Realtor Commission Changes: A Seller’s Checklist of What to Decide and Put in Writing (2026)

Updated October 2026. A seller’s checklist for the post-2024 commission rules: seven decisions to make before you list, and the document each one belongs in. Rules dated and sourced below.

Under the commission rules in force since August 17, 2024, a seller has seven decisions to make and write down: listing fee, listing term, buyer-agent pay, how to share it, concessions, offer terms, and closing instructions. As of October 2026, none are set by law. On a $417,500 home, each 1% you agree to is $4,175, so decide before offers arrive.

Jump to: 🪜 The checklist · 🏠 Listing agreement · 🤝 Buyer-agent pay · ⏱️ Offers and closing · ❓ FAQ

The rules themselves, with dates, are in our timeline of the commission changes, and the buyer’s view is in how the changes affect buyers. Here we stick to what you, the seller, need to settle and sign.

Every percentage below is an example. Commissions are not set by law or NAR rules and are fully negotiable. Sellers choose whether to offer any buyer-agent compensation, and how much, and since August 17, 2024 such offers can’t be shown on the MLS.

What should a seller decide under the new commission rules?

Print this and fill in the middle column. The right column tells you where each answer ends up in writing.

Most sellers can do this in an evening. The hard part is deciding number 3 before a buyer’s offer puts you on the spot. A free home value estimate helps you see how much room you have.

What goes in your listing agreement now?

NAR’s consumer guide to listing agreements says the agreement covers the services you’ll get, the term and your broker’s pay. Since the settlement, it must also say clearly that the broker’s pay isn’t set by law and is fully negotiable. Look for these lines:

• The fee, as a rate or a dollar figure, and when it’s earned.
• Any minimum fee or add-on charged at closing.
• The listing term and the cancellation terms.
• A “protection period” after it ends, and how long it lasts.
• Whether the broker may share part of its fee with a buyer’s agent, and only with your approval.

With a flat fee listing, the fee line is short. Beycome’s flat fee MLS packages are $99, $399, or $999 for Concierge until November 2, 2026 (list price $1,399), with $0 due to Beycome at closing. The fee is earned when your listing is published on the MLS. Beycome doesn’t set, collect or pay buyer-agent compensation; if you offer it, you agree it directly with that agent.

The Nolo legal resource network explains contract terms in plain English if a clause confuses you, and a local real estate attorney can review it for a set fee.

How should you handle buyer-agent pay?

You have three honest choices: offer a set amount up front, offer nothing and negotiate if asked, or decline. None is wrong. It depends on your market and your buyers.

If you offer it, NAR’s guide for sellers says your agent needs your written approval in advance, with the amount or rate stated. You can share the offer off the MLS: flyers, a brokerage site, social posts or a phone call. It can’t go on the MLS. Concessions are different; many MLSs let you show them (NAR).

How to pick a number? Look at your local market, not a national average. For context only, Redfin reported a 2.42% average buyer’s agent commission in Q3 2025 (published December 8, 2025). On $417,500 that’s $10,103.50. A flat amount, like $5,000, is simpler to compare across offers. Our guide on how realtor commissions affect your costs runs other scenarios.

Market conditions matter. NAR’s September 2026 report showed a 4.8-month supply of homes and a 33-day median time on market. With more choice, buyers ask for help with costs more often. Deciding your ceiling ahead keeps you calm when they do.

What should you put in writing at the offer and closing stages?

When an offer asks for agent pay. Write it into the purchase contract as a stated dollar amount, or into a separate agreement with the buyer’s broker. Name who pays, how much, and that it’s paid only if the sale closes. Ask the buyer’s lender to confirm it’s acceptable before you sign.

When the inspection comes back. Decide whether you’d give a repair credit, a price cut or do the work. Credits count toward the buyer’s lender limits, so check those too.

At closing. The title or escrow company pays from your proceeds based on written instructions. Give them the signed agreement early, not the week of closing. Beycome sellers have a free “Compensation Agreement – Seller to Buyer’s Broker” template in the dashboard under Legal Forms. It’s signed by you and the buyer’s broker only and serves as escrow instructions.

In Florida and Texas, Beycome Title can close the sale, with Michigan, Ohio, Illinois and Indiana starting November 2, 2026. Any title company can follow the same written instructions.

Keep copies of everything in one folder: the listing agreement, your written approval of any buyer-agent offer, the purchase contract and every addendum. If a question comes up at closing, the title company works from documents, not memories. A folder you can forward in one email saves a day of back-and-forth.

Which selling options fit the new rules?

All of them. Full-service agents, discount agents and flat fee listings all work under these rules; only the paperwork changed. Beycome is one alternative to the traditional route, and our sellers close every day with local agents, title companies and lenders on the other side.

If you’re weighing doing more yourself, our guide to selling without a realtor walks the steps. For mortgage rates that shape your buyers’ budgets, Bankrate tracks them weekly. NAR’s consumer pages at the National Association of Realtors explain each rule in its own words, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau covers the buyer’s loan paperwork.

Seller checklist questions