Do You Need a Real Estate Agent to Buy a House in 2026?

A real estate agent holding a folder leads a family through the front door of a home. Photo: Pexels.

You find a house in Cibolo online, drive over for the Sunday open house, and the agent at the door asks you to sign a form before you can step inside. Then a friend mentions that buyers pay their own agents now, and you start to wonder whether you need an agent at all or whether going without one would save you thousands.

Do you need a real estate agent to buy a house in San Antonio? Legally, no. I am Anthony Sharp, a U.S. Air Force veteran and REALTOR® with Sharp Realty Group in Cibolo, and almost every week I hear this question from first-time buyers, investors, and military families reporting to Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA). Texas lets you buy without representation, but the rules on how agents work, what they cost, and what you sign changed again on January 1, 2026, and those changes shape the answer.

You can buy on your own, but more of the work, and the risk, lands on you. Whether that trade makes sense depends on the home, the seller, and how much of the process you already know.

Either way, the bigger question is what an agent should put in writing before you tour. When you compare buyer representation services in San Antonio, look for terms such as first-year home warranty coverage when the seller does not provide one and the right to cancel the agreement before going under contract. Those terms vary by brokerage and can change, so confirm the current details before you sign.

Key Takeaways

• Texas does not require you to hire an agent, but since January 1, 2026, an agent working with you as a buyer must sign a written agreement before showing you a home.
• No law sets what an agent earns, so the fee is open to negotiation, and sellers can still agree to cover it in your offer.
• Skipping an agent rarely produces an automatic discount, because the seller decides whether any savings reach you.
• Family sales and some cash investor deals can work without an agent, while military buyers relocating on a deadline usually gain the most from local representation.

What Texas Law Says About Buying a House Without an Agent in 2026

The rules behind this question changed twice in two years, once in August 2024 and again in January 2026, and San Antonio buyers usually feel those changes the first time they try to tour a home:

Buyer Choice Under Texas Law

You can negotiate directly with a seller, sign a contract, and close through a title company without an agent, with a real estate attorney drafting or reviewing the paperwork. What you give up is a licensed professional who owes you duties of loyalty and care and who helps you track the deadlines that protect your earnest money. Texas real estate law can change, so confirm current requirements with a licensed professional.

Written Agreement Rule Since January 1, 2026

Senate Bill 1968 (SB 1968) took effect on January 1, 2026, and it requires any licensed agent working with a residential buyer to sign a written agreement with that buyer before showing a home, or before submitting an offer when no showing takes place. The agreement must state the services provided, an end date, whether it is exclusive, and how the broker will be paid. It must also state, in clear and prominent wording, that no law sets the broker's pay and that the amount is open to negotiation.

The Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) publishes a summary of the 2026 buyer representation changes that lists each of these terms, so you can check any agreement against it before your first showing. An agent who does not represent the seller must also give you the Information About Brokerage Services (IABS) notice, a TREC form that explains who represents whom. Acknowledging that notice does not commit you to anything. TREC can update these rules and forms, so check that you are signing the current version.

Showing-Only Option for Early Browsing

Not every buyer is ready to commit to one agent, and the law makes room for that. An agent can show you a home under a non-representation agreement, which must be non-exclusive and cannot last more than 14 days. Under that agreement, the agent can share facts such as the home's size and price but cannot advise you on the home or the deal, and any help beyond the showing requires a separate agreement.

You will see these agreements most often at open houses hosted by an agent from outside the listing brokerage, who must have one signed before you view the home, even when you already work with your own agent. A showing-only agreement suits a Saturday of browsing, not writing an offer. Brokerage policies and TREC rules can change, so ask the agent which agreement applies before you sign.

Fee Rules After the 2024 Settlement

Since August 17, 2024, under the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) settlement, offers of buyer-agent compensation no longer appear in the multiple listing service (MLS). Sellers can still pay a buyer's agent, but that payment is now negotiated openly rather than advertised on the listing. That is why your written agreement names a fee and why your offer may ask the seller to cover it. Compensation terms vary by brokerage and by transaction, and MLS rules can change, so read your own agreement closely before you sign.

