Illinois guide

MLS Commission Advertising Rules in Illinois Post-Settlement

Since August 17, 2024, Illinois MLS listings no longer show what the seller is offering to pay your buyer's agent.

Reading as buyer.

TL;DR

Since August 17, 2024, Illinois listings no longer show what the seller is offering to pay your buyer's agent. That doesn't mean buyer-agent pay is gone — it just isn't broadcast in the anymore, so your agent has to ask the listing side directly before showing you the home. You may see seller-paid compensation offered through a separate written agreement, a seller concession in your purchase contract, or direct broker-to-broker negotiation.

Before you start — 8 things to know

  • As of August 17, 2024, the Illinois (MRED) and every -affiliated in Illinois stopped showing offers of buyer-broker compensation inside listing data.

  • The rule change does not ban sellers from paying your buyer's agent — it only blocks the from being the channel where that offer is advertised.

  • Before your agent shows you an Illinois home, they should contact the listing broker to confirm in writing whether the seller is offering to cover any of your agent's fee.

  • Seller-paid compensation can reach your agent through a separate written cooperating compensation agreement between the two brokers, outside the .

  • You can also negotiate a seller concession in the Illinois purchase contract for closing costs, and apply that credit toward your buyer-agent fee.

  • Listing brokerages may still advertise that seller-paid buyer-agent compensation is available on their own website, in print, or verbally — the gag rule is -only.

  • If no seller-paid compensation is offered, the buyer is responsible for paying their own agent under the written buyer-broker agreement signed before touring homes.

  • Public-facing sites (Zillow, Redfin, broker IDX feeds) pull from the same Illinois data, so you will not see any commission numbers shown to consumers there either.

The timeline — step by step

  1. Step 1 — Sign a written buyer-broker agreement with your agent before touring any Illinois listing; this is required under settlement rules in effect since August 17, 2024.

  2. Step 2 — When you find a home you like, ask your agent to contact the listing broker and ask in writing whether the seller is offering any buyer-agent compensation outside the .

  3. Step 3 — Review the listing broker's written response (a cooperating compensation agreement or email) so you know before the showing how much, if any, of your agent's fee the seller will cover.

  4. Step 4 — If the seller offers nothing or less than your agreement requires, decide whether to pay the gap yourself, ask for a seller concession in the offer, or negotiate the buyer-broker fee.

  5. Step 5 — Write the agreed seller concession into your Illinois purchase contract as a line item for closing costs, which the buyer can then apply toward the buyer-agent fee.

  6. Step 6 — At closing, the title company disburses the buyer-broker fee per the cooperating compensation agreement or the seller-concession line in your contract.

Common questions

Why can't I see what the seller is paying my agent on the Illinois [[MLS]] listing?
Since August 17, 2024, MRED and every -affiliated Illinois removed buyer-broker compensation from all data fields, private remarks, and agent-only notes. Your agent must contact the listing broker directly to learn the offer.
Does this mean sellers in Illinois no longer pay buyer's agents?
No. Sellers can still pay buyer's agents — the change only stops the from advertising those offers. Payment now happens through a separate written broker-to-broker agreement, a seller concession in the purchase contract, or direct negotiation.
How will my agent find out whether the seller will cover their fee?
Your agent asks the listing broker in writing — usually by email or by requesting a signed cooperating compensation agreement — before showing you the home. The listing brokerage's website may also state that seller-paid compensation is available.
What if the seller offers nothing toward my agent's fee?
You can either pay the agreed buyer-agent fee yourself under your buyer-broker agreement, ask for a seller concession in the offer to cover it through closing costs, or renegotiate the fee with your agent.
Can a buyer-broker advertise compensation offers somewhere outside the [[MLS]]?
Yes. Listing brokers in Illinois may publish seller-paid compensation offers on their own brokerage websites, in print marketing, or verbally to your agent. The advertising ban only applies to the itself.
Do I have to sign a written agreement with my buyer's agent before I tour homes?
Yes. Since August 17, 2024, every Illinois buyer must sign a written buyer-broker agreement stating the fee before touring any -listed property. The fee in that agreement governs what you owe if the seller does not cover it.

Glossary

2 terms
NAR — National Association of Realtors
The national trade group for real-estate agents. The 2024 NAR settlement is the legal deal that changed how buyer's agents get paid.
MLS — Multiple Listing Service
The shared database agents use to list and find homes for sale. Most homes you'll see online started here.

Sources

  1. [1]
  2. [2]

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