How to Buy a House Without a Buyer's Agent (Post-Settlement Guide)

You do not need a buyer's agent to buy a home. That has always been true, but until recently the system quietly assumed one: the seller offered a buyer-agent commission, the agent appeared, and few buyers questioned it. The 2024 NAR settlement changed the mechanics. Buyers now generally sign a written agreement before working with an agent, buyer-side compensation is negotiated explicitly, and a growing number of buyers are asking what they actually get for it.

Here is how buying without a buyer's agent works in practice, and where licensed professionals still do the parts that genuinely require a license.

What actually changed in 2024

Two things matter for buyers:

1. Written agreements first. Before touring homes with an agent, buyers generally must sign an agreement spelling out what the agent charges and who pays it.
2. Negotiated compensation. The buyer-agent commission is no longer a background assumption. It is a line item you can see, question, and negotiate.

Once the cost became visible, the natural question followed: what if the roughly 3% traditionally set aside for the buyer's side could work for the buyer instead?

The process, step by step

1. Get pre-approved. Talk to lenders early. Pre-approval defines your budget and signals to sellers that your offer is real. You can use any licensed lender.

2. Search like the professionals do. The MLS syndicates to the major search sites, so the inventory an agent sees is substantially the inventory you see. Set alerts, study comparable sales, and learn your target neighborhoods.

3. Tour homes. This is the part people assume requires "having an agent." It requires access, not representation. On VroomBrick, independent showing agents meet you at any listed property; you book the tour through the dashboard.

4. Make your offer. You decide price, contingencies, and timing. On VroomBrick, offers go through the dashboard, and a licensed closing attorney is available to review the contract before you sign, so the legal review is done by someone whose license is on the line, while the decisions stay yours.

5. Inspection and appraisal. You hire the inspector; the lender orders the appraisal. Nothing about either step requires a buyer's agent.

6. Close. The closing attorney handles title, settlement, and recording. You do a final walk-through, sign, and get the keys.

Where the money goes instead

In a traditional deal, the seller sets aside roughly 3% for the buyer's side. When a seller instead pays VroomBrick's flat 1% technology fee, the roughly 2% difference can come back to the buyer as a closing cost credit, subject to lender approval and program limits. On a $340,000 home, Virginia Beach's median, that is about $6,800 toward closing costs or a rate buydown. Model it with the buyer savings calculator.

Be honest about the trade-off

Buying without a buyer's agent means you own the judgment calls: what to offer, when to walk away, which inspection findings matter. If you want someone to make those calls for you, a traditional agent is the right product. If you want control with licensed professionals handling access, legal review, and settlement, the unbundled path exists now, and it is no longer the fringe option.

Start with the complete homebuying timeline, check your readiness at Home Ready, or see how buying works on VroomBrick.

See Your Buyer Credit →

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About VroomBrick: VroomBrick is a real estate technology platform, not a licensed real estate brokerage. VroomBrick does not provide brokerage services, represent buyers or sellers, or hold real estate licenses. The 1% technology fee covers platform access; closing attorneys, showing agents, and lender partners are independent licensed professionals. Commissions are not set by law and are fully negotiable. Savings examples are illustrative; actual savings vary by transaction and are subject to lender approval.