Working with Buyers Can Hurt (and Other Obvious Truths You're Ignoring)

Brendan Bartic
May 20
6 min read

Updated: May 27

If you love working evenings, weekends, and having absolutely no control over your schedule, good news! Being a buyer's agent is your dream job.

But let's be real, unless you secretly enjoy losing your sanity chasing indecisive clients through overpriced homes that’ll probably fail inspection anyway, you’ve probably already sensed something is terribly wrong here.

A real estate agent in smart business casual attire meeting with homeowners in a modern living room, discussing a home valuation report. The agent smiles confidently while the clients look engaged and at ease. Bright, warm natural lighting fills the room (daytime), creating an inviting and professional atmosphere. — Buyer Agents vs Listing Agents

Spoiler Alert:

It’s getting worse. Since 2019, the hourly earnings gap between buyer agents and listing agents has grown wider than the Grand Canyon, and recent regulatory shakeups haven’t done squat to fix it. Sure, you might’ve seen the headlines last year—“NAR Settlement Revolutionizes Real Estate Commissions!”—but guess what actually changed? Pretty much nothing. In fact, buyer agent commissions averaged about 2.4% in early 2025—basically the same as before (Redfin, May 2025). That’s right, despite all the hype, you’re still busting your butt for peanuts.

On the flip side, listing agents have been quietly enjoying the good life, earning three or four times more per hour for doing far less. Are they smarter than you? Probably not. Are they greedier? Who cares. The truth is, the system simply rewards listings. Listings scale. Listings build your brand. Listings keep your weekends free (or at least freer).

This isn’t about chasing money for money’s sake—it's about facing the cold reality that behind every commission dollar you earn as a buyer agent is a sacrifice: dinners missed, birthdays skipped, relationships tested, and a Netflix queue that never gets watched.

In the next 1,500 words or so (hang in there, tiger!), we'll dive into the nitty-gritty of exactly how we got here, expose why listings win every single time, and—most importantly—lay out what you can actually do about it right now.

Because let's face it: continuing down the buyer-agent path is like willingly choosing to eat gas station sushi. You might survive, but it won't be pretty.

Humorous, hyper-realistic photo of a nervous, sweating man in a suit anxiously about to eat sushi from a gas station, conveying comedic panic.

2019–2025: How Buyer Agents Got Stuck in a Never-Ending Episode of House Hunters

Let’s rewind to 2019—remember then? Interest rates were cute and low, inventory existed, and buyers typically took a reasonable amount of time picking their dream home. Life was good (or at least manageable). Buyer agents worked about 15–20 hours per client, and listing agents hovered around 8–10 hours. Everyone got paid roughly the same percentage (2.5%) (Zillow, 2019).

Then 2020 hit—remember COVID-19? Yeah, the world paused, buyers panicked, inventory evaporated, and suddenly every house had 47 offers, each more desperate and absurd than the last. Buyer agents went from calm guides to therapists, relationship counselors, and professional negotiators overnight. Their workload surged to 25+ hours per client, while listing agents basically just opened the door and said, “Come on in!” and watched the offers roll in.

Fast-forward to 2021–2023—the market got even hotter. Nearly half of all homes had multiple offers (Zillow, 2022). Buyer agents' average time per successful deal skyrocketed to nearly 30 hours (Inman, 2023). Listings? Still less than half that. The math wasn't hard; listing agents were essentially printing money, while buyer agents spent weekends fighting over crumbs.

Enter 2024–2025: The grand regulatory "solution" arrives! The big NAR settlement promised massive change. But commissions barely budged (Redfin, May 2025). Now buyers negotiate commissions directly with agents—making your already exhausting job even more awkward ("Hey, I'm gonna spend my weekends chauffeuring you around town, can we please sign this contract confirming you'll pay me?").

Buyer agent earnings? Still sad. Listing agent earnings? Still laughing all the way to the bank.

A real estate agent high-fives an AI robot with a computer with a comparative market analysis in the background.

Why Listings Always Win (It’s Not Fair, But It’s Reality)

Here’s why listings dominate:

Scalability: You can handle 20 listings. Good luck juggling 20 buyer clients without losing your mind (and possibly your marriage).

