[quote=infoseeker]Thanks a lot for the nomeclature clarification. One of our shortlisted buyer agents is offering what I belive is a reasonable commission rebate percentage in addition to having good recos from recent homebuyers. I am planning to see if he is open for a fixed dollar amount commission and give remaining buyer (coop) commission as rebate to us. The fixed commission I plan to negotiate will be based on our home price range and his quoted effective commission percentage. I believe fixed dollar amount commision will be the least conflict of interest scenario. Are there any downsides with this approach? [/quote]

The only problem here is that if the awarded cbb is less than your fixed number, then you are liable for the difference (at least that is how these generally work). Also, since the seller is the one awarding the commission (including your rebate) they have the right to veto the entire arrangement. If your agent does not disclose your arrangement, he could be in violation of respa(the federal statute governing transactions (though that is not super-clear)). This info is based on several conversations I have had with CAR attorneys and independent RE attorneys here in town.