To avoid surprises or anything going wrong in general when going with dual agency, always ensure you properly represent and clarify your full relationship with your agent. You can do this by using an exclusive buyer agency agreement, or a listing agreement. Even with dual agency, one can’t have too many surprises once everything is outlined. There simply can’t be any surprises.
HOW REAL ESTATE AGENTS ARE PAID
The National Association of Realtors® 2017 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers states approximately 8% of homeowners opted to put their homes up for sale during 2017 without using a real estate agent or Realtor®. A handful of For Sale By Owner (FSBO) transactions dealt with sellers and buyers who previously knew each other or were directly related; 87% of buyers chose to work with a real estate agent or Realtor®, on the buyer’s side. Real estate agents and Realtors®, unlike professionals in different categories who bill by hourly rates or at the end of the project, get paid through a transaction (commission) at the end of each sale. For example, if an agent has worked with a seller or a buyer for months, they don’t get paid for the time spent if there will be no transaction during that period. Agents receive a commission once the transaction goes through to settlement (closes) based on the selling price of the home. At that point, the commission is then earned. The commission itself is negotiated — in most cases, between the client and the agent. Typically, an agent will earn a commission of 6% from the sale price, but some brokerages have commission discounts for the sellers with whom they work.
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