http://EXCELrealestateschool.com/

Excel Real Estate School, Charlotte, NC (2026)

10/05/2026

💵 WHO ACTUALLY PAYS THE BUYER'S AGENT?

A buyer asks:

“How much do you charge?”

And the agent responds:

“Don't worry about it—the seller pays my commission.”

🚨 STOP RIGHT THERE.

That's not the conversation we should be having with buyers.

Buyer-agent compensation should be clearly discussed, agreed upon, and documented—not brushed aside with a blanket statement that “the seller pays.”

So...who actually pays the buyer's agent?

👉 IT DEPENDS ON THE TRANSACTION AND THE AGREEMENTS.

A buyer-agent's compensation may ultimately come from different sources depending on the circumstances, including:

💰 The buyer

🏠 The seller, if the seller agrees to provide compensation or concessions as part of the transaction

🤝 The listing firm, if compensation is offered through an arrangement outside the MLS

Or potentially some combination, depending on the agreements and transaction.

The important point for agents is this:

Don't assume. Don't promise. EXPLAIN.

📋 START WITH THE BUYER AGENCY AGREEMENT

Before touring a home, an MLS participant working with a buyer generally needs a written agreement that addresses compensation. Under current NAR practice rules, the compensation must be objectively ascertainable and cannot simply be open-ended—for example, “whatever the seller is offering.”

Your buyer should understand:

💵 What your compensation is
📋 How that compensation is determined
🤝 What happens if another party offers compensation
🏠 What the buyer could be responsible for
✍️ What they've agreed to in writing

🚨 HERE'S ANOTHER BIG CHANGE NEW AGENTS NEED TO UNDERSTAND

Offers of buyer-broker compensation are not permitted on an MLS.

That does NOT mean sellers can never contribute toward buyer-agent compensation. Compensation can still be negotiated outside the MLS, subject to the agreements involved.

And remember...

Real estate commissions are negotiable.

There is no universal or government-set commission rate that every buyer or seller must pay.

🎯 THE BETTER CONVERSATION

Instead of telling a buyer:

❌ “My services are free to you.”

or

❌ “The seller pays me.”

Try:

“My compensation is addressed in our buyer agency agreement. Depending on the property and transaction, compensation may come from the seller, listing firm, you as the buyer, or a combination. Before we move forward, I'll explain exactly what you've agreed to and how compensation could work.”

That's a much better conversation.

🔑 THE BIG TAKEAWAY

WHO PAYS THE BUYER'S AGENT?

There isn't one universal answer.

👉 Read the agreement.
Understand the compensation.
Explain it BEFORE the showing.
Never promise who will ultimately pay until you know.

Your buyer shouldn't discover how you're being compensated when you're writing the offer.

That conversation belongs at the beginning of the relationship.

👇 PROVISIONAL BROKERS:

A buyer looks at you during your consultation and asks:

“So...am I going to have to pay you out of my own pocket?”

Could you confidently explain the answer?

🎓 EXCEL Real Estate School
Learn the Business. Pass the Challenges. EXCEL in Your Career.

10/02/2026

🤝 WHEN DO YOU REALLY NEED A WRITTEN BUYER AGENCY AGREEMENT?

Your friend calls you at 1:00:

“Hey! I found a house online that I LOVE. Can you show it to me this afternoon?”

You're a real estate agent. They're ready to go. The listing is available.

So you grab your Supra key and head out...right?

🚨 NOT SO FAST.

Before you provide a tour of a home to a buyer you're working with, you need to think about your agency relationship—and the required written agreement.

Under current practice rules, an MLS participant working with a buyer must enter into a written agreement before touring a home. NAR explains that this applies to both in-person and live virtual tours.

🏠 “BUT THEY'RE JUST MY FRIEND.”

Doesn't matter.

🏠 “WE'RE ONLY LOOKING AT ONE HOUSE.”

That doesn't create an exception.

🏠 “I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THEY'RE SERIOUS YET.”

Then have the agency conversation before the showing, not after it.

This is where new agents sometimes get uncomfortable because they think a buyer agency agreement means:

“I'm asking this person to commit to me forever before I've even shown them one house.”

That's not necessarily the case.

A written buyer agreement can define important things such as the services you'll provide, the term of the agreement and your compensation. NAR's guidance also notes that agreements can be tailored to the relationship—for example, they may cover a specific property, a particular period, or other agreed parameters, subject to applicable state law and brokerage policy.

