Buying a Home

Do I need a real estate agent to buy a home?

By Steve Lockhart

The short answer

No, Nevada does not require you to use an agent to buy a home, and some buyers purchase directly from a seller or work through the listing agent.

Full answer

No, Nevada does not require you to use an agent to buy a home, and some buyers purchase directly from a seller or work through the listing agent. What changes with representation is every step where money and deadlines are involved, so the real question is what an advocate on your side is worth on a purchase this large. Without an agent, you handle the market research, the negotiation, the contract deadlines, and the coordination with lenders, inspectors, and the escrow company yourself, and you rely on the listing agent to protect your interests, which is not their job. In Nevada, agents must be clear about whom they represent, and a listing agent represents the seller, not the buyer. With an agent, you get local market knowledge, pricing guidance grounded in actual sales, contract experience, negotiation, and someone whose job is to protect your interests through every deadline in the contract, plus access to market data and past sales that help you offer the right number the first time. On cost, the common misconception is that using a buyer's agent adds a fee you pay out of pocket. In most Las Vegas purchases, the seller pays the buyer's agent compensation out of the sale proceeds, typically negotiated as part of the offer. Since the national commission changes that took effect in 2024, the amount is agreed in a written buyer representation agreement, and Nevada law requires that agreement to be in writing. If the seller agrees to pay the compensation, it offsets what you owe under that agreement. If they do not, the buyer is responsible for their own agent under the terms they signed. The honest advice: read the buyer representation agreement before you sign it, ask exactly what you owe and who pays it, and let the best answer for your deal decide the question, not a slogan.

Go a little deeper

Frequently asked

Questions buyers often follow up on

If the seller pays the buyer's agent, does representation cost me anything?

In most Las Vegas purchases the buyer's agent compensation is paid by the seller out of the sale proceeds, negotiated as part of the deal. Since the 2024 commission changes, the amount is agreed in the written buyer representation agreement, and if the seller does not pay it, the buyer is responsible under the agreement they signed. Read what you sign and confirm who pays, in writing.

Can a listing agent represent both me and the seller?

Yes, that is dual agency, and Nevada rules require the arrangement to be disclosed and agreed in writing. It can work in simple situations, but a listing agent's duties still run to the seller, so buyers who want full advocacy usually prefer their own representative.

Do I need an agent for new construction?

A builder's sales office typically represents the builder, not you, and the builder's contract is a long document worth understanding before signing. Buyers in new construction commonly bring their own representation, and the new construction questions cover the builder contract and incentives in depth.

The Lockhart Method

Your Home | My Strategy | Proven Results

My strategy: decide what you want representation to do before you decide whether you need it. If the purchase involves negotiation, a contract, or deadlines, and most do, the question is what protection is worth, and that is a conversation, not a sales pitch.

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