{"id":52302,"date":"2025-01-06T12:57:44","date_gmt":"2025-01-06T20:57:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=52302"},"modified":"2025-08-22T12:35:57","modified_gmt":"2025-08-22T19:35:57","slug":"buyer-buyer-broker-agreement-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-buyer-broker-agreement-california\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s a Buyer Broker Agreement in California?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>If you\u2019ve decided to buy a home in California using a Realtor, you\u2019ll now need to sign a buyer-broker agreement before touring properties. This contract requirement is part of a nationwide change enacted in August. The new mandate is designed to add more transparency and shift key aspects of real estate transactions into the hands of buyers.<\/p>\n<p>This easy-to-follow guide will break down what a buyer-broker agreement is, why it\u2019s required, and how it affects the home-buying process in California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"geo-cta widget-cta widget-cta--content     widget-cta--dark widget-cta--dark-blue-gradient\">\n    <div class=\"widget-element--content\">\n        <div class=\"widget-element--content-header\">\n            <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"homelight logo\" class=\"widget-element--logo\" src=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/themes\/ccprototypev5\/images\/logo-small-cta.png\" width=\"106\" height=\"25\" \/>\n        <\/div>\n        \n                <h3 class=\"cta-headline widget--bold\">Find an Agent Who Knows Your California Market<\/h3>\n                        <p>If you&#8217;re looking to purchase a home in California, HomeLight can connect you with a top Buyer&#8217;s agent who knows the local market, and the best time to buy. Our free Agent Match tool analyzes over 27 million transactions and thousands of reviews to determine which agent has the experience you need.<\/p>\n        \n                <div class=\"widget-element--buttons\">\n            <a data-type=\"In Content CTA\" href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/find-agent\/quiz\/buyer?#\/qaas=0\/\" class=\"cta-click-track widget-element--button\">Find a Buyer's Agent<\/a>\n        <\/div>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div id=\"section--1\" data-toc-header=\"Do you have to sign a buyer-broker agreement in California?\" data-toc-type=\"head\"><\/div>\n<h2>Do you have to sign a buyer-broker agreement in California?<\/h2>\n<p>Yes, California homebuyers using a Realtor with access to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/what-is-the-mls\/\">multiple listing service<\/a> (MLS) must now sign a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/buyer-what-is-a-buyer-broker-agreement\/\">buyer-broker agreement<\/a> before touring homes with the agent. This requirement is part of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nar.realtor\/the-facts\/homebuyers-what-the-nar-settlement-means\">rule changes that went into effect on August 17, 2024<\/a>. The contracts ensure that buyers and agents formalize their business relationship before any property tours take place.<\/p>\n<p>This change might seem significant for buyers in California, but it aligns with practices that were already required in <a href=\"https:\/\/screaltors.org\/nar-18-states-require-written-buyer-agency-agreements-2\/\">18 states<\/a>. The goal is to increase transparency and give homebuyers a better understanding of their financial and contractual obligations, including compensating their real estate agent.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn what a buyer broker agreement in California means for homebuyers, why it\u2019s required, and how it impacts commissions and property tours.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":298,"featured_media":52310,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[192,700,646],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52302","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-for-buyers","category-buyer-contracts","category-making-offers"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.0 (Yoast SEO v27.0) - 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