How the 2024 NAR Settlement Changed What Florida Sellers Pay in Commission
3 min read · Last updated 2026-08-03 · Reviewed by Camilo Palacio, Licensed Florida Real Estate Professional (License #3280644, REALTOR®)
The 2024 NAR settlement didn't set a new commission rate. It made commission negotiable and stopped buyer-agent pay from being published on the MLS, effective August 17, 2024. Cash Flow Deals is one real option Florida sellers now weigh against that negotiation, with a net price locked before repairs are even scoped, instead of a percentage split worked out during the listing process. Sellers still negotiate every number themselves, either way.
| Factor | Traditional Listing | Cash Flow Deals |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline | Commission is negotiated per listing, and the home still sits on market a median of 78 days in Florida as of June 2026 | Net price is locked at offer, before the home ever goes on any market |
| Repairs | A buyer's agent commonly negotiates repair credits after inspection, which can shrink the seller's final commission-adjusted proceeds | Repairs are scoped after the net price is already locked |
| Fees / Costs | Commission is negotiable post-settlement, averaging near 5.70% total nationally in 2026, split between listing and buyer side | Flat fee is disclosed as a separate line item on the closing statement, arranged through Silver Door Realty |
What the NAR Settlement Actually Changed on August 17, 2024
The Sitzer/Burnett settlement, reached by the National Association of Realtors, took effect August 17, 2024. Before that date, a seller's listing agent commonly set compensation for the buyer's agent inside the MLS listing itself. After that date, offers of buyer-agent compensation can no longer be published on the MLS. Buyers must sign a written agreement with their own agent before that agent shows them a home, spelling out what the buyer will pay that agent. MLS participants also have to tell sellers and buyers, in plain language, that commissions are not set by law and are fully negotiable. Nothing in the settlement created a new required rate. It removed the old default and put every number back on the negotiating table.
Why 'Negotiable' Doesn't Mean 'Lower'
Commission rates were always technically negotiable in Florida, long before 2024. What changed is who negotiates and when. A seller now negotiates directly with their own listing agent for that agent's fee, and separately decides whether to offer any compensation toward a buyer's agent. Early data on this has surprised a lot of people. Total average commission nationally sat near 5.70% in 2026, split roughly 2.88% for the listing side and 2.82% for the buyer side, according to a 2026 agent survey by Clever Real Estate. That's close to where commissions sat before the settlement. Negotiable does not automatically mean cheaper. It means the seller has to actually do the negotiating instead of assuming a number.
Cash Flow Deals' Process for a Net Price Without Commission Guesswork
Cash Flow Deals' Process: 1. Request your net-price walkthrough, where Cash Flow Deals looks at the property as it sits. 2. Receive a net price locked before any repair scope is written, with the flat fee already disclosed as its own line on the closing statement. 3. Compare that locked number against what a traditional listing would net after commission, days on market, and repair credits. 4. Choose the path that leaves more in hand, on a timeline that works for the seller. Cash Flow Deals is a Florida real estate investor that locks in a net price for a seller's house before repairs are scoped, using a novation-based, flat-fee process arranged through its licensed FL brokerage partner, Silver Door Realty — not a traditional listing, and not a brokerage itself.
What This Means If You're Comparing Options Right Now
A seller weighing a traditional listing against Cash Flow Deals should ask the same three questions either way: what is the number in hand after every fee, how long does the process take from signature to closing, and what happens if something changes mid-transaction. The 2024 NAR settlement made the commission conversation with a listing agent more explicit, not simpler, because now every number has to be discussed and put in writing instead of assumed. Cash Flow Deals' flat fee works differently. It's set once, disclosed once as a line item on the closing statement, and locked before the property's repairs are even scoped, so there's one number to evaluate instead of a commission split that depends on two separate agent negotiations.
How to Verify These Rules for Your Own Listing Agreement
Commission terms live inside the listing agreement itself, not inside the MLS. Before signing anything, read the compensation section line by line and ask the agent to state the exact percentage or flat number in writing. NAR's own August 2024 settlement FAQ confirms brokers can no longer state a 'typical' local rate, which means a seller has to ask directly instead of assuming a market norm. For anything involving a specific legal right or contract deadline tied to a commission dispute, a licensed Florida real estate attorney is the right person to confirm the exact language, not a general guide like this one.
Common questions
Did the NAR settlement lower commission rates in Florida?
Not automatically. The settlement made commission fully negotiable and stopped buyer-agent pay from being published on the MLS, but it didn't set any new rate. National averages tracked by Clever Real Estate in 2026 sat near 5.70% total, close to pre-settlement levels.
Do I still have to pay a buyer's agent if I list traditionally?
That's now a direct negotiation between the seller and the seller's own listing agent, decided case by case. Nothing is automatic through the MLS anymore. Confirm the exact terms in writing before signing a listing agreement.
Does Cash Flow Deals charge a commission like a traditional listing?
No. Cash Flow Deals is paid a flat fee as a separate line item on the closing statement, arranged through its licensed FL brokerage partner, Silver Door Realty, and that fee is set before the property's repairs are scoped.
When exactly did the NAR settlement rules take effect?
August 17, 2024. That's the date MLS participants had to stop publishing buyer-agent compensation offers and start requiring signed buyer agreements before showings.