Should You Offer a Buyer Agent Concession When Selling in Keller or Haslet? Here's What's Actually Happening in This Market.

Quick Answer: You're no longer required to offer buyer agent compensation in Texas, but in Keller and Haslet the market expectation is running close to 3%, structured as a seller concession. In a market where inventory is rising and buyers have choices, cutting off buyer agent access to save on that cost usually costs more in extended DOM and lost offers than the concession itself.

Unpopular opinion: the commission conversation is the wrong place to be trying to save money when you sell.

After the NAR settlement changes took effect in 2024, sellers in Texas got a choice they didn't have before. You're no longer required to post buyer agent compensation on the MLS. You can theoretically list your home and offer buyers' agents nothing. Some sellers are doing exactly that.

Most of the ones who did found out the hard way why most sellers aren't.

What Actually Changed

The NAR settlement — and the subsequent rule changes implemented in August 2024 — removed the requirement that sellers offer buyer agent compensation on the MLS. In Texas, buyer agent compensation is now negotiated deal by deal, disclosed in buyer representation agreements, and typically structured as a seller concession rather than a commission split off the top.

What didn't change: buyer agents still need to get paid. The question is where the money comes from. If a buyer has signed a representation agreement obligating them to pay their agent — and the seller isn't offering a concession — that cost falls on the buyer. In a financed transaction, that creates a problem. Most buyers don't have cash to cover a down payment, closing costs, AND an additional agent fee on top. So if your home isn't offering a buyer agent concession and a competing listing down the street is, the buyer's agent has an incentive to show them the competing listing first.

That's not a conspiracy. It's math.

Reality Check: In a multiple-offer market, experimenting with reduced or no concessions is at least defensible. In a market where inventory is rising across Keller and Haslet and buyers have real choices, you're reducing your marketing reach at exactly the wrong moment.

What Sellers in Keller and Haslet Are Actually Doing

The market in Keller and Haslet is running close to 3% for buyer agent compensation, structured as a seller concession. Buyers' agents in this corridor expect it, and sellers who want full market exposure are generally meeting that expectation.

The structure changed post-settlement — it flows through as a line-item concession in the contract rather than a pre-published MLS offer — but the economic reality hasn't moved as dramatically as the rule change implied it would. Sellers who are serious about generating strong showing activity are making the concession available. Sellers who try to eliminate it are limiting their reach in exchange for savings that often don't materialize the way they expected.

The negotiation now happens at the offer stage rather than being pre-set on the MLS. That gives you some flexibility to respond to specific offers — but if you enter the market with no stated concession and competing listings are offering 3%, you're visible to fewer buyers from day one.

Pro Tip: If you're trying to protect your net, the better lever is your list price and your negotiation strategy — not eliminating buyer agent access. A home that sits 60 days and then takes two price reductions often costs more in carrying costs and net proceeds than the concession would have. Run the numbers on your specific situation before treating concession elimination as a savings strategy.

How to Think About the Right Number

There's no universal answer, but here's the frame that holds up in this market:

What does the buyer need to close? In a financed transaction in Keller or Haslet, a buyer is managing a down payment, closing costs (typically 2%–4% of purchase price in Texas), and now potentially an agent fee on top. If your concession helps them get across the finish line on a clean contract, you've bought yourself a cleaner close. If you're holding firm on a number that keeps qualified buyers from being able to transact, you haven't saved money — you've lost a deal.

What are competing listings doing? Your agent should be able to tell you what comparable active listings in your price range are doing on concessions. If everything within a mile of your home is offering around 3% to the buyer's agent and you're offering nothing, that's visible to every buyer's agent pulling comps for their client.

What's your DOM tolerance? If you need to sell in a defined window — relocation timing, estate deadline, carrying costs becoming a real problem — maximizing market access matters more than shaving the concession. If you have genuine flexibility to wait for a specific number, you have more room to push back on terms.

FAQs

Am I legally required to offer a buyer agent concession in Texas?

No. Following the NAR settlement rule changes effective August 2024, sellers in Texas are not required to offer buyer agent compensation. It must be disclosed in buyer representation agreements and is now negotiated deal by deal rather than posted on the MLS as a condition of listing.

How much should I offer for buyer agent compensation in Keller or Haslet?

The market in Keller and Haslet is running close to 3% of the purchase price, structured as a seller concession. Buyers' agents in this corridor expect it. Sellers who offer less — or nothing — are working against the prevailing market expectation and typically see the impact in showing volume and offer quality. Your listing agent can pull current comparable listings to show you what active competition is doing.

What happens if I offer $0 in buyer agent compensation?

Buyers who have signed representation agreements requiring them to pay their agent directly will need to fund that cost themselves — typically out of pocket or by rolling it into closing costs where financing allows. In practice, this reduces the pool of buyers who can practically transact on your home, especially in the mid-market range where buyers are managing tight cash positions. It also reduces urgency for buyer agents to prioritize your listing over comparable homes that do offer a concession.

Can I negotiate the buyer agent concession after an offer comes in?

Yes. The concession amount is part of the contract negotiation. If an offer comes in asking for 3% and you want to counter, that's a negotiable term. Many sellers handle it this way — they don't offer a specific amount upfront and evaluate it as part of each offer. This approach can work when showing activity is strong and offers are competitive. In a slower market where you need maximum initial traffic, not stating a concession can reduce early interest.

Is the seller concession for buyer agent compensation the same as a price reduction?

Economically they can feel similar, but they function differently in a transaction. A seller concession toward buyer agent compensation is a cash-out item that helps the buyer cover a specific cost. A price reduction changes the financed amount. In some cases, a concession is more useful to the buyer than an equivalent price reduction — particularly for buyers who are cash-constrained on closing costs. Your agent can walk you through which structure makes more sense for your specific buyer pool.

The Bottom Line

You have more flexibility than you did two years ago. Use it strategically, not reactively.

The sellers in Keller and Haslet who are protecting their net most effectively aren't the ones who eliminated buyer agent concessions. They're the ones who priced correctly, presented well, and structured their concession strategy as part of a complete negotiation plan — not as an afterthought.

The goal is always the highest net, on the fastest timeline, with the least friction. In this market, 3% is the cost of doing that correctly.

Ready to talk through your next move? Schedule a conversation at WisemoveTX.com.

Joy Rhodes | REALTOR® WisemoveTX.com joy@wisemovetx.com TX License #0622809