If you're planning to buy or rent a home anywhere in Hampton Roads this year, there are new rules in place that change how your relationship with a real estate agent gets started. Virginia's 2025 General Assembly session brought two important updates that every buyer, renter, and investor in our region should understand before scheduling that first showing.
Brokerage Agreements Are Now Required Before Showings
Under HB 1684 and SB 1309, a written brokerage agreement must be signed between a prospective buyer or tenant and a real estate licensee before the agent can show them any property. This is a significant shift from how things worked before, when buyers could tour homes informally with an agent before any paperwork was signed.
This mirrors a broader national trend following the NAR settlement changes, and Virginia is now aligned with that direction. For buyers in Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Suffolk, and across Hampton Roads, this means your very first conversation with an agent about touring a home should also include a clear discussion about representation, services, and how the agent is compensated.
Licensing Clarifications for Property Management
HB 2557 and SB 993 clarify that standard real estate broker and salesperson licensing rules do not apply to employees working directly for a licensed broker on behalf of a property owner. This is more of a technical clarification than a sweeping change, but it matters for investors and landlords in our market who rely on property management services.
What This Means For You
• **Buyers:** Before touring any home in Hampton Roads, expect to review and sign a buyer representation agreement. This protects you and sets clear expectations upfront.
• **Renters:** The same rule applies to rental searches. An agent must have a signed agreement with you before showing rental properties.
• **Investors and landlords:** The licensing clarification provides cleaner guidelines for how your property management staff operates under a broker's license.
• **Everyone:** These changes create more transparency in agent-client relationships, which is genuinely good for consumers.
At Legacy Home Search, we've always believed in being upfront about how we work and how we're compensated. These new laws simply formalize what good agents were already doing. If you have questions about what to expect when working with us in 2025, we're happy to walk you through it before we ever step foot in a home together.