Do I Need a Realtor to Buy a House?

No law requires it, but a buyer’s agent works for you — researching homes, advising on price, writing and negotiating the offer, coordinating inspections and the title company, and keeping deadlines from costing you money. You can buy without one, but you would take on that work yourself while the seller has professional representation. For most buyers, having your own agent is worth it.

A buyer’s agent represents you (not the seller): they find and tour homes, pull comparable sales to advise on price, write and negotiate your offer, manage the option period, inspection, appraisal, and financing deadlines, coordinate with the title company and lender, and troubleshoot problems through closing. Their duty of loyalty is to you, which matters most when negotiating against the listing side.

Since the 2024 NAR settlement, buyer-agent pay is negotiable and set in a written buyer-representation agreement, not assumed to come from the seller via the MLS. A seller may still offer to cover it, you may ask for it as part of your offer, or you may pay your agent directly. It is now negotiated on each deal — your agent should explain the options upfront.

Commissions are negotiable and vary; historically total commissions often ran around 5%–6% of the price split between the sides, but post-settlement each side’s fee is negotiated separately and may be lower. Ask any agent to put their fee and how it is paid in writing before you commit. There is no legally set rate in Texas.

Yes. You can bring your own agent to a builder’s model home or to any listing you found yourself — but many builders want your agent present (or named) on your first visit, so tell your agent before you go. Having your own representation on new construction is valuable because the on-site sales agent works for the builder, not for you.

HomeLocating is an independent home-search platform operated by Walter Marin, REALTOR® with Compass. "Add as my agent" simply means you choose Walter to represent you as your buyer’s agent for your search and purchase — so you get professional representation on any home, including new construction and listings you find elsewhere. You can reach out from the contact page to start.