Buyer Brokerage Agreements in Nevada, Explained (2026)

If you're buying a home in Las Vegas or Henderson, your agent will ask you to sign a written buyer brokerage agreement before you tour homes together. That's been a requirement for REALTORS® nationwide since Aug. 17, 2024, under the National Association of REALTORS®' settlement (NAR), and Nevada law now requires every brokerage agreement made on or after Oct. 1, 2025, to be in writing (AB 258, 2025). The agreement spells out what your agent will do for you and how they'll be paid.

Why buyers should understand this agreement

• It's required before touring a home with an agent, in person or virtually (NAR).
• It sets your agent's pay, and that amount must be clearly defined, such as $0, a flat fee, a percentage or an hourly rate, not open-ended or a range (same source).
• Everything in it is negotiable, including services, length and compensation (same source).
• Nevada law sets the minimums: a definite end date and signatures from both you and the broker for an exclusive agreement (NRS 645.320).

I'm Andrew Guiant, a REALTOR® with Simply Vegas, and I go over this agreement line by line with every buyer before we tour. Here's what it says, what Nevada law requires, and what to ask before you sign.

By Andrew Guiant, REALTOR®, Nevada License S.0183462, Simply Vegas · Updated October 27, 2026 · About an 8-minute read

Questions before you sign anything? Call or text me at 702-496-8216. I'm happy to walk you through the agreement with no obligation.

What Is a Buyer Brokerage Agreement?

Nevada law defines a brokerage agreement as a written contract between a client and a broker in which the broker agrees to accept valuable consideration, from the client or another person, for helping with the purchase (or sale, lease, and so on) of real property (NRS 645.005).

For buyers, it usually covers: - Who you're working with (the agent and their broker) - What you're looking for (area, property type, price range) - How long it lasts (a start and an end date) - Whether it's exclusive (only this broker represents you for the covered purchases) - What services the agent will provide - How much the broker will be paid, and how

Why Do I Have to Sign Before Touring?

Two things changed:

1. The NAR settlement (Aug. 17, 2024). REALTORS® who are MLS participants must have a written agreement with a buyer before touring a home with them, either in person or virtually. You don't need one to walk into an open house on your own or to ask an agent about their services (NAR consumer guide).
2. Nevada AB 258 (2025). Nevada used to define a brokerage agreement as an "oral or written" contract. AB 258 removed "oral," so brokerage agreements made on or after Oct. 1, 2025, must be in writing (AB 258 enrolled text; NRS 645.005).

What Nevada Law Requires

Exclusive agreements

An exclusive buyer's brokerage agreement gives one broker the exclusive right to represent you, with compensation as set out in the agreement (NAC 645.026). Any agreement with exclusive representation must (NRS 645.320):

• Have a definite, specified and complete termination (an end date)
• Not require you to notify the broker that you're canceling the exclusive features after it ends
• Be signed by both you and the broker to be enforceable

Your agent must also give you a copy when you sign, or within a reasonable time after (NRS 645.300).

Compensation from the seller

Nevada's regulations let an exclusive buyer's agreement authorize your broker to be paid by the seller or the seller's broker, and let it say you won't owe the broker if you buy a property solely through your own efforts (NAC 645.551). Whether your agreement includes those terms is up to you and your agent.

The disclosure forms you'll see

• Duties Owed by a Nevada Real Estate Licensee (NRED Form 525). It lists what your agent owes you and every party, and it must be presented before you sign documents. It is not a service contract or an agreement to pay (NRED Form 525; Residential Disclosure Guide).
• Consent to Act (NRED Form 524). You only see it if one licensee wants to represent both you and the seller. You don't have to consent; you can get your own agent, represent yourself, or ask the broker to assign you a different licensee (NRED Form 524).

What Your Agent Owes You

Once you sign, Nevada law says your agent must (NRS 645.254):

1. Use reasonable skill and care to carry out the agreement
2. Keep your confidential information private for 1 year after the agreement ends (unless a court orders otherwise or you give written permission)
3. Seek a purchase at a price and terms acceptable to you
4. Present all offers made to or by you as soon as practicable, unless you sign the state's waiver form
5. Disclose material facts they know about the transaction
6. Advise you to get expert advice on matters outside their expertise
7. Account for any money or property they receive in which you may have an interest

Your agent must also disclose each source of compensation they'll receive from the deal (NRS 645.252), and these duties can't be waived except for the offer-presentation duty (NRS 645.255).

How Does Your Agent Get Paid Now?

The agreement has to state a clear amount or rate (NAR). From there, there are a few ways it gets paid:

• The seller or listing broker pays through an offer of compensation. These can't be posted on the MLS, but they can be shared in other ways, like a flyer, the brokerage website, or a phone call (NAR).
• You ask for it in your offer. Even when nothing is offered, you can request that the seller cover your agent's compensation as part of the purchase terms (NAR member guidance).
• You pay some or all of it if the seller won't, as your agreement says.

