Clark Howard's Warning on Buyer Agreements Real Estate Agents Want You to Sign

As seen on the 24/7 Wall St. homepage on August 24, 2026.

Post-NAR-settlement buyer agreements are now mandatory paperwork, and Howard says the terms can lock buyers into obligations that outlast the house hunt.

Buying a home? Clark has a warning about the agreement your real estate agent may ask you to sign. Clark says some buyer agreements can be extremely one-sided and may leave you with ongoing obligations you didn't realize you were accepting. His advice: Pay very close attention https://t.co/h6oLOLqvCs
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Post-NAR-settlement rules now make buyer agreements mandatory paperwork in most transactions, which means home shoppers are being asked to sign binding contracts before they ever tour a property.

Clark Howard says some of these agreements are extremely one-sided, and that buyers are accepting ongoing obligations they did not realize were part of the deal. The specific terms buried inside the agreement are what deserve scrutiny.

Howard's advice is direct: pay very close attention to what you are signing. An agreement that seems like routine paperwork can lock you into commitments that outlast your home search if you are not careful about the details.

For anyone currently in the market, this is worth pausing on before your next agent meeting. Scrutinize the terms before you sign, while you still have leverage over an agent or a property search commitment.