The short-term response that I've seen to this is that it's going to hurt buyers and buyers agents and I actually disagree. I think it's going to hurt listing agents more.
Doesn't happen a lot but every once in awhile the listing agent hits a "home run" so to speak by selling a home directly off their sign or their website with no buyer's agent involved so they collect the entire 6%. Now they're going to be forced to break the commission into two components. I think smart sellers will recognize that the buyer's agents are the ones burning gas and miles and time to try to sell the house they deserve more. I think this has been a flaw for a long time.
For the 10 plus years I have done what's called a variable rate Commission. Very few agents know what it is and many brokerages won't even allow it. That's definitely going to change.
On most of my listings right now I'm listing them for a total of 4.62% with 1.62% of that for me and 3% for the buyers broker. If it does work out that I sell the home directly and there's no buyers agent involved I'm doing more work but let the seller save some money and reduce the total commission to 3%.
The main reason I opened my own company so that I could set commissions the way I wanted to that still works well for me and actually really benefits consumers.
I am also wholeheartedly not a member of the National Association of Realtors and I've got multiple reasons for that. As it is right now I still have to give $$$ to the Ga Association to use their contract forms. I dont like their forms and there are others available that I like better. But so many agents and brokerages think the the Ga Realtor produced forms are gospel I pretty much have to use them to get my buyers offers equally considered. Hopefully that will change soon. Some brokerages will not even allow their agents to use the alternate forms. What a load of crap.
Another thing that came out of this decision is that buyers must sign a buyers brokerage agreement in advance. This has kind of always been the case but now buyers will know and I think there will be less objection. There are good protections there for both buyers and agents. It also discloses how much how much of my commission they will pay. In 21 years I have never charged a commission to a buyer. It is quite easy to type $0 in to that blank. For now that is my policy. That may change but for now I'm sticking to it.
But all of that being said I think this decision from last week actually will work well for me. It already plays right into my existing business model.