DUFFY Realty of AtlantaBuyer agreements changed. Your math matters.
Buyer Representation Without The 3% Trap

Before you sign a buyer agreement, know who pays the gap.

After the NAR settlement changes, buyers are expected to sign written buyer agreements before touring homes with many agents. That agreement can make you responsible for your agent’s fee if the seller does not pay enough to cover it.

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Buyer Representation

Representation should protect the buyer without trapping them in confusion.

This image group keeps the tone practical: real home search, compensation proof, and contract awareness.

Bright home interior — Buyers still want the right house.

DUFFY buyer check proof — The compensation model has to be clear.

DUFFY contract proof — The paperwork matters.

The old MLS compensation field changed. The buyer agreement became the thing to read.

Before the settlement changes, buyer-agent compensation was commonly shown in the MLS. Now, seller-paid buyer compensation is handled differently and may be addressed in the offer and negotiation.

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.

It is complicated. It is also simple: read the number before you sign.

Buyer Proof Break

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.

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The buyer gap example

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.

The problem is not signing an agreement. The problem is signing one before you understand the math.

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.

What buyers should ask before signing

Compensation

What exactly am I agreeing to pay?

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

Seller shortfall

What if the seller pays less?

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

Exclusivity

Am I locked in?

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

Scope

Which homes does this cover?

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

Services

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.

Exit

How do I get out?

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

Call DUFFY before you sign something you do not understand.

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. The whole industry made this more confusing than it needed to be. We are not accepting that as a personality trait.

Questions buyers ask about the 3% trap

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.

Buyer representation should protect you, not quietly hand you a closing bill.

DUFFY charges 1.5%, explains the agreement, helps you get in fast, and protects the purchase.

Start The Buyer Process See Finder Fee

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.

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Proof

See Real DUFFY Buyer Checks

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

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Inspect The Famous DUFFY Process

Here is the standard. Inspect us. We are proud of what we built, and even prouder that it has worked for Atlanta sellers and buyers since 2002.

Follow the seller and buyer proof paths before you call another agent.