BNB Hot / Buyer’s agent
For buyers
Working with a Hot Springs buyer's agent
The rules changed in 2024. Here's how buyer representation works now, and how to choose an agent who works for you.
Why buyers now shop for their own agent
The rules changed in 2024. Buyers and their agents now sign a written agreement before touring homes, and who pays the buyer's agent is openly negotiated instead of being baked into the listing. That sounds like paperwork, but it's good news: it means you get to choose someone who works for you, and you get to see and agree to the terms up front. Here's how it works in Arkansas, and how to pick well.
- A buyer-representation agreement comes first. Before showings, you and your agent put in writing what they'll do and how they're paid. You can set the length and scope. Read it, ask questions, and don't sign anything open-ended you're not comfortable with.
- Compensation is negotiable. The seller may still offer to cover some or all of the buyer-agent fee, you may negotiate it into the deal, or you may agree to pay it directly. Your agent should walk you through every option on each specific home.
- A buyer's agent works for you, not the listing. They run comps, spot problems, handle the offer and the inspection period, and push for your interests, which the listing agent, by definition, cannot.
What a good buyer's agent does here
Reads the STR angle
In Hot Springs, whether a home can be licensed as a short-term rental changes its value. A local agent who knows the city's cap and the county line is worth a lot.
Prices from real sales
They pull recent comparable sales so your offer is grounded, not guesswork, and you don't overpay in a thin market.
Protects your contingencies
Inspection, financing, appraisal, timelines. The fine print is where deals go sideways, and it's their job to keep yours intact.
Knows the lakes and lines
Lake Hamilton vs Lake Ouachita, city vs county vs the Village, dock permits and POA rules. Local knowledge you can't get from a national app.
Work with a Hot Springs buyer's agent
Nancy Bergeron, an executive broker with The Bergeron Group at Keller Williams, represents buyers across Hot Springs, the lakes and the Village. Tell her what you're looking for and she'll explain representation, the agreement, and your options on fees before you commit to anything.
No obligation. This goes only to the BNB Hot team and Nancy Bergeron. We never sell your details.