Buyer representation agreement template
A buyer representation agreement is the written deal between a home buyer and the agent who helps them buy. Since August 2024, agents who belong to a multiple listing service generally need one signed before they tour a home with a buyer, and it must say exactly what the agent will be paid. This template does that in plain English, with a choice of exclusive or non-exclusive terms.
Updated November 5, 2026 · 4 min read
The contract
Gray blanks are yours to fill in before you send. Each signer fills in the blanks in their color.
- You, before sending
- Buyer
- Buyer's broker
Buyer Representation Agreement
This Buyer Representation Agreement (the "Agreement") is made on Agreement date between Buyer name (the "Buyer") and Brokerage name, license number Brokerage license number, acting through its agent Buyer's agent name (together, the "Broker").
1. What kind of representation
The Buyer chooses one:
- Exclusive: the Broker is the Buyer's only broker for property described in section 2 during the term.
- Non-exclusive: the Buyer may also work with other brokers. The Broker is paid under section 4 only for a property the Broker showed or introduced to the Buyer.
2. The search
This Agreement covers Property type in Search area. It also covers any other property the Broker shows the Buyer during the term.
3. Term
This Agreement starts on Start date and ends on End date, or when the Buyer closes on a purchase, whichever comes first.
4. Broker's compensation
Broker fees and commissions are not set by law and are fully negotiable. If the Buyer buys a property covered by this Agreement, the Broker's compensation is Broker compensation (a rate or a flat fee), earned when the purchase closes. The Broker will not accept compensation from any source, including a seller or a listing broker, that is more than this amount.
If the seller or the listing broker agrees to pay some or all of this compensation, that payment counts toward it and the Buyer pays only the rest, if any. The Buyer may ask the seller to pay it as part of an offer. If the seller or listing broker offers more than this amount, the excess will be What happens to any excess, for example credited to the Buyer at closing where the lender and the law allow.
5. What the Broker will do
- Help the Buyer find and tour properties that fit their needs, and give them the information the Broker has about each one.
- Advise on pricing, prepare and negotiate offers, and keep the Buyer's confidential information private, as state law requires.
- Recommend inspectors, lenders and other professionals on request. The Buyer is free to choose their own.
- Tell the Buyer about any relationship the Broker has with a seller or a service provider it recommends.
6. What the Buyer will do
The Buyer will work in good faith with the Broker, tell the Broker about properties they find on their own or at open houses, and let other agents they meet know that they are represented. The Buyer is responsible for their own inspections, financing, insurance and decisions about the condition and value of a property, and will get legal or tax advice from qualified professionals when they need it.
7. Same-brokerage listings
If the Buyer wants a property listed by the Broker's own brokerage, the Broker may act for both sides only as state law allows and with the Buyer's separate written consent, after giving any disclosure the law requires. Otherwise, the Broker will arrange other representation or end this Agreement for that property.
8. Protection period
If, within Protection period in days days after this Agreement ends, the Buyer agrees to buy a property the Broker showed or identified to them during the term, the compensation in section 4 is owed, unless the Buyer has signed a new representation agreement with another broker.
9. Ending early
Either party may end this Agreement by written notice given Days of notice to end early days in advance. Ending it doesn't cancel compensation for a purchase agreed before the notice took effect.
10. Fair housing and general terms
The Broker will provide its services without regard to any characteristic protected by federal, state or local fair housing law. This Agreement is governed by the laws of the state of State, is the whole agreement between the parties about representation, and can be changed only in writing signed by both. Electronic signatures count as original signatures.
Buyer contact details
Phone: Buyer phone Email: Buyer email Current address: Buyer current address
I understand that broker compensation is negotiable and not set by law, and I have read section 4.
Buyer
Broker, by its agent
Opens it in SignMaster as a template you can edit and send.
A starting point, not legal advice. Have a lawyer review it for your state and situation.
On this page
Why buyers sign one now
Under the practice changes that followed the 2024 settlement of the commission lawsuits against the National Association of Realtors, MLS participants working with a buyer must have a written agreement before touring a home. The agreement must state the compensation as a specific amount or rate, can't be open-ended, and must say the broker won't accept more than that amount from any source. It must also state clearly that fees aren't set by law and are negotiable.
Some states have added their own requirements on top. Check with your broker or state association, and use their required form if they have one. This page explains the terms buyers ask about either way.
What the template covers
- Exclusive or not: a tick-box choice between working only with this broker or keeping the freedom to work with others.
- The search: the kind of property and the area, plus anything the broker shows during the term.
- Term: start and end dates, ending early when the buyer closes.
- Compensation: the rate or flat fee, the negotiable-fees statement, and a promise not to take more than that amount from anyone.
- Who pays: seller or listing broker payments count toward it, the buyer can ask the seller to cover it, and a blank for what happens to any excess.
- Duties both ways: what the broker does for the buyer, and what the buyer agrees to, such as telling other agents they're represented.
- Same-brokerage listings: dual agency only as state law allows and with separate written consent.
- Protection period and ending early: what's owed after the term for homes the broker showed, and a notice period for either side to end it.
Mistakes agents and buyers make
- Writing compensation as "whatever the seller offers". That's open-ended and doesn't meet the new rules. Write a rate or a dollar amount.
- Making a first tour feel like a lifetime commitment. A short, non-exclusive agreement covering one property or one weekend is often enough to start.
- Not explaining what happens if the seller pays nothing. Buyers need to know they may owe the difference, and that they can ask for it in their offer.
- Forgetting the second buyer. If a couple is buying, both should sign so both are represented.
- A protection period that never ends. Keep it short and limited to homes the agent actually showed.
How to send it with SignMaster
- 1
Open the agreement
Choose Use this template. It appears in your SignMaster templates with the buyer first and the broker second.
- 2
Set your terms
Fill in the gray blanks: brokerage and license number, your name, property type, area, dates, compensation, what happens to any excess, protection period and notice period.
- 3
Get it signed before the first tour
Email it the day you set up the showing, or hand over your phone at the door with Sign in person. The buyer picks exclusive or non-exclusive, adds their details and signs.
- 4
Add a co-buyer
For couples or partners buying together, add a second buyer role in the template editor so each person signs and gets their own record on the certificate.
- 5
Keep it in the file
You countersign, and both of you receive the signed PDF with its certificate of completion, ready for your brokerage's compliance review.
Open houses and teams
When a team rolls out a new agreement form, bulk send can send it to every active buyer at once: one row per buyer in a spreadsheet, with columns named after the gray blanks such as Search area, Start date and End date, saved as CSV UTF-8. For open houses, a public signing link or QR code lets a visitor sign a non-exclusive touring agreement on their own phone before walking through.
Questions? Answers.
Do I have to sign a buyer agreement to see a house?
If your agent is an MLS participant, they generally need a written agreement before touring a home with you, under rules in effect since August 2024. It can be short and non-exclusive, and its terms are negotiable.
Who pays the buyer's agent?
It's negotiable. The seller or listing broker may agree to pay some or all of it, you can ask the seller to pay it in your offer, or you pay it yourself. The agreement sets the most your agent can receive.
Can I get out of a buyer representation agreement?
Under section 9, either side can end it with written notice. Compensation for a purchase you agreed to before the notice took effect is still owed, and the protection period applies to homes the agent showed you.
Can a buyer agreement be e-signed?
Yes. It's an ordinary contract, and electronic signatures are valid for it. Buyers can sign on their phone from the email link with no account.