💰 AND DON'T SKIP THE COMPENSATION CONVERSATION

Your buyer should understand:

How are you getting paid?

Don't wait until you're writing an offer to suddenly explain buyer-agent compensation.

Compensation is negotiable, and the written agreement should clearly address the amount or rate of compensation—or how it will be objectively determined—rather than leaving it open-ended.

🎯 FOR NC PROVISIONAL BROKERS

This is where your training matters.

Don't treat the buyer agency agreement like “just another form I need signed.”

Use it as an opportunity to explain:

🤝 Who you represent
📋 What services you're providing
💰 How compensation works
📅 How long the relationship lasts
🏠 What properties or transactions the agreement covers
🚪 How the relationship can end

Then make sure you're following North Carolina agency law, Commission rules, your firm's policies and any applicable MLS requirements.

🔑 THE BIG TAKEAWAY

Your friend texts:

“Can you show me this house at 4:00?”

Your first thought shouldn't just be:

“Is the house available?”

It should also be:

👉 “Have we handled the agency relationship and written agreement that need to be in place BEFORE I provide the tour?”

Don't wait until the offer.
Don't wait until after the showing.
Have the conversation BEFORE you open the door. 🚪

👇 PROVISIONAL BROKERS: How would you explain a buyer agency agreement to a friend who says, “Why do I have to sign something just to see a house?”

🎓 EXCEL Real Estate School
Learn the Business. Pass the Challenges. EXCEL in Your Career.

09/30/2026

📐 THE MLS SAYS 2,600 SQ. FT.—BUT IT'S ACTUALLY 2,200. WHO'S RESPONSIBLE?

Here's today's scenario:

Your buyer loves the house.

The MLS says:

🏠 2,600 Heated Square Feet

Your buyer makes an offer based partly on the home's size.

Later, the property is measured and...

😳 It's only 2,200 square feet.

That's a 400-square-foot difference.

So the agent says:

“Well…that's what the MLS said.”

Is that enough?

🚨 NO.

In North Carolina, the Real Estate Commission does not require brokers to advertise a property's square footage. But if square footage IS advertised, it needs to be accurate. NCREC specifically warns that individual brokers are responsible for representations they make about a property, including information placed in the MLS.

🏠 WHAT ABOUT THE LISTING AGENT?

You cannot simply pull the square footage from:

❌ An old MLS listing
❌ Tax records
❌ An old appraisal
❌ The seller saying, “I think it's around 2,600.”

NCREC says that when a broker reports heated living area, the broker should verify it by properly measuring the property or obtaining a measurement from a qualified professional.

And if you hire someone else to measure?

That doesn't mean you should ignore an obvious error or red flag. NCREC says a broker relying on another person's measurement is still expected to recognize an obvious problem and alert interested parties.

🔎 WHAT ABOUT THE BUYER'S AGENT?

This is where the conversation gets interesting.

Does the buyer's agent automatically have to remeasure every listing?

No.

But what if something doesn't make sense?

🤔 The house is advertised as 2,600 square feet, but it looks considerably smaller.

🤔 The appraisal comes back showing substantially different square footage.

🤔 Tax records don't match the advertised amount.

Those are RED FLAGS.

NCREC has specifically said that when reviewing a square-footage complaint, one factor it may consider is whether the buyer's agent should have recognized a significant difference and investigated further.

In fact, current NCREC guidance encourages buyer agents to review appraisal reports and investigate when the appraisal's square footage differs from the advertised MLS figure.

🔑 KNOW THIS:

MLS DOES NOT MEAN “MUST BE LEGITIMATE SOURCE.”

The MLS is a tool containing information entered by people.

As a broker, you still have duties to exercise reasonable skill, care and diligence and to discover and disclose material facts. NCREC identifies square footage as an important material fact because it can affect a property's value, functionality, and a consumer's decision-making.

So...

“That's what the MLS said” isn't your get-out-of-jail-free card.

🎯 THE BIG TAKEAWAY

VERIFY. QUESTION. INVESTIGATE. DISCLOSE.

When something doesn't look right, don't ignore the red flag.

👇 PROVISIONAL BROKERS:

You're showing a house advertised as 2,600 sq. ft., but while walking through it you're thinking:

“There is NO WAY this house is 2,600 square feet.”

