You're about to buy a home. Your agent hands you a buyer-broker agreement with a 2.5% commission. You sign it because you think that's just how it works.
But what if you ran the numbers first?
The Side-by-Side Comparison Nobody Does
Most buyers never compare agent fees because they've been told commissions are "standard." Since the NAR settlement, that's no longer true. Buyer agent fees are fully negotiable, and the range is enormous.
Here's what the math actually looks like when you compare a traditional 2.5% agent fee to ShopProp's flat-fee structure:
$500,000 Home (Mesa, AZ or Round Rock, TX)
- Traditional 2.5%: $12,500
- ShopProp flat fee: $1,995
- Your rebate at closing: $10,505
$750,000 Home (Bellevue, WA or Arlington, VA)
- Traditional 2.5%: $18,750
- ShopProp flat fee: $3,995
- Your rebate at closing: $14,755
$1,000,000 Home (San Jose, CA or Kirkland, WA)
- Traditional 2.5%: $25,000
- ShopProp flat fee: $4,995
- Your rebate at closing: $20,005
$1,500,000 Home (Palo Alto, CA or Honolulu, HI)
- Traditional 2.5%: $37,500
- ShopProp flat fee: $4,995
- Your rebate at closing: $32,505
$2,500,000+ Home (Atherton, CA or Los Gatos, CA)
- Traditional 2.5%: $62,500
- ShopProp flat fee: $7,995
- Your rebate at closing: $54,505
Why the Percentage Model Punishes Buyers in Expensive Markets
A percentage-based agent fee scales with your home price, but the work doesn't. Your agent doesn't work twice as hard on a $1.5 million home compared to a $750,000 home. They write the same offer, negotiate the same contingencies, and attend the same inspections.
Yet you pay $37,500 instead of $18,750 — an extra $18,750 for the same work.
A flat-fee structure eliminates that misalignment. You pay for the service, not a percentage of your home's value.
What to Look For in a Buyer-Broker Agreement
Before signing anything, check these three things:
- Is the fee a percentage or a flat dollar amount? A percentage means your cost scales with home price. A flat fee means you know exactly what you'll pay regardless.
- Is there a cancellation clause? Some agreements lock you in for 6-12 months. ShopProp's buyer-broker agreement has no lock-in period.
- Who keeps the difference between the seller's offered commission and your agent's fee? With a flat-fee broker, the difference comes back to you as a rebate at closing. With a percentage agent, they keep the full amount.
The Managing Broker Difference
ShopProp is led by a managing broker — not a sales agent. A managing broker holds the highest real estate license level, supervises other agents, and has fiduciary responsibility for every transaction. Rob Lam has 19 years of experience, over 4,000 closings, and is licensed in 8 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Michigan, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.
When your managing broker charges a flat fee, there's no incentive to push you toward a higher-priced home. The fee is the same whether you buy at $500,000 or $5,000,000.
The $10.2 Million Proof Point
In 2025, ShopProp represented a buyer on a $10.2 million home in Atherton, California. A traditional 2.5% agent would have charged $255,000. ShopProp's flat fee: $7,995. The buyer kept over $247,000 at closing.
That's not a hypothetical. That's a closed transaction.
How to Run the Comparison Yourself
Use the ShopProp savings calculator to see exactly what you'd save at your price point. Enter your home price, and it shows you the traditional fee, the flat fee, and your rebate — all in under 10 seconds.
Then ask your current agent to put their fee in writing. Compare. The math speaks for itself.
As USA Today reported, the NAR settlement has made buyer agent fees fully negotiable for the first time. The buyers who benefit most are the ones who actually compare before they sign.
ShopProp's buyer flat fees start at $1,995. No percentage. No surprises. Just the rebate you've earned, returned at closing.