Sellers and commissions
Answers to real estate questions as appearing
in the Houston Chronicle
By george stephens, CRB, AND Charles J. "Chuck" Jacobus, JD
Dear George: We're selling our house without using a real estate agent. A REALTOR® asked if she could show our house to her clients, and we agreed. If these people buy our house, do we have to pay any part of the REALTOR®'s commission?
Answer: A seller only pays a REALTOR®'s commission if that seller has agreed to do so in writing. If the REALTOR® who obtained your permission to show your property did things correctly, she had her clients sign a Residential Buyer/Tenant Representation Agreement. That agreement states that if a seller does not pay the REALTOR®'s commission, the buyer agrees to pay it.
E-mail your question to "Ask George & Chuck" or fax it to 281/596-7591. The answers to questions in this column do not contain legal advice. If you wish to obtain legal advice, you should consult your own attorney.
George Stephens, CRB, is the broker of ERA Stephens Properties. He is licensed as a mortgage broker in Texas and a real estate broker in Texas, Georgia, and Massachusetts.
Charles J. Jacobus, JD, is board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Residential and Commercial Real Estate Law, and the author of Texas Real Estate Law and Texas Real Estate, both published by Thomson Publishing. He also teaches at Champions School of Real Estate and Houston Community College, and is an adjunct professor at the University of Houston Law Center.
George and Chuck are co-authors of Texas
Real Estate Brokerage and Law of Agency published by Thomson Publishing.