Free Advertising: Every listing sign is a billboard. Every buyer you chauffeur is just more gas money you’re spending.

Guaranteed Contracts (Usually): Listings universally require signed agreements, locking in your commission upfront. Buyer agency agreements, meanwhile, have historically been "trust me, bro" pinky promises—though some states now mandate signed buyer agreements before showings (Inman, 2025).

Time is Money: In the next section, we're going to cut through the real-estate fairy tales with some cold, hard math to show you exactly how the hourly earnings shake out for buyer agents versus listing agents in 2025.

Buyer Agents [Hourly Earnings]

According to industry surveys (Inman, 2023), the average buyer agent spends around 29 hours per successful transaction.

The average U.S. home sale price in early 2025 is roughly $400,000 (NAR, 2025).

Buyer agent commissions currently average about 2.4% (Redfin, May 2025).

Let’s calculate the hourly rate for a typical buyer agent transaction:

Total commission on $400,000 sale at 2.4%:$400,000 × 0.024 = $9,600

Total hours invested per deal: 29 hours

Hourly earnings for buyer agent: $9,600 ÷ 29 hours ≈ $331 per hour

(And that’s optimistic—considering buyers who never close, you’re probably even lower.)

Listing Agents [Hourly Earnings]

The same survey shows listing agents typically spend about 8 hours per transaction (Inman, 2023).

Now, let's do the math for listings:

Listing agent commissions average about 2.8% (Redfin, 2025).

Total commission on $400,000 sale at 2.8%:$400,000 × 0.028 = $11,200

Total hours invested per listing: 8 hours

Hourly earnings for listing agent:$11,200 ÷ 8 hours = $1,400 per hour

Comparison: How Badly Are Buyer Agents Getting Burned?

Role	Hours Worked	Commission	Hourly Earnings
Buyer Agent	29 hours	$9,600	$331/hour
Listing Agent	8 hours	$11,200	$1,400/hour

Bottom line: Listing agents make over four times what buyer agents do per hour.

In other words, buyer agents are working more hours, making less money, and wondering why they're exhausted all the time. It’s not rocket science; it's just brutal math.

How Buyer Agents Can Actually Flip the Script (Yes, You Really Can!)

Here’s how you pivot:

1. Admit You Have a Problem (That’s the First Step)

Understand the reality: You're undervaluing your time with buyers. Accept it. Embrace change it by referring the business, earning "passive income" while you focus on scaling with listings.

2. Stop Chasing Leads Like a Desperate Tinder Date

Seriously, ditch the real estate version of swiping right on every homeowner within a 30-mile radius. Instead, obsessively craft a custom Listing Lead Funnel built around your actual personality and strengths, so sellers come knocking on your door. Imagine that: motivated homeowners sliding into your DMs, not the other way around.

3. Milk Every Listing for All It's Worth (Without Awkward Open Houses)

Each listing you land isn't just another paycheck—it's a goldmine of marketing opportunities. Seriously, every listing should effortlessly multiply itself. Think targeted social media blitzes, irresistible "Just Listed" and "Just Sold" campaigns, neighbor-specific door-knocking (yes, face-to-face still works, you digital hermits), and strategic follow-ups that make every homeowner nearby wonder why they haven't listed with you yet.

There are at least 10 proven ways every listing can supercharge your pipeline. So quit thinking of listings as transactions—start seeing them as endless domino chains of future business.

4. Get Serious with Your Buyer Clients

Stop wasting time and stop getting pushed around. Insist on signed agreements up front and secure your value before you have to defend it later on. Use technology to streamline showings. Pre-qualify rigorously. Protect your time relentlessly.

Ready to Quit Being Real Estate’s Punching Bag?

Look, sticking exclusively with buyers at this point is like being the last person at a bad party: everyone else has left, and you’re stuck cleaning up. Regulatory changes won't rescue you. Industry shifts won't magically improve your hourly earnings. The system is what it is, and it's stacked toward listings.

humorous real estate agent getting punched by real estate

This isn't about greed—it’s about respect. Respect for your time, your family, your sanity, and yes, even your Netflix queue. You deserve better. It’s time to take back control.

The good news? You absolutely can. You have the power to pivot right now toward a listing-focused business, one that doesn’t just make you more money, but also gives you back your life.

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