Above (L-R): David Serle, Richard Haggerty, Tim Quirk and Tiffany Curry.
It’s been a little over a year since the August 17, 2024 implementation of the new NAR settlement rules that banned offers of compensation on the MLS and required touring agreements when working with prospects to better define a business relationship—changes the industry continues to contend with as we move forward post-mandate.
To gain insight into how real estate professionals are rising to the challenge and guiding their businesses in adapting, we asked some of our 2025 Real Estate Newsmakers the following question:
“Looking back on the first year post-mandate, what have been the biggest surprises or challenges related to commission transparency and negotiation—and how has the industry risen to meet them?”
Here’s what they had to say:
Crusaders
David Serle
President
Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie REALTORS®
“I would say the surprises were the confusion it caused within the profession, not only to Realtor® members, but to consumers. There was, and continues to be, a lot of misinformation out there. In the first six months, we were tasked with continuing to educate and make consumers and the real estate community aware of how it should work. Those who embraced the new rules were able to articulate their value to consumers. Going forward, I believe continuing to discuss the real estate market and trends only helps the community and consumers alike. It has never been more important to hire a professional to navigate the obstacles of today’s market.”
Futurists
Tim Quirk
Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer
Final Offer
“Final Offer is in a unique position where we can see and analyze how agents are negotiating and changing their offers based on how competitive a property is. The biggest impact we have seen is that all parties now realize that the net offer is what matters most. This sounds obvious, but before the settlement, this discussion was rarely occurring with buyers. We’re seeing agents having more informative and strategic discussions with their buyers and sellers surrounding what the net value means and how that factors into the negotiation. In real-time negotiations, we’ve seen agents updating their offers and counteroffers based on having more clarity in the negotiation, which is a win for all parties.”
Trailblazers
Tiffany Curry
Owner & CEO
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Tiffany Curry & Co., REALTORS®
“Some of the biggest surprises have been the smooth conversion from consumers and agents to the new changes. The changes have brought about more transparency and communication between agents and consumers. Our agents have always been transparent in the way the commissions are broken down. Buyer agent agreements have been normal here in Texas, so for us it was business as usual, as it was already part of our everyday practice. In the market, we have seen consistency among sellers still wanting to assist buyers with their agency costs. What has held and remains true is the need for an experienced, dedicated professional to navigate clients through a smooth process. Consumers want representation and a reminder that they are buying or selling with confidence and guidance.”
Trailblazers
Richard Haggerty
CEO
OneKey® MLS
“There were the obvious challenges of MLS system modifications and communication and education initiatives. However, what struck me—and, quite frankly, I am not surprised by this—is how quickly our members adapted to the required changes, made the necessary modifications to their workflows and determined how they could best service the consumer in the post-settlement environment. They focused on the positives and moved on as opposed to clinging to the past.”
RISMedia’s 2025 Real Estate Newsmakers showcase is sponsored by:
Gold Sponsor
Real Estate Webmasters
Bronze Sponsors
American Home Shield
Visit https://www.rismedia.com/2025-newsmakers to learn more about this year’s Newsmakers.
