Consumer Resources

Consumer Guide to Written Buyer Agreements

Negotiating an agreement with a REALTOR®? REALTORS® are committed to open, honest discussions to help you make informed decisions.

Consumer Guide: REALTORS®' Duty to Put Client Interests Above Their Own

When you work with an agent who is a REALTOR®, your best interests come first. Bound by a Code of Ethics, REALTORS® prioritize your needs over their own. Learn more about their commitment to you.

Consumer Guide: Offers of Compensation

As a home seller, you can choose to offer—or authorize your agent to offer—compensation to a buyer’s agent as a way to attract potential buyers. Understand how an offer of compensation helps successfully close the transaction.

Consumer Guide to Open Houses and Written Agreements

Planning to attend open houses? Here’s what to know when working with an agent who is a REALTOR®. Get insights, guidance, and more from our Consumer Guide.

Consumer Guide: What Veterans Need To Know about Buying a Home

NAR is committed to helping veterans access affordable home financing. From advocating for flexible VA loans to supporting interest rate assumptions, NAR works to make homeownership achievable for veterans and their families.

Consumer Guide to Negotiating Written Buyer Agreements

Negotiating an agreement with a REALTOR®? REALTORS® are committed to open, honest discussions to help you make informed decisions.

Consumer Guide: Seller Concessions

Agents who are REALTORS® can help their sellers understand when to offer concessions to attract buyers and help close the deal. Learn what a seller concession is and its importance.

Consumer Guide: Fair Housing

Buying or selling a home is more than a transaction—it’s fundamental to your long-term goals and financial future. Consumers and agents all have rights and responsibilities to promote a home buying or selling process free from discrimination.

Consumer Guide: Ten Questions to Ask a Buyer's Agent

If you’re ready to buy a home, you should feel empowered to find and work with the agent who is the best fit for your needs.

Consumer Guide: Multiple Listing Services (MLSs)

Real estate professionals use MLSs to see available homes for sale, get helpful marketplace data and share listing information to national and local websites that advertise property information. Each MLS across the U.S. has its own rules to make sure its information is complete, accurate, and transparent.

Consumer Guide: Listing Agreements

If you choose to work with a real estate professional to sell your home, one of the first things you’ll do is negotiate and sign a listing agreement with the agent you’ve selected.

Consumer Guide: Ten Questions to Ask a Seller's Agent

If you’re ready to sell your home, you should feel empowered to find and work with the agent who is the best fit for your needs.

Consumer Guide: Buying Your First Home

So, you’re ready to find your first home. But where do you begin? And what resources are available to help you? Here’s what you need to know as you embark on your homeownership journey.

Between Signing and Closing on a Home

Once you sign a purchase agreement on your new home, there are still several steps to complete before you can finalize—or “close”—the transaction. While the process differs in each state, here are the basics of what you can expect during the period between signing and closing

Consumer Guide: The Appraisal Process

When financing a home purchase, buyers will likely be required to get a home appraisal as one of the steps between signing and closing.

Consumer Guide: Mortgages and Financing

Buying a home is one of the largest personal and financial decisions you can make. For many buyers, the process includes finding a loan that will help you pay for your new home over time.

Consumer Guide: Agency and Non-Agency Relationships

When you are looking to buy or sell a home, you may hear about different types of relationships— agency and non-agency—that exist between buyers and sellers and the real estate professionals they are working with.

Consumer Guide: Home Inspections

Between signing and closing, a homebuyer may choose to have a new home inspected to ensure it is in good condition and safe for the new owner.

Consumer Guide: Homeowners Insurance

Homeowners insurance policies can vary in which perils are covered, but the most common policy type covers the home structure and personal belongings for disasters including fire, hail, lightning, freezing, theft, and vandalism. Most policies exclude floods and earthquakes.

Consumer Guide: Fire Damage and Policy Coverage

Most homeowners insurance policies cover fire and smoke damage, but some insurers may limit or not offer coverage if your risk is higher. You should contact an insurance agent or broker if you need separate fire insurance or have questions. An agent who is a REALTOR® can help connect you.

