National Association of Realtors® Announces New “Consumer Guide” Series

CHICAGO (September 19, 2024) – The National Association of Realtors® today announced a new series of consumer resources designed to help agents who are Realtors® empower home buyers and sellers following recent practice changes. To date, NAR has published six installments in the series and will continue to release new resources in the weeks ahead.

“At the heart of what we do as Realtors® – who abide by a strict code of ethics – is protect and promote the interests of our clients,” said Kevin Sears, President of the National Association of Realtors®. “We are committed to making the process of buying or selling a home as transparent and seamless as possible for clients, and this new series of guides provides an exceptionally clear roadmap for the process of working with an agent who is a Realtor®.”

The following guides are currently available – in English and Spanish – on NAR’s website:

• Why am I being asked to sign a written buyer agreement? (pdf): covers recent practice changes when it comes to working with a real estate professional as a home buyer.
• Open houses and written agreements (pdf): covers what buyers need to know about touring homes, attending open houses and when a written buyer agreement is needed.
• Realtors’® duty to put client interests above their own (pdf): covers NAR’s strict Code of Ethics that all agents who are Realtors® must follow and their ethical duties to act in their client’s best interests.
• What veterans need to know about buying a home (pdf): covers what NAR is doing to promote access to financing for veterans and highlights the options available to veteran buyers in their homebuying process.
• Offers of compensation (pdf): covers the process and options available for offering compensation to a buyer’s agent and the reasons why this may be a compelling option for sellers to consider when marketing their property.
• Negotiating written buyer agreements (pdf): covers what home buyers should expect when negotiating a written buyer agreement with an agent who is a Realtor®.

For more information and the latest consumer resources, please visit facts.realtor.

About the National Association of Realtors®

The National Association of Realtors® is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.5 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. The term Realtor® is a registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of Realtors® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.