You called about a house and the agent said they need you to sign something first. Here is what that document actually is in Idaho, what it commits you to, and why it is a much smaller thing than most buyers assume.

What Do I Have to Sign Before Touring a Home in Idaho?

Key Takeaways

• The RE-5 Prior to Showing Agreement is what Idaho REALTORS need before showing homes.
• The RE-5 expressly creates no agency relationship and ends whenever any party says so.
• Abmont Realty Group does not charge a fee to show homes.
• The Agency Disclosure Brochure is not a contract, and signing it obligates you to nothing.
• A representation agreement is separate, optional, and never required.

The Two Documents You Will See First

• The RE-5 Prior to Showing Agreement is one page and states that signing it does not create an agency relationship of any kind
• The RE-5 states that real estate brokerage commissions are not set by law and are fully negotiable
• The RE-5 may be terminated by any party at any time
• The Agency Disclosure Brochure explains duties under the Idaho Real Estate Brokerage Representation Act, Idaho Code 54-2082 through 54-2097
• The brochure states plainly that it is not a contract and your signature is only an acknowledgment of receipt, per Idaho DOPL

Handed paperwork before a showing and not sure what it is? Talk with our team and we will explain both documents in about five minutes.

What the RE-5 Actually Says

It is worth reading, because it is short and it answers the question buyers are actually worried about.

The form opens with a promise from the licensee to provide professional, personal, and ethical service to tour homes that are marketed for sale, and it notes that REALTORS are required to have a signed written agreement before showing homes to buyers. Then it states that real estate brokerage commissions are not set by law and are fully negotiable.

Next comes the only financial term on the page: a checkbox for whether the agent charges a fee to show homes. Some agents charge hourly, per home, or a flat fee. We do not. Our RE-5 shows no charge to show homes, and if yours shows a charge, that number and its due date will be written on the form in front of you.

The form then says the brokerage will not receive compensation from you or any other source exceeding the amount agreed to in that agreement for showing you homes. And it closes with the sentence that matters most: signing this document does not create an agency relationship of any kind.

That is the whole document. One page, terminable by any party at any time.

What It Is Not

The RE-5 is not a buyer representation agreement, and the distinction is the entire point.

A representation agreement is a separate document that makes you a client. The RE-5 does not do that, does not commit you to work with the agent, does not lock you to a term, and does not obligate you to buy anything through them. You can sign one with three different agents in a weekend and owe nothing to any of them.

It also does not settle what anyone gets paid on a purchase. The RE-5 addresses compensation for showing homes only. It says that if you and the brokerage later mutually agree to work together, you will negotiate compensation terms and put them in a separate written agreement, calculated either as a percentage of the sales price or as a flat fee.

So when you hear that buyers now have to sign a contract before they can see a house, that is a national talking point that does not describe what happens in Idaho. What happens here is a one-page acknowledgment that ends the moment either of you wants it to.

You Can Stay a Customer the Whole Way

This surprises people, and it is worth saying clearly: you never have to become a client.

Idaho draws the line between a customer and a client at one document, the representation agreement. Without one, you are a customer, and you can remain a customer through the showing, the offer, the inspection, and the closing table. Nobody can require you to sign representation to buy a house.

As a customer you are still owed real duties by every brokerage in the transaction. Per the Idaho Agency Disclosure Brochure, all consumers are owed assistance in the transaction with honesty, good faith, skill, and care; disclosure of all known or reasonably knowable adverse material facts; and proper accounting for property or money received. Those duties are required by law and a brokerage cannot modify or eliminate them even with your consent.

What a customer does not get is confidentiality or advocacy. The brochure is direct about it: as a customer, a brokerage is not required to keep your information confidential or to promote and protect your interests. If you want those, you sign a representation agreement and become a client.

There is also a middle step. If you sign a compensation agreement, you are still a customer, but the brokerage additionally must be available to timely present and receive written offers and counteroffers.

What Changes When You Become a Client

Clients get a longer list, and it is the list most buyers assumed they were getting all along.

Per the same brochure, clients are owed performance of the written agreement with reasonable skill and care, promotion of their best interests in good faith with honesty and fair dealing, confidentiality of sensitive information even after representation ends, proper accounting, disclosure of adverse material facts, availability to present and receive offers and counteroffers, and assistance negotiating price and terms.

The two that do the heavy lifting are confidentiality and promotion of your interests. Confidentiality means your budget ceiling, your timeline, and your motivation stay private. Promotion of your interests is what turns someone who answers questions accurately into someone who argues your side.

If you do sign representation in Idaho, you will be represented under single agency, where the brokerage represents only you, or limited dual agency, where the brokerage represents both sides of one transaction. The brochure explains both, and your agent should walk you through which applies before you sign anything.

What to Ask Before You Sign Either Document

Four questions, and none of them should make anyone uncomfortable.

Does this form show a charge to show homes, and if so how much and when is it due? The RE-5 has a blank for exactly this. Ours reads no charge. Read yours.

Am I a customer or a client after I sign this? The honest answer for an RE-5 is customer, every time, because the form itself says it creates no agency relationship.

What would it take to become a client, and what would that cost? This is a separate conversation about a separate document, and you are allowed to have it later rather than in a doorway.

Can I end this today if I change my mind? For an RE-5 the answer is yes, by any party at any time. If someone tells you otherwise, you are not looking at an RE-5.

If you are early in the process and want to understand the whole sequence, our buyer's guide covers what comes after the first showing.

Want to see a house this week without signing anything that ties you down? Call us at 208-789-4320 and we will send you the one page ahead of time so you can read it first.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the RE-5 a buyer representation agreement?

No. The form states that signing it does not create an agency relationship of any kind. A representation agreement is a separate, optional document that would make you a client.

Can I sign an RE-5 with more than one agent?

Yes. It is not exclusive and it does not commit you to work with anyone. Buyers touring with different agents in different cities commonly have more than one.

Does the agent charge me to show homes?

Abmont Realty Group does not, and our RE-5 reflects that. Other brokerages may charge hourly, per home, or a flat fee, and the form requires that number and its due date be written out. Read the checkbox before you sign.

How do I get out of it?

The form says it may be terminated by any party at any time. There is no notice period and no penalty.

Does signing the agency disclosure brochure hire an agent?

No. The brochure states it is not a contract and that your signature is only an acknowledgment that a licensee gave you a copy, per Idaho DOPL. You are under no obligation to anything by signing it.

Do I ever have to sign a representation agreement?

No. You can remain a customer through the entire transaction. You would sign one only if you want confidentiality and advocacy, which are owed to clients rather than customers.

What if I only want to see one house?

That is fine. Sign the RE-5, see the house, and terminate it afterward if you want to. The form is built for exactly that.

About the Author

Denise Abmont is a REALTOR with Abmont Realty Group in the Treasure Valley. She sends buyers the one-page RE-5 before they ever meet, because a document read in a driveway is a document nobody actually read. Reach her at 208-789-4320 or through the Abmont Realty Group team page.