Commission is negotiable, and since 2024 it is negotiated differently.
The rules changed. What has not changed is that on a house needing work, commission is rarely the biggest number in the comparison.
Compare the netWhat changed and what did not
Following the National Association of Realtors settlement that took effect in August 2024, offers of buyer agent compensation can no longer be published on the MLS, and buyers must sign written agreements with their agents before touring homes.
The practical effect is that seller paid buyer agent commission became an explicit negotiation rather than an assumed line item. Commission was always negotiable. Now the conversation is unavoidable.
Compare net proceeds, not commission
Commission is one line. A real comparison includes seller paid closing costs, repairs demanded after inspection, any appraisal gap you cover, months of mortgage, taxes, insurance and utilities while it sits, and the risk the first buyer's loan fails.
Run both columns honestly. On a house in good condition with time to sell, listing usually still wins even after all of that, and we will tell you so. On a house needing significant work, the gap narrows considerably.
What a direct sale removes
No listing commission, no buyer agent compensation from your side, no seller paid closing costs, no repair credits, and no showings.
What it costs is price. Our offer is below retail because we take on the work, the holding costs, and the risk. That trade is the entire proposition and we would rather state it plainly than dress it up.
Five questions. That is the whole thing.
We already know your situation from this page. Change it if it does not fit.
Question 1 of 5
What people ask about this
Do I have to pay the buyer's agent now?
It is negotiable and no longer published on the MLS. Discuss it explicitly with your agent before signing a listing agreement.
Is selling to you the same as saving the commission?
No, and anyone framing it that way is misleading you. You save fees and give up price. Compare net proceeds, not one line item.
Can I list it and talk to you at the same time?
Check your listing agreement first, because most contain exclusivity and protection period terms. We do not want to put you in breach.
Often it is more than one thing at once
Compare the net.
No cost, no obligation, and nobody shows up at your door unless you ask them to.