Do Not Let a Buyer Agreement Decide Your Fee Before You Understand the Deal.

A written buyer agreement can protect everyone when it is clear. It can also create an expensive surprise when a buyer signs first and asks questions later. Before you tour, know the fee, the homes covered, the length of the agreement, the exit terms and what happens if the seller pays less.

Buyer Representation

Good Representation Creates Clarity. A Bad Agreement Creates a Trap.

The right home still needs clear compensation, careful contract review and a buyer who understands the agreement before signing.

The Most Expensive Surprise Is the One You Signed.

Offers of buyer-agent compensation are no longer displayed in the MLS. Seller-paid compensation may still be available and can be addressed outside the MLS or negotiated in the purchase agreement.

That means the buyer agreement matters more than ever. If your agreement says your agent is owed a certain amount, and the seller is not willing to pay all of it, the missing amount may become your problem at closing.

DUFFY’s opinion is simple: if an agent cannot explain the services, fee, scope and exit in plain English, do not sign yet.

How DUFFY Approaches Buyer Representation

You found it. DUFFY helps you get in fast and buy it smarter.

Most buyers search online first. DUFFY built around that reality with fast access, a 1.5% buyer fee model, non-exclusive representation where appropriate, and protection before the offer gets emotional.

How a Small Percentage Becomes Real Money at Closing

Your buyer agreement

Your agent's agreement says the agent is owed 3%.

Seller-paid compensation

The seller is only willing to pay 2.5% toward buyer-agent compensation.

The gap

You may have to pay the missing 0.5% at closing unless the deal is negotiated another way.

A written agreement can create clarity. The problem is signing before you understand the fee, the scope and what could be due at closing.

DUFFY's buyer fee is 1.5%, not an automatic 3%.

DUFFY has done buyer representation differently since 2002 because buyers have been finding homes online for years. Our fee for buyer representation is 1.5%. If seller-paid buyer compensation is higher than DUFFY's fee, that difference can become the DUFFY Finder Fee to you.

A 3% Request Is a Proposal—not a Rule. Six Questions to Ask Before Signing

What exactly am I agreeing to pay?

The amount or rate should be clear, specific, and not open-ended.

What if the seller pays less?

Ask whether you owe the difference and how that would appear at closing.

Am I locked in?

Ask if the agreement is exclusive, how long it lasts, and what happens if you find a home another way.

Which homes does this cover?

DUFFY's model is more flexible: we represent you on what DUFFY shows you.

What do I get for the fee?

Door opening is not the whole job. Ask about strategy, offer writing, negotiation, contract protection, lender work, and closing support.

How do I get out?

Understand termination, carryover periods, and whether the brokerage can claim a fee later.

Ask Now. The House Will Make Everything Feel Urgent Later.

The new paperwork can put buyers in a position they were not used to: deciding whether to buy a home while also deciding whether to pay a buyer-agent fee gap.

DUFFY explains it plainly. Our 1.5% model lowers the risk of that gap and may create the Finder Fee when seller-paid compensation is higher than our fee.

If you have questions, call us. We will explain it again. DUFFY explains the agreement in plain English so you can decide whether the relationship and the fee make sense for you.

Questions Buyers Ask About Written Agreements

What changed for buyers after the NAR settlement?

MLS participants working with buyers generally must have a written buyer agreement before touring a home. That agreement must clearly state how the buyer's agent will be paid.

Can a buyer owe money at closing if the seller does not pay the full buyer-agent fee?

Yes. If your buyer agreement says your agent is owed 3% and the seller-paid buyer compensation is only 2.5%, you may be responsible for the missing 0.5% unless the deal is negotiated differently.

What is DUFFY's buyer representation fee?

DUFFY's buyer representation fee is 1.5%, not an automatic 3%.

Does DUFFY require an exclusive buyer agreement for every home?

DUFFY's model is designed to be more flexible. DUFFY represents you on what DUFFY shows you and helps you understand the agreement before you move forward.

Why should buyers call DUFFY before signing with another agent?

Because the buyer agreement can control what you owe, how long you are bound, whether you are exclusive, and what happens if seller-paid compensation is lower than your agent's fee.

The Agreement Should Protect the Purchase—not Quietly Increase Its Cost.

DUFFY's 1.5% buyer fee comes with clear agreement terms, fast access, offer strategy and protection through the purchase.

Buyer Protection

See The Buyer 24/7 Protection Timeline

DUFFY's crown-jewel buyer roadmap helps you investigate the house, neighborhood, money, offer, and contract before regret gets expensive.

Proof

See Real DUFFY Buyer Checks

Real clients, real checks, and years of proof that DUFFY's buyer model is not a theory.

See How DUFFY Works

See the process DUFFY has refined for Atlanta buyers and sellers since 2002.

Explore the process, the proof and the fee before choosing an agent.

Questions Before You Trust The Model

Am I alone? Is it slower? Will agents show it? Is 1% really full service?

Good questions. DUFFY answers them directly.

Five Things to Understand Before You Choose a Buyer Agent

Understand the agreement, access, fee, proof and protection process before you commit. DUFFY has represented Atlanta buyers differently since 2002 because buyers already do a meaningful part of the search.