NAR Settlement Effects on Transaction Coordination

The NAR settlement didn't just change how real estate commissions get paid. It changed what transaction coordination actually is. When the practice changes took effect on August 17, 2024, most of the industry conversation focused on commission negotiation — who pays what, how it gets disclosed, what buyer-broker agreements should look like. That conversation has largely stabilized. What hasn't gotten as much attention is the quieter, structural effect the settlement has had on the transaction coordination function: the work has moved earlier in the deal, gotten more document-heavy, and added a new compliance layer that barely existed before 2024.