“I won’t pay a buyer’s agent!”
I sometimes hear sellers say, “I won’t pay a buyer’s agent!” often citing the 2024 NAR lawsuit. To be frank, they often sound frustrated or downright angry. I get it. It's ONE more cost on an already expensive transaction. I'm a homeowner myself AND a 1% broker exactly for this reason. So let’s slow our roll and talk about what actually happens in the real world. Watch the video here or read on:
One thing most sellers don’t realize is that Americans are often credit-rich but cash-poor. They may easily qualify for a large loan on paper because of great credit, but they may be scraping together down payments, inspections, moving costs, insurance, and reserves. That’s just reality in today’s market. So when a seller says, “I won’t pay a buyer’s agent,” what they’re really doing is SHRINKING their own buyer pool. Not because buyers don’t want the house. But because many buyers simply don’t have extra cash to cover representation on top of everything else.
That decision doesn’t punish agents. It excludes buyers. And fewer buyers means less competition.
Remember: It only takes two buyers to create leverage. Two buyers to trigger urgency. Two buyers to produce better terms, cleaner offers, or a higher price.
When you limit access to buyers, you reduce the odds of that second offer EVER showing up.
There’s also a bit of historical amnesia here. At some point, almost every seller was once a buyer. And when they bought, their buyer’s agent was paid by the seller. That wasn’t charity. It was market efficiency. It brought more qualified buyers to the table, which benefited sellers as a group.
So this isn’t about fairness or tradition. It’s about math. More buyers = more leverage. Fewer buyers = more risk. You can choose to exclude a segment of the market. Or you can choose to attract it. Smart sellers don’t ask, “Can I avoid this cost?” They ask, “What brings the most buyers to the table?” Because the goal isn’t to save a line item. The goal is to sell on the best terms the market will allow. And the market rewards access.
That’s where Realtors come in. When sellers work with us – ListingsFor1.com – they’re accomplishing what they set out to do in the first place – saving a MEANINGFUL amount of equity. So this conversation isn’t about clinging to old models. And it’s not about giving anything away. It’s about combining SMART pricing, BROAD buyer access, and a REDUCED listing fee so you’re not CUTTING off demand while trying to SAVE money. The goal was never to nickel-and-dime the transaction. The goal was to walk away with more of YOUR equity. This is how you do that without shrinking your buyer pool. Contact us today for a consultation.
