Your Bellator Broker-Team is in the trenches with you. 

We are investigating, reading, researching – actively seeking out answers to make sure you are positioned for the changes in our industry in motion right now. 

I encourage you to read all that's out there with understanding.  

#Be smart and don't fall for clickbait or sensational headlines.  

#Be in the know. 

#Be a valued source of real information to your clients and customers. 

#BMore. 

Here are the most asked questions amongst REALTORS® and the answers to them: 

Question: Must a REALTOR® now be in agency with every buyer? 

Answer: NO! REALTORS® and the buyers who choose to work with them can continue to choose the relationship that best fits their needs. Work in agency or as a transaction broker – but all buyer relationships must be in writing.  

Your Bellator Dotloop documents include both a Buyer Agency Agreement AND a Transaction Brokerage agreement. We are in the process now of updating both forms but they are available NOW. If you haven't used them before, now is the time to get up to speed. Reach out to your broker; we're ready to help you. 

Question: Does the settlement force Buyers Agents to reduce their compensation? 

Answer: NO! Commission has always been negotiable. Commission will no longer be listed in the MLS but the path forward is already being paved. With written seller permission, buyer broker compensation can be listed on your website.  

BEYOND THAT – As a Bellator agent, you will be offered abundant training. We will practice new talking paths. You'll have language for your purchase agreements. For listing agents, you'll be ready to advise sellers as to best practices; you will set expectations. Professional agents will continue to care for clients and customers, putting the needs of consumers in first place. We are not worried for your future or that of our industry.   

Question: Does the NAR settlement mean home prices will be going down making home ownership more affordable?  

Answer: NO! As a REALTOR®, you are probably well aware that home prices are determined by supply and demand, not by the expenses associated with the sale. Period. We are still in a sellers' market in our area and prices are continuing to appreciate. Every marker indicates this trend will continue. Do you think the seller now believes their home is worth less?  

Question: Are consumers who are part of the NAR settlement being well compensated for participating in the class action suit? 

Answer: NO! Though the settlement is huge, it appears that most of it is going to the attorneys who represented the consumers in the lawsuit. Based on the numbers I have read, consumers would, on average, receive about $10 - while the attorneys who filed the suit would receive over $80 million in fees. 

Question: Does the settlement prohibit sellers from paying a commission to a buyer's agent? 

Answer: NO! The settlement prohibits an offer of buyer agent compensation from being displayed on an association-owned MLS. Sellers may still elect to pay buyer agent compensation to differentiate their properties and increase the potential pool of buyers. Sellers can elect (as they have always been able to do) not to pay buyer agent compensation. However, this doesn't mean they will avoid the expense, as many qualified buyers may write into any offer a contingency requiring the seller to cover the cost or request other concessions. 

Question: Are Bellator agents covered by the NAR settlement? 

Answer: YES! As a member of NAR, a member of a brokerage with 2022 Total Sales Volume of less than $2 billion, and a member of Mobile Area Association of REALTORS® and/or Baldwin REALTORS®, YOU are covered by the settlement.  

Now, where do we go from here? 

Stay connected.  

The brokerage you choose to work with has NEVER MATTERED MORE.  

At Bellator, we've got your back.  

We will continue to find success together.  

Our elite team of professional REALTORS®, in lockstep with our broker-team and executive staff, in partnership with our in-house counsel means one thing: BELLATOR will be leading the way! 

YOU are positioned for growth. 

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