Two guardrails: under the settlement, a buyer's broker can't accept more from any source than the amount or rate in your agreement, and agents can't steer you away from homes based on what a seller offers (NAR member guidance).

Ask your lender early how your loan program treats seller concessions and any agent fee you pay yourself. Rules differ by loan type.

For the seller's side of this, read Who Pays Real Estate Commission in Las Vegas.

8 Questions to Ask Before You Sign

1. Is this agreement exclusive? What happens if I find a home on my own?
2. When does it start and end? Can we make it shorter at first?
3. Does it cover one property, an area, or all of Las Vegas and Henderson?
4. What services will you provide (tours, comps, negotiation, inspections, escrow)?
5. What's the compensation, and what happens if the seller offers less, more, or nothing?
6. How do new construction purchases work? (Builders have their own registration rules. See my Henderson new construction guide.)
7. How can either of us end the agreement early?
8. Will you ever ask me to sign a Consent to Act (dual agency)?

Only sign an agreement that matches what you've agreed to (NAR).

Want to see the agreement before we tour? Text 702-496-8216, and I'll send you a copy to read first. Start your Las Vegas home search

FAQ: Buyer Brokerage Agreements in Nevada

Do I have to sign a buyer agreement to see a house in Las Vegas?

To tour with a REALTOR®, yes, before the tour, in person or virtually. You don't need one to visit an open house on your own (NAR).

Is a verbal agreement with a buyer's agent valid in Nevada?

Not as a brokerage agreement made on or after Oct. 1, 2025. AB 258 changed the definition so a brokerage agreement must be a written contract (NRS 645.005).

Can I negotiate the commission in a buyer agreement?

Yes. Compensation is negotiable and not set by law, but the agreement has to state a clear amount or rate (NAR).

Will I have to pay my agent out of pocket?

Not necessarily. You're responsible for what your agreement says, but you can ask the seller or listing agent to pay it (NAR).

Can I cancel a buyer brokerage agreement?

You and your agent can agree to change or end it, and many agreements spell out how to exit. Read those terms before you sign (NAR).

Is the "Duties Owed" form a contract?

No. NRED Form 525 says it is not a contract for services or an agreement to pay compensation (NRED).

Watch: Buying in Today's Las Vegas Market

Click any video to watch it on YouTube.

▶ Hidden Gold for Buyers · Concessions, incentives and price cuts	▶ 10 Las Vegas Homes for $500K · What your budget buys
▶ Prices Down, Rates Up · Las Vegas real estate news	▶ My New Build Had 80 Problems · Why inspections matter (Short)

More videos: see them all on my YouTube channel.

Ready to Start Looking?

I'll explain the agreement in plain English, set it up to fit how you want to search, and start sending you homes that match. If you're open to a high-rise or a newer townhome, ask me about my listings at 222 Karen Ave #601 in Turnberry Towers and 1285 Raritan Pl, a 3-bedroom, 2-bath Henderson townhome built in 2019. Moving here from out of town? Start with my Moving to Las Vegas guide.

Andrew Guiant, REALTOR® | Simply Vegas
📞 702-496-8216
✉️ andrewguiant@gmail.com
🏠 Search homes: www.andrewsellsvegas.com
▶️ Home tours: YouTube @andrewsellsvegas

Talk to Andrew about buying

This guide is general information, not legal advice. For legal questions about a contract, talk to a Nevada real estate attorney. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Andrew Guiant, REALTOR®, Simply Vegas, NV license S.0183462.

Sources

• NRS Chapter 645 (645.005, 645.252, 645.254, 645.255, 645.300, 645.320): https://www.leg.state.nv.us/nrs/NRS-645.html
• NAC Chapter 645 (645.026, 645.551): https://www.leg.state.nv.us/nac/nac-645.html
• Nevada AB 258 (2025), enrolled text: https://archive.leg.state.nv.us/Session/83rd2025/Bills/AB/AB258_EN.pdf
• NRED Form 525, Duties Owed by a Nevada Real Estate Licensee: https://red.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/rednvgov/Content/Forms/525.pdf
• NRED Form 524, Consent to Act: https://red.nv.gov/uploadedfiles/rednvgov/content/forms/524.pdf
• NRED disclosure forms and Residential Disclosure Guide: https://red.nv.gov/Content/Forms/Disclosures/
• NAR, Consumer Guide to Written Buyer Agreements: https://www.nar.realtor/the-facts/consumer-guide-to-written-buyer-agreements
• NAR, Consumer Guide: Offers of Compensation: https://www.nar.realtor/the-facts/consumer-guide-offers-of-compensation
• NAR, Member Resource: Dos and Don'ts When Working With Buyers: https://www.nar.realtor/the-facts/nar-member-resource-dos-and-donts-when-working-with-buyers
• All checked October 27, 2026.