Hacker News Reader

I've been using a flat fee agent since 2012. $500 to list, $500 to close, but still have to pay the conventional 2.5-3% to the buyer's agent. Still a huge improvement.

They do exist. When I sold in NYC a few years ago, I paid 2.5% all in. When I bought, I used the same broker and got a 2/3 buyer's commission rebated to me at closing. It was a decent chunk of money and helped me pay the closing costs. I recommended it to all my friends and several got the rebates as well.

There are a bunch of these brokers now.

What do I type into google to find this?

nyc buyer agent commission rebate

This was the Redfin model and it had mixed results, I think they thought their non commissioned agents would upend the market, but that didn't really happen.

The staying power of the Realtor Association may have something to do with it as well

It's not so much staying power as "access to the MLS"