<prompt> Human: Hello all! My boyfriend and I are about to make our first home purchase together. We had recently relocated to a new metropolitan area and got recommended to a realtor from a good friend of ours who had just used him for his own home purchase. He couldnt have said better things about him and his process, so we decided to meet with him. Hes a buyers agent meaning he doesnt represent any sellers. All and all, he sold us on his process as he truly emphasized that he has our best interests in mind. Anyways, he noted that if we do buy a house with him and close that we will need to pay a 199 fee. When we went and talked to my parents about this, they were shocked that thered be ANY kind of fee when you are only on the buying side. When we inquired what the exact fee entailed he said The 199 admin fee is for complinace with the commerce department. We have to retain and store closed files for 6 years. Most Brokerages not only charge potentially more fees or commission, they have a admin fee that is typically around 450 plus. My mom who is close minded thinks this is so wrong and we should not go with him out of principle. We really like him and he has great ratings, so we still want to move forward. Can any of you give any insight if this fee is indeed super weird? Also, since I am a first time buyer any secret tips of what to look for in a house, etc, are great too. :  <response>: Hes trying to shift costs onto you without raising his commission percentage. Ive bought two houses and sold one and have never heard of such a thing. I dont doubt that his office has expenses, but they are usually taken out of his commission. 