We only get paid when the buyer buys a house and it goes to closing. Most real estate transaction the seller pays the agents commission. You could pay the agent separately is you require “exclusivity”.

You can do this two ways. You can call any agent, and he will work with you and be paid from the commission the seller pays his agent. The other agent and his broker are considered sub-agents or sub-contractors to the listing broker. The listing side gets 55% of the commission and the selling side gets 45%. The broker usually split their side of the commission 50/50 with the agent. Commission, sometimes called brokerage, is usually between 6% and 7% depending on local custom, but it can be negotiable. The agents/brokers must be fair and honest with you, but they have a fiduciary duty to the seller because he’s the one who pays them. If the seller says, “I’d like to get $150k for this house, but I’ll settle for $130k,” they may not tell you. However if you say, “I’ll offer $130k, but I could go to $150k if I have to,” they must tell the seller.

You could also get a buyer’s agent, who would actually work for you and you would pay him at closing. When I sold real estate, this was a new concept, but that’s a long time ago and it’s become a popular option. You would have a contract with this person, so he does actually work for you, not the seller.

No, you will not pay them anything.

The seller pays them a commission (usually 3%) at the time of closing.

The agent has to not only find you a house, but help you get the sales process completed.

If you are moving in Nov you need to start looking right away.