2026 Real Estate 3-Week Study Plan (NAR Settlement & Buyer Rules)
Our 2026 rule-changes practice set has 60 scenario questions across 4 topic domains. We suggest running it as a 75-minute timed set and aiming for 75% (45/60 correct); that format is ours, not an official exam's. Follow this 3-week roadmap to allocate your study hours, practise a pace of 1.25 minutes per question, and memorize the first-5-minute dump sheet.
Practice Set Topic Weightings (OpenExamHub Blueprint)
Mandatory Written Buyer Agreements & Touring Rules
Pre-touring agreement mandate (in-person & virtual), objectively ascertainable compensation terms, strict broker fee caps, and limited-scope contracts.
MLS Compensation Prohibition & Off-MLS Negotiations
Removal of cooperative compensation fields from MLSs, anti-circumvention rules, bilateral off-MLS agreements (Form CBC), and website marketing limits.
Seller Concessions, Financing & Closing Credits
Advertising general concessions, Fannie/Freddie IPC exclusions, FHA guidelines, VA Circular 26-24-14 veteran exception, and appraisal adjustments.
Agency Disclosures, Open Houses & Antitrust
Open house public exemptions, dual agency state bans, Sherman Antitrust Act Section 1 (price fixing & group boycotts), and steering prevention.
⚡ The First-5-Minute Testing Facility Dump Sheet (Practice-Set Edition)
Before each timed run of the practice set, spend 2 to 3 minutes writing these regulatory benchmarks from memory:
1. Mandatory Agreement & Fee Rules
• Terms: Objectively ascertainable (NO 'whatever seller pays')
• Cap: Broker cannot receive more than agreed fee
• Exclusivity: Can be exclusive, non-exclusive, or 1-property
• Expiration: Definite date required; NO auto-renewals
2. MLS & Financing Guidelines
• MLS Concessions: Allowed, but CANNOT condition on broker fee
• Fannie/Freddie: Excludes customary broker fees from IPC caps
• VA Circular 26-24-14: Veterans may directly pay buyer broker fees
• Dual Agency: Banned in FL/CO, Intermediary in TX, legal in CA
3-Week Structured Study Schedule
Domain 1.0: Pre-Touring Rules, Fee Ascertainability & Broker Caps
Master Chapter 1 lessons (1.1 through 1.4). Study the exact statutory triggers for buyer agreements, including live virtual video showings. Drill the prohibition on open-ended compensation clauses and understand how the broker compensation cap restricts excess concession payouts. Review non-exclusive single-property forms.
Domains 2.0 & 3.0: MLS Rules, Off-MLS Contracts & Lending Guidelines
Work through Chapters 2 and 3 (lessons 2.1 through 3.4). Understand the strict prohibition on cooperative fee fields and the progressive fines for circumventing via agent remarks. Learn how bilateral off-MLS agreements (Form CBC) operate. Memorize Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA, and VA loan policies regarding seller concessions and interested party contributions.
Domain 4.0: Agency Variations, Sherman Act Violations & Timed Simulations
Complete Chapter 4 (lessons 4.1 through 4.4). Master open house public exemptions and unrepresented buyer disclosures. Study state variations in dual agency (illegal in FL, intermediary in TX, legal with consent in CA). Memorize per se illegal antitrust violations (horizontal price-fixing and group boycotts). Complete full 60-question timed practice exams.