What a Buyer's Agent Does in a San Antonio Home Purchase

A real estate agent reviews contract paperwork with two homebuyers. Photo: Pexels.

Search apps put every listing in your hands, but the work that decides your price and protects your deposit begins after you find the house and sit down with the paperwork. In a Texas purchase, that work usually breaks down this way:

Pricing the Home Without Public Sale Records

Texas is a non-disclosure state, which means sellers are not required to report what a home sold for, and closed prices generally stay out of the public record. Listing sites estimate values, but those estimates often run without the closed prices behind them. A buyer's agent pulls recent closed sales through the MLS, adjusts for size, age, updates, and lot, and gives you a defensible number before you write an offer.

That number matters more in a slower market. According to the San Antonio Board of REALTORS® (SABOR), homes that sold in August 2026 closed at about 92.8% of their original list price on average, so many list prices had room in them. Knowing where a fair price sits can save a buyer thousands, though every home and negotiation is different. Market figures change month to month, and disclosure laws can change too, so check SABOR's latest report before you lean on these numbers.

Writing the Offer on Texas Contract Forms

Texas license holders write resale offers on contract forms promulgated by TREC, along with addenda for third-party financing, homeowners association (HOA) membership, and other terms. Each blank sets a deadline or shifts a cost, from the survey to who pays for the owner's title policy. One unchecked box can move a cost to the wrong side of the table, and fixing it after both parties sign is rarely simple. TREC updates its contract forms from time to time, so make sure your offer uses the current version.

Negotiating Repairs During the Option Period

Texas buyers often pay an option fee for the unrestricted right to terminate within a set number of days, and that window is when inspections happen and repair requests get negotiated. An agent who reads inspection reports regularly can separate a minor fix from a structural concern and frame requests a seller is likely to accept.

Before you send a repair request, compare the inspection report with the Texas seller's disclosure, since the two documents often point to the same issues. A credit at closing, a price reduction, or a completed repair can each make sense, depending on the item and your loan program. Option fees and option periods are negotiated in each contract, and lenders may set their own repair requirements.

Managing Deadlines Through Closing

After the option period, the contract keeps running on its own clock. Financing approval, the appraisal, the title commitment, survey objections, and HOA documents each carry their own dates, and missing one can cost you leverage or your earnest money. Title companies usually handle the closing in Texas, and an agent coordinates with the lender, the title officer, and the other side so each piece lands on time. Deadlines vary by form and by negotiation, so the dates in your own contract control.

What a Buyer's Agent Costs in San Antonio in 2026

The fee is where this question gets confusing, so it helps to separate who can pay from who must pay:

Compensation Paid by the Seller

Sellers can still agree to pay the buyer's agent, either because their listing agreement already allows for it or because the buyer asks for it in the offer. The current San Antonio market gives buyers room to ask. In August 2026, SABOR counted about 4% more sales than a year earlier, the median price held near $299,000, and homes averaged about 82 days on the market.

A seller whose home has sat for two months may prefer covering your agent's fee to cutting the price. What a seller agrees to depends on the home, the competition, and the market at the time of your offer, and these market figures change month to month.

Compensation Paid by the Buyer

When a seller declines, the agreement you signed decides what you owe, and that amount was negotiable before you signed it. Your agreement should also say what happens when the seller covers only part of the fee, so you know whether you owe the difference. As you tally your buyer closing costs, include any agent fee you will pay yourself, since it comes due on closing day too. Agreement terms and fee structures vary by brokerage, so confirm yours in writing.

Compensation Rules for VA Buyers

Before August 2024, rules from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) barred veterans from paying their own buyer's agent. VA changed that through Circular 26-24-14, which allows veterans to pay a reasonable and customary buyer-broker fee. That fee generally cannot be rolled into the VA loan, so you would need the funds on hand, and your lender will want the signed buyer agreement in your loan file.

Asking the seller to cover the fee is still an option in a VA offer. VA policies and lender requirements can change, so confirm the current rules with a licensed VA lender before you write an offer.

Compensation Math Without an Agent

Going without an agent does not automatically lower your price. The seller's listing agreement may already set a total fee, and when no buyer's agent is involved, the seller may simply keep the difference or the listing broker may handle both sides. Savings reach you only when you negotiate them into the price, and that negotiation tends to go better with a professional on your side of the table.

The fee is one line in a much longer equation that includes price, repairs, taxes, and time. Fee structures vary by listing and brokerage, so treat these patterns as a general guide.

When Buying a House Without a Real Estate Agent Can Work

Some purchases fit a do-it-yourself approach better than others, and the difference usually comes down to how well you already know the home, the seller, and the paperwork. Here is how common situations compare:

Situation	Going Without an Agent	Main Risk to Weigh
Sale between relatives or friends	Often workable with an attorney and a title company	Loose terms that strain the relationship later
New construction from a builder	Possible, though the sales consultant represents the builder	Missed room to negotiate price, upgrades, or incentives
For sale by owner (FSBO) home	Possible with an attorney reviewing the contract	Pricing without access to closed sales data
Cash investor purchase	Workable for experienced investors	Underestimated repairs, taxes, or rent assumptions
Out-of-state permanent change of station (PCS) move	Rarely practical	Touring, inspecting, and negotiating from a distance

Every purchase is different, so treat this comparison as a general guide. Whatever the situation, a few questions usually settle whether going solo fits.

• Can you price the home accurately when Texas does not publish closed sale prices?
• Do you know which TREC addenda your purchase needs and how each deadline works?
• Will you be available for the inspection, the appraisal, and the final walkthrough?
• Can you read a title commitment and spot an easement or exception that affects the lot?
• Are you comfortable negotiating directly with a listing agent who represents the seller?
• Have you budgeted for a real estate attorney to review the contract?

Family and Friend Purchases

A sale between people who already trust each other is the clearest case for skipping an agent. You still need a written contract, a title company to search title and close, and a lender when you are financing. A real estate attorney can draft or review the contract, which protects both sides without changing the relationship. Attorney fees and title company requirements vary, so ask each for details up front.

New Construction Purchases

Builders across Schertz and Cibolo staff their model homes with sales consultants, and those consultants work for the builder. Builder policies on buyer's agents differ, including whether your agent needs to be with you on the first visit, so ask before you walk in.

Serving on the Cibolo Planning and Zoning Commission gives me a close view of how a vacant tract, a road project, or a zoning change near a subdivision can shape what a lot is worth over time. A builder's sales office has no obligation to raise that context with you.

For Sale by Owner Purchases

FSBO sales made up just 5% of recent home sales in NAR's 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, a record low for the survey. Buying one without an agent means you set the price, write the contract, and manage the option period yourself. Some FSBO sellers will still work with a buyer's agent when the fee is settled in the offer. NAR updates this survey each year, so the share may shift in future reports.

Cash Investor Purchases

Experienced investors who know their submarket, their repair costs, and their rents sometimes buy without representation, especially on off-market deals. Owning and managing my own rentals keeps me focused on the costs that can hurt an investor, like an inspection item or a tax assessment nobody priced in. Those can matter more than the agent's fee. Results vary by property and market, so talk with a tax professional before you count on any particular return.

Why Military Buyers Relocating to JBSA Often Use an Agent

A family carries moving boxes into a new home. Photo: Pexels.

A PCS move compresses a home purchase into a few weeks, often with one house-hunting trip and a report date that does not move. For a family packing up in another state, that pressure changes the agent question in a few specific ways:

Touring Homes From Another State

Buying from another state often means seeing homes by video first, since an agent can walk a home on camera, drive the street at rush hour, and confirm details a listing photo leaves out. When your closing date lands before you arrive, a title company that handles remote closings and a properly prepared power of attorney can keep the purchase moving, with your lender's approval. Remote closing options vary by title company and lender.

Matching Commute and School Zones

A city name does not tell you which gate is closest or which district serves an address. Much of Schertz falls within Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District (SCUC ISD), yet some Schertz addresses are zoned to Comal ISD. Randolph Air Force Base sits minutes from much of Schertz and Cibolo, while Lackland is a longer drive across town.

I describe neighborhoods by commute times, school assignments, and price ranges, and the zoned campuses for any address are worth confirming with the district before you write an offer. Commute estimates and school boundaries shift with growth, so treat them as a starting point and verify each address.

Protecting Your VA Loan Benefit

A VA loan adds an appraisal that checks both value and the VA Minimum Property Requirements (MPRs), and a low value or a repair flag can stall a closing. I have worked through VA appraisal reconsiderations alongside active-duty buyers, and the outcome often depends on how quickly someone gathers comparable sales and gets them to the lender.

Your contract also carries the VA escape clause, which protects your earnest money when the appraised value comes in below the price. Appraisal rules and timelines can change, so confirm the current process with your lender.

Choosing the Right Help to Buy a House in San Antonio

That form at the open house door should look different now. It is the law asking agents to put the relationship and the fee in writing, which lets you decide what kind of help is worth paying for. For buyers moving on orders, working with a military relocation specialist who knows the JBSA corridor can turn a compressed timeline into a manageable one.

You can walk into any showing knowing what the agreement means, what the fee covers, and when going without representation makes sense. Whichever path you choose, you will be buying with clear numbers and clear terms, and that is how a San Antonio home purchase should feel.

Ready to Talk Through Your Home Purchase?

I am Anthony Sharp with Sharp Realty Group, a U.S. Air Force veteran who helps buyers, investors, and military families across San Antonio, Schertz, Cibolo, and the JBSA corridor. Bring your questions about buyer agreements, fees, or a specific home, and I will walk you through your options with no pressure to sign anything.

Call or text: 210-997-0763

Schedule a time: book a consultation

Email: anthony@sharprealtygrouptx.com

Office: 213 Terramar, Cibolo, TX 78108

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can I buy a house in Texas without a real estate agent?

Yes. Texas does not require buyers to hire an agent, and you can negotiate with a seller directly and close through a title company. A real estate attorney can review the contract for you.

The trade-off is that pricing, contract terms, deadlines, and negotiation all fall on you. Laws can change, so confirm current rules with a licensed professional.

Do I have to sign an agreement to tour a home with an agent in Texas?

Yes, when a licensed agent is working with you as a buyer. Since January 1, 2026, Texas law requires a written agreement before the showing. That can be a full representation agreement or a non-exclusive, showing-only agreement that lasts no more than 14 days.

An agent from the listing brokerage who represents the seller does not need one with you. TREC rules can change, so confirm the current requirements before your first showing.

Who pays the buyer's agent in San Antonio?

It depends on what you negotiate. Sellers can still agree to pay your agent's fee, and a seller whose home has been on the market a while may be more open to the request.

When the seller declines, your written agreement sets what you owe. No law sets that amount, so settle it before you sign. Practices vary by brokerage and can change over time.

Can I pay my own buyer's agent with a VA loan?

Generally, yes. Since August 2024, VA policy has allowed veterans to pay a reasonable and customary buyer-broker fee, though the fee typically cannot be financed into the loan.

Plan on paying it from your own funds unless the seller covers it. Sharp Realty Group works with lenders who close VA loans near JBSA regularly, which helps buyers sort out fee questions early. Confirm current VA rules with your lender.

Should I use the listing agent to buy a house?

You can, but that agent represents the seller. In Texas, a broker can serve both sides only as an intermediary with written consent from both parties, and in that role the broker cannot share either side's confidential information without written permission, such as how low the seller would go or how high you would pay.

Buyers who want an advocate for their side need their own agent. Brokerage policies on intermediary status vary, and TREC rules can change.

Do I need a real estate attorney to close on a house in Texas?

Not usually. In Texas, a title company typically handles the closing, including the title search, escrow, and recording.

An attorney is worth calling for a custom contract, a family sale, an estate or divorce situation, or a title issue the title company flags. For a typical resale purchase, you may not need one. Title company practices and requirements vary, so ask yours what it covers.

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Disclaimer: This article is general information only and does not consider your individual financial, tax, or legal circumstances. Market data, agent compensation practices, VA policies, and Texas real estate rules change and are provided as a general guide, not a guarantee. Nothing here guarantees financing, approval, appreciation, or resale value. Before making a decision, speak with a qualified professional such as a REALTOR®, a licensed lender, or an attorney about your specific situation.