Why eXp Buyers Sign an Agreement Before Touring

A request for a buyer agreement can feel surprising when you only wanted to see a house. Its timing should create an opportunity to discuss the relationship before either side assumes obligations. Ask the agent to send the proposed document ahead of the appointment so the front doorstep is not your first chance to read it.

NAR’s Written Buyer Agreements 101 describes the pre-tour requirement for MLS participants working with buyers, effective August 17, 2024. State law and the particular brokerage relationship also matter. This is not a reason to assume every form has identical terms.

Ask the agent to identify the legal brokerage named in the document and explain the role they will perform. An eXp logo alone does not tell you whether a document covers one visit, an ongoing search, or additional obligations after the initial appointment.

Decision	What to locate	Question to resolve
Services	Specific tasks and exclusions	Who handles offers, inspections, and negotiations?
Scope	Property, location, and purchase type	Does this cover only the search I intend?
Duration	Start, end, and extension terms	What events could extend the relationship?
Compensation	Amount or calculation and payment source	What could I owe if the seller pays nothing?
Ending the agreement	Notice, release, fees, and remaining obligations	How would we handle a poor fit?

Use this as a reading worksheet, not a replacement contract. Write the page or paragraph number beside each answer. If the agent gives a helpful explanation that appears inconsistent with the printed language, ask for the issue to be resolved in the document before signing.

Also identify who will actually communicate with you. A team may divide showings and negotiations among several people. Decide whether that arrangement suits your schedule, how questions are routed, and who is responsible for continuity when someone is unavailable.

Consider two fictional buyers. One is relocating with a defined three-month search and wants comprehensive representation. The other is interviewing agents and wants to evaluate a single property. Their needs differ, so the first proposed scope should not automatically become the second buyer’s commitment.

Ask what narrower property coverage, shorter duration, or other permitted arrangement the brokerage is willing to offer. These are discussion examples, not a promise that a particular form or option is available in every state. The parties need an agreement they can both perform.

For help evaluating the actual service and price proposal, read how to negotiate eXp brokerage compensation. Decide the scope and service expectations alongside the financial terms. A lower number does not solve an agreement that covers more of your search than you intend.

According to NAR’s open-house guidance, simply visiting an open house on your own or asking an agent about services does not require a written buyer agreement under that practice change. Working with an agent to identify properties and arrange tours is a different situation. Live virtual tours can also fall within the pre-tour rule.

At an open house, ask whom the host represents before sharing your negotiating limits or assuming you have an advocate. Signing an attendance sheet and signing a representation agreement are different actions; read what the document actually says.

If the conversation turns into a request for the host to arrange additional homes or advise you as your agent, pause to clarify the new relationship. It is easier to discuss representation deliberately than to reconstruct what each person assumed after several appointments.

Request a dollar example using a realistic purchase price for your search. Have the agent show the agreed compensation, any separate charge, the amount a seller might contribute, and the amount you could owe under the proposed terms. Then repeat the example with no seller contribution.

The purpose is to understand your possible cash requirement before making an offer. Do not treat the phrase “we will ask the seller” as confirmation that the seller has agreed. Read what happens when a seller does not fund the buyer’s agent for a worked payment-gap example.

Keep the agreement and any amendment together. If the transaction or service changes, ask whether the written terms need updating. Do not rely on an informal conversation to reconcile a significant difference between the compensation you understood and the amount shown later.

Set aside enough time to read the full form, including referenced addenda. Mark the provisions you cannot explain in your own words. Send those questions together and request a complete copy of the proposed final version, rather than signing a version with unresolved blanks.

After signing, save the fully executed agreement and calendar its relevant dates. Share the scope with anyone helping you coordinate the search so you do not inadvertently create conflicting commitments with another brokerage.

If you already signed and want to change the relationship, review the steps for addressing cancellation or amendment. A request for an agreement before touring can be a useful planning moment when the document, service expectations, and payment discussion all match what you intend.