Do I need a buyer agreement before showing a home?

In most MLSs, yes, since August 2024. The exact rule depends on your MLS and state, so confirm with your broker.

Can I offer a short buyer agreement?

Many brokerage forms allow a short term or a single property agreement. Your broker decides what your office permits.

For buyer agents

Buyers will not sign your buyer agreement. What to say.

"I’m not ready to commit." "Can I think about it?" "My last agent never asked for this." Buyers push back on signing because nobody has explained what they get. This is how to explain it so the agreement reads as protection, not a trap.

Step 1

Lead with what you do for them

Before the paper comes out, walk through your process: how you find homes, how you price an offer, how you negotiate repairs, how you get them to closing. The agreement is just the written version of that promise.

Step 2

Answer the objections you hear most

"I’m not ready to commit." Ask your broker whether you can offer a shorter term, or an agreement for a single home or tour. Many forms allow it.
"How much will this cost me?" Explain how you are paid and that compensation is negotiable. Be specific. Vague answers are what make buyers nervous.
"What if it isn’t working?" Show them how the agreement can end, in plain words. Knowing there is a way out makes signing easier.

Step 3

Make signing the natural next step

Have the agreement as part of your consultation every time, not something you spring at the door of a showing. Agents who make it routine get far fewer objections than agents who sound apologetic about it.

Your brokerage

Where your brokerage fits

Since August 2024, most MLSs require a written agreement with a buyer before you tour a home together. Your brokerage chooses the form, the allowed terms and how compensation can be written, so check with your broker before promising anything.
If you are unsure what a clause means, ask your broker or the office’s attorney. An advisor can help you practice explaining it, not interpret it for you.
Advisors on RealAly agree, before they are listed, never to use a session to recruit you to their brokerage or team. You keep your broker; you just get a second opinion from outside the office.

Questions

What agents ask

Do I need a buyer agreement before showing a home?: In most MLSs, yes, since August 2024. The exact rule depends on your MLS and state, so confirm with your broker.
Can I offer a short buyer agreement?: Many brokerage forms allow a short term or a single property agreement. Your broker decides what your office permits.