What do you do next?

Drop your answer below. 👇

🎓 EXCEL Real Estate School
Learn the Business. Pass the Challenges. EXCEL in Your Career.

09/30/2026

🔍 WHAT DOES “NO REPRESENTATION” REALLY MEAN ON THE RPOADS?

You're reviewing the Residential Property and Owners' Association Disclosure Statement with a client and see:

☑ NO REPRESENTATION

So what does that mean?

Does it mean:

❌ “There isn't a problem.”

❌ “The seller doesn't know.”

❌ “The seller doesn't want to answer the question.”

Not exactly.

🚨 HERE'S WHAT NC AGENTS NEED TO UNDERSTAND

On North Carolina's RPOADS, an owner can generally select Yes, No, No Representation (NR), or Not Applicable (NA) where those choices are provided.

According to the North Carolina Real Estate Commission, when an owner selects No Representation, it could mean the owner knows about an issue and chooses not to disclose it OR simply doesn't know.

That's why you should NEVER translate:

“No Representation” = “No problem.”

🏠 WHAT ABOUT THE SELLER?

North Carolina law permits an owner to choose No Representation for applicable questions on the RPOADS. That's different from answering “No.”

If the owner answers No, they're indicating they have no actual knowledge of that matter or problem. If they knowingly answer incorrectly, they may face liability for that misstatement.

🔑 AND HERE'S THE BIG DIFFERENCE FOR BROKERS

The RPOADS contains the OWNER'S representations.

It is NOT the broker's disclosure statement.

A broker's obligation to discover and disclose material facts is separate.

So imagine this:

💧 The seller knows there has been water intrusion.

They mark:

☑ NO REPRESENTATION

Can the listing broker who knows about the water problem simply remain silent because the seller selected NR?

🚨 NO.

NCREC has specifically addressed this scenario. Brokers must make reasonable efforts to discover and disclose material facts regardless of whom they represent. A seller's selection of “No Representation” does not eliminate the broker's disclosure duties.

👀 WHAT SHOULD BUYER AGENTS DO?

Don't just email the RPOADS to your buyer and say:

“Here you go.”

Review it with them.

When you see NR, explain what it means and encourage appropriate due diligence and inspections. NCREC specifically notes that simply sending the disclosure to the buyer is not sufficient and that the RPOADS is not a warranty or substitute for a thorough home inspection.

🎯 KNOW THIS

NO REPRESENTATION does NOT mean NO PROBLEM.

And...

THE SELLER'S RIGHT TO SELECT NR ≠ THE BROKER'S RIGHT TO WITHHOLD A MATERIAL FACT.

That's a distinction every North Carolina provisional broker needs to understand.

👇 PROVISIONAL BROKERS — SCENARIO TIME:

Your seller marks NO REPRESENTATION about water intrusion.

But during your listing appointment they tell you:

“Yeah, the crawlspace floods every time we get a really heavy rain—but I don't want that on the disclosure.”

What do you do?

🎓 EXCEL Real Estate School
Learn the Business. Pass the Challenges. EXCEL in Your Career.

09/29/2026

🛠️ “THE SELLER SAID THEY'RE SELLING IT AS-IS.”

Okay...but what does AS-IS actually mean?

Here's where agents—and consumers—can get into trouble:

❌ “They're selling AS-IS, so they don't have to disclose anything.”

NOPE.

Selling a property AS-IS does not erase a broker's duty to disclose known material facts.

🏠 WHAT DOES AS-IS GENERALLY MEAN?

In simple terms, the seller is communicating that they intend to sell the property in its current condition and may not be willing to make repairs.

But that doesn't mean the buyer can't:

🔍 Have inspections
📋 Conduct due diligence
❓ Ask questions
💰 Request repairs, credits, or other concessions

The seller may simply say NO to those requests.

And remember—under North Carolina's standard residential contract, repair requests are generally negotiations, not automatic obligations for the seller.

🚨 HERE'S THE BIG ONE FOR NC BROKERS

A seller saying “AS-IS” does NOT give the broker permission to ignore a known material fact.

If you know about a material fact affecting the property or transaction, your disclosure duties don't disappear because the seller says:

“I'm selling it AS-IS.”

And be careful with this one...

A seller marking “No Representation” on the Residential Property and Owners' Association Disclosure Statement does not eliminate a broker's independent disclosure obligations.

🔑 KNOW THIS:

AS-IS may affect what the seller is willing to repair.

It does NOT mean:

❌ No inspections
❌ No due diligence
❌ No negotiations
❌ No disclosure obligations for brokers
❌ “What they don't know won't hurt them”

🎯 THE AGENT'S ROLE

Don't just repeat:

“The seller is selling AS-IS.”

Explain what that actually means in the context of the transaction, advise your client about due diligence and inspections within your role, disclose known material facts as required, and avoid making representations you can't support.

AS-IS doesn't mean anything goes.

👉 DISCLOSE. ADVISE. PROTECT.

👇 PROVISIONAL BROKERS:

A seller tells you:

“There's been water in the crawlspace before, but we're selling AS-IS, so don't mention it.”

What do you do?

🎓 EXCEL Real Estate School
Learn the Business. Pass the Challenges. EXCEL in Your Career.

09/28/2026

📊 WHAT IS A CMA—AND WHAT IS IT NOT?

Here's a mistake new real estate agents can make:

Find three houses that sold nearby. Average the prices. There's your CMA.

🚨 Not so fast.

A Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) is much more than finding a few recent sales.

A good CMA requires an agent to analyze the market and determine which properties actually provide meaningful comparisons to the subject property.

🏠 WHAT SHOULD YOU BE LOOKING AT?

When selecting and analyzing comparable properties, consider factors such as:

📍 Location — Are they actually competing in the same market?

🏠 Property type & style — Ranch vs. two-story? Detached vs. attached?

📐 Size — How similar is the living area?

🛏️ Bedrooms & bathrooms

🌳 Lot size & characteristics

🔨 Age, condition & renovations

🚗 Garage, basement and other significant features

📅 Date of sale — How recently did it sell?

💰 Sale price AND terms — Were concessions or unusual circumstances involved?

📊 Current competition — What other homes would today's buyer consider instead?

⏱️ Market conditions — Has the market changed since your comparable properties sold?

And here's another important point:

CLOSEST doesn't always mean BEST.

The house across the street might be geographically closer but a poor comparable.

A property farther away might actually be more similar to the subject.

🔑 A CMA IS NOT AN APPRAISAL.

Agents prepare CMAs to help clients understand the market and make informed pricing decisions.

Appraisers perform appraisals and develop opinions of value according to professional appraisal standards and the scope of their assignment.

Those are different roles and different products.

🚨 NEW AGENTS — DON'T JUST “PULL COMPS.”

Ask yourself:

WHY is this property a good comparable?

You should be able to explain why you included—and excluded—properties from your analysis.

A CMA isn't:

❌ Three random nearby sales
❌ A Zestimate
❌ The tax value
❌ An appraisal
❌ Simply averaging three sale prices

A CMA is market analysis.

🎯 THE BIG TAKEAWAY

Don't just find comps. ANALYZE them.

Your value isn't clicking a button and printing a report.

Your value is understanding the data, interpreting what it means, and helping your client understand the market.

👇 PROVISIONAL BROKERS: You're preparing a CMA and find a house that sold yesterday right across the street. Does that automatically make it a good comp?

Tell me why—or why not—in the comments.

🎓 EXCEL Real Estate School
Learn the Business. Pass the Challenges. EXCEL in Your Career.

09/25/2026

🏡 THREE VALUES. ONE HOUSE. WHY ARE THE NUMBERS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT?

Your client looks online and says:

“The county says the house is worth $350,000… so why are we listing it for $425,000?”

Great question—and one every real estate agent should be prepared to answer.

Because...

ASSESSED VALUE ≠ MARKET VALUE ≠ APPRAISED VALUE

They are different numbers created for different purposes.

🏛️ ASSESSED VALUE

This is the value determined by the local taxing authority for property-tax purposes.

It may be based on a countywide revaluation and may not reflect what a buyer would pay for the property today.

👉 Purpose: TAXATION

🏠 MARKET VALUE

Market value reflects what a property would likely sell for in the current market under typical market conditions.

Real estate agents analyze things such as:

📍 Location
🏘️ Comparable sales
📊 Current competition
🏠 Property characteristics and condition
📈 Current market conditions

When you're preparing a CMA, you're gathering market evidence to help your client make an informed pricing decision.

👉 Purpose: THE MARKET

📋 APPRAISED VALUE

An appraisal is an appraiser's opinion of value developed for a particular assignment and effective date.

In a financed transaction, the lender will commonly use an appraisal as part of evaluating the property that will secure the loan.

👉 Purpose: PROFESSIONAL VALUATION

🚨 HERE'S WHERE NEW AGENTS GET INTO TROUBLE

Don't assume:

❌ “The tax value is $350,000, so that's what the house is worth.”

And don't tell a seller:

❌ “The Zestimate says $425,000, so that's what we should list it for.”

Instead, understand what each number represents and why it exists.

🔑 KNOW THIS:

Assessed Value → TAXES

Market Value → THE MARKET

Appraised Value → APPRAISER'S OPINION OF VALUE

And let's add one more...

💰 LISTING PRICE → A PRICING DECISION

The listing price is not automatically dictated by any one of these numbers.

A good agent studies the available data, understands the current market, discusses pricing strategy with the seller, and helps the seller make an informed decision.

Same house. Different values. Different purposes.

👇 PROVISIONAL BROKERS: If a seller asked you why their tax value is $50,000 lower than your recommended listing price, could you explain it confidently?

🎓 EXCEL Real Estate School
Learn the Business. Pass the Challenges. EXCEL in Your Career.

09/24/2026

🏠 Are You Ready for the New Appraisal Changes?

Major appraisal changes are coming on November 2, 2026, and they could affect us as real estate brokers.

These changes are covered as part of the 2026–2027 NC General Update and may affect MLS information, communication with appraisers, appraisal turnaround times, client expectations, and how we prepare listings for an appraisal.

Join me for this upcoming class:

📅 Thursday, October 1
⏰ 9:00 AM
💻 Virtual Class
💵 Cost: $50

Register here:
https://excelrealestateschool.com/ola/services/2026-27-nc-general-update

09/24/2026

📉 MORTGAGE RATES DROPPED! SHOULD BUYERS WAIT FOR THEM TO DROP MORE?

It's a question real estate agents hear all the time:

“Should I wait? Rates might come down even more.”

Here's something every agent should remember:

🚨 We don't know where mortgage rates are going next.

And as real estate agents, our job isn't to predict interest rates or tell clients what the market is going to do.

Our job is to help clients understand the factors involved so they can make an informed decision.

Because...

Waiting for a lower rate could have a cost too.

🏠 WHAT COULD HAPPEN IF RATES DROP?

Lower rates can improve purchasing power and monthly affordability.

But lower rates can also bring more buyers into the market.

More buyers can mean:

➡️ More competition
➡️ Multiple-offer situations
➡️ Less negotiating leverage
➡️ Potential upward pressure on home prices

So a buyer shouldn't look at interest rate alone.

💰 FOCUS ON AFFORDABILITY

Instead of asking:

❌ “Do you think rates will drop?”

Help your buyer ask:

✅ “What monthly payment am I comfortable with?”

Then encourage them to talk with their lender about loan options, rates, payments, and what they can realistically afford.

🔄 WHAT ABOUT REFINANCING LATER?

You've probably heard:

“Marry the house, date the rate.”

Be careful with that statement.

Refinancing may be an option in the future, but it isn't guaranteed. Rates may not fall enough to make refinancing worthwhile, and refinancing can involve qualification requirements, costs, fees, and other considerations.

Don't promise a buyer:

❌ “You can just refinance when rates come down.”

Instead:

✅ “Talk with your lender about how refinancing works and whether it could be an option for you in the future.”

🎯 THE AGENT'S ROLE

We aren't economists.

We aren't mortgage lenders.

And we don't have a crystal ball. 🔮

Our value is helping buyers understand the real estate market they're buying in TODAY, while their lender helps them understand the financing.

🔑 KNOW THIS:

Don't predict the rate.
Don't promise the refinance.
Educate the client.
Let the client decide.

A buyer who can comfortably afford the right home today may decide buying makes sense.

Another buyer may decide waiting is the better choice.

That's their decision—not ours.

👇 NEW AGENTS: What would you say when a buyer asks, “Should I wait until rates come down?”

🎓 EXCEL Real Estate School
Learn the Business. Pass the Challenges. EXCEL in Your Career.

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