The short answer
North Dallas investor fees generally fall into five buckets: transaction commissions (commonly 2–3% per side, now fully negotiable after the NAR settlement), property management at 8–10% of monthly rent plus a leasing fee, acquisition/sourcing fees of 1–2% or a flat per-deal amount, strategy retainers from roughly $6,000 to $70,000+, and increasingly flat-fee or hybrid pricing. Always ask for an itemized, written breakdown.
Fee structures at a glance
| Fee type | Typical range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Buyer-side commission | 2–3% of price (negotiable post-NAR) | Historically paid via the listing side; after the 2024 NAR settlement, buyer-broker compensation is negotiated directly and disclosed in a written buyer agreement. |
| Listing / disposition commission | Typically 2.5–3% listing side | Charged on the sale of an investment property; total commission is fully negotiable and no longer assumed to be a fixed split. |
| Property management | 8–10% of monthly rent | Plus a leasing/tenant-placement fee of roughly 50–100% of one month's rent. Some managers add renewal and maintenance markups. |
| Acquisition / sourcing fee | 1–2% or flat per deal | Used by some advisors for off-market sourcing and underwriting, in place of or alongside commission. |
| Strategy / advisory retainer | $6,000–$70,000+ | Engagement-based retainers for portfolio strategy, multi-property acquisition programs, or institutional buyers — scaled to scope. |
| Flat-fee / hybrid | Flat fee or reduced % + retainer | Increasingly common post-NAR; trades a percentage commission for transparent, predictable pricing. |
Ranges are general North Dallas market benchmarks for context, not a Raven Home Co. rate card. Your actual engagement is scoped and quoted directly.
What the NAR settlement changed
The 2024 National Association of Realtors settlement ended the assumption that buyer-agent compensation is automatically set and shared through the listing. Today, buyer-broker fees are negotiated directly and disclosed in a written buyer-representation agreement before touring homes. For investors, this means more transparency and leverage — and a clear move toward flat-fee and hybrid pricing models over fixed percentages.