Oklahoma guide

Buyer Representation Agreement Required Before Showings: Post-NAR Settlement Compliance

Q: Do I have to sign anything before I tour a house in Oklahoma?

Yes, in almost every case. The NAR settlement that took effect on August 17, 2024 requires a signed written buyer representation agreement before any tour with an agent who uses the MLS. That covers nearly every working agent in Oklahoma, and the rule applies to agent-guided video tours too.

In Oklahoma, you sign a written buyer representation agreement with your agent before you tour any home, including agent-guided video tours.

TL;DR

In Oklahoma, you sign a written buyer representation agreement with your agent before you tour any home, including agent-guided video tours. The agreement has to spell out exactly what your agent gets paid as a specific dollar amount or percentage, not an open-ended phrase like 'whatever the seller pays.' This requirement comes from the national NAR settlement and applies through MLS rules at MLSOK in Oklahoma City, the Greater Tulsa Association of Realtors MLS, and other Realtor-affiliated MLSs across Oklahoma.

Before you start — 10 things to know

Before touring any Oklahoma home with an agent, you sign a written buyer representation agreement. The rule took effect August 17, 2024 after the settlement and applies to Oklahoma agents who use the — which covers nearly every working agent in the state.
The requirement reaches Oklahoma through the participation rules at MLSOK in Oklahoma City, the Greater Tulsa Association of Realtors MLS, and the other Realtor-affiliated MLSs across the state. Almost every Oklahoma agent belongs to one of these systems, so almost every agent has to follow the rule.
Your Oklahoma buyer representation agreement has to state your agent's pay as a specific dollar amount, a specific percentage, or another definite amount agreed to in advance. Open-ended language like '3% or whatever the seller pays' is no longer allowed under the settlement.
The agreement must also say that the pay is fully negotiable and that the amount is not set by law. Every Oklahoma buyer representation agreement should have those two statements clearly visible.
Oklahoma agents commonly use the Oklahoma Real Estate Commission's Buyer Broker Agreement, adjusted to meet the settlement requirements, or a private form their brokerage's attorney drafted. The exact wording can vary firm to firm, but the required pieces are the same.
Your Oklahoma agent's pay can be structured as a percentage of the price, a flat fee, or a mix of both — what matters is that the amount is specific. The agreement should also name the possible sources of payment, like the seller, a listing-broker concession, or a direct payment from you.
Video tours and remote-guided live walk-throughs count as showings in Oklahoma under the post-settlement rules. If your agent is going to walk you through a property over a video call, the written agreement needs to be in place first.
Open houses where you're walking in without a specific agent showing you the property are generally excluded from the written-agreement rule in Oklahoma. You can stop into an open house without signing anything first.
A verbal handshake or 'we'll sign once you decide to write an offer' doesn't satisfy the rule in Oklahoma. The written buyer representation agreement has to be signed before the first tour — signing it later cannot fix a tour that already happened.
If an Oklahoma agent refuses to put the relationship in writing or asks you to sign a 'pay me whatever the seller offers' clause, that's a red flag. Both moves run against the settlement rules their brokerage and have to follow.

The timeline — step by step

First meeting: your Oklahoma agent walks you through what a buyer representation agreement is, what services they provide, and how their compensation works.
Negotiation step: before you sign in Oklahoma, talk through the pay amount, the length of the agreement, and the geographic area with your agent. Ask them to spell out what you get in return for the pay they're asking for.
Before any tour: you and your Oklahoma agent sign a written buyer representation agreement that lists a specific pay amount, a statement that the pay is negotiable, and a statement that the amount is not set by law. This step has to happen before the first in-person or video tour.
Touring homes: once the buyer representation agreement is signed, your Oklahoma agent can take you through properties in person or over a guided video call. The signed agreement is what unlocks the showings.
Writing an offer: when you find an Oklahoma home you want, your agent helps you draft an offer that may ask the seller to cover some or all of your agent's compensation.
At closing: your Oklahoma agent's pay is set by what your buyer representation agreement says. Any seller contribution or listing-broker concession is applied first, and you cover any gap unless your agreement says otherwise.

Common questions

Do I have to sign anything before I tour a house in Oklahoma?

Yes, in almost every case. The settlement that took effect on August 17, 2024 requires a signed written buyer representation agreement before any tour with an agent who uses the . That covers nearly every working agent in Oklahoma, and the rule applies to agent-guided video tours too.

Can I negotiate what my Oklahoma agent gets paid?

Yes. The pay in an Oklahoma buyer representation agreement is fully negotiable — the dollar amount, the percentage, the length of the agreement, and the area it covers are all on the table. The agreement itself must state that the pay is negotiable and is not set by law.

What happens if the seller offers to pay my Oklahoma agent?

If the seller or listing broker offers compensation, that money is applied toward what you owe your agent under your buyer representation agreement. Your agent's total pay is capped by the amount in your signed agreement, so any seller contribution reduces what you'd otherwise owe. If the seller's contribution is less than your agreed amount, you cover the difference unless your agreement says otherwise.

Is there a standard Oklahoma form for the buyer agreement?

Oklahoma agents commonly use the Oklahoma Real Estate Commission's Buyer Broker Agreement, modified to satisfy the settlement rules, or a private form their brokerage's attorney drafted. The exact wording can look different from one firm to the next, but the required pieces — a specific pay amount, the negotiability statement, and the 'not set by law' statement — have to be there.

Do I have to sign before walking into an open house in Oklahoma?

Usually no. Open houses where you're not yet being represented by a specific agent on a specific tour are generally excluded from the written-agreement rule. You can stop into an Oklahoma open house without signing anything first, though the listing agent there may still ask you to sign in.

Can I tour just one Oklahoma house without committing to an agent for months?

Often, yes. Many Oklahoma agents offer a short, single-property buyer representation agreement that covers just that one showing. The shorter version still has to spell out a specific pay amount and include the required language — it's not a way to skip the written-agreement rule.

What's a red flag when signing an Oklahoma buyer agreement?

Watch out for any clause that ties your agent's pay to 'whatever the seller offers' — that's no longer allowed under the settlement and exposes the brokerage to sanctions. Also push back if an agent wants to start showings before anything is signed, because that violates the same rules.

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

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