Real estate agent commissions have remained almost exactly the same since the new rules prompted by the National Association of REALTORS’® (NAR) lawsuit settlement were implemented Aug. 17.

The new findings come from real estate tech strategist Mike DelPrete, who studied 55,000 closed transactions per month from some of the country’s largest brokerages. 

The average buyer’s agent commission in the months leading up to the new rules taking effect hovered between 2.62% and 2.59%. In September and October, the first full months under the new rules, the average buyer’s agent commission remained at 2.59%. 

“The evidence to-date doesn’t support the hype around this being a seismic shift in the industry — consumers still value a buyer agent the same as before,” DelPrete reported.

NAR’s new rules require signed buyer’s agent agreements before showing any homes and a ban on sharing commission rates on MLSs. 

Media reports over the summer described the changes — part of a federal lawsuit settlement — as a major shift in how the real estate industry operates, potentially cutting into compensation for buyer’s agents from coast to coast. 

DelPrete’s data shows that, so far there’s little to no evidence of that happening. 

Last month, Agent Publishing reported that 50 days after the new rules began, agents were saying not much had changed, aside from some extra paperwork and few more conversations with clients. 

In fact, Cory Tanzer of Option Realty Group in suburban Chicago said his agents saw a slight increase in commission rates after Aug. 17.

“It’s been a really positive experience,” Tanzer said. “Since we started doing this, our compensation is slightly higher than what we were getting before. We’re actually seeing about 0.25%, roughly, higher than previously. We’ve been negotiating and showing our value.”