Buy the house. Get part of the commission back.
You pick the house, we handle the offer and everything after it. Part of the commission comes back to you at closing. The exact figure is set once your offer is accepted.
How it works
Where the cash back comes from.
You shop for houses. We handle the offer, the inspection and escrow, and the money comes back to you at closing.
- 01
You see what we get paid
Since 2024, you and your agent sign an agreement before you're shown a house. Ours puts what we get paid in writing, and you read it before you sign it.
- 02
The commission is paid at closing
Most sellers still offer a commission to whoever brings the buyer. The amount is settled when your offer is accepted, and it comes out of escrow to us at closing.
- 03
We keep our flat fee. The rest is yours
We keep the same flat fee a seller pays here. What's left goes onto your closing statement as a credit, so you bring less cash to closing.
Since 2024
What the 2024 rule change means for you.
After the National Association of Realtors settlement, you sign a buyer representation agreement before you get shown a house. It spells out what your agent is paid and who pays it. Commission was always negotiable. Now it's on paper before anyone opens a lockbox.
That's what makes cash back easy to explain. When the commission offered on a house comes in above what we charge to do the work, the difference goes onto your closing statement as a credit with your name on it. Your agent writes that commission into the offer, so you know the figure the moment the seller accepts it.
None of this is legal or tax advice. Ask your lender how a closing credit affects your loan, and ask your own tax person about anything tax related.
Good to know
What changes your cash back.
- What the seller's side offers. It's set on each listing and it isn't ours to control. Our example uses 2.5 percent. Some houses offer 2 percent, and a few offer nothing.
- The price of the house. The commission is a percentage of it and our fee isn't, so a bigger purchase usually means a bigger credit.
- Your lender. A credit at closing has to be approved by your lender, and some loan programs cap it or don't allow it. Ask early.
- Whether it closes. Cash back is paid at close of escrow. If the sale falls apart, nothing is paid.
A worked example
One $900,000 purchase, line by line.
The seller's side offers 2.5 percent to whoever brings the buyer. We keep our flat fee out of it and credit you the rest.
What the buy side pays
- Commission offered to the buyer's agent, 2.5% $22,500
- The flat fee we keep −$12,500
Difference $10,000
Back to you at closing $10,000
Based on a total commission model of 5%. Savings vary by property and price.
Commissions are always negotiable and are not set by law.
What the seller's side offers changes from house to house, and half a point either way moves this a lot. Your agent puts the commission in your offer, and the exact cash back is set once it's accepted.
Questions
Questions buyers ask.
01 Where does the money come from?
Nobody writes you a separate check out of pocket. The commission the seller's side offers to whoever brings the buyer is paid to us at closing, the same way it would be paid to any brokerage. We keep our flat fee out of it and credit the rest to you on the closing statement.
02 Is the cash back guaranteed?
No. It depends on what the seller's side is offering on that specific house and on your lender signing off on a credit at closing. Some loan programs limit or disallow it. Every figure we show is an example. Your agent writes the commission into your offer, so the exact cash back is set once the seller accepts.
03 Do I get less help because of it?
No. You get a licensed broker showing you houses, pulling comps, writing the offer, handling the inspection and the repair requests, and pushing escrow along. The cash back comes out of our share of a commission that was going to be paid anyway, so the work is the same on every purchase we take.
Reviews
What buyers said.
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As a first-time home buyer the buyer rebate really helped with the closing cost to make it easier to buy.
Marie V.
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What a pleasant home buying experience I had! Lynne zeroed in on exactly what my preferences for a home were and she was always very quick to respond to any email or phone call from me. The whole process from looking at the first house to closing escrow took approximately 8 weeks – I couldn’t be happier! Lynne is a true professional and is extremely knowledgeable on all aspects of home buying. She has a very reliable and professional network of service people to help you, if needed. I would not hesitate to recommend Lynne and will definitely call her should a need a realtor in the future!
Sue M Home Buyer in Mission Viejo, $530,000
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Rebecca was a pleasure to work with. She’s professional, informative; and more notably, trustworthy. She is very low pressure and is all about the facts. As a first time home buyer, I was very timid to jump into the market. I was fearful of getting pressured into something that I was going to regret. Rebecca set those fears aside after the first day we went home hunting. She was there to help me every step of the way and played a very supportive role when dealing with escrow frustration. I would definitely recommend her to any buyers out there, but specifically, you first timers.
Jon M First Time Home Buyer
Talk to an agent about a house you've found.
Send us the address, or just the price range you're shopping in, and an agent will walk you through how the cash back gets set on that house.
Start a conversation See the seller side → (949) 636-2050
Based on a total commission model of 5%. Savings vary by property and price.