Consumer Guide: What Goes Into Pricing Your Home

As a home seller, one of the most important questions to ask your agent is how to determine your home’s listing, or asking, price. Here is what sellers should know about home pricing

Consumer Guide: Flood Insurance

Flooding is the most common and costly natural disaster in the United States. Even a few inches of water can cause devastating damage. A licensed insurance agent can advise you on purchasing the right flood insurance to protect your assets.

Consumer Guide: Preparing to Sell Your Home

Once you decide to sell your home, you might have questions about how to prepare it for listing and viewing by potential buyers. An agent who is a REALTOR® can guide you through this process.

Consumer Guide: Escrow and Earnest Money

One of the steps between signing and closing on a home is when homebuyers typically deposit money into an escrow account. An agent who is a REALTOR® can help advise you on your offer and how to keep your deposits safe.

Consumer Guide: Preparing for Homeownership

Whether you are a first-time buyer or planning your next move, you should consider many factors as you prepare for the home purchase process. Here’s what prospective buyers should know.

Consumer Guide: Seller Disclosures

Seller disclosures are certain material defects—elements of a home that may negatively impact its value—that sellers must disclose to buyers in a legal document.

Consumer Guide: Homeowners Associations

In many housing markets, homeowners associations (HOAs) and other community associations can be a part of the homebuying (and owning) experience.

Consumer Guide: Property Taxes

Wherever you buy a home in the United States, property taxes are a reality of homeownership. An agent who is a REALTOR® can help connect you with a tax expert in your area.

Consumer Guide: Marketing Your Home

Once you decide to sell your home, your agent will work with you to determine the best strategy to reach potential buyers and attract strong offers. Here are some considerations when marketing your home.

Consumer Guide: Navigating Multiple Offers

When your home is on the market, you may receive offers from multiple interested buyers. Offers can vary greatly, and you will need to determine which one is best for you. Here's what sellers should know.

Consumer Guide: Alternative Listing Options

Home sellers looking to market their homes may have different preferences for how they do so. An agent who is a REALTOR® can help you craft a marketing strategy that best suits your needs.

Consumer Guide: Buying Land and Building a New Home

When looking to purchase property, buyers may consider purchasing a plot of land or a new construction project instead of an existing home.

Consumer Guide: Overcoming Barriers to Homeownership

Buying a home is a major financial decision. Whether you're saving for a down payment, managing debt, or dealing with other barriers to entry, agents who are REALTORS® can help you find your dream home.

Consumer Guide: Deeds & Titles

To complete the process of a home sale, a property’s ownership rights are formally transferred from the seller to the buyer. Here’s what you should know about deeds and titles.

Consumer Guide: Understanding & Protecting Yourself From Title Fraud

Title fraud is a serious crime that can be overlooked and result in a property owner unknowingly losing the title of their property. Here’s what you need to know about title fraud, how it happens, who’s most at risk, and how you can prevent it from happening to you.

Consumer Guide: Mortgage Interest Tax Deduction

For many homeowners, the mortgage interest deduction can offer meaningful tax savings. If you're navigating tax season or planning to buy a home, understanding how this deduction works can help you make smarter financial decisions.

Consumer Guide: Your Home and Estate Planning

A home is a long-term financial asset. Estate planning helps you prepare for the future by deciding what happens to your home and other assets if you can no longer care for them.

Consumer Guide: Assistance Programs

Buying or keeping a home can be financially challenging—but you may not have to do it alone. There are assistance programs designed to help.

Consumer Guide: Working With a Real Estate Attorney

Buying a home is one of the most important decisions you can make. Many professionals are available to help you throughout the homebuying process, including a real estate attorney.

Consumer Guide: Buyer's vs. Seller's Market

The real estate market constantly shifts, and knowing whether conditions favor buyers or sellers can help you make smarter, more confident decisions. Here’s how to recognize which type of market you’re in and what each means for you.

Consumer Guide: Real Estate Auctions

Buying a home at auction can be an exciting opportunity to get involved in real estate, but there are certain risks and rules to be aware of. Whether you’re a first-time buyer or an experienced investor, understanding how auctions work can help you bid confidently.

Consumer Guide: Making Your Home More Energy Efficient

Improving your home’s energy efficiency doesn’t have to involve a full home renovation. Whether you’re looking to lower utility bills, preparing to sell, or simply modernizing your home, here’s how to get started and what to keep in mind along the way.

