Yes, you can work with multiple realtors, but only until you sign an exclusive agreement with one of them. After that, the contract decides who you can use and who gets paid. Signing with a second agent while the first agreement is active can leave you owing two commissions.
The answer changes depending on whether you are buying or selling, which kind of agreement you signed, and your state’s rules. This guide covers each case, the risks of using two agents at once, and a way to split the work without a dispute.
The Short Answer Depends on What You Signed
No law says you must pick one agent. What limits you is the paper. If you have not signed anything, you can talk to as many agents as you like.
Agreements fall into two groups. Exclusive agreements tie you to one brokerage for a set period. Nonexclusive agreements leave room to work with others.
The word “Realtor” is also a trademark for members of the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Some agents you meet are licensed but are not Realtors, and the contract rules below apply to both.
Working With Multiple Agents as a Home Buyer
Why Written Agreements Are Now Standard
Since August 17, 2024, a practice change from the NAR settlement requires agents who use MLS listings to sign a written agreement with a buyer before touring a home together. According to NAR’s published summary, the agreement must state the compensation the agent will receive in a specific, objective way. The agent also cannot accept more than the amount written into it.
Before that, many buyers worked on a handshake. That made it easy to text three agents about the same listing. Now the first agent who tours a house with you will likely hand you a contract.
Browsing online, going to open houses, and asking general questions usually do not bind you to anyone. That stage is where you can compare agents freely.
Exclusive Versus Nonexclusive Buyer Agreements
An exclusive right to represent agreement means the agent is paid if you buy any home during the term, even one you found yourself. It is the most common form, and it is the one that blocks you from hiring a second agent.
A nonexclusive agreement lets you hire others. The agent is typically paid only when they are the one who brings you the home you buy. Some brokerages offer these, and many do not, so ask directly.
Look at the term length too. Agreements can run from a single showing to six months or longer. A short term, such as 30 to 60 days, gives you a way to test the relationship before you commit.
Working With Multiple Agents as a Home Seller
Exclusive Right to Sell
Most listing agreements are exclusive right to sell. One brokerage lists your home and earns the commission no matter who finds the buyer, including you. Hiring a second agent to list the same home during that term usually breaches the contract.
Before you sign, you can and should interview several agents. Ask each one for a pricing opinion and a marketing plan, then pick one.
Exclusive Agency and Open Listings
An exclusive agency listing gives one broker the right to list your home but lets you sell it yourself without paying a commission. An open listing goes further. You can give the same listing to several brokers, and only the one who produces the buyer gets paid.
Open listings sound ideal, but they are uncommon. Agents pay for photos, marketing, and showings, and they are less willing to do so if another agent may close the sale. MLS rules in your area may also require a listing agreement with a participating broker, so confirm before you rely on one.
What Can Go Wrong When Two Agents Are Involved
Procuring Cause Disputes
When two agents both claim a commission, brokers often settle it by asking who was the procuring cause. NAR’s Code of Ethics and Arbitration Manual uses that term for the agent who started an uninterrupted chain of events that led to the sale.
Showing you a house first does not automatically win the dispute. What matters is whether that agent kept you continuously on the path to that purchase. The brokerages argue it out, but you can get caught in the middle with a delayed closing.
Paying Two Commissions
Say you sign with Agent A and later buy through Agent B. Agent A’s brokerage may still claim its fee under the contract.
Many agreements include a protection period. It keeps the commission owed on homes you were shown during the term if you buy them within a set number of days after the agreement ends. The length varies by contract, so read it before you sign.
Many state real estate associations publish their own standard forms, and fee language and termination terms differ by state. A signed agreement is hard to argue around later.
Special Cases: Same Brokerage and New Construction
Your agreement is with the brokerage, not only the agent. Switching to a different agent inside the same brokerage does not get you out of the contract, though the managing broker can sometimes reassign you if the fit is poor.
New construction adds another wrinkle. A builder’s sales representative works for the builder, not for you. Many builders ask visitors to register with their own agent on the first visit, and if you walk in alone, you may lose the chance to bring one later.
A Two-Lane Method for Using More Than One Agent
If you want more than one agent without a conflict, give each a lane in writing. A lane can be a geographic area, a property type, or a time window.
A buyer relocating to a large metro area might hire one agent for the city and another for a suburb 40 miles away. Each agreement names its own area and excludes the other’s. Neither agent has a claim on a purchase in the other’s lane.
Investors often do the same by property type, using one agent for single-family rentals and another for small multifamily buildings. The agreements spell out the split.
To make this work:
- Ask each agent to carve the other’s area or property type out of the agreement in writing.
- Tell both agents the other exists and what each lane covers.
- Keep a dated list of every property each agent showed you, with the address.
- Check both agreements before making an offer on a home that sits near a lane boundary.
This is a negotiated arrangement, not a standard form, and some agents will decline. That is a fair answer, and it tells you how they work.
How to Get Out of an Agreement You Regret
You can ask for a release. Start with the agent, then the managing broker, and put the request in writing. Many brokerages agree when the relationship is clearly not working, though they generally are not required to unless the contract gives you a termination right.
Check the termination clause before you sign. Look for language that lets you leave with notice, and whether a fee applies if you do.
Get the release as a signed document. A verbal okay from the agent does not bind the brokerage.
If a brokerage refuses and you believe the agent failed to do the job, a real estate attorney can read the contract with you. Complaints about an agent’s conduct go to your state’s real estate commission.
What to Ask Before You Sign Anything
Read the agreement for these points before you put your name on it:
- Whether it is exclusive or nonexclusive, and how long it lasts.
- The fee, who pays it, and whether it is a flat amount or a percentage.
- Whether it covers homes you find on your own.
- Whether a protection period applies, and for how many days.
- How you can end it early, and what that costs.
- Whether it can be limited to certain areas or property types.
The practical answer to whether you can work with multiple realtors is that the contract has the final say. Read it first, then decide how many agents you need.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Contracts and licensing rules differ by state, so confirm details with a licensed real estate attorney or your state’s real estate commission before you sign or end an agreement.
