Do You Need a Buyer's Agent in Minneapolis? Here's the Truth.

By Brandyn Negri  |  June 25, 2026

A couple walked into a recent open house I was hosting. They'd already seen the home — their agent had shown it to them — and they came back on their own to look again. The longer they stayed, the more they started to share.

They were at the top of their price point. They wanted to know if there was strong interest on the home, trying to gauge whether they needed to move fast. They picked up the seller's disclosure I had on the table and started reading through it. Then one of them looked up and asked: "How would we normally get one of these?"

I told them honestly: that's what representation looks like. Your agent gets this for you. They walk you through it. That's part of the job.

They went quiet for a second. Then they told me they hadn't signed a buyer's agreement with their agent.

They took my brochure and left. That night, they called me — with a question I hear more than almost any other: if we push our agent out of the picture, would we get a better deal having you write the offer instead?

I want to answer that question here — completely and honestly — because it's rooted in a misconception that costs buyers more than they realize.

What's Actually Happening at an Open House

Before we get to the "better deal" question, let me tell you something most agents won't say out loud about open houses.

The majority of people who walk through an open house will not buy that home. Some are neighbors. Some are early in their search. Some are two years out. And the agent hosting? They don't always own that listing. I often host opens for my brokerage — which means I'm in the room representing the seller's side, even when it's not my personal listing.

I do open houses because they're one of the few places I get to meet buyers who are actively engaged in the market. And if I show up as myself — if I educate instead of pitch, if I treat every person who walks through that door like they deserve real information — some of them remember that.

But here's what matters for you as a buyer: the agent at the open house works for the seller. They may be wonderful. They may hand you a disclosure and answer your questions directly. But their obligation is not to protect your interests. It's to represent the seller's.

That's not a criticism of any individual agent. It's just the structure of the transaction — and you deserve to understand it before you walk in.

Why Cutting Out Your Agent Won't Save You Money

Back to that couple's question.

The idea makes sense on the surface: fewer people involved, maybe the numbers work differently. But here's what's actually true.

As the listing-side agent, my job is to secure a buyer at the best possible price and terms for the seller. That's who hired me. My compensation isn't tied to who brings the offer — it's tied to the house selling. Whether their agent writes the offer or I do, my role and my pay are essentially the same.

So removing their buyer's agent doesn't reduce what the seller pays. What it does is remove the one person in the transaction whose job is to look out for the buyer.

Think of it this way: imagine you're in a dispute with an insurance company after a car accident. The other driver has an attorney. Do you walk into that negotiation without one? Of course not — even if you feel capable of handling it. The other side has someone whose job is to win. You need someone whose job is to protect you.

That's what a buyer's agent does.

And when you ask the listing agent to also write your offer, there's a specific name for that arrangement.

Dual Agency: What It Means and What It Costs You

When one agent — or one brokerage — represents both the buyer and the seller in the same transaction, it's called dual agency. In Minnesota, it's legal, but it requires written disclosure and consent from both parties.

The limitation is significant: a dual agent cannot fully advocate for either side. They can't tell you, the buyer, "I think you're offering too much." They can't push the seller to accept different terms on your behalf. They become a neutral facilitator — and both parties lose the full representation they'd otherwise have.

For buyers who are already stretching their budget or navigating a complex transaction, that loss of advocacy matters. The National Association of Realtors publishes a consumer guide on understanding agency relationships — it's worth reading before you make any decisions about representation.

I shared that guide with the couple who called me. I wanted them to have something they could read on their own time — not just take my word for it. I haven't heard back, and I'm genuinely okay with that. That's not why I made the call. I called because that's what I do: I share what's true and let people decide.

What Real Buyer Representation Looks Like

If you're working with a buyer's agent — or thinking about it — here's what the process should actually look like from the start.

Before we ever tour a house together, I get on a Zoom call with every buyer. Not to pitch you. To find out if we're a fit. I want to know what's actually happening in your life that has you looking right now — because that tells me everything about how we run this search and how quickly we need to move.

Then I give buyers homework — three things to have in place before we look at a single home:

• A real lender conversation. Not an online pre-approval. An actual conversation with a local lender who knows this market and can pick up the phone on a Saturday afternoon when we need to move fast.
• Home inspector names in your pocket. In this market, inspection windows can be as short as five days from accepted offer. If you're scrambling to find an inspector under that pressure, you're rushed — and you may end up with whoever's available, not who you actually want.
• A walk-through of the purchase agreement. I review a blank Minnesota purchase agreement with every buyer before we ever look at a home together. Most buyers see that document for the first time under pressure, with 48 hours to decide. That's not the moment to learn what you're signing.

Preparation is the thing that separates buyers who move confidently from buyers who get surprised. Every piece of homework we do upfront is one less thing that can derail you when you find the right house.

Your specific path — how fast you need to move, which neighborhoods make sense, what your offer strategy looks like — depends on your situation. That's exactly the kind of question I work through with buyers before we ever get to making an offer.