Consumer Guide: Buying a Historic Property

From architectural character to lasting craftsmanship, historic homes offer one-of-a-kind charm, but they also come with unique responsibilities for the owner. Here are a few of the things you should know before buying a historic property

Consumer Guide: 10 Tips for Packing Smartly for a Move

Buying or selling a home is an exciting—but stressful—milestone. For some, the most daunting part is packing and moving. But proper planning and a solid packing strategy can ease the task.

Consumer Guide: Do You Need Private Mortgage Insurance?

When you’re buying a home for the first time, there are plenty of new terms to learn. One that can cause confusion is private mortgage insurance, or PMI. PMI is an insurance policy that protects the lender in case you default on the loan. You’ll likely be required to purchase PMI if you are buying a home using a conventional mortgage and you are putting down less than 20% of the purchase price.

Consumer Guide: State and Local Tax (SALT) Deductions

Homeownership has always had its perks when it comes to tax deductions, but the latest tax reform helps homeowners save even more money.

Consumer Guide: What is the VA Home Loan Guaranty?

For those who’ve completed military service or are actively serving our country, the VA Home Loan Guaranty is a great path to achieving the dream of homeownership. This U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs program can make owning a home more attainable and affordable.

Consumer Guide: Home Selling Tips for Privacy and Safety

When you hire a real estate professional who is a REALTOR® to help sell your home, you’re gaining a partner with the skills, connections, knowledge and expertise to help you through many decisions aimed at showcasing your home to its fullest potential.

Consumer Guide: How to Protect Against Real Estate Wire Fraud

You can keep your investment safe by being mindful that real estate transactions are sometimes targeted by scammers attempting to perpetrate wire fraud.

Consumer Guide: Real Estate Sales Contract Contingencies

Regardless of which side of the transaction you’re on, you need a clear understanding of any contingencies that are part of the real estate contract.

Consumer Guide: 8 Tips for Selling Your Home in Winter

If you need to sell your home during winter, you can capitalize on certain advantages that seasonal selling provides.

Consumer Guide: Understanding Condo Ownership

If you’re considering a condo purchase, here’s a primer that will help you evaluate your options and maximize the enjoyment of your new home.

Consumer Guide: Hiring a Remodeling Contractor

Whether you’re looking to renovate a home you’ve just purchased, improve the value of your home before you sell it, or just bring more joy to your life, a remodeling contractor will make the process easier, mitigate potential costly errors and ensure that your projects are up to code.

Consumer Guide: Can't Pay Your Mortgage? You Have Options

Financial hardships can strike when we least expect them. Maybe you’ve been part of a downsizing at work, a catastrophic illness has wiped out your savings, or you’re facing any number of other financial challenges.

Consumer Guide: Are You Ready to Invest in Real Estate?

If you’re considering buying an investment property such as a residential rental, commercial building or land, here are questions to help determine if you’re ready.

Consumer Guide: Spotting Deepfake Scams in Real Estate

Deepfake scams increased 40% year-over-year, according to the 2026 Identity Fraud Report by security firm Entrust. Here’s what you need to know about deepfake scams to protect yourself during the sale or purchase of your home.

Consumer Guide: Financing a Renovation When You Buy

There are mortgage options that let you fold in the cost of renovations or repairs. Your real estate professional can help you identify the right loan options and connect you with experienced lenders.

Consumer Guide: Seller Checklist, 15 Things to Do Before Every Showing

You have consulted with an agent who’s a REALTOR®. You’ve decluttered, depersonalized, deep-cleaned, made necessary repairs, and staged the home to make it as appealing as possible. Now, here’s a handy checklist of the things to do before every showing to help your home sell faster and for top dollar.

Consumer Guide: Staging Your House for a Sale

No matter the price point, real estate professionals emphasize the importance of preparing a home before putting it on the market: 83% of buyers’ agents said staging a home makes it easier for their buyer to visualize the property as their future home, according to the 2025 Profile of Home Staging report by the National Association of REALTORS®.

Consumer Guide: Thinking of Selling? 7 Factors to Consider

You’ve thought about selling your home—but it’s a big step. You’re not sure whether it’s the right time. These seven discussion questions can help you think through the decision.