which homes or areas it covers. |
| Brokerage relationship | In Florida, agents typically work as transaction brokers unless a single-agent relationship or no brokerage relationship is established in writing. |
| How it ends | What happens if you want to stop working together. |
Who pays the buyer's agent now?
Sellers and builders can still offer to pay your agent; they just can't advertise that offer on the MLS. Builders, in particular, still commonly budget buyer-agent compensation on new homes.
On a resale, you can ask the seller to cover your agent's compensation as part of your offer. If they won't, the agreement says how much you'd owe, so there are no surprises.
Because your rebate is a share of what we receive, it works the same way no matter who pays: half of the compensation comes back to you, credited at closing with your lender's approval.
Questions to ask before you sign any buyer agreement
How much will you be paid?
Get a specific number or rate, not "customary" or "market rate."
What if the seller pays less?
Ask how any shortfall is handled and whether you'd owe the difference.
Do I get any of it back?
Most agents don't share. We put the 50% rebate in writing.
Can I end the agreement?
Understand the term and how to cancel before you sign.
Buyer agreement questions
Do I have to sign a buyer agreement to tour a home?
If you work with a REALTOR®, yes. A written agreement is required before touring under the settlement practice changes. A showing agreement can cover a limited tour.
Is the buyer agent's commission still negotiable?
Yes. Compensation is negotiable in every transaction, and every situation is different.
Do builders still pay buyer's agents?
Many do, and they commonly budget for it. We confirm each builder's terms before your first visit.
Where is my rebate written?
In your buyer agreement, before you tour, and then disclosed on your closing documents.
What is a transaction broker in Florida?
Under Florida law, real estate licensees are presumed to work as transaction brokers, providing limited representation, unless a single-agent relationship or no brokerage relationship is established in writing. Your showing agreement or EBBA states the brokerage relationship, and we explain it before you sign.
Should I use the listing agent instead of my own agent?
The listing agent also works with the seller, and you wouldn't receive our rebate. To get your 50% rebate, sign our showing agreement or EBBA before touring and let the listing agent know you're working with Firelight Realty Group.
Get a buyer agreement with your rebate built in
Tell us what you're buying. We'll send an agreement that shows our compensation and your 50% rebate in